Carbatec Toy Wheel Cutters

[crowie]

G'Day again Keith,
If you are very careful and run the drill press speed quite slow, I've managed on a couple of times to cut a wheel blank without a centre hole.
I've then used the centre finder I made a school metalwork [1969 sub-junior Hendra State High] to locate the centre and drill a smaller hole.
The timber was held tight in a jig on the drill press table.
Just remembered, you can get 1/4" hex head coach bolts for securing the wheels.
Cheers, crowie

[BEKKY]

Just remembered, you can get 1/4" hex head coach bolts for securing the wheels.
Cheers, crowie

Bingo!! I went to the big green shed this morning and found them, 25mm did the job nicely.
Thanks Crowie and all the others who offered suggestions.
Keith.

[Hermit]

G'Day again Keith,
If you are very careful and run the drill press speed quite slow, I've managed on a couple of times to cut a wheel blank without a centre hole.
I've then used the centre finder I made a school metalwork [1969 sub-junior Hendra State High] to locate the centre and drill a smaller hole.
The timber was held tight in a jig on the drill press table.
Just remembered, you can get 1/4" hex head coach bolts for securing the wheels.
Cheers, crowie

Hello Pete. I was just re-reading through this thread for reference, (got to make wheels for my VW soon), and saw your mention of the centre-finder you made at school. I could do with a centre-finder, and might buy one, but was wondering if you could show a pic of your's, to see if I can make one myself. I was considering a pointed cone with a sliding pin through the centre. Is that how your's works?

[crowie]

Hello Pete. I was just re-reading through this thread for reference, (got to make wheels for my VW soon), and saw your mention of the centre-finder you made at school. I could do with a centre-finder, and might buy one, but was wondering if you could show a pic of your's, to see if I can make one myself. I was considering a pointed cone with a sliding pin through the centre. Is that how your's works?

G'Day Steve, I have 2 centre finders and I'll do the photos, etc for you tomorrow. My laptop was in the shop for the past week after a crash [a FRED thing], so have a bit to catch up upon. Cheers, crowie

[Hermit]

G'Day Steve, I have 2 centre finders and I'll do the photos, etc for you tomorrow. My laptop was in the shop for the past week after a crash [a FRED thing], so have a bit to catch up upon. Cheers, crowie

Thanks Pete. I appreciate that. No rush.

[Matador]

Hi Hermit,

Here is a website micswoodworking.com you might be interested in. They have wheel cutters and profile cutters to make different design wheels. Rosette cutter head and profile knives for making toy wheels. I hope that helps.

Cheers Graham.

[Hermit]

Hi Hermit,

Here is a website micswoodworking.com you might be interested in. They have wheel cutters and profile cutters to make different design wheels. Rosette cutter head and profile knives for making toy wheels. I hope that helps.

Cheers Graham.

Thanks Graham. I just checked it out - they're only a search engine (now). They don't actually sell anything. Not any more, at least. I think the domain is for sale. Looks like we're too late. Not to worry, there are plenty of other sources.

For my VW, I won't be able to use a wheel cutter anyway - I want to get as close as possible to real VW wheels, so I'll make them the hard way.

It'd be nice if a 2" cutter was available that cut a more or less standard rim, to take a separate tyre. If anyone knows of a supplier of such a thing...

I might even buy a small lathe soon if I can stretch the budget that far. Meantime, I've made a clamp bracket for my hand electric drill that clamps in the vice, with the chuck overhanging the bench top horizontally. Pretty easy to use that for turning small wheel rims. I clamp a block of wood to the bench at just the right height to use as a tool rest. I'm surprised at how good the results have been turning things that way, using the corner of a steel rule, (burred like a scraper), or whatever else I can find as a cutter. I have a jig for tyre making, so I'll probably make 3-piece wheels - rim, tyre and hub cap. Not in a hurry, though. There's plenty to do yet before they're needed.

[Matador]

Hi Hermit,

I'm sorry about that site. Last night on LJ's there was a fella on
there gave that site to someone that wanted build toy wheels.
The site showed the wheels and profile cutters. It is a shame they
are not there anymore. If I come across those wheel cutters and
profile cutters again I will know.

Cheers Graham.

[Hermit]

Hi Hermit,

I'm sorry about that site. Last night on LJ's there was a fella on
there gave that site to someone that wanted build toy wheels.
The site showed the wheels and profile cutters. It is a shame they
are not there anymore. If I come across those wheel cutters and
profile cutters again I will know.

Cheers Graham.

Not to worry. I still appreciate the help.

[crowie]

Centre Finders - One from school days & the other bought from Rockler.....

It's just a matter of scribing 3 lines and the centre is found....Cheers, crowie

[Hermit]

Centre Finders - One from school days & the other bought from Rockler.....

It's just a matter of scribing 3 lines and the centre is found....Cheers, crowie

Ah, that sort of centre-finder. I was thinking of the opposite - a centre-finder for holes, along the lines of self-centring drill bits, from about 5mm to 60mm.

Brad point drill bits work up to a point for holes the right sizes and Forstner bits can do it if kept vertical, again if they're exactly the right size, but I'm after a tool or set of tools that do it accurately on a range of hole sizes. (Not too important, but I'd like it in the collection for occasional use.)

Thanks for posting the pics Pete, they helped clear things up quickly.
(I've noticed the Rockler one that you showed, in their catalogue. Been meaning to make or buy one of them too.)

[Uncle Al]

Ah, that sort of centre-finder. I was thinking of the opposite - a centre-finder for holes, along the lines of self-centring drill bits, from about 5mm to 60mm.

Brad point drill bits work up to a point for holes the right sizes and Forstner bits can do it if kept vertical, again if they're exactly the right size, but I'm after a tool or set of tools that do it accurately on a range of hole sizes. (Not too important, but I'd like it in the collection for occasional use.)

Thanks for posting the pics Pete, they helped clear things up quickly.
(I've noticed the Rockler one that you showed, in their catalogue. Been meaning to make or buy one of them too.)

Hi Hermit
I have sets of transfer punches, they look like long pin punches with a dimple on the end, similar to a dowel point.
Select the correct diameter to go through your jig or whatever, and a slight tap will transfer a point central to the jig hole.
I bought mine from McJings and SEQ Woodturning supplies (Metric and Imperial).

Hope this helps,

Alan...
http://www.mcjing.com.au/Static/Images/e1207.JPG

[Hermit]

Hi Hermit
I have sets of transfer punches, they look like long pin punches with a dimple on the end, similar to a dowel point.
Select the correct diameter to go through your jig or whatever, and a slight tap will transfer a point central to the jig hole.
I bought mine from McJings and SEQ Woodturning supplies (Metric and Imperial).

Hope this helps,

Alan...
http://www.mcjing.com.au/Static/Images/e1207.JPG

Thank you Alan. That's what they're called - transfer punches and not centre finders.

Exactly what I was thinking of. I just checked out the ones at McJings. They only go up to 13mm, but that's a good start. I can make larger ones out of inverted timber cones, bottom flattened, with a pin through the centre. If I put parallel rings around the bevelled cone edges, it should be easy to see when it's level for accurate centring.

[Uncle Al]

Thank you Alan. That's what they're called - transfer punches and not centre finders.

Glad to be of service.

Alan...