Wire Wheel, Spoked Wheel

[dov]

Hallo

 

Does anyone have experience with wire wheels ore spoked wheels such wheels of early WW1 aircraft?

Like a bicycle.

There are options, like in WNW kits.

Until now I worked with covered wheels. As most of WW1 aircraft have.

The etched parts, which should be formed to a cone, do not get easily bend conform.

Any other method available?

Thanks in forward

 

Happy modelling

[colin]

Are you annealing the etch

[dov]

Do not want to do annealing it!

Handling!

Or what is your suggestion for a save handling?

[Ade H]

I think you may be right. Sometimes, annealing is not appropriate because it takes away some resilience. I imagine that you will need that resilience to support a model on spoked wheels.

 

If you are bending it freehand, you may just need to over-bend a little in order to find the correct position if it's springy.

 

Or, if you have a material from which you can make a former, that may help you. I have never built wired wheels, but I have used hard sculpting foam and balsawood to make quick and easy formers for photo-etch and scratchbuilding. If the kit includes unused wheel discs, perhaps they can be adapted for the purpose.

 

Also, you may want to use epoxy glue rather than CA / super glue.

 

Without seeing the kit's instructions, I can't be specific. Just hoping that this helps you somewhat, Dov.

[Alfisti]

Hi Dov,if you cut out small sections from the outer disc that attaches to the tyre,you need only cut out approx 4 sections,this will make it far easier to enable the spokes to conform to a cone shape.The missing sections will not be too noticable after a coat of paint.To add more strength to the part,a small axle made of metal tubing,that is slighty larger in circumference than the axle hole, cut to the desired length can be glued onto the inner ring of one side,allowed to set,then glued to the tyre,then the other spoked disc is fixed to the tyre and axle,I have used Albion Alloys products in the past,this is a fiddly process,then a piece of metal rod can be inserted inside the hollow axle to protrude enough for the wheel to be mounted onto the undercarriage pieces.A small disc of metal or plastic can then be used to close off the axle opening.

Sorry about the long winded explanation,its difficult to explain in writing.

 

Dave.