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Cox Engine of The Month
August-2024
balogh's
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"Cox TD09 R/C Beast of Burden featuring Kamtechnik head and DIY metallic fuel nipple"
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balogh's
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"Cox TD09 R/C Beast of Burden featuring Kamtechnik head and DIY metallic fuel nipple"
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PAST WINNERS
custom wheels
Page 1 of 1
custom wheels
I will be making some custom wheels for model airplanes. They will be in many different sizes and configurations. They will be extremely lightweight.. but durability will depend on the materials I use... and how well a landing is "greased". I intend on "bushing" (staking) the hubs with alloy tubing in various sizes.. to fit various axles. For starters; they will fit 1/16" (.062), 3/32" (.093) and 1/8" (.125) which should cover up to a .35 engine sized model.
The old "Perfect" and "Veco" wheels were a testament of scale-realism, quality and longevity... but they were also very heavy. What I'm going to make; are aerodynamic, lightweight and thin (flat) discs.. that serve the purpose of R.O.G and a "roll-out" landing.
They will be CNC cut from "sheet-goods" on a table-router that I have access to at work. There are a variety of materials to choose from. One that looks most promising for smaller (up to .15 size) models.. is a composite sheet approximately 3mm in thickness (.117") and has a core of dense "black" plastic and faced both sides with thin bright-red enameled aluminum. "Tires" (or the "look" of tires) could be accomplished by milling through the thin aluminum skin.. down to the black plastic core on the "outer"-side of the wheel (I can only do this on one side).
The styling will be the same as the wheels I made for my Rare-Bear CEF Speed Contest model... which has a radial pattern of holes around the hub. It was just a matter of re-sizing the CAD file for different diameters... which I have already done. The sizes are 1/2" through 2".. "proportionately" in 1/8" increments.
Here's a pic of the Rare-Bear wheels, that I made several years ago.. They are 7/8" o.d. with a rubber O-ring for a tire.. making them 1" in diameter overall. Their "strength" has yet to be tested though. The wheel material is extremely lightweight styrene-faced foam-board.. which I reinforced by filling the radial holes around the hub with hot-melt glue.. The #15 O-ring tire is a "compression-fit" which squishes the foam-core.. and the styrene facers act as a "rim".
![home made wheels - custom wheels 12-27-10](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/12-27-10.jpg)
![home made wheels - custom wheels 3-30-112](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/3-30-112.jpg)
Here's some other wheels I made; back years ago. Some have tires made of black foam mounting tape... but they're too wide to be aerodynamically practical.
![home made wheels - custom wheels 8-8-1410](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/8-8-1410.jpg)
I will post some pics of the new prototype wheel soon.. but it's the same sheet-material shown here, in these experimental engine mount-plates that I'm working on.
![home made wheels - custom wheels 8-4-1414](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/8-4-1414.jpg)
The old "Perfect" and "Veco" wheels were a testament of scale-realism, quality and longevity... but they were also very heavy. What I'm going to make; are aerodynamic, lightweight and thin (flat) discs.. that serve the purpose of R.O.G and a "roll-out" landing.
They will be CNC cut from "sheet-goods" on a table-router that I have access to at work. There are a variety of materials to choose from. One that looks most promising for smaller (up to .15 size) models.. is a composite sheet approximately 3mm in thickness (.117") and has a core of dense "black" plastic and faced both sides with thin bright-red enameled aluminum. "Tires" (or the "look" of tires) could be accomplished by milling through the thin aluminum skin.. down to the black plastic core on the "outer"-side of the wheel (I can only do this on one side).
The styling will be the same as the wheels I made for my Rare-Bear CEF Speed Contest model... which has a radial pattern of holes around the hub. It was just a matter of re-sizing the CAD file for different diameters... which I have already done. The sizes are 1/2" through 2".. "proportionately" in 1/8" increments.
Here's a pic of the Rare-Bear wheels, that I made several years ago.. They are 7/8" o.d. with a rubber O-ring for a tire.. making them 1" in diameter overall. Their "strength" has yet to be tested though. The wheel material is extremely lightweight styrene-faced foam-board.. which I reinforced by filling the radial holes around the hub with hot-melt glue.. The #15 O-ring tire is a "compression-fit" which squishes the foam-core.. and the styrene facers act as a "rim".
![home made wheels - custom wheels 12-27-10](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/12-27-10.jpg)
![home made wheels - custom wheels 3-30-112](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/3-30-112.jpg)
Here's some other wheels I made; back years ago. Some have tires made of black foam mounting tape... but they're too wide to be aerodynamically practical.
![home made wheels - custom wheels 8-8-1410](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/8-8-1410.jpg)
I will post some pics of the new prototype wheel soon.. but it's the same sheet-material shown here, in these experimental engine mount-plates that I'm working on.
![home made wheels - custom wheels 8-4-1414](https://i.servimg.com/u/f39/18/50/45/90/8-4-1414.jpg)
Re: custom wheels
Those are some neat wheels Roddy.
Shawn
![Thumbs Up](/users/3015/29/34/60/smiles/1541798026.gif)
Shawn
sdjjadk- Platinum Member
- Posts : 640
Join date : 2012-04-07
Location : Southern Maryland
Re: custom wheels
Yep,
I like those!
I like those!
Cribbs74- Moderator
Posts : 11906
Join date : 2011-10-24
Age : 50
Location : Tuttle, OK
Re: custom wheels
Nice Roddie , I am grad you got your old job back ! any other may have not been as friendly for the hobby
Eric
![Small Cox Logo](/users/3015/29/34/60/smiles/7356.png)
![Babe Bee .049](/users/3015/29/34/60/smiles/976416.png)
![Small Cox Logo](/users/3015/29/34/60/smiles/7356.png)
getback- Top Poster
Posts : 10326
Join date : 2013-01-18
Age : 67
Location : julian , NC
Re: custom wheels
I posted photos recently (my P-51 thread..) of some wheels I made from foam pipe insulation for tires.. with hardwood dowel cut-offs for wheels.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc03810](https://i.servimg.com/u/f58/18/50/45/90/dsc03810.jpg)
Bob (rsv1cox) commented on them.. which gave me another similar idea. You've probably seen these foam "noodles" in the swimming-pool accessories at the store. They have an (avg.) 2.5" diameter with a 1.0" core.. and are "seamless", unlike pipe-insulation. They are available in "black" too.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Foam_n11](https://i.servimg.com/u/f58/18/50/45/90/foam_n11.jpg)
https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Team-Cheering-Noodle-Noise/dp/B01M9AVEV0/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1487447749&sr=8-7&keywords=pool+noodles+black
A wheel would consist of a 1.0" hardwood dowel cut-off, epoxied into the core, with a center-hole drilled as a hub for the axle. Imagine how many pairs of wheels that could be made from just one length of noodle/dowel! You could even color-match the wheel to your model if desired. They'd be extremely lightweight and shock-absorbing. What does a pair of 2.5" model wheels cost today? You could probably turn-them using a screw-mandrel (dremel-style) chucked in a hand-drill, to shape (streamline) the foam-tire with sandpaper once the wheel is glued-in and it's hub-hole drilled.
Smaller diameters could be made by using these.. (1.3" diameter x .75" core) You're only limited by the boundaries of your imagination..
https://www.amazon.com/TOOGOO-Bicycle-Sponge-Rubber-Handlebar/dp/B0177DJMEW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487449622&sr=8-2&keywords=foam+grips
I have one of those noodles somewhere around here.. and think I'll try making a pair!
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc03810](https://i.servimg.com/u/f58/18/50/45/90/dsc03810.jpg)
Bob (rsv1cox) commented on them.. which gave me another similar idea. You've probably seen these foam "noodles" in the swimming-pool accessories at the store. They have an (avg.) 2.5" diameter with a 1.0" core.. and are "seamless", unlike pipe-insulation. They are available in "black" too.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Foam_n11](https://i.servimg.com/u/f58/18/50/45/90/foam_n11.jpg)
https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Team-Cheering-Noodle-Noise/dp/B01M9AVEV0/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1487447749&sr=8-7&keywords=pool+noodles+black
A wheel would consist of a 1.0" hardwood dowel cut-off, epoxied into the core, with a center-hole drilled as a hub for the axle. Imagine how many pairs of wheels that could be made from just one length of noodle/dowel! You could even color-match the wheel to your model if desired. They'd be extremely lightweight and shock-absorbing. What does a pair of 2.5" model wheels cost today? You could probably turn-them using a screw-mandrel (dremel-style) chucked in a hand-drill, to shape (streamline) the foam-tire with sandpaper once the wheel is glued-in and it's hub-hole drilled.
Smaller diameters could be made by using these.. (1.3" diameter x .75" core) You're only limited by the boundaries of your imagination..
https://www.amazon.com/TOOGOO-Bicycle-Sponge-Rubber-Handlebar/dp/B0177DJMEW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487449622&sr=8-2&keywords=foam+grips
I have one of those noodles somewhere around here.. and think I'll try making a pair!
Last edited by roddie on Sat Feb 18, 2017 2:33 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : added source-links)
Re: custom wheels
"Filling the holes with hot melt glue." How do you come up with this stuff........... Put me down for a couple. ![Smile](https://2img.net/i/fa/i/smiles/icon_smile.gif)
Bob
![Smile](https://2img.net/i/fa/i/smiles/icon_smile.gif)
Bob
rsv1cox- Top Poster
Posts : 10928
Join date : 2014-08-18
Location : West Virginia
Re: custom wheels
rsv1cox wrote:"Filling the holes with hot melt glue." How do you come up with this stuff........... Put me down for a couple.
Bob
Hi Bob, I'd be glad to send you some custom wheels. Have you seen this other thread of mine?
https://www.coxengineforum.com/t7113-racing-wheels?highlight=wheels
I can make more wheels.. but don't have access to the router-machine, due to changing jobs a few years ago. Geez.. how time flies
![Shocked](https://2img.net/i/fa/i/smiles/icon_eek.gif)
The good news is; I cut a lot of wheel-blanks when I "was" making them.. so I have some stock in different diameters/materials/styles to choose from. Widths vary between 1/8" to 1/2".. and hubs are all pre-drilled to 1/8". Most are suited (width-wise..) for 1/2A models.. but the larger diameters could be used on "A" size models.
The hubs I can bush smaller for .094"/.062" music-wire axles, by using 1/8" or 3/32" alloy-tube respectively.
Do you have a particular wheel-size in mind?
Pure redneck
Need a pair of wheels for your 1/2A airplane.. and can't find any? Well... you "can" make them. I wanted a pair of 1.5" diameter wheels that were lightweight.. and had soft-foam tires. I could have probably bought a pair of park-flyer (electric) wheels if I could find them.. but being "me".. I got inventive.
I thought about foam-tire material.. and bought a "noodle" (swimming-pool accessory)..
wait.. stay with me. It cost $2.. is "seamless" and has an OD of 2.25" and an ID of approx. .750". I already had some assorted-size hardwood-dowels in a box.. and found one that fit snugly in the core of the noodle.. (humor me please..)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04515](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04515.jpg)
So.. I set-up a "stop" on my miter-saw to separately slice thin "discs" of the dowel and then the foam noodle. This produces wheels and tire-blanks. I made them about 5/16" thick.. but probably could have gone thinner.
Now... "most of us" have a rotary-tool (dremel or similar..) that has a screw-mandrel for using a buffing-accessory. It looks like a stubby wood-screw on the end and has a shoulder/stop. This is required to proceed.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04516](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04516.jpg)
The hardwood-dowels (wheels) need to be drilled on-center. I used a 1/8" drill-bit. This allows the "wheel" to be screwed-onto the mandrel.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04517](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04517.jpg)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04519](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04519.jpg)
Before I get ahead of myself here..
the "tire" needs to be adhered to the wheel. I used two-sided tape.. but whatever you can find that works.. use it.
With the mandrel chucked into my rotary-tool; I snugged-it (lightly) in my bench-vise. Lock the shaft of the rotary-tool and screw the wheel/tire assembly all the way onto the mandrel until it's snug against the shoulder. Get a piece of sandpaper (I used a small piece of "crocus-cloth"..) put on your safety-glasses, choose a low-speed on your rotary-tool.. and start it up. You can increase the speed if the tool labors while shaping the tire.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04518](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04518.jpg)
This is a fun way to spend a Monday night.. I experimented a bit with shaping.. to see how the foam would behave.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04520](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04520.jpg)
At the 5/16" thickness (width) a 1.5" diameter tire has a fairly rigid sidewall; enough (in pairs) to support a 1/2A model-airplane. Any larger; I would recommend increasing the wheel/tire width.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04521](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04521.jpg)
Here are two pair of 1.5" diameter examples..
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04522](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04522.jpg)
Weight (less hubs)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Rednec10](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/rednec10.jpg)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Rednec11](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/rednec11.jpg)
I drilled the hub-holes 1/8". Hubs can be easily made by using pieces of K & S 1/8" and 3/32" OD aluminum tubing.. which reduces the diameter down to fit a 1/16" diameter (music-wire) axle.
My tires are blue......
but the "noodles" can be found on the inter-web in black. The wood-dowel/wheels can be painted to match your models color-scheme before or after mounting the tires.
They may not last too long... but they "will" absorb more shock when landing, than most wheels that you'll find. That equates to less stress on the airframe. Once you're set-up to make them.. why not make several pair for spares? When they wear-out.. just replace them. You can literally make dozens of pairs from one "foam-noodle" and a 36" length of dowel for the what it would cost for one pair of name-brand wheels.
I thought about foam-tire material.. and bought a "noodle" (swimming-pool accessory)..
![Laughing](https://2img.net/i/fa/i/smiles/icon_lol.gif)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04515](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04515.jpg)
So.. I set-up a "stop" on my miter-saw to separately slice thin "discs" of the dowel and then the foam noodle. This produces wheels and tire-blanks. I made them about 5/16" thick.. but probably could have gone thinner.
Now... "most of us" have a rotary-tool (dremel or similar..) that has a screw-mandrel for using a buffing-accessory. It looks like a stubby wood-screw on the end and has a shoulder/stop. This is required to proceed.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04516](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04516.jpg)
The hardwood-dowels (wheels) need to be drilled on-center. I used a 1/8" drill-bit. This allows the "wheel" to be screwed-onto the mandrel.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04517](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04517.jpg)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04519](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04519.jpg)
Before I get ahead of myself here..
![Rolling Eyes](https://2img.net/i/fa/i/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif)
With the mandrel chucked into my rotary-tool; I snugged-it (lightly) in my bench-vise. Lock the shaft of the rotary-tool and screw the wheel/tire assembly all the way onto the mandrel until it's snug against the shoulder. Get a piece of sandpaper (I used a small piece of "crocus-cloth"..) put on your safety-glasses, choose a low-speed on your rotary-tool.. and start it up. You can increase the speed if the tool labors while shaping the tire.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04518](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04518.jpg)
This is a fun way to spend a Monday night.. I experimented a bit with shaping.. to see how the foam would behave.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04520](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04520.jpg)
At the 5/16" thickness (width) a 1.5" diameter tire has a fairly rigid sidewall; enough (in pairs) to support a 1/2A model-airplane. Any larger; I would recommend increasing the wheel/tire width.
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04521](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04521.jpg)
Here are two pair of 1.5" diameter examples..
![home made wheels - custom wheels Dsc04522](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/dsc04522.jpg)
Weight (less hubs)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Rednec10](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/rednec10.jpg)
![home made wheels - custom wheels Rednec11](https://i.servimg.com/u/f11/18/50/45/90/rednec11.jpg)
I drilled the hub-holes 1/8". Hubs can be easily made by using pieces of K & S 1/8" and 3/32" OD aluminum tubing.. which reduces the diameter down to fit a 1/16" diameter (music-wire) axle.
My tires are blue......
![Neutral](https://2img.net/i/fa/i/smiles/icon_neutral.gif)
They may not last too long... but they "will" absorb more shock when landing, than most wheels that you'll find. That equates to less stress on the airframe. Once you're set-up to make them.. why not make several pair for spares? When they wear-out.. just replace them. You can literally make dozens of pairs from one "foam-noodle" and a 36" length of dowel for the what it would cost for one pair of name-brand wheels.
Re: custom wheels
Roddie, As always, you have come up with a Very Fine Idea and photo examples of a Great "How to" for those of us in the Hobby. I have a much greater chance of following your example and making some light weight wheels for my 1/2A models, than I would of making the homemade propeller that Mark B linked to on the Shed Saga Topic, even though I think it too, is on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing your time and ingenuity, I enjoy it very much.
Marleysky- Top Poster
Posts : 3618
Join date : 2014-09-28
Age : 71
Location : Grand Rapids, MI
Re: custom wheels
Marleysky wrote:Roddie, As always, you have come up with a Very Fine Idea and photo examples of a Great "How to" for those of us in the Hobby. I have a much greater chance of following your example and making some light weight wheels for my 1/2A models, than I would of making the homemade propeller that Mark B linked to on the Shed Saga Topic, even though I think it too, is on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing your time and ingenuity, I enjoy it very much.
It's my pleasure Rene. Many of my ideas are "hair-brained".. but they don't usually involve much expense.. and can even be a cure for boredom.
![-](https://2img.net/i/empty.gif)
» Wheel replacements for T-28 Trojan
» Wheels , Wheels , Wheels
» (Wanted) Carl Goldberg 1/2A wheels
» "O" ring wheels
» .020 wheels
» Wheels , Wheels , Wheels
» (Wanted) Carl Goldberg 1/2A wheels
» "O" ring wheels
» .020 wheels
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