Star Wars 74-z Imperial Speeder Bike

I made a Star Wars 74-z Imperial Speeder Bike because I love Star Wars and woodworking so I thought it would just be a fun project. It is actual life size. reaching 9' long. It is made 100% from wood

Miter saw

Table saw

Drill

2"x4" lumber

3/4" Plywood

1/8" Masonite 4x8' sheet

Dowels of all sizes 1/4"-2"

Glue

Screws

Paint

Seat Vinyl

I started with an image of the Speeder Bike and a pile of wood. Lots of scraps worked perfectly. I did my research on size dimensions and some well educated guessing.

I started with a 2"x4" frame and the front forks. It is all screwed and glued as it will be sat on by adults.

Since the Speeder Bike flies, it doesn't have legs BUT for mine to be able to sit at chair height I created legs in a "Star Wars" style. Using 2"x4" and 3/4" plywood I created supports that look like they may have been there all along. 2 in the back and 1 in the front.

Creating the front of the body details is not only for looks but also to make the bike solid and rigid. The dowels are 2" and run into the main body frame.

The very front of the forks has a distinct look which I used a left over furniture spire. The tank starts to take shape using 1/8" Masonite board, wood glue and screws.

The legs are attached to the frame and secured with wood glue and screws. Everything is given a base coat of primer, black paint and grey paint. It is worked with spray and brushes to create the look of distressed metal.

The Components of the steering are again made out of wood. Dowels double as metal tie rods. Painted to match the rest of the metal.

The rest of the body was finished in Masonite and the seating area with 3/4" plywood. The rear end uses layers of Masonite and plywood.

The front fins are made from 1/2" plywood attached with glue and screws. The steering arms are made from shaped 2x4"s and 1" dowels.

Painted the body panels with a distressed Brown with black. Taped off all the components I didn't want to get overspray on. All the details of colors were added here.

The seat was made from vinyl from a Chevy Chevette. Rear Thrusters were painted. Fish pond hose was used for the wiring on the under side.

The finished 74-Z Imperial Speeder Bike 9' x 24" High can hold over 250lbs. This was a fun project that was made entirely from wood... minus the seat cover and hose.