Renovating a three story house proved to be more work than I originally thought it would be. Adding two bathrooms to the upper levels with beautiful garden tubs seemed like a great idea on paper, but when it came down to getting the tubs up to where they needed to go, we ran into several problems. The contractor suggested that we consider renting a crane to get some of the heavy stuff lifted to the upper levels - that was a brilliant idea. If you are considering a project such as this, read through my blog to find out how heavy construction equipment can make the impossible possible.
The Mad Max movies have certainly inspired a lot of people with the creation of personal "tank" vehicles and Thunderdome-like arenas. If you are one of these people who would really like to build your own "Thunderdome," and maybe a few monster trucks modeled after the ones in the movies, you can actually do that. Here is how.
Find Steel Plate Sales
You will need A LOT of steel plates! The best way to get enough steel plates is to look for steel plate sales. All kinds and styles and thicknesses of steel plates are available. The sales for plates constitute a bunch of plate scraps typically left over from heavy construction equipment or industries that use steel plates in milling and steel fabrication processes. These scraps are ideal for creating your vehicles and adding to a constructed domed arena. Buy as many as you can afford. You will need them.
Find Several Vehicles That Function, but Are Really Beat Up
The idea is that you want the vehicles to run, but they do not have to be pretty. In fact, it is preferable that they be almost post-apocalyptic in appearance. The more holes and rust the better. To these vehicles, you will weld and bolt the steel plates to give them that edgy future look from the movies. Create openings where people can look out, but not be shot (even though there will be no guns in your arena anyway). Patch the worst holes or falling car siding with plates too. Try to make it all look somewhat random if you can. After the vehicles are finished, you can start on your domed arena.
Use Metal Bars and Rebar to Construct the Arena
You will need lots of rebar and other kinds of metal bars to construct the arena. If you intend for the vehicles to race around and crash into each other, you will need an arena that is at least half as long as a football field and almost as high. Your bleachers need to go behind galvanized chain link fencing. Bars will need to be heated, bent, and attached to each other. Structural integrity is necessary, so you may want to consult a structural engineer and maybe even pay him/her for a design/plan. After the main structure is complete, use the steel plates to cover the whole thing. Randomly patch and attach the plates to give it that really ramshackle look. Now you are ready and open for business.
Share25 September 2018
