Machining Spoked wheels

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for adding the pictures Mike.

I think a lot of roughing out can be done on the lathe regarding making these wheels; obviously the simpler design will be easiest to start with as access is much better to each spoke but with a bit of imagination once a simple wheel has been completed you could expand on how you achieved it.

If it was me and I had a cast iron blank rather than a wheel casting for simplicity I would turn the blank to finished sizes regarding diameters and thicknesses adding the bore.

Now I would have to turn a suitably profiled cutter to round over the spokes one that would cut both on the end and face; such cutters could be made of silver steel quite cheaply; hardened and tempered similar to a router bit and I've done a quick drawing to explain better. I've added a quadrant curve but any curve to suit the job could easily be formed; such a cutter would not cut into sharp corners but such corners could be finished by filing if needed.

Then I would arrange a vertical mounting on the cross slide something like a vertical slide on which to mount the newly turned blank then with the new cutter in the chuck adjust the height of the spoke which would be accurately arranged horizontally; put the lathe in motion and use the cross slide to round over each spoke. This would be a starting point for me and at least an idea rather than a blank sheet of paper. Such jobs are time consuming in the extreme but most interesting.

Something to think about?

Kind regards, Col.

   
Spoke rounding cutter.