Making Wheels

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178
I need to make wheels. About 3 inches in diameter, material is oak. No problem making 3 inch circles, I use my bandsaw. But the edge (or tire?) needs to look nice. I don't think a router would work, the circles are too small. I don't have a lathe either. I have a drill press and am thinking about using it somehow. So any ideas would be appreciated.

DKT
 
What is the width of the wheels? If 1/2" - 3/4" you could use a round over bit on the router for the edges, then use a jig with the bandsaw to cut treads around the wheel.
 
Assuming there is a hole in the middle of the circle, you could probably put a bolt through the wheel and lock it in place with a nut (and a pair of washers). Then you could chuck the end of the bolt into your drill press and do your final shaping with sandpaper. (Or if you rigged a stable rest for it, something like a rasp or file.) I'd do it with caution and eye (or better yet, face) protection, just as if it were on a lathe.

It could also be done on a router table using a jig to mount the wheel on (a board with a nail the same size as the hole in the wheel would work), with the jig clamped in place to keep the center of the wheel a fixed distance from the router bit.

Another option would be to see if one of the turners here would be interested in a little skew and parting tool practice. ;) Probably more workable if you need four wheels, and not forty. :)
 
Another option with a drill press.....would be a hole saw.

There are also tools that have adjustable radius for cutting wheels/circles with a drill press.
 
Kens talking about a fly cutter, be careful with those, they can really bust your knuckles. I think cutting the wheels on your bandsaw will be your safest bet for such a small diameter cut.

I like Vaughn's suggestion of bolting the wheel and turning it in your drill press. 100 grit folded should give you nice little groves for the tires. Before you turn the wheels in the drill press, just mark your locations with a pencil (heavy mark is best) and when you turn on the drill press, you'll be able to see where you want to cut your grooves.
 
I make wheels all the time for my Custom Wooden Models.

I use a bandsaw to cut the circles, then use a router table to round over the edges or make the profiles inside. You can route small parts on a router table, the key as you mentioned is holding it. I clamp my wheels in those wooden adjustable hand clamps. You have to reposition the clamp a few times, but its easier then any other method. Its also faster then trying to set anything up to do the same thing.

By the way, whatcha making?

If you need some help making tractor tires let me know. By using an indexing head, a radial arm sound equipped with a dado blade and by having the blade elevated and set at 15º, you can make some staving rear tractor tire wheels.:thumb:

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Making wheels

As I stated in my original message making the circles is not the problem. Putting a nice edge on the circles (to make it look like a tire for example) is a problem. Somebody replied to use a hand clamp to hold the wood and use a router with a round over bit. I'm talking 3 inch diameter circles, isn't that a little small?
The wheels are for a doll cradle for my grand daughter.
DKT
 
As I stated in my original message making the circles is not the problem. Putting a nice edge on the circles (to make it look like a tire for example) is a problem. Somebody replied to use a hand clamp to hold the wood and use a router with a round over bit. I'm talking 3 inch diameter circles, isn't that a little small?
The wheels are for a doll cradle for my grand daughter.
DKT
I would only do such a thing on a router table and, with that set-uop, I would use something other than my fingers to hold the wheel.
 
Years and years . . .

of trial and error in makeing EVERY style of millitary wheel and a lot of civilian styles and I figured it out. All done on the drill press. Cut your stock to thickness and width ( height of tire / wheel ). Run this in lenghts enough for eight or ten wheels ( VERY inportant ! ). Mark center of wheel along the length with spare space between wheels. Off to the drill press. Cut your " rims " with an apropriate spade bit. BUT only use the outside points of the bit. NOT the cutting edges between the points. Do this before you cut out the hubs. Go ahead and do this to the whole run. Now change to whatever size Forstner bit looks right, use the nice center you just made, and bore out the inside of the rim to whatever depth you want. Change Forstners again for the inside of the wheel, and so on. Once you've got all your shapeing done install the trusty hole saw and cut 'em loose ! Your useing the INSIDE of the hole saw for the wheel. Now you just run the " tread surface " over the belt sander ( watch the fingers ) and bevel the edges while your there. The greatest " Ah-ha " moment was the spade bits for the rims. I've even gone to the length of getting the sizes I want and grinding / filiing down the " blade " or cutting edge of the bit so the outside points are longer to give me a deeper rim line. I don't explain things well ( OLD GI ! ) but maybe this'll help or, at least, give you some ideas.
 

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Safe routing small round things

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The workpiece is a 1.75 in. diameter rosette used on the bail handle assembly of a bunch of Nantucket lightship baskets I made. This little piece was troublesome and really scary til I made the "fixture" shown. A single screw holds an oversized blank from the opposite side. The "fixture" is then turned over and gripped from the "overhangs" on the ends. It is then manipulated around a bearing guided cove and bead bit in the router table to shape the entire blank. The bearing rides on the aluminum plug. This could be hardwood or a plastic like delrin, nylon, or UHMWP. I put "fixture" in quotes, cause it was something I threw together--not meant to be elegant--only functional!

My first post, so I hope this makes sense. Been lurking for a while--seems like a nice group of people on this forum, so I thought I'd try jumping in.

Regards
Bob
 
Somebody replied to use a hand clamp to hold the wood and use a router with a round over bit. I'm talking 3 inch diameter circles, isn't that a little small?

Nope, not at all. The wheels in the picture of my tractor were 4.25 and the front wheels were about 2.25 if I remember right. I use those adjustable wood clamps and they work perfect. If you hit the clamp with the router bit, so what? Its wood. You have to reposition the clamps in order to do 360º of the circle, but you can see in the picture I even did the inside "rim" of the wheel in this way.

I did leave out the word Router Table, but I assumed no one would be foolish enough to try this with a HAND-HELD router. Good luck in whatever method you choose.
 
I have a 10 inch sanding disk for my table saw. I would be curios about your idea.

DKT

Dont think that will work. I've turned very small circles pivoting on a pin against a 12" disk. I was thinking you could tilt the table and adjust the pin distance a few times and do a seriies of very small chamfers then touch them up with hand sanding to blend them into a roundover.
 
Speaking of wheels, in case there is someone that isn't too excited about making their own I have about a dozen or so hard wood purchased wheels I'll never use. 2-1/2" dia. -3/4" thick - 23/64" hole. Price - Free - postal shipping - not much. Bob
 

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Since Bob said it first, I'll suggest considering buying what you need. Might be some kind of heresy to say that but sometimes it isn't worth the effort to make some items. There are many sources for small wooden wheels.
 
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