Parts needed................NOW!!

[wheelmaster]

All,

I am currenltly building a wheel but I cannot find hubs to marry the wheel to the axle. Four of the hubs should be 6" in diameter and keyed. The othe four should be 3" in diameter and keyed.

If anyone knows a good way to build a Jacobs Latter please let me know.

WM

[jim_mich]

From what little information you give I assume you are trying to fasten wheel or wheels that are larger than 6" to an axle shaft of unknown size using 6" and 4' diameter hubs of some sort and need the hubs to key to the shaft.

Using keys on a shaft and hub is a nice professional way to go but it requires special equipment to produce the key slots. The special equipment cuts the keys very quickly and inexpansively. For an individual without any special equipment there are many other ways to fasten shafts to hubs.

I assume the hubs must do two things. They must support the wheel and they must keep the wheel from spinning on the axle shaft. A simple way to keep the wheel from spinning is to use a set screw. You can buy "set screw collars" from McMaster.com that are just a round piece of steel with a hole for the shaft and a set screw that tightens on the shaft. These can be welded to larger flat pieces of steel to form hubs.

There are numerious other ways to make hubs. Mostly it depends on you're skills and the equipment available. The chances of finding something exactly like what you need are small. You will most likely need to "manufacture" your own hubs from whatever you can find available and according to your skills, equipment and available money.

[Vic Hays]

If you need hubs that will take high torque without fretting then you can buy taper lock hubs from an industrial bearing and chain supplier. They are not very expensive and can be welded to a larger steel plate. They are tapered so that they form a very secure attachment to the shaft and can be dismounted easily. They are supplied with a key but will be secure without one except under the most extreme conditions.

[wheelmaster]

Thanks Jim,

I have been searching Waterwheel sites for the hubs but the price is to high. There is a local tech school where I can get the welding done for free if I decide to go with set screw collars.

Thanks for the info. Know anything about building a Jacobs latter. For my build I`ll need one 12" tall.

WM

[wheelmaster]

Vic,

Thanks for the input but I found set screw collars for $1.99 each and I think Lows may have the steel plates. My wheel will be 48" in diameter when completed and 2ea 6" plates per wheel should do the trick.

I plan on building it like a water wheel turned inside out.

No hight torque here just a 4lbs on the descending side. So set screw collars it is.

WM

[rlortie]

Maybe we need to set up a topic strictly for tools and material sources. Maybe someone can set it up in the wiki.

I have just located and ordered some "Pillow Block" and "flange bearings" from http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... y2_6970_96 These are the lowest prices I have ever found on these items.

Two 3/4 pillows, two 1"pillows, two 3/4" and two 1" 2-bolt fange type, plus shipping set me back $66.45 US. I would pay close to $35.00 for just one pillow block locally.

Northerntool.com Site numbers for pillow blocks is 1803 to 1812.
2-bolt flange W/bearings is 1813 to1817, 4-bolt is 1822 to 1831

Also availabe in the UK by linking with http://www.northerntooluk.com/
Site numbers may differ here.

Ralph

[DrWhat]

It is quite difficult to get the exact parts needed for building a wheel as I have certainly found out.

I've been making most of my parts from scratch which is very time consuming but very satisfying.

A mega hardware store will have most of what you need but a lot of imagination and ingenuity is needed to customise parts. It's all part of the Bessler journey even though a design ends up taking months rather than weeks!

[wheelmaster]

Ordered 4 each 6inch sprockets w/ 1 inch bore from Kaman for $10.00 a piece. The plan is to use them as hubs to for the wheel. Going to drill 4 3/4th inch holes in each to hold it.

My storkbill turned out great. The locknuts were the best route to go.

I have been very lax on uploading photos. Since this build is going so slowly it may end up being a photo a month! Now that I have located 80% of the parts needed it should go a little faster.

WM

[wikiwheel]

All,

I am currenltly building a wheel but I cannot find hubs to marry the wheel to the axle. Four of the hubs should be 6" in diameter and keyed. The othe four should be 3" in diameter and keyed.

If anyone knows a good way to build a Jacobs Latter please let me know.

WM

What is rong with the internet? This public terminal kept kicking my logon out all day till now.

wheilmaster, I bought a toy jacobs ladder from miles kimball toy company. Onlines store. Less than 10 dollars for a good one. Once gotten you can figure it out to copy.

Mik

[mickegg]

Thanks for the info. Know anything about building a Jacobs latter. For my build I`ll need one 12" tall.

Here's a website that shows the construction pretty well.

http://www.woodcraftarts.com/jacob.htm

Regards

Mick

[wheelmaster]

Thanks for the tips on the Jacobs Latter. I have decided that a duel storkbill would be a better choice for my wheel.

As of today the wheel stand is built and one of the main two wheels are mounted. My storkbill can extend to 40 inches.

Most builds and test wheels consist of a single 48 inch piece of plywood cut in a circle. Mine will have two 42 inch pieces of plywood with a 14 inch space between them.

The weights are 4lb cylinders 10 inches long by 2 inches thick. These weights will ride the storkbill to the 2 o`clock position of the wheel. The storkbill will mount between the two 42 inch wheels and will be affixed to the stand


The catch and return system will be the most difficult part of the wheel to make. I will create a new thread when I am ready to upload photos.

[wheelmaster]

Almost there guys. All of my experiments with my wheel are turning out better than expected. My biggest problem now is the cost is outweighing my wallet size.

I don`t have the building skills of Ralph so it ends up costing more to get special pieces made for me. Looks like I`ll have to work some overtime to make the extra money.
Explaining to the wife where the money went will be the hard part. Hope it does`nt come down to her or the wheel. I sure would miss her.

On a side note. Have any of you felt like the guy in Close encounters of the Third Kind? I have`nt built a mash potato mountain in my kitchen but I do have the same powerful erg to complete my wheel as he did.

I mean the absolute gleeful feeling you get when you know without a dought that this is it!!! It seems to push me farther and farther along sometime way into the night.

Only to realize the next step requires me to take apart some of my work to make other pieces fit correctly. Again lack of real skill pushes back the completion date.

[rlortie]

Wheelmaster,

Just a note to let you know that there is someone out here reading your progress reports. I enjoy in knowing there are others who challenge their empirical skills and learn of there attributes.

On a side note. Have any of you felt like the guy in Close encounters of the Third Kind? I have`nt built a mash potato mountain in my kitchen but I do have the same powerful erg to complete my wheel as he did.

Yup! Know the feeling very well, fortunately I have learned to take a short sabbatical now and then. I Find it refreshing when I take time to look at the other side of those mashed potatoes.

my ideas come quicker than I can keep up with them. I have two other members that I pass some of them on to for trial and error research.

And take from a man who has been around the block a few times! Do not let your wheel enthusiasm isolate you from your wife. Talk about your progress and thoughts. Do your best to involve her. The female mind can be very creative and you never know when she may say something that lights a bulb in the old cranium.

Ralph

[wheelmaster]

Ralph,

I guess it takes a little time for people to get my brand of humor. There was a country song I heard awhile back about a guy that went fishing all the time. To make a long story short the main line in the song was "I`m going to miss her looky there I got a bite."

Explaining to the wife where the money went will be the hard part. Hope it does`nt come down to her or the wheel. I sure would miss her.

My bride knows the passion I have for this project. I have shown her the design built in working model and she agrees it is worth the investment. Just not at the rate I am currently spending.

To date I have spent over a grand on wood, screws, sprockets, chains, machine shop work, angled aluminum, steel axles, etc. etc. etc. I know it will take a least $500 more to complete. I`ve never spent this kind of money on a build before but then again I never knew the answer until now.

[rlortie]

Wheelmaster,

Wow! $1,500 in a wheel project, that in my wallet is way out of reach for a trial and error research on a design. Of course I have built up an inventory but I seldom exceed $60.00 on a new build.

I have learned to throw them together cheap and fast! If they show promise then I go back and add the quality. One of my close associates builds every thing in the 12" to 24" size on his kitchen table.

I keep my cost down by using industrial grade particle board that comes in 49 X97" sheets which allows me to get two 48" disks out of one sheet. Most of my iron is either from the recycle yard or Ace Hardware stores. My weights are excercise dumbbell disks from wal-Mart. I use 2-1/2 and five pounders either alone or ganged. Axle metal of 1/2" through 48" inch is available at Ace, Lowes or Home depot.

For pillow and flange bearings, order them through Northern Tool Co. They are listed under "Hydraulics. All my bicycle chains, sprockets etc. also come from the recycle yard. Recently picked up two ten speed bikes both ridable for $1.50 Each. They say there is not enough metal mass in them to make recycling cost effective.

Also do not be ashamed to visit dumpsters around new project sites. It is amazing what some people throw away when they are not paying for it!

Yes I am familiar with the song "Going Fishing" My favorite is "Thats my story and I am sticking to it" by Collen Ray. Recently attended one of his concerts. Love country music.

Ralph