how difficult to make an english wheel?
- Thread starter Aaron P.
- Start date
Zeke
Well-known member
Depends on what you need it for. Smallish, I'd buy a kit and it you weld, make a frame. The frame needs to be very stout as in no deflection when you start to run the wheel screw down for increased pressure. That's how they work, lots of pressure.
If you Google around you'll find this and many more like it.
I'd run the back column higher and run a brace down to the head.
If you Google around you'll find this and many more like it.
I'd run the back column higher and run a brace down to the head.
A lot of the wheel kits and home-built wheels I see have very flimsy cross sections. The cross section should get heavier as the stresses rise. Machines from tubing, especially with lapped square corners, will have a lot of flex at the wheel head due to inefficiencies in their design.
It would seem to me that for predictable metal shaping, a fairly heavy and efficient curved beam should be used. That can easily be accomplished with a couple sheets of plate torched to shape.
It would seem to me that for predictable metal shaping, a fairly heavy and efficient curved beam should be used. That can easily be accomplished with a couple sheets of plate torched to shape.
Malczewski
Banned
Yup. Like this.Depends on what you need it for. Smallish, I'd buy a kit and it you weld, make a frame. The frame needs to be very stout as in no deflection when you start to run the wheel screw down for increased pressure. That's how they work, lots of pressure.
If you Google around you'll find this and many more like it.
I'd run the back column higher and run a brace down to the head.
That's a start but look at this design for a stiffer crane
rdn2blazer
Well-known member
Have the tubing cut and am building one myself. Have been put on hold until I finish moving into my new shop. Will be a 50" throat BIG wheel.
Guster
Well-known member
I can back up Pmech's sentiments in having used a large old cast iron frame and one of the cheapie ones you screw to a bench or clamp in a bench vice. The latter required almost 15x more strokes through the wheel to create the same result. While I could not see any issue with the wheels on those the frame struggle to maintain constant and consistent pressure. It flexed in every dimension and would have suffered worse if not for being held on a very sturdy and heavy bench.
Incidentally the frame was the same as supplied for the air plannishing hammer which is probably a better tool for the job than the wheel - at least in the hands of an expert!
If I had to build one I would do similar to what Pmech suggests or at least double up and then double up again on the the steel used in those smaller frames. The time it takes for all that welding and cost in materials will soon pay for itself in effort to work sheet metal alone.
Incidentally the frame was the same as supplied for the air plannishing hammer which is probably a better tool for the job than the wheel - at least in the hands of an expert!
If I had to build one I would do similar to what Pmech suggests or at least double up and then double up again on the the steel used in those smaller frames. The time it takes for all that welding and cost in materials will soon pay for itself in effort to work sheet metal alone.
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
go to this site. They have a section just on building wheels. Great info . its what I used to build mine.
http://allmetalshaping.com/
http://allmetalshaping.com/
MP&C
Well-known member
P.S: The english wheel is obsolete. Simply hand Cubic Dollars to Fanuc:
http://www.engineering.com/3DPrinti...83/Rapid-Sheet-Metal-Prototyping-at-Ford.aspx
http://www.engineering.com/3DPrinti...83/Rapid-Sheet-Metal-Prototyping-at-Ford.aspx
jimgood
Well-known member
And the last quote in their video says it all: "The coolest thing about this technology? It exists in one place. Ford Motor Company."
K13
Well-known member
If you want to put real shape into a panel quickly an English wheel is the way to go.
Depending on what size you want I built my first table top style one using a large caster for the top wheel and a bearing for the bottom wheel. Doesn't give you the ability to change profiles on the lower anvil wheel but it at least gives you something to learn on and to see if it is something you want before going to the expense of building a full sized one.
Nortonscustom
Well-known member
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- Jun 5, 2008
- Messages
- 375
Pmech is absolutely spot on. Thing you see with a lot of with home built box tube wheels and some manufactured ones, all the effort is spent trying to keep the wheels from spreading with no thought to torsional strength. The result is wheels that flop over center very easily. That makes for a poor preforming machine at best.
A little bit of spread is fine and for the beginner will help keep them from getting in trouble. Focus more on keeping the wheels from flopping over center and you'll be in good shape. I've used extremely ridged machines before and they are unforgiving, you can over stretch your panel very quickly.
Been posted before but here's a picture of my wheel. It's made out of plate with an internal webbing. Excellent performing machine.
Pmech is absolutely spot on. Thing you see with a lot of with home built box tube wheels and some manufactured ones, all the effort is spent trying to keep the wheels from spreading with no thought to torsional strength. The result is wheels that flop over center very easily. That makes for a poor preforming machine at best.
A little bit of spread is fine and for the beginner will help keep them from getting in trouble. Focus more on keeping the wheels from flopping over center and you'll be in good shape. I've used extremely ridged machines before and they are unforgiving, you can over stretch your panel very quickly.
Been posted before but here's a picture of my wheel. It's made out of plate with an internal webbing. Excellent performing machine.
Very slick e wheel. How did you form the plate , a big machine or a grassroot method?
Chris Stapley
Well-known member
My home built machine, made from 4"x4" x 3/8" box tube, used a 5000# jack for an adjuster with a small bicycle wheel as my knee wheel( knobby tire works great for spinning up and down) Upper wheel was a good quality urethane clad caster wheel that we machined the tire off and trued up,lower anvils were purchased through Princess Auto ( our Canadian equivalent to Harbor Freight) cheaper than I could ever imagine building and a lower saddle made by a machinist neighbor that can be adjusted by shimming the sides of the saddle to track straight. Works awesome,built for very little money and is a huge machine to build anything I want.
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K13
Well-known member
I actually used a slip type steering shaft that I pulled from pick a part (originally was going to use it for something else) a piece of ready rod and a couple of nuts. Again not a super precise high end machine but it got me going and I learned a lot from it and it probably cost me less than $50 for the whole thing. If I remember I will take a picture of it this weekend and post.
Nortonscustom
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2008
- Messages
- 375
Cut the sides with a plasma cutter using a MDF template. Bent the tight bends in the banding with a Hossfeld and the large bends just by clamping and tacking every few inches. Nothing fancy.
tlmartin84
Well-known member
Does anyone make a "kit" that contains the wheels, screw, handle, etc..........
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
Try hoosierprofiles.com I believe that is the website. They make top notch anvils and adjusters
K13
Well-known member
As mentioned Hoosier and metal ace does one as well:
http://www.trick-tools.com/MetalAce_44F_U_Weld_English_Wheel_Kit_MA44F_UW_136#.VMvmy2jF-ao
ishiboo
Well-known member
That thing is simply incredible.
I was going to mention that one. Do they still sell the large one? At one time they had a small and large English Wheel. They also used to sell the wheels separately. They would be a good start for someone wanting to DIY a frame.
E.rodz
Well-known member
i have some drawings and a parts list of the hardware that I used for mine. i bought my dies on ebay and they are just junk though so be careful were you get your dies from.
also used mine for a multi purpose tool this is a nibbler that cuts up to 10 gauge steel.
also used mine for a multi purpose tool this is a nibbler that cuts up to 10 gauge steel.
Guster
Well-known member
Watched this last night:
Good design to follow.
Good design to follow.
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
Another thing to consider is size. Unless you are really experienced at using the wheel or have 1 or 2 people helping you, a giant wheel is not needed. If you are by youreself as most of us are. Will any one really wheel a piece bigger than 4 foot wide? That means you only need a wheel with a 2' throat.
That is something I learned in class from wrey schelin. Great advice I thought.
That is something I learned in class from wrey schelin. Great advice I thought.