From WoodworkersZone WoodWiki
Making Toy Highway Style Wheels
By Carl Mills, AKA cfiddlemls
As promised, here is the tutorial for making the wheels. Use the PDF file scaled to the size wheel that you desire to make. You will have to adjust the drill size to suit the size wheel that you will be making. The procedure is the same as the following:
Making the rim and tire
Step 1
Using ¾” stock material start by drilling the hub to 3/8” depth using a 1 ¼” diameter Forstner bit.
Photo 1
Step 2
Make sure that you are drilling at the lowest speed for the hole saw.
Use a 3” hole with a ¼” pilot and drill the center of the hub, the inside diameter of the hole saw will be the outside diameter of the wheel. The pilot drill ensures that the outside diameter is centered on the wheel hub. Drill to ½” depth and turn the board over drilling from the opposite side to complete the cut.
Photo 2
Once the cut is completed the wheel blank will come out of the saw easily
Photo 3
Step 3
Make a holder for the wheel from a ¼-20 x 2” bolt. Remove the bolt head and insert it into the drill chuck adapter on the lathe. Install a 1/4 inch ID wheel collar as a spacer; the wheel collar will act as a square face. Use a self locking nut to hold the wheel in place while turning.
Photo 3
Photo 4 Wheel blank mounted in the lathe
Step 4
Turn the outside diameter to 2.75” this will go pretty quick so check your diameter often to avoid having mismatched wheel diameters
Photo 5 Final diameter checked with calipers
Step 5
Turn the profile of the wheel on the hub side. The back side of the wheel is left blank. Define the hub with a 1/32” ring then round over the tire to the hub and tread.
Photo 6
Step 6
Add the tire treads for highway wheels and bevel the edges 1/16” to define the tire tread sides. Then sand the tire to 220 grit finish.
Photo 7
Step 7
Drill the ¼” center hole out to a 3/8” diameter hole for the axle. This finishes the basic turning of the wheel.
For comparison the store bought wheel is on the left and the scrap Oak wheel on the right.
Photo 8
Making the hub and spoke cutouts
Step 1
Starting with a 1 ¼” toy wheel / item# W 125 at Meisel hardware specialties, Place the wheel on the lathe using the same setup for the larger wheel.
Step 2
Bevel the outside of the wheel approximately 60 degrees.
Photo 9
Step 3
Use the pattern supplied in the PDF attachment as a pattern. Glue the pattern to a hardwood board in order to get a lot of use out of the fixture. Use the center points to drill through holes 3/8” in diameter. Use the Forstner bit to drill the hub location to 3/8” depth. Finish with a 3/8” diameter hole in the axle location.
Photo 10
Step 4
Insert the beveled 1 ¼” wheel into the hub. This is your holding fixture for making the spoke holes. Drill from the back side one hole and insert a 3/8” diameter dowel to prevent movement of the hub while drilling. Then drill the remaining holes.
Photo 11
Step 5
The hub is removed from the holding fixture and the back side or the wheels are placed in position. A 3/8” dowel acts as an axle during this process. Set the drill press to drill ¼” into the wheel (don’t forget to account for the thickness of the fixture.). Use a 3/8” diameter brad point bit and drill the first hole. Insert a 3/8” dowel into this hole and drill the remaining holes. It helps to make extra wheels to begin with, thus allowing for damage and mistakes.
Photo 12
Step 6
Insert the 4 hubs into the two front wheels and the inside dual wheels, insure that the spokes line up correctly. Now you have a finished wheel
Photo 13 The finished wheels mounted
