English wheel

[Paul Seaman]

While on here I saw part of American chopper they use a english wheel from eastwoodcompany easy to find, but online no picture to see. They sell it as a c frame w/ modular kits for planishing hammer and english wheel, double duty and same space or two c frames.

The whole shootin match is about a grand.

Check it out Masters of Metal very cool fab tools.

Weld on, pjs

[Blondie_486]

PJS,

My fear with the Eastwood english wheel is that the tubular "C" frame will flex too much. Maybe it's not such a problem with the planishing hammer as the english wheel. I did see last night on American Chopper they do have the Eastwood planishing hammer but didn't get that good of a look at the english wheel. I have seen the one Jesse James has and it's a good sturdy unit. I found this one http://www.lowbucktools.com/engwheel.html on the net but would have to see it in person before I plunk down the almost 4 grand for it. I'd like to see a webbed cast iron "C" frame so when working with large panels that need some coaxing the frame won't flex under the pressure.

I do appreciate the help though, perhaps I'll find a used one someday. One from years ago when they still made tools in the USA. That's another problem I'm having, finding tools made in the USA. Harbor freight for example has a large selection of drill presses but they're all made in china or taiwan. A group of my friends and I all refer to those tools as "taiwan freddy" when discussing them. Even companies like Delta are having stuff made overseas. Is there nowhere I can find quality tools still made in the good old US of A?

Well enough for now, I have to leave for work.
Catch you all later and have a good day!

Blondie

[Paul Seaman]

Blonde, lowbucktools great web site thank you. Did you see the anvil set that they sell for $250. They say that they are for you to be able to build one of your own. I am thinking several thicknesses of say 1/2 Al plate cut a large open C and fit the upper and lower mounts, with the lower having a hand or foot spinner for the adjustment. I think with a band saw and drill press this would be very do-able. Maybe you want the fancier 3 post like the $4000 model, but a home built would get you in business for an affordable price and help pay for the big dog later. I like ultra cool tools I admit but some times they are time and money away, so why not build em, isn't that what welders as a species are ment to do.

Pardon the humor, it's bad.

Weld on: pjs

[Blondie_486]

pjs,

Yes I did see the wheel and anvil kit on lowbuck tools and believe me it is very much in the back of my mind. I'm just trying to figure out how to build the "c" frame so it won't flex and keep the cost down. I doubt that I'll go aluminum because of the expense combined with the fact I have no way to weld it at home yet although it does present a good excuse to blow the budget and get the MM251 with the push pull module and gun. But I will not do that I'll figure a way to make it from steel plate which is plentiful where I work as well as a CNC burning machine, but then again I could always plas cut the aluminum on the CNC. At any rate I do appreciate all of the suggestions you've offered and I did find another valuable resource that I had completely forgotten about and that would be Eastwood Co.. I had forgot they even exist.

As for building our own equipment, I say yes that's what the welder species does best. We custom design and tailor equipment to suit our needs and fabricate the necessary equipment or modifications and that's why we're all here to share thoughts, ideas and to pass on knowledge to each other. I just recently found this forum and don't usually get involved in message boards but this one is a great resource and I'm glad it's here.

Thanks again
Blondie

[Blondie_486]

I thought I'd share this with everyone since we've had some interest in English Wheels in the posts here. I've learned a lot in a couple of weeks about what's available.

For those of us who are inclined to build their own English Wheel I found a great website for wheels and anvils. These are CNC machined and AMERICAN made in Decatur, Indiana. They look to be of great quality and they also have clinics on how to use the English Wheel, so it appears to me that they are service oriented as well as sales oriented and in today's marketplace that means a lot to me. Their next class is February 6th and 7th at their facility in Decatur, IN., I wish I had known about it earlier so I could have made plans to attend especially since the class project is going to be a motorcycle gas tank. The website is http://www.englishwheelrollers.com. They have a kit available but being a fabricator at heart I've researched some of the others on the market and am going to combine what I feel are the best attributes of several and come up with a design of my own. Who knows I may even start marketing them?

[Paul Seaman]

Blondie: thank you for the post on the company in Decatur IN. It is not that far for me and I like you can not attend because of timing and commitments. Let me know how you progress on your machine try to get me a photo of it when finished or at least a price of what you want to build me one, haha.

[Blondie_486]

pjs,

My English Wheel is still in the design stages at this point, in fact it hasn't even made it to the drafting table yet, mostly because I can't find anyone who stocks scales for drafting machines yet. I tried to get them at the place I used to buy all of my drafting equipment and they didn't have any in stock, they can order them but I'd rather see them before I buy them. Possibly Cleveland has some drafting supply places but haven't had time to check after work yet. Now that I actually have a project to design though I'll have to get my butt in gear and find a supplier so I can get my ideas on paper. Once I get the first one built I'll either have my brother or my friend in Cleveland take some digital pics and I'll certainly send you one.

Blondie_486

[gangel99]

Build your own wheel

Frustrated by the cost of wheels I eventually built my own - a medium size benchtop - for under $200. Bought three anvils with bearings on eBAY FOR $100, got the rest -- a huge sintered steel caster for the upper wheel, acme screw, and the frame steel (2" x 4" x 1/4") -- for another $100.

The ads make this out to be a precision machine - something like a mill or lathe. When I thought about it I realized the pressure of the anvil is by feel as well as the manipulation of the sheet you are wheeling. You don't need precision - just a solid frame. Give it a shot and save some money.

[ASKANDY]

Hey guys
Check out Metal Craft Tools.
Personal friends who use their own stuff for building race car bodies.

www.metalcrafttools.com

www.bodydynamicsracing.com

They have a very reliable and not expensive.

Andy

[H80N]

Andy
great site... more interested in the power hammer than the wheels.. their kit is very cool... looks to be a miniature of the old YODER hammers(with a bit of the Pettingil Hammer design thrown in)..... that I used many years ago doing race car fab in so-cal..
.. any idea if anyone is producing an AFFORDABLE version of the ECKHOLD metalformer??? (we had a little piccolo.. and it was amazing)
thanks
Heiti

ps.. totally lost me on the bodydynamics site..

[ASKANDY]

I haven't seen Eckholds except at some auctions and I've not run across any copies. How about a pullmax. I see more of these at auctions and they go pretty cheap.

Body Dynamics now ownes, produces (and uses)MetalCraft tools. I thought it would have links from their site but I was wrong

Andy