The Official English Wheel Thread

I've been watching a thread elsewhere about another guy from here building a wheel.

October 2020 he had a design:


This weekend, he's at Goodwood with the wheel, taking orders:




hope its ok to post another forum link of the project (above pics are from here) https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/english-wheel-wheeling-raising-machine.105995/

 

I wish that the manufactures would offer a 3 to 5 day course on working the equipment that they are selling. This course would be free to anyone buying the equipment and a fee charge to those who build their own. I think that this would increase sells.

 

I have found that my kick wheel with numbered legs is very handy to adjust and to return to a previous setting. These guys should incorporate something similar.

 

anyone ever seen this unit. home built or production?
came from a shop at one point from the 40s or 50s..
hydraulic ram not acme tread and wheel.
used in a bently and royce repair shop.
want to restore for use.
so thats was the back story.
front end... bought for about scrap price. less tan harbor freight wholesale price. but the back story is priceless. there is some machine work done to this that is impressive.
anyone have info? seen one? want to pay me for the back story and restore. 8 g. lol
want yoder and we are ready to learn ow to use them all and teach troubled youth a skill.

 

A possible problem I see with hydraulic pressure is repeatability of applied pressure when the job has to be removed repeatedly, which occurs often. I think a pressure gauge on the cylinder would be an absolute must at a minimum.

 

Interesting to see a 'Lambco' English Wheel turn up on here. Earlier this year, I bought one of these from Clive, the chap who makes them, I've known Clive for quite a few years, everything he makes is absolutely A1 quality. I was intending to fabricate my own wheel and buy some anvils, but then decided I have more than enough projects already, and need to actually get on with some car bodywork rather than having to make the tool first.

 

I built this bench top wheel during covid. Bill

 

It's worth checking out his channel, he has several more videos up for the Ranalah. He's had a new one cast, has done the necessary machining, and has a set of rollers. https://www.youtube.com/c/DominicChineas/videos

 

Lovely idea but who’s covering costs if it’s a one man shop like me, I’d have to figure in another weeks labour to cover expenses in the purchase cost

 

Was just googling myself and found this thread, thanks for the compliment stu!

 

This was delivered to my shop yesterday to use as long as I need. The bottom wheel screw jack doesnt seem to want to budge. Though you can see from picture 3 there is no paint on a small portion of the mast. Are the two bolts in the bottom stem relavent to the screw jack operation? Yes I know it’s missing the arm on the bottom wheel. A good picture of the arm would be appreciated.
.Everything else spins nice and free , plus it has other wheels .

 

That's a lovely looking Edwards. Probably clean the paint off of the shaft and get 'er operational pretty easily!

 

so we got the top mast cap off clean the paint from the key way and freed that up. Undid the two vertical mast retainer bolts. And it was a little sticky but went up and down. As soon as the mast cap is bolted back up it locks up again. A 5’ long pipe and 2x1/2” steel plate on the end just bent the steel plate. Every thing else has been put together some time ago and thankfully anti seize is on every bolt. So it’s been done with care. But the main bottom anvil is frozen.

 

Hoping some one on here has experience with this model and how to disassemble the screw on the bottom anvil. It sure is frozen solid.

 

have you put a rosebud on it yet?

 

I need to figure out how to dismantle the thing first before any heat goes on . I don’t think it’s possible to heat the screw jack inside a 5” housing. So how does the bottom kick wheel come off?

 

heat the outer tube... that 5" hsg

 

I would be very careful with heat. Some English wheels used babbitt to mount components.

 

Could there be a manual for one of those on-line somewhere for sale ? Would try a Ebay search.....pretty much by one for things I'm working on if I can find one. Ytube maybe.....?

 

Yeah have been hunting for information . The screw jack works when the top cap is unbolted. I am missing seeing something. Are there two shafts that slide internally?? I cautiously nervously laid the wheel it on its sides so i could better see how it may function , for the life of I cannot see how the bottom kick wheel attaches. And of course cant get it out the bottom as at some point the screw jack stops when it runs out of thread . ATTACH=full]5795253[/ATTACH]

 

Just a thought. Matt at Iron Trap Garage has an Edwards in his shop as well as a video of how he got it and how it works. It has what appears to be the same wheel on the bottom of his. Someone else to check out is Richard Mullin at rmullincoach@comcast.net. He has an Edwards in his shop that was used at the Cunningham factory in Rochester, NY prior to 1932.

 

There is a fair bit of english wheel knowledge on https://www.allmetalshaping.com/.
Might be worth a post there, or send me some pics and I'll post them there.

 

Thanks @alanp561 . I did see Matt from Iron traps cool story earlier this week , he got his as a functioning machine from Gene. Richard Mullins one , the grey one is different also, the red one is similar but the anvil holder is different to ours , how did the guy get the kick wheel off?

 

Ok a follow up on My Edwards wheel . My son and his BIL called in yesterday, all discussed how the wheel was actually would have been made and assembled. Discovered a grub screw in the base of the kick wheel , I know there is a name for these screws?? A knowledgeable buddy calls them a Dutchman pin .So the kick wheel and the shaft have half a thread each . And the bronze bushing is also held in the internal mast at the bottom the same way by two grub screws. Lots of cleaning and we could see a separation line on the shaft where it goes into the male thread. Gingerly put it in the press and success we could see a minute amount of movement. The press was on 20T so the shafts were surely rusted together. All cleaned up and lubed now and working perfectly. …. and a know all well meaning posted on here “ clean the paint off and use it!!!Absoluterly no way in heck any amount of heat would have helped.[/ATTACH]

 

I’ve started making the patterns for a improved edwards type e style machine with more lower arm sweep and wider spine to overcome the scissoring problem

 

^^^^^^^^
Oh my!

 

My 42”
Improved edwards type e inspired pattern is nearly finished

 

Again, "Oh, My!!!!"

 

Clive, it's said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I looked at your post count. Only four posts and five pictures. You've managed to say more in those four posts than many who have written much more than you. That's a beautiful job.

 

Thankyou
I only make this stufff as it seems the right thing to do in respect to the giants that came before us . It certainly isn’t for financial gain!