How to Build Wheelchairs
Today, wheelchairs are available in a range from conventional to wheelchair based on complex new technology. Most of the people use electrical wheelchairs that make it easy for a user to operate their movement. Even though electrical wheelchairs are more complex, an ordinary person can build a simple wheel chair with a little effort.
- Research about the types of wheelchairs. There are two basic types of wheelchairs, manual and electric. You can easily start with making a manual wheelchair but if you have an education in electrical engineering, you may find it easy to build an electric wheelchair.
- Start with the most common type. Steel framed wheelchairs are the most common type of wheelchairs in use today.
- Make a list. Write down all the components of a wheel chair on a piece of paper. Building a good wheelchair is all about getting the right components and assembling them in the right manner.
- Find required equipment. While shopping for the components, try to find components that are light in weight but are strong enough to sustain heavy load. It is an important factor while building a wheelchair to keep it lighter as much as possible so that it can move easily.
- The most important components for a wheelchair include the footrest, frame, seat, push handles, push axle, rear wheel, brakes, caster wheels and tipping lever. A conventional wheelchair typically consists of 15 to 25 components.
- Assemble your components. You may need a manual or instructions for assembling all the components of a wheelchair. You can obtain a list of instructions from many online websites as well as from a hardware store.
- Evaluate comfort and safety. After assembling all the components, you may need to test run your wheelchair for evaluating the comfort level and safety of the user. You can move it quickly, run with fast speed and sit on it for a long period to gauge the safety and comfort.