How to make spoked wheels

[g_kandylakis]

This tutorial was first made public as a series of posts in Small Flying Arts in 2014.

With the demise of SFA, it was rewritten as a complete tutorial and uploaded as PDF in the Plans Gallery of HPA in 2018.

It is presented here now, this time split in two smaller files, but with exactly the same content.

[Stunthenk]

Hey George,
Many thanks for the tutorial. Now I have to find an airplane with spoked wheels to model! If I do, i will be sure to use a two pound can of Greek olives for a weight!

[jose12]

Hi everyone, I was finally able to access the forum today after validating a new password. Anyway, that's not the point. I used that method to build my wheels for the Dyott Monoplane, and it worked, although I'll need to use a different thread.

[pedwards2932]

Not sure if anyone is interested in this.  Several years ago I did a 3D CAD of a spoked wheel.  It came out pretty good.  Probably not good enough for super scale detail but I thought it looked pretty good.  I never followed up to try to refine it just wanted to see if I could do it.

[gravitywell]

That looks amazing!  3D printing spokes....who would have guessed that that would work?

[Piecost]

I am most impressed with the 3D printed wheel, but wonder if it is too fragileto withstand hard arrivals.

I attach my effort to make a wheel for a peanut Morane-Saulnier L. I need to modify the jig to get the hub straight.

The rims are in 2 halves, sliced from an aluminium pill container. The tyres are neoprene O Rings. They are far too heavy. I am experimenting with moulding tyres out of light modelling "clay"

[g_kandylakis]

3D printing the wheel parts is definetely feasible. I would not do the spokes though, or a one-piece wheel.

Here is my attept from 2012.

3D printed hub, rim and tyre. Spokes from thin polyamide thread.

[pedwards2932]

When I did mine I used a .2 mm nozzle and I printed 2 halves with spokes.  I used raised center hub to push the spokes outward. I used an outer hub to hold it together.  It weighed at .9 gram.  I did it as a proof of concept and didn't really have a plane to use it on.  Also with this method I could vary the size as needed.  I could revisit it to refine the design but I did the CAD in Sketchup which I don't have anymore.....would have to figure it out in Fusion 360

[Piecost]

I am very impressed with your 3D printed wheels. I never would have expected the spokes to turn out so well.

I attach a photo of spoked wheels for an Aerographics Curtis Jenny.  Also shown is the artwork for home chemi-etched 0.005" brass. I tried different versions of the hubs and found that oval holes fitted the thin carbon rod spokes really well. The rim was annealed and formed to a half round profile on the inside of a plastic curtain ring. They were lap joineted with cyano.

I actually managed to turn two similar balsa tyres, which were split and glued to the wheel. Their added strength helped to protect the potentially delicate wheels. At the time: I was disapointed that the wheels were not perfectly straight and didn't put much effort into finishing the tyres well. Now, looking back 15 years later; I am rather pleased with the result.

[Piecost]

Picture of wheels attached

[Piecost]

Higher resolution photo.