Well, here I am again, axing for someone to switch the lights on out there
in that cold cold garage so they can take a peek at how one of their toys
are made.
This month I’m embarking on that tool of all tools…..the English Wheel!
Been wanting one for decades and I’ve had the tubing for the frame, the
wheel and anvils, the casters, and enough material I should be able to fabricate
the adjuster….on the shelf all that time.
So the rest of the winter will be devoted to my wheel.
I’ve been working for a couple of days on trying to decide from the few
hundred designs, which parts I’d like to incorporate in my wheel. I’m not
wanting one of those master pieces that look like it belongs in the museum
of modern art, nope, just a plan old fabricated ridged tube frame English wheel.
I’ve pretty much much settled on something similar to the Metal Art wheels like the
Covell series. The brick wall that I’ve run into is the lower lifter/adjuster/quick release
mechanism.
I’ve got tubing that will work, I can fab the eccentric, I’ve got some 1”-5 Acme thd. rod and
nuts but I just can’t quite figure how it all goes together. I’ve not seen one of the Metal Art
adjusters that was disassembled and can’t see how it’s kept from rotating. I assume the
upper shaft that slides in the lower tube, which is welded to the frame, has a slot milled in
it and a set screw or shoulder bolt is keeping it from turning. But that doesn’t seem good
enough to keep the anvil on track.
And, I assume that the kick adjuster shaft is threaded up thru a nut somewhere in the lower
tube and pushes up on the quick release eccentric.
What I would really like is for anyone who has one of the Metal Art wheels to lay the parts
out and photo graph them when it’s apart. Some rough measurements would save me a
lot of time also.
I know there has to be one of you fabricator guys who has one of these or knows someone
who has one. It would sure save me a lot of mistakes if you could show me how they are
doing it with their adjusters.
Thanks
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
