The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Metal Arts and the English Wheel?

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

You'd think square tubing for your telescoping part would be better for keeping things on track.

Yes, lots of the DIY guys do that Mark. But....the sacrifice is that is not as precise as a quill
unless it has all machined surfaces, like in an arbor press.
The large area required for the Poly sheet gibs that most of the guys are using, creates a lot of
surface area. A large surface area means a lot of friction.
Single point gib screws would only work if all the surfaces were precision machined.
If you look at all of the wheels that are built for professional use, they all use a
tube in tube lower adjuster.
I'm getting things worked out but still have a few snags. I was really hoping with
all the car guys that are here doing restoration and custom work that one of them
would have a commercial wheel that they could give me some input on.
DG

Denny
Shoot a PM to MPandC.
Robert either has an English Wheel or has seen enough of them to help you out.

MPandC?????
who's that?
dg

That’s his Stovebolt handle. Metal worker.

Hello, Denny

It is a member "name": MPandC from searching the User List

Happy New Year - good luck with your project.

Denny, if you check the first couple of sticky threads in this link they show frame fabrication as well as adjusters. For whatever reason, most don't use an Acme thread on the adjuster on fabricated wheeling machines, they will use fine threaded all thread. My cast wheel uses an Acme thread and does fine with it.


http://www.allmetalshaping.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29


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