wire wheels???

[Ace-Garageguy]

6 minutes ago, Mark said:

...  Of course, many other companies do photoetch, but it's not easy to find one willing to do the hobby items.  They'd rather do production stuff that they can run off in far bigger numbers than the things that interest us. 

But it's NOT rocket science. There are multiple tutorials on the web explaining in depth exactly how to do it.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

And here's a tutorial on converting plastic rims...

 

[mr68gts]

Here's a pattern I made up this morning if someone wants to print it out so you can try to "lace" your own wheels. You can blow it up to what ever scale you are doing. This pattern was done to a 18 inch dragster style wheel with  36 spoke. I may try my hand at some of the Borrani style wheels later. I know they are several different rows of spokes but even that shouldn't be too hard.

[Ace-Garageguy]

49 minutes ago, mr68gts said:

Here's a pattern I made up this morning if someone wants to print it out so you can try to "lace" your own wheels. You can blow it up to what ever scale you are doing. This pattern was done to a 18 inch dragster style wheel with  36 spoke. I may try my hand at some of the Borrani style wheels later. I know they are several different rows of spokes but even that shouldn't be too hard.

That, sir, is very useful. Thanks.  

[mr68gts]

33 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

That, sir, is very useful. Thanks.  

No problem. I should have mentioned that this is one half of the rim. Do it in pairs. Offset the spoke pattern when you glue it down and done. I have always wanted to try real wire wheels and I have an idea for it but it is going to take some doing in 25th scale

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, mr68gts said:

... I have always wanted to try real wire wheels and I have an idea for it but it is going to take some doing in 25th scale

A member of the ACME club here, Pico Elgin, has been working with 3D-printing tech since early days, and has done some of the digital masters of parts available from Shapeways.

He's been printing rims and hubs with .010" holes already in them, and inserts steel music-wire spokes to complete the assembly.

They are by far the best looking scale wires I've seen to date, as they also have nipples on the inner surface of the rims, and of course, the rims don't get glued together leaving a space for the wire spokes.

 

[wisdonm]

Bill, I have searched shapeways for these rims unsuccessfully. Do you have a link to them or Pico?

[Mark]

On 12/2/2017 at 2:43 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

But it's NOT rocket science. There are multiple tutorials on the web explaining in depth exactly how to do it.

 

True, if you are doing it for your own use.  But it's more work/expense than it is worth to do them that way to include them as a component in a conversion kit, especially one that might account for a small portion of sales.  The vendor I referred to originally (not the PE guy) has been around a long time, offers a massive assortment of cast parts, and sells a lot of them.  He's probably okay with dropping conversion items that include PE, as he can easily fill the void with other items that consist of only castings.  That way, he's still doing only castings, as opposed to dividing time between castings and PE.

I'd still bet that if someone wanted to compete with MCG, the toughest part of that deal would be finding a PE company willing to work with them.  You'd be stuck in the middle, between "too much to do it yourself" and "not enough for a mass-production company".          

[Mooneyzs]

22 hours ago, mr68gts said:

Here's a pattern I made up this morning if someone wants to print it out so you can try to "lace" your own wheels. You can blow it up to what ever scale you are doing. This pattern was done to a 18 inch dragster style wheel with  36 spoke. I may try my hand at some of the Borrani style wheels later. I know they are several different rows of spokes but even that shouldn't be too hard.

Paul... nice job on this. I wanted to ask what diameter did you use for the center hub and the dia. Of the bolt circle for the spokes? Thanks man.

[Ace-Garageguy]

12 hours ago, Mark said:

I'd still bet that if someone wanted to compete with MCG, the toughest part of that deal would be finding a PE company willing to work with them.  You'd be stuck in the middle, between "too much to do it yourself" and "not enough for a mass-production company".          

Why compete? MCG already has everything in place to make the stuff.

Adding a product line shouldn't be too hard, considering my suggestion included MY willingness to put up bucks to make it happen.

[Mark]

If you can get then to add dragster wheels to their product line, that would be the way to go.  Actually, it's surprising they don't have them now.  MCG does do some drag racing stuff, and their quality is great.  One of only a handful of aftermarket suppliers I'll buy from sight unseen, based only on past dealings and reputation.

[El Caballo]

Actually tuning those type of wheels, like re-spoking a motorcycle wheel can drive you mad.

[Ace-Garageguy]

19 hours ago, Mark said:

If you can get then to add dragster wheels to their product line, that would be the way to go.  Actually, it's surprising they don't have them now.  MCG does do some drag racing stuff, and their quality is great.  One of only a handful of aftermarket suppliers I'll buy from sight unseen, based only on past dealings and reputation.

I'll be contacting MCG within the week to see if they're interested in collaborating with an outsider (me) to make the PE centers (at least) happen.

[gasser59]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I'll be contacting MCG within the week to see if they're interested in collaborating with an outsider (me) to make the PE centers (at least) happen.

Holler if you need artwork drawn up in a vector format. I could follow Paul's artwork as the template. Getting the PE may not be the tough part for MCG, it may be finding someone to turn the rims.

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, gasser59 said:

Holler if you need artwork drawn up in a vector format. I could follow Paul's artwork as the template. Getting the PE may not be the tough part for MCG, it may be finding someone to turn the rims.

  Will holler if and when, for sure.

That's the reason I figured on designing the centers to work with the old Revell dragster wire rims. Get some product moving, see what kind of response there is, and then move into getting rims done if the effort seems warranted.

MCG already has somebody making turned aluminum engine pulley sets, so presumably, the same source can do rims.

[Flat32]

On 12/3/2017 at 4:14 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

A member of the ACME club here, Pico Elgin, has been working with 3D-printing tech since early days, and has done some of the digital masters of parts available from Shapeways.

He's been printing rims and hubs with .010" holes already in them, and inserts steel music-wire spokes to complete the assembly.

They are by far the best looking scale wires I've seen to date, as they also have nipples on the inner surface of the rims, and of course, the rims don't get glued together leaving a space for the wire spokes.

Where might I find visual reference to what he has done??

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Flat32 said:

Where might I find visual reference to what he has done??

He's not selling the rims through Shapeways yet, to the best of my knowledge, but I saw a set of his printed (with holes) rims back in November at the meet here. 

This (below) was the first set of his wires I ever saw (several years ago) and I don't recall the technique he used here. The body was his first 3D print, if I remember correctly.

He's a member of this forum if you want to contact him...

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/profile/20136-pico/

...and I believe he did the digital master for this Frenzel supercharger...

Edited December 6, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[mr68gts]

17 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

  Will holler if and when, for sure.

That's the reason I figured on designing the centers to work with the old Revell dragster wire rims. Get some product moving, see what kind of response there is, and then move into getting rims done if the effort seems warranted.

MCG already has somebody making turned aluminum engine pulley sets, so presumably, the same source can do rims.

I can redraw the pattern to the revell rims if you need me to. Or Brad can just make one up since he would have to draw it anyway copying revells as a template. 

[Ernest]

I have contacted someone about machining a 1 peice rim with holes in aluminum. I mentioned this thread and the ACME thread to show him there is interest. This person does a lot of slotcar stuff. He is fairly new and is still learning but may be our best bet. They probably need laced with stainless steel wire for appearance longevity.

[250 Testa Rossa]

I saw Deeks not too long ago, and he still makes the spokes. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

54 minutes ago, 250 Testa Rossa said:

I saw Deeks not too long ago, and he still makes the spokes. 

You wanna double check that?

He makes and sells 15" conversion sets for plastic rims, but they are NOT appropriate for the 17"-19" bike wheels used in front of old drag cars.

Last time I emailed him (after buying a set of 15 inchers) he said the larger ones for dragsters were no longer available.

Anything to the contrary would be good to know.

Edited December 11, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[aurfalien]

Hi,

Is robbing this kit a possibility as it has a bicycle in it whose wheels could work?

 

 

 

 

Here are the instructions for it;

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10171131/70/2

Edited December 12, 2017 by aurfalien

[aurfalien]

Hi,

I found this little nugget, Fujimi Garage Tools Trek.

 

Kit instructions;

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10070514/70/1

 

Edited December 12, 2017 by aurfalien

[mr68gts]

When I raced bmx my rims were barely a little over an inch wide.  Bmx rims would be closer to scale than any 10 speed/mountain bike rim. (Wrong diameters)  unless thkse are badly scaled.

[peteski]

RMCoM already casts excellent-quality resin tires, rims, and hubs for those wheels. It appears that all they need to start selling these wheels again is the photoetched spoke inserts. It should not be very difficult to have those made in production quantity.  No need to, so to speak, reinvent the wheel.

Edited December 12, 2017 by peteski