ATTN Noddy and others with metal working experience
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From: John McKenzie on 18 Jun 2010 03:24 Hey everyone, I'm after a bit of advice. Here's the deal. I got a 3 spoke chrysler steering wheel on the cheap some time ago. the rubber was totally fucked on it (attemps to re-attach failed). So I'm only considering this because of the fact it needed re-covering anyway, I'm not destroying one in good nick. Anyhow, the wheel despite being 'sporty' with the 3 spoke design, is in fact the same diameter as the std wheel. Now being just very very slightly larger than average I could really do with more leg room, and a wheel with approx 2in smaller diameter would really work. I've cut the outer rim, a solid steel bar, off, and I can cut the 'spokes' shorter and have it still look (to anyone buy a mopar afficionado) just like the stock one, but with smaller diameter (still well legal, as the std wheels are probably off a bus). I've got no problem finishing the spokes by hand to get them 'spot on' but the help I'm after is with the outer ring. I know the math of course to cut it and re-weld, but what I'm after is tips to getting it to be a uniform, perfect circle, rather than an ellipse that is clearly a cut n shut. I was thinking probably an english wheel would be the go here, but I don't have one or access to one atm. failing that, I do have a couple of anvils and (probably) enough time to do it whenever. But if there is anything quicker than patience and an anvil that could be cheaply done I'd appreciate any tips you blokes could share with me. The bar itself is round, and about 7-8mm thick so it's not like I can just bend it by freehand brute force (well not accurately anyway). -- John McKenzie tosspam(a)aol.com abuse(a)yahoo.com abuse(a)hotmail.com abuse(a)earthlink.com abuse(a)aol.com vice.president(a)whitehouse.gov president(a)whitehouse.gov sweep.day(a)accc.gov.au uce(a)ftc.gov admin(a)loopback abuse(a)iprimus.com.au $LOGIN(a)localhost I knew Sanchez before they were dirty root(a)mailloop.com $USER@$HOST $LOGNAME(a)localhost -h1024(a)localhost abuse(a)msn.com abuse(a)federalpolice.gov.au fraudinfo(a)psinet.com abuse(a)asio.gov.au $USER(a)localhost abuse(a)sprint.com abuse(a)fbi.gov abuse(a)cia.gov
From: D Walford on 18 Jun 2010 04:18 On 18/06/2010 5:24 PM, John McKenzie wrote: > Hey everyone, I'm after a bit of advice. Here's the deal. I got a 3 > spoke chrysler steering wheel on the cheap some time ago. the rubber was > totally fucked on it (attemps to re-attach failed). So I'm only > considering this because of the fact it needed re-covering anyway, I'm > not destroying one in good nick. > > Anyhow, the wheel despite being 'sporty' with the 3 spoke design, is in > fact the same diameter as the std wheel. Now being just very very > slightly larger than average I could really do with more leg room, and a > wheel with approx 2in smaller diameter would really work. I've cut the > outer rim, a solid steel bar, off, and I can cut the 'spokes' shorter > and have it still look (to anyone buy a mopar afficionado) just like the > stock one, but with smaller diameter (still well legal, as the std > wheels are probably off a bus). > > I've got no problem finishing the spokes by hand to get them 'spot on' > but the help I'm after is with the outer ring. I know the math of course > to cut it and re-weld, but what I'm after is tips to getting it to be a > uniform, perfect circle, rather than an ellipse that is clearly a cut n > shut. > > I was thinking probably an english wheel would be the go here, but I > don't have one or access to one atm. failing that, I do have a couple of > anvils and (probably) enough time to do it whenever. But if there is > anything quicker than patience and an anvil that could be cheaply done > I'd appreciate any tips you blokes could share with me. The bar itself > is round, and about 7-8mm thick so it's not like I can just bend it by > freehand brute force (well not accurately anyway). > > Could you find something with the diameter you want then bend the rim around it? I was thinking of a metal 20lt drum or an old metal hub cap. Daryl
From: Noddy on 18 Jun 2010 06:41 "John McKenzie" <jmac_melbourne(a)bigpond.com> wrote in message news:4C1B1F17.26DA(a)bigpond.com... > I was thinking probably an english wheel would be the go here, but I > don't have one or access to one atm. failing that, I do have a couple of > anvils and (probably) enough time to do it whenever. But if there is > anything quicker than patience and an anvil that could be cheaply done > I'd appreciate any tips you blokes could share with me. The bar itself > is round, and about 7-8mm thick so it's not like I can just bend it by > freehand brute force (well not accurately anyway). Hey John, To do this job properly you need a tool called a "Ring Roller". They're a pretty basic tool made specifically for forming radii in metal bars and rods for all kinds of purposes, and they're not very complicated. They basically consist of three rollers that the material is fed into, with 2 being spaced out on one side of the bar or rod and the third being on the opposite side in the centre between them. In practice they work like a pipe bender with a mandrel that presses into the centre of the material being bent, with the difference being that the material is fed through the ring roller to form the bend all the way around. Here's a video of a basic one in operation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw4upaGLRKs As you can see, there's not a lot too them, and you could make one pretty easily. Unfortunately I don't have one, as I've never had a need for one, otherwise you'd be welcome to come over and use it if I did. However I do have a small sheet roller (which is basically a longer version of a ring roller) that has slots in one end for beaded panels, and that'd *might* work in a pinch (again, I've never tried using it for that though). Failing that, most engineering shops or wrought iron workshops would have one and it'd take all of 15 minutes to roll up a piece of bar to the diameter you want. Failing that, the only thing I could suggest would be heating the bar so it bends very easily and wrapping it around something solid that's near enough to the diameter you're looking for. Doing it cold would work, but you have far less chance of getting a kink in it if it's hot. -- Regards, Noddy.
From: John_H on 18 Jun 2010 07:13 John McKenzie wrote: > >I've got no problem finishing the spokes by hand to get them 'spot on' >but the help I'm after is with the outer ring. I know the math of course >to cut it and re-weld, but what I'm after is tips to getting it to be a >uniform, perfect circle, rather than an ellipse that is clearly a cut n >shut. Hoops and the likes are manufactured using rollers similar to what you'll find in any sheet metal shop or boilermaker's workshop. Bar, tubing or wire requires grooved rollers, which are a built in feature of most sheet metal rollers... all but the lightest duty ones could probably handle 8mm mild steel bar. Best to roll it to the required diameter before welding the joint, rather than trying to reshape it after it's welded. The pressure on the centre roller controls the diameter, which is normally approached gradually by repeated rolling. Most are hand operated. -- John H
From: Scotty on 18 Jun 2010 07:50
"John McKenzie" <jmac_melbourne(a)bigpond.com> wrote in message news:4C1B1F17.26DA(a)bigpond.com... : Hey everyone, I'm after a bit of advice. Here's the deal. I got a 3 : spoke chrysler steering wheel on the cheap some time ago..... : : : -- : John McKenzie : Why not pop down the wreckers and find a wheel thats already smaller and cut the internals from that. You know its going to be round,the correct tensile and with luck you may find two so you could use the wrap from the second one once yourve wrecked the first one. |