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I'm still in the process of drilling and I'm not sure about how many mistakes I did! Up to now I saw a couple which I cannot correct until I'm doing new hubs. I will also soft solder the spokes; as I wrote to Don, the system you used is not practical; I'm indeed using the system (with some changes) from Propeller: Avions Voisin record 1927.
I’m not suggesting this, I think you know every technique there is, but, a design by the old kit company REVIVAL, is another way to go. In effect split the hub into rings. Splitting them at the point where the spokes enter, making sure the “rings” fit into each other. The “holes” are notches made into the lip of the ring edges.
It may not make sense as I’ve described, but it is a third way to do spokes.
-Don
Don, in fast, I was thinking the last few days about that. I'm however too far to use this method. It requires a lot of machining, but obviously, my chore to do the holes would be gone! Right now, I'm almost at 3/4 of the holes. It requires a lot of concentration/verification to be in line with the rear spokes; the time to drill the holes, even with 3 different bits, is a fraction of what is needed to do the set-up.
All the holes into the hubs are done; I'm glad it's over! After the first row at the large diameter, I had to drill the second row which holes, if I'm right, are between the holes from the other row. The difficulty was to find the right spot to drill; unfortunately, there are some differences between the hubs. Maybe this will not be evident at the first glance.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...ng_the_hub.JPG
The next task was to drill the holes at the smaller diameter from the hub. As the spoke’s geometry is different than the one for the rear spokes, the angle at which the holes must be drilled is more challenging than for the rear.
I began with the row situated near the end of the hub. By looking at the shop manual’s drawing, it was obvious that the holes cannot be drilled completely through the metal because they would be outside the surface covered by the hubcap. On the other side, this is almost a benefit: I must not solder the spokes at this location, only at the rim.
The second row at the smaller diameter from the hub is also specific; the holes are very near from the ones from the outside row.
The various pictures are showing how I had to deal with my small machine; for one operation, I had to leave the bead from the machine alone to avoid an interference with the electric motor.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...ng_the_hub.JPG
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...ng_the_hub.JPG
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...ng_the_hub.JPG
About the motor: lately, it had a lot to do; while drilling the outside rows, it began to act like there was not enough fuel! In fact, one of the brushes was worn and did no more contact the commutator. Fortunately, I had one on stock and could replace it to finish the drilling. I could be a good idea to order another set…
Finally, all the drills are still in good condition, nothing broke!
Now, the real fun will begin with the spokes.
Hello Roger, very nice work, -it’s always fun to discover the limits of a machine’s design. (Unimat motor placement)
When it is time to soft solder, don’t forget your tinning solution, it was actually created to aide soldering, pre- tinning.
That might help control the flowing of, and lessen the amount of solder used.
When the time comes.
Thanks Don! Effectively, I had to be creative with that machine and think outside of the box!
The tinning solution would require to pre-tin all spokes; it could be done. Or, brushing the solution at the right place after the assembly.
Now, I'm doing the first 40 spokes for the first wheel...
I was thinking that it might help to keep the solder at a minimum
Improving the flow preventing large “blobs”
If the temperature is high enough, there will be a minimum of solder; at least it's the plan!
The first wheel is done!
At first, I thought that the spokes having an elbow would simplify the construction. Well, not exactly: the spokes must be at the right length because when the elbow is going through the hole at the rim, the spoke must be almost at the appropriate hole at the hub. Well, it took a long time for the first one; now I have recorded the length from the 4 different spokes, this will simplify the assembly for the next wheels.
It seems that my device to hold hub and rim was a good design: the finished wheel is turning perfectly true!
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...irst_wheel.JPG
Beautiful work Roger!
I’ve missed that quarter!
Another of your assemblies that could stand alone as a complete modeling statement of what one man, working alone, way up high in the Alps, with the only a simple lathe and his wits can accomplish!
It is in its own way a testament to all that is good in modeling and serves to remind us that we can be a force for good and creative!
There should be a statue erected to honor you!! (It wil be one twelfth scale? but it’s the thought that counts!)
Seriously, a beautiful job! -and in your scale, all I can say is WOW!
Swiss precision!
I was just now looking through one of my collection of museum booklets, The Heritage Museum, and reading up about the V-12 and V-16, engines,
Knowing what you are capable of doing, this promises to be a very interesting build! Good luck! May no parts fall to the carpet!
Thanks Don for your exuberant comments! However, I have to correct something: I'm not living in the Alps, but they are not far away.
If there is a statue erected in my honor, it would mean that I'm no more among you! If you allow it, I would like to continue to live a bit in this sometimes terrific world…
A last correction: I have no more a carpet in my "factory", but something like a wooden floor. At first, I was thinking that it will be easier to find tiny parts leaving inadvertently the desk, but it's no like that: on that smooth surface, they can "travel" quite a long distance!
Hello Roger, I was just showing your spoked rim to a friend, using my phone, and it impressed him that when I removed a quarter that I had placed on the screen, it, your quarter was about the same size.
Nice way to show your work without the risks of damage or loss.
By the way, Don, those wheels are very large compared to the ones I did for the "modern" vehicles, they are 18" and the newer ones are 15".
From another forum I had a question how I'm doing to indexing the hub and rim at the beginning. Maybe my answer will interest some of you.
First, I'm installing the hub on the tool. Then, I'm searching which holes are a pair. When I have that, I'm doing a dot on the tool with a black marquer; in the first picture, the dot is more or less at 6 o'clock.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...ol_and_hub.JPG
Then, I'm assembling a pair of spokes (or 2 as you can see) when the rim is added.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler..._first_row.JPG
When the first pair is installed, I can turn the rim to have the spokes centered; when they are at the place I like, I'm screwing the 3 screws at the outside rim's diameter, preventing it to turn. After that, I'm continuing with the first row, then the second, third and fourth. On the third picture, some future spokes are laying next to the tool. They must be bent and filed at the proper length.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...eted_2_row.JPG
By the way, I had an incident during the soldering of the second wheel: one spoke from the first row went out at the hub and I had some difficulties to reinsert it again. For this reason, I modified the tool by carving a groove where the spokes from the first row are emerging. The groove is allowing the spokes to go further into the hub to prevent the incident.
All the wheels are done. I still have to add the tire valve; the hole for it is done. On the picture, the back side from two wheels is shown.
http://www.scalemotorcars.com/galler...ted_wheels.JPG
During the work, my super tool "Dremel Stylus" went north (or south?): by grinding the spokes at the rear of one wheel, suddenly the machine went full speed, the rotating knob to modify the speed ad no effect and I could not stop the machine! I let it run and run until the battery was empty. I opened it later (I'm curious) and saw, at the speed regulator a black electronic component which has an obvious mark of overheating.
Could be it repaired? Maybe but not by me! I ordered another one.
What's next? I just don't know, there is so much to do!