Technical English wheel mods

After finishing my bead roller recently, next up was my English wheel, a few pics. Glen

 

Also saw this on: https://www.allmetalshaping.com/showthread.php?t=21241
Great site for metalshaping tips.

 

I'm going to give you points for effort, but as far as design and functionality, not so much.

 

It might be over kill but that doesn’t matter. Flex should be almost nothing at all.
I have a wheel from a different company. I don’t use mine often but when I do, I am always fighting flex. I see a lot of ideas for mine

 

Quite a nice shop you have there, and a nice job on modifying your English Wheel! There is one thing I'd add to it..............kinda the "icing on the cake" so to speak. Since it appears you have some type of overhead crane set up, I'd put an "eyebolt" on that top flat spot for easy lifting with a crane or forklift. Great job...........

 

Please explain.

 

Well I think it appears a bit ***bersome. Not well balanced, somewhat top heavy.
It's modified design doesn't flow smoothly in my opinion. It appears added on to as a after thought not as a compliment to the original design. I'm sure however it's stiffer and less twist prone if your wheeling a ball peen dented bumpy sheet with bravado and some gusto.


Not saying mines the end all to that, but it is of a simple enough design isn't it? It can be easily modified if need be to adapt for... a deeper depth per say. Following the original design, I'd have wrapped the original with that tube, just wrapped it differently.

 

I think it’s a great change that will benefit final use. It doesn’t look like space is a concern, so the added bulk is a non issue.
The throat depth doesn’t limit you nearly as much as the other unit in this post. Great execution of improving a good tool.

 

With all due respect to the man for actually doing something to make improvement, there was no harm or foul intended to that end, just one man's opinion on what was done in execution of the idea to do so.

A good designer is trained to refrain from the compulsion to add. The objective of good design is to reduce; reduce the amount of parts, reduce complexity, reduce waste, and reduce cost. Design is the ability to make clear a product or services purpose or message.

 

Noel, this is the Hamb and part of the world of Hot Rodding. Adapting, modifying and wretched excess whether it improves anything or not......is the rule of the day.
Building one from scratch is different from just trying to improve an existing tool. I think both of you did a good job. I've got a Harbor Freight one that I may modify someday. Probably try to use existing metal I have ac***ulated. The price of raw metal has gone thru the roof. Really difficult to get any steel cheap enough to build projects these days. Like I said, I think both of you did a good job.

 

I whole heartedly agree. I agree so darn much it's why I posted what I did. The next guy hopefully won't think it couldn't have been done a slight bit differently, made better for less. Material and effort.

I gave the man credit for having done it. It was a lot of work there is no doubt about it. But so you know, when I built mine I did look around to see what beefy materials I had and that rectangular tube was what I had. Only thing wasted was the miter cuts. About 7' long if memory serves. And I also thought if I need to increase the depth in the future, it will be easy to do.

I'd ask the question, if our friend had did the sides before the top and back would it have been done at all?