The Official English Wheel Thread

It's called a flypress, because when a skilled operator works one,that ball really flys.
heres one being used to forge something. With a bit more experience,this guy will be able to really get that ball moving.
http://youtu.be/H6imY5-1Ci8

 

Here's one I built. Some notable features:

The legs can be shortened for a smaller operator (I am very tall).

The star wheel adjuster has numbers on each leg so pressures can be duplicated if a part is removed and re-inserted at a later date.

The upper wheel was made from a slice of a fire extinguisher tank.

The DeStaCo clamp takes all of the play out of the telescoping lower roller.

 

Big news from Baileigh's English wheel line May 1st!

 

That looks like one of those overhead belt pulleys from old machine shops. i have 2 pulleys like it (with straight spokes) one is cracked & i was thinking of using one to make an english wheel but thought they would not withstand the pressure. Please keep us updated on how that one works out? If successful i might copy that one.

 

For all of you who made your own, how did you like them compared to the BIG $$$ ones?

 

great thread, one of my goals is to get an English wheel this year, and going over this thread just get the ideas flowing, would love to have a wheel at home, just to go out to the garage and shape nice quite wheeling kinda relaxing. Seeing a panel take shape is just plain fun.

Its May 1st whats the scoop.

Big news from Baileigh's English wheel line May 1st!
__________________
Shane Henderson
Baileigh Industrial
shenderson@baileighindustrial.com
www.baileighindustrial.com
920-482-3220

 

Here is a sneak peak of our latest Monster from the mind of our own Chris Rusch.

 

Wow no worries about flexing on that one! Nice

 

Holy crap, that is a monster. Cool.

 

It might even be double cool

 

When is the release date on that? And whats a Ball Park on the $$$?

 

That is huge!
Chris sure looks happy
Someone forgot to tell him to say CHEESE

 

Soon.......and pocket change

 

this year...next year....5k......10k. maybe a little more info..please!!

 

Damn, Shane! That is a BIG ONE!

 

Just throwing this out there, mostly just to say it...

...Will one of you out there that owns a cast framed E-wheel PLEASE have some patterns made and make some of these things for reasonable?!!

Might not be a realistic plan, but I just needed to say that.

 

Define "reasonable".

 

Haha! Yeah, that's really the problem, defining that work. Maybe "competative" relative to current market welded frame giants. Would be so awesome to have something available in various stages of completion or in kit form.

What sparked the comment was a conversation with a friend, the other day. We were saying how awesome it would be to have more cast "C Shapes" available for various hammer, punch, and wheeling machine projects without having to go shopping for an antique band saw to cut up or repurpose another machine. All in all, probably unrealistic concept.

 

Hey scoot,

A foundry big enough, and with the skill necessary to cast ''sound'' gray iron castings in North America are few and far between today! The cheep,commie- crap castings made from scrap from the world's various sources arn't gonna answer for it either An old cast wheel from Frost, F.J. Edwards, or Ranalah command 6K+ because some think they're worth it

The old, cast wheels do flex some, but like any piece of equipment, you learn to work around it. Guys here in the U.S. have been making wheels from tube and I beam for over sixty years and have produced some creditable work. I've never talked to a metalworker who can recall seeing/using an e wheel here in the U.S. prior to WWII.

Unless you're in show business, I can't think of a reason why a guy would buy a wheel made of thick plate, with thru holes in it?

 

Good I will just put it on the Credit Card HA

 

Aaaa... and that's the piece of information that explains it all. And, you answered a question I've wondered about for a long time. Thanks bud! No idea what the state of our (US) foundrys are. That makes perfectly good sense. And that also ends that discussion... HA!

Back to the regularly schedule e-wheel madness!

 

Scoot, there was an outfit called " Metal Ace "? that was selling a large cast wheel. I recall seeing one in the 90s inna street rod shop in the bay area. Given the original sales price, & freight to a shop's door I don't think many were produced or sold. Even as interest in metalshaping continues to grow, I can't see large margins for profit and thus further development in large metalshaping equipment- atleast not 'till the depression/recession lifts and money starts to flow again

 

Yep! I totally agree!

 

Here's mine.

 

Love it!

 

Carbuilder had a couple of new cast that he built in an old thread. Maybe he has some info you could use Scooter..

 

Some updated pics of the machine

 

Wow! The upper wheel on that guy is massive! Has that created any issues for you when wheeling small panels? Pretty cool setup!

 

Like it.

 

Now just to make this clear first I did not cast or have the frame cast it is an old non working band saw I traded for, I wanted the frame for what you see here. I was also told by one of the ewheel gurus that the frame would be a flexy noodle & would not work. One other piece of insight I have been building Ewheels for over 20 years & have built over 350 have them in 8 countries around the world. I dont claim to be a guru & 99.99 percent of my machines were & are box tubing frames but they are stout & work well.










Not all band saw frames will work yes some will flex to much just like the Harbour Freight machine. This wheel is my favorite of all the large machines I have built it wheels great panels & the upper head & lower anvil cradle is rotatable so I can do long panels.It also has a great nostalga look to it. When I have my sheet metal classes they all want to use the cast machine (big Sally). Is it for sale sure if some one has enough cash 7K no I dont want to sell it but for that you could perswade me. I do like the looks of the new Baileigh Wheel and I do like Baileigh equipment as I am one of there distributors. Thats my 2 cents on this subject not being an ewheel guru just an old guy pounding on old rusty sheet metal wheeling new parts.