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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Paul Gittel on January 11, 2013, 09:31:43 AM
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Oh, if only those lovely Banner and Kraft Wheels were still being made :(! I am completing a scratch built Oriental and am using Williams Brothers 2-1/4" Diameter Smooth Contour Wheels(P/N 14000), for the main wheels. The Williams Brothers instructions show using a wheel collar placed over the axle, under the snap on cover, however there is not enough room for a standard wheel collar, in the limited space under the snap on cover :o. One of our C/L Club members is an excellent machinist and he used his lathe to thin down some standard wheel collars enough so that I was able to use the thinner wheel collars and to cover over the axle ends when the snap on covers are in place. I cut an Allen Key end down enough to be able to get into the limited opened hub space and tighten the now thinned collars' set screws, before snapping the covers in place. Does anyone have any other suggestions for how use the covered over Smooth Contour Wheels, other than soldering on a permanent retention washer? I really like the clean appearance of those Smooth Contour Wheels.
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You could do it like I did for my Proctor models. Take a piece of brass tubing and allowing enough length to have a washer on both sides of the wheel and about 1/8 or 5/32 extra cut it to length.slip it on your wire axle and determine how much axle you need to remove to get the length you need. Cut the wire landing gear to length and solder the brass tubing onto the wire gear. Go to your local car hobby shop and buy the small hood clip pins or if your thrifty like me then make your own. Drill the appropriate hole through the brass tubing. Slip the washers and wheel on and insert the clip. It is about the smallest set up you can come up with to retain a wheel to an axle
Dennis
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I use solder washers but like Dennis' idea and will try it the next time I install this type of wheel. The washers are not permanent, a touch of the iron and they come right off. 8)
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For solderable washers I use a peice of 14 guage (house wire) wire, bend and wrap around the wire your useing for your landing gear, crimp tight with a plaier, cut off excesas and voila....perfect fit, solderable wheel collar. H^^
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My buddy Pat retain his wheels with a spring clip he makes. Works pretty well.
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Thanks. I was wondering if there were any retaining springs like I used on 1/16TH wire wheel axles with 1/2A goodies. Good to know that someone has tried that successfully with larger wire diameters, by making their own. H^^
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He has a jig he uses to twist the wire into sort of springs with a tab to back it off.
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Thanks. I was wondering if there were any retaining springs like I used on 1/16TH wire wheel axles with 1/2A goodies. Good to know that someone has tried that successfully with larger wire diameters, by making their own. H^^
Those spring retainers are available in 3/32" size, but I've never seen them commercially available in 1/8". I believe Brodak might have the 1/16" and 3/32" sizes. I like them for tailwheels. y1 Steve
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Where do you buy the Williams bros 2 1/4 Smooth contour wheels nowadays. I used them many years ago and found them very nice, just a bit heavy. But anyway better on tarmac than foam rubber wheels. L
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Somebody apparently bought Williams Brothers (thankfully), saving their legacy. Good stuff, Maynard! H^^ Steve
http://www.williamsbrothersmodelproducts.com/ (http://www.williamsbrothersmodelproducts.com/)