I'm looking for a supplier of HIGH QUALITY english wheel parts. I can build the frame for the thing, but need to know suppliers and prices for GOOD parts.. I'm not looking for cheapie Eastwood ****..
Check out www.metalmeet.com . Its a great metal fabricator site and the guys are friendly.[/URL][/IMG] The wheels and lift mechanism on mine came from Chuck Smith Motorsports. It seems like good quality stuff. Stu
Call Jim at Metal Ace. He is a friend of mine and makes high quality stuff. He makes all of the stuff for Covell as well. His bead rollers are the shiznit as well.
hoosier pattern makes the BEST stuff, period! it ain't cheap, but being a toolmaker myself, i can tell you you are not going to find better quality, or prettier wheels and other parts. you can find them on ebay, or on the metalmeet site. their stuff makes the metalace wheel look like fisher-price.
All of the sources listed would be of good quality. When I made my wheel, the only one's offering any parts was MetalCraft tools. They still have pieces available and are comparable in quality with the others. One of the things that a lot of folks don't consider is hardened wheels. Most of these guys that sell wheels/anvils will sell them both ways (hardened/non-hardened).
Yep, I 2nd this one!! Joe at Hoosier Pattern is the one that gets the nod when you are wanting a great quality anvil & wheel. I have his stuff and it is beyond fantastic. I would probably contact Kerry at Imperial Wheeling Machines if you want a good adjuster. Again, I don't know how good of a unit you really want to own. You can build one but until you have actually had experience using several different machines, we can talk all day about them and a person just doesn't understand the feel and the difference between average and high-quality. To some people, an upper wheel made out of a cast iron caster may suffice their needs or skill level. An adjuster made from a trailer tongue jack may fit your needs also. Believe it or not, adjusters make a huge difference because of their ability to maintain uniform pressure. Also on the believe it or not scale, too stiff of a frame can be as detrimental as too flimsy. I am really not trying to sway you towards any one product but the location of the adjuster, strength of the frame, wheel size, anvil tolerences, and adjuster quality make the difference between a good machine and a fantastic machine. My first plan would be to contact Kerry if I were in your shoes. But then, ...I have been in your shoes.
Hey, Metalcraft Tools, also gets my nod. Tinman (Kent White) sells or sold rough shaped anvil blanks for a small savings in cost. Be sure to check out the metalshapers.org site lots of great info. and no funny handshakes or speaking in tongues required. S****ey Devils C.C.
I'll toss out another vote for Hoosier Pattern wheels and Imperial Wheeling machines for the adjuster! Hoosier's prices aren't cheap, but the quality is excellent! I made my own adjuster, but absolutely had to go with Hoosier Pattern anvils! I tried to save a bit of money by using a Custom Die upper .......................... shoulda bit the bullet and bought a Hoosier! Imperial's adjuster is smooth as silk and a dream to use, just a bit too pricey for a cheap ******* like me. Hoosier makes an adjuster and a lower anvil cradle as well. Tim D.
hi guys, have to agree with the hoosier pattern advice, go to a metalmeet , heres the website, www.metalmeet.com . try wheels out before you build or buy a wheel. i bought a wheel before going to metalmeet and getting to try other wheels and was very sorry for wasting my money on the wheel i bought. ended up strengthening my wheel and switching to hoosier pattern wheels , now it works well. try anvils with contacts and full radius, ask why, and see for yourself. gary
I think some of these posts are down-right hilarious! Do 'posters' that follow-up actually read the initial post? Do people think about what they post --or do they let fingers just start pecking away and see what comes out? Naturally I am just poking fun but as I keep going back and re-reading what Chaz asked, it seems like he was adamant that he wanted good parts. He even emphasized it with caps as to shout he wanted the best. So if this is the case, ...just how does Tractor Supply, MetalAce, and some others even get brought up in the same conversation? What am I missing (except for some tactfulness)??
bests me, i was thinking the same thing. some of the others listed are good if you are trying to do it dirt cheap, or moderatly cheap, but he asked about the best. i guess some guys idea of best is "if it's cheap, that's the best for ME!" don't get me wrong, i'm no gold chainer, i have plenty of cheap tools, but when it comes to ewheel anvils, hoosier pattern's wheels are the only ones i'll consider. like i said before, i work in a tool room, i have access to all the tools to make them myself, including heat treating, but their wheels are so nice, i'll spend my time working overtime to pay for the HP wheels, and there's not many products i'd say that about.
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