How to Build a Tote Gote
Making a craft model of a Tote Gote is a creative way to express your nostalgia for the original motorized scooter. It was designed in the late 1950s and first sold in 1958. Creator Ralph Bonham fashioned the Tote Gote as a convenient means of travel--bridging the gap between bicycles and motorcycles. The Tote Gote enjoyed a warm reception on the open market in excess of a decade. Build your craft model and display it proudly, in memory of this important invention in automotive transportation.
Things You'll Need
- Popsicle sticks (10)
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- 80 grit sandpaper
- Red acrylic paint
- Toothpicks (2)
- Paint brushes
- Soda bottle caps (2)
- Wine cork
- Tin foil
- Black acrylic paint
- Wood glue
- Work gloves
- Straight-edge knife
- Soft wire mesh
- Scissors
- Thin cardboard
- White acrylic paint
Instructions
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1
Measure and break 10 Popsicle sticks to form the Tote Gote frame pieces. Label all pieces so you can keep them in order. Keep two Popsicle sticks their standard length--4.4inches--to act as handle bars. Break six sticks--each to 3 inches long--to act as the horizontal seat frame bars: backside downward frames, bottom horizontal frames and front side frames, respectively.
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2
Sand the severed edges of all broken Popsicle sticks with 80 grit paper. Paint all sticks with red acrylic paint. Paint two toothpicks with red acrylic paint. The toothpicks will act as handle bars. Allow one hour for the paint to dry.
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3
Wrap two individual soda bottle caps in tin foil. Shade all sides of each foil-wrapped cap with black acrylic paint. The caps will act as Tote Gote tires. Allow one hour for the caps to dry.
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4
Build the Tote Gote frame with the Popsicle sticks with wood glue. Bond one handle bar frame piece to each side of the front tire. Bond the left and right horizontal seat frame bars to their respective handle bar frames. Bond the backside downward frames to the back end of their respective horizontal seat frame bars and the back tire. Bond the bottom horizontal frames to bottom end of their respective backside downward frames and handle bar frames. The shape of the body of the Tote Gote frame should resemble a polygon and now sit upright on the tires.
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5
Glue the two toothpicks together. Center the bonded toothpicks over the top of the handle bar frames in perpendicular fashion. Glue the bonded toothpicks into place on top of the handle bar frames.
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6
Slide on work gloves. Cut a wine cork in half, lengthwise, with a straight-edge razor. Paint each wine cork half with black acrylic paint. Allow one hour for the cork halves to dry.
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7
Glue one wine cork half into place on top of the horizontal seat frames to act as the Tote Gote seat. Fit and glue the second wine cork half in between the horizontal seat frame and bottom horizontal frame bars to act as the Tote Gote engine.
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8
Cut two pieces of soft wire mesh to act as a cage for the engine. Glue each piece to the left and right side of the body of the Tote Gote frame so that each piece covers the engine.
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9
Cut a 1inch-by-1 inch of thin cardboard. Paint the cardboard with white acrylic paint. Allow one hour for the paint to dry. Paint the words "Tote Gote" onto the front of the cardboard piece with red paint. Paint the Tote Gote initials ("T.G.") if you prefer. Carefully glue the sign to the front of the handle bar frames.
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