Thread: Wheels and Axle Question

I have in the past made my own wheels out of wood. The best ones were cleaned up on a lathe. Just used dowel as an axle.

Another option is some suitable wheels such as these https://www.bunnings.com.au/ambassad...entre_p3942916 Bunnings do sell axle caps in different sizes eg https://www.bunnings.com.au/ambassad...-pack_p3941740 just make sure your axle is suitable for your wheels and get caps to suit.

Be prepared to think out side the square. Make the toy box for your needs rather than as a copy.

Thanks for the reply.

However, having been young at one stage, I am concerned about the caps coming off and being swallowed etc. Ideally, I would like something that is larger, and completely covers the wheel similar to the attachment.

If I had a lathe, I would turn some wheels and glue dowel into them - but I do not have access to a lathe, so that rules out that choice.

Use a long coach bolt and washer screwed into some solid timber under the box as an axle.

I'm not 100% certain, but have a look in the lawnmower section, I'm pretty sure I saw some there. They looked very similar to the Ikea wheels.
Kryn

G'Day George, I did one last year for the local boys & girls club using timber wheels & axle, cheers, Peter

Block Cart for the Boys & Girls Club Christmas raffle

Do you have a bench disc sander in which case you can make some wooden wheels as for the axles use coach bolts and mount each wheel on separate blocks on the corners instead of a straight through axle that way you have rounded heads on the outside. Hope that makes sense

Excellent idea there Derek

Regards

Keith

Hi George
Probably too late for you, but just in case, I will put in my two bob's worth. I agree with one or two comments that suggest you make wooden wheels. You don't need a lathe, have made dozens of toys for kids using a hole saw to make wheels. Use the largest hole saw you can get your hands on for a job like this, and if you use pine as the stock it can be pretty thick. For the amount of wear a toy trolley will get, you don't need anything fancier. If you are worried about wooden wheels on a polished floor or carpet, you can make "tyres" by cutting an old bicycle or wheelbarrow tyre tube crosswise, then aralditing it onto the outside of the wheel.

As an axle, all you need is a length of dowel, same diameter as the hole from the hole cutter drill. If you run these the full width of the cart, just secure them using little metal U-brackets made for holding pipes/tubes/cables in place. Get these big enough that the axle will rotate in them, glue the ends of the dowel axle into the wheels, and cut them off flush on the outside, so no problem with endcaps. Just a couple of suggestions.

Since this wasn't my project I don't have pictures of the making of, or a finished, toy cart. But I took a few minutes to dummy up the wheel and axle I described, and took pics with my phone as I went. Sorry if they are not the sharpest.
1. Hole cutter and cut-out wheel. This is a 3"/76mm bi-metal cutter I own, but you can get much bigger ones. I saw a 92mm one including arbor on eBay for well under A$30. I clamped this job to cut it, because the old drill I have in my drill press has only a 3/8" chuck and the arbor shank is 1/2". No problem, just need to keep checking you have the drill vertical.
2. Dowel for axle, and 3/8" drill to enlarge hole in wheel for snug fit for dowel.
3. Old wheelbarrow inner tube, cross-section cut a fair bit wider than wheel, to use as "tyre".
4. Wheel with "tyre" in place on one end of axle. Glue both with araldite before finishing. On axle sits a saddle-clip, Bunnings sells all sizes, you need on like this, just bigger than the 3/8 dowel. It would be used to attach dowel/axle to bottom end of cart, allowing it to rotate freely. Put a bit of wax or dri-lube on the axle so it rotates freely and minimises wear.
That's it—easy peasy.

Hi All,

Still progressing at the usual one step forward, and two steps backwards.

As I had them, I decided to go with furniture bolts for the axles, and appropriate threaded inserts to fix them to the 'box' - but mucked up and blew the Meranti timber apart. Trying to fix this with Titebond 3, and see how it goes.

Made up some basic 85 mm timber wheels out of Merbau, and then noticed that I had some Bunnings plastic wheels which may just be the go. So the timber wheels will be relegated for future use on other projects.

In the absence of other suggestions I am considering using Tung Oil as the finish, as it is nominally considered safe.

A question to the wise. How high should the handle be from the ground?

Originally Posted by cava

A question to the wise. How high should the handle be from the ground?

If you know how tall the child is then go for elbow height which will allow for a little growing.

Originally Posted by Dalboy

If you know how tall the child is then go for elbow height which will allow for a little growing.

Just started crawling, so I can't get a visual of what height to go for.

I just use a hole saw to cut my wheels out with and then attach to my drill and sand them clean. I am currently trying to cut into the end grain as I find with the grain running across the wheels as I sand them they become slightly oblong as the end grain is harder and doesn't sand as well as the side grain. (Boy that sentence barely makes sense but I'm not sure how to explain better than that) For axles I use either dowel or nice screw head type bolts depending on what they're for.

Originally Posted by cava

Hi All,

Still progressing at the usual one step forward, and two steps backwards.

As I had them, I decided to go with furniture bolts for the axles, and appropriate threaded inserts to fix them to the 'box' - but mucked up and blew the Meranti timber apart. Trying to fix this with Titebond 3, and see how it goes.

Made up some basic 85 mm timber wheels out of Merbau, and then noticed that I had some Bunnings plastic wheels which may just be the go. So the timber wheels will be relegated for future use on other projects.

In the absence of other suggestions I am considering using Tung Oil as the finish, as it is nominally considered safe.

A question to the wise. How high should the handle be from the ground?

Sorry I'm a bit late "cava"..
The push/block carts I've made have been 500mm to the handle [30-35mm dowel]..
The wheels have been 100-110mm x 20mm hardwood with 10mm steel axle & axle caps....
You can rough cut the wheel blanks with a jigsaw or bandsaw then finish them on a jig on the disc sander....
Also I use Titebond Original for toy making as it has less tendency to slop when clamped...
Hope that's some assistance, cheers crowie