How I make my Tractor wheels

[KBs PensNmore]

Cutter used for 75 mm wheels, I can go to 90 mm diameter. This tool is not commercially available, as it is my own design. Cutter blades are interchangeable for different sizes and patterns.
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Mounted in the chuck after cutting to 80 mm diameter, on the band saw, to allow a bit of extra cleanup.
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This is my modified Pen Wizard, fitted with a Makita laminate trimmer
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Showing partially cut treads
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Showing the gear arrangement, on the top shaft, can be seen 2 lots of gears, the gear to the left, are a 12t and 60t joined together and drilled to rotate on the shaft.
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Kryn

[crowie]

Thank you Kryn....

[Treecycle]

Any chance of a little larger photos Kryn? My older eyes are struggling to make out the setup correctly.

[KBs PensNmore]

See how this goes. This cutter, sets the diameter, faces, and puts in the detail in the centre.
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Let me know if this works OK.
Kryn

[Treecycle]

Works now. Much easier to see details.

[KBs PensNmore]

Thanks, I'll repost them to the new size, I did click the thumbnail button, probably helped a bit
Kryn

[KBs PensNmore]

Update
This is the tool and cutters I made to be able to do my wheels. Feel free to copy it, if you don't have the facilities to do so, let me know and I can sell you a unit, just need to know the shape of the wheel you'd like. The actual cutters are made from 25 X 5 mm jointer blades and shaped using angle grinder and Dremel. I don't have a drawing on the comp for any of it, but can snail mail one if required.

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Different shape cutters, You will notice that some of the cutters are double ended, these are for smaller diameter wheels

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Closeup of cutter

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Showing in use

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Details of tool

Kryn

[Dalboy]

What a great idea simple yet very effective.

[Heilander]

thanks for that Kryn ,similar to mine but I was doing a double sided version
Scotty

[KBs PensNmore]

I tried that Scotty, but found it too hard to get them correct without having the proper equipment ie. tool and cutter grinder, even then I think it would be difficult, ideally would need a CNC tool and cutter grinder.
Any chance of a pic of your setup please?
Regards
Kryn

[Heilander]

I tried that Scotty, but found it too hard to get them correct without having the proper equipment ie. tool and cutter grinder, even then I think it would be difficult, ideally would need a CNC tool and cutter grinder.
Any chance of a pic of your setup please?
Regards
Kryn

just off to bed,early start tomorrow,heading to Rockhampton for the Tutor and Turn weekend
but Ill get back to you on Monday mate

[Mobyturns]

Kry, nice adaption of the rosette cutter principle.

For other, there are wheel cutters available commercially https://mcjing.com.au/categorybrowse...ookieSupport=1 if you are having problems sourcing them just search "toy wheel cutters."

comes up with gems like

Carbitool Toy Wheel Cutters. This Bit Gives The Perfect Wheel Shape For Toy Making 63Mm, New Old Stock.

Cutting Edge Saws - Wood Boring & Drilling Bits-Toy Wheel Cutters —

Scotty have a great time at the Caves, wish I could be there but some of us still have to work, not like the landed gentry.

[KBs PensNmore]

Thanks Moby, When I get a double posting (which happens quite often for me) I just delete one of them.
I did look at them, but as I needed to make the wheels a lot larger, I came up with the design that I did. Once you have the holder, making the cutters is quite simple, as it only requires one copy, easy to modify to get it looking right, not 2 like the rosette style cutters. Also the cost I found was a bit prohibitive, for something that may or may not have worked, I got a quote to make a special V type 1/4" cutter to do a job for someone and it was nearly $300. So I'd hate to thing what a 100mm would cost. Immediately this wasn't going to be a profitable or a break even idea.
Kryn

[Alexkara]

Hi Kryn, I just happen to have an idle "Pen Wizzard" gathering dust somewhere in my workshop that I have forgotten about (or at least never associated with wheel treads).

I would appreciate any further details pictures of you adaptation for tread cutting.

I also had a Makita laminate trimmer but found micro adjustment virtually impossible. Once you (well I) start adjusting it, it's far too easy to overshoot the mark and you have to start the process again in the opposite direction. After continually repeating this maneuver (and about 3 beard shaves - as it took me about that long to hit the mark) on the same job, I gave up. Now a friend of mine has a nice birthday present and I have a few bruises on the back of my head from the missus for buying a replacement Bosch trimmer (which has a cute little red black (red's on the other side)micro adjustment knobw).

I have included a picture in case there may be some other enthusiast after that micro adjustment feature and don't know what I mean or how a Bosch (no not the missus) looks. If you continually wrestle with the traditional "rack & pinion" movement youl know what I mean.
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Alex

[KBs PensNmore]

Hi Alex,
I'll take the camera out to the shed tomorrow, and photograph the gears that I put together from the standard kit supplied with the Pen Wizard.
Beall supplied the replacement gearing to put back into the kit, in case you're wondering where to get spares from, also used a 7 mm tube from the pen kits.
Regards
Kryn