Bertie Rietveld contact wheels no more

M

miden

Joined
Sep 9, 2005
Messages
835
I do not know how many of you know this but Bertie is no longer making contact wheels. I was in touch with him last week and he gave me the bad news.

I guess I will have to make my own again, I made one once before but I was wondering if someone could give a couple of tips because I was flying completely in the dark.
What type of rubber is best to use? I had a type of polyurethane last time, had it done by a company because it has to get cured etc. and it was quite expensive. Does anyone know of a less expensive way?
Also, I made the "tire" 0.5" (12.7mm) thick. Is it necessary to go that thick?
Any tips will be very welcome. Thanks,

Mike
 
OK,

here's the craziest advise you might ever hear :), but it sure works great
for me ....

Drummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm rollllllllllllllllllll


Use duct tape. Nicely wind up 5-10 layers of it right onto the exposed
Alum or steel wheel, Make sure it ends just before where it started, this
way the thickness stays uniform. Gaffer tape might work too (type of duct
tape). http://www.thetapeworks.com/gaffer.htm

It takes all of 4 minutes to do it (have wheel mounted on the spindle, go
slow) and the resulting wheel works great. When and if it wears off, I think
you know how to cure that, at expense of 10 cents of tape and 2 mins of time.

I, and whole lotta other folx, got my 11x2 wheel @ surpluscenter.com, for something
like $6. They are all gone now

If you get a nice quality caster, see if you can get it trued up @ local shop. You might
get luckly and find one that doesn't need it
 
You might be a redneck if....:D

Seriously, go to Rob Frink, or Bader, or someone who does this professionally. How much do you really expect to save? What is your health and safety worth?

John
 
Nothing wrong with thinking outside the box Frank.;)

I have an open mind rashid but this does sound a bit off the wall.

Mike
 
I kind of take the opposite approach when building machines, jigs, etc.

I overbuild and design them so that the archaelogist that digs 'em up in 1000 years will say, "Hey, that's cool!" and be able to go home and put it to work in his own shop.

I can be pretty cheap, but I gladly pay for perfect, brand-new wheels and bearings when building a grinder (though I will take lightly used, top-notch motors when they appear).

I love creative engineering if it improves performance/quality. Cost savings is sometimes a bonus. If the only advantage is cost, then there better not be much of a hit in the quality department, or I say, NO WAY.

***Still, I think Rashid would agree with me that whoever is reading this should BE WARNED. Building and using home-made (or sometimes even pro-made) machinery can result in great bodily harm.----IE: So don't come crying with your lawyers if your face gets torn off or something.
 
"Nothing wrong with thinking outside the box Frank."

I agree in theory. However, if the box is moving really fast, can explode, etc. I'll stay inside it:).
 
here's the craziest advise you might ever hear , but it sure works great
for me ....

Drummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm rollllllllllllllllllll


Use duct tape. Nicely wind up 5-10 layers of it right onto the exposed
Alum or steel wheel.........

....It takes all of 4 minutes to do it (have wheel mounted on the spindle, go
slow) and the resulting wheel works great. When and if it wears off, I think
you know how to cure that, at expense of 10 cents of tape and 2 mins of time.
Click to expand...

A duct tape cover contact wheel?....hmmm

I just love creative thinking and good ol' fashioned inginuity! You certainly can't argue with success!! Very Clever Rashid...keep us posted.
 
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