# Turning Model Locomotive wheels.



## Tony Bird (Oct 7, 2014)

Hi,

I have just finished turning six model locomotive driving wheels and members  of the forum might be interested in how they were turned.  The wheel type is of the disc variety so can be machined from the solid.  There are several ways of making them from a steel rod.  One is to mount the rod in a lathe chuck and drill it for the axle, turn the tread on it and then part-off or saw the turned portion off.  This disc is then held on its previously turned tread and the back of the wheel is faced off so finishing the wheel.

Another way which is the way to be described means making two extra jigs but allows the wheels to be removed and replaced in the lathe without loss of accuracy.  It also means that the same tool setting can be use for each wheel.  

First the steel rod is faced on both of its ends.





A disc is cut off each end of the rod so that it is a little wider than the wheel to be made and so becoming a wheel blank.





A packing piece is turned that is a little less in diameter than the wheel blank and is wide enough to allow the wheel blank to be mounted in the chuck to turn it to thickness.  It is also drilled with a hole larger than the wheels axle size.





The packing piece mounted behind the wheel blank so it can be reduced in thickness.





After facing the end of the wheel blank to size it is drilled and reamed for the axle.





The story so far.





Another jig is made to drill the crank pin hole.  A similar jig could also be made if the wheel was to be made in the first way described.





Six blanks ready for the next operation.





The mandrel made to hold the wheel blanks for turning.





A wheel blank mounted on the mandrel ready for turning.





The flange and tread turned.





Recess being turned.





Recess on back of wheel being turned.





The six finished wheels.





It is only really worth making the extra jigs if a number of wheels need to be made.  I have a few more to do.  The same system can also be used for turning wheel castings.

Regards Tony.


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## kvom (Oct 7, 2014)

I did something similar on my Kozo A3 wheel castings.  Used a screw in the mandrel that slipped between the spokes.


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## bazmak (Oct 8, 2014)

Making them on a mandrel is the best and correct way to go,turning a spigot
for holding in a collet then turning the fixture means you can demount and 
remount for repeatability.Mounting cast/spoked wheels it is best to mount in 4 jaw to true casting before facing and boring.Then they can be remounted in the fixture for all other turning.Using the crank pin hole to drive is also good
Regards Barry


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