pic: Drivetrain Concept

[Jonathan Norris]

I think the wood will work fine for the overall stress of the base, but I worry about how about the stresses at the axels and how you are attaching the bearings. I could see big issues with however you attach the bearings for your cantilevered wheels (can someone rationally explain to me why everyone likes to have cantilevered wheels??? seriously...). I see the wood warping at the bearings (even hardwood), unless the bearings are very securely supported. For this reason it just makes more sense to me to go with two 1/8" plates on both sides of the wheels with cross-bracing.