Pizza wheel axel suggestions?

weo

weo

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Sep 21, 2014
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Hello all. I'm wondering if anybody who does folders has any suggestions on what I could use as an axel for pizza wheels I'm trying to make for family holiday gifts. I'd like something that could be dis-assembled for cleaning or exchanging wheels. My first thought was to modify some large corby bolts I have that I never use, but then remembered I have a USA knifmaker's catalogue from 2015, so I started looking at folder parts and there are too many options for me to choose (bronze bearings, pivot barrels, sexbolt pivots, bronze washers, teflon washers....)
Thank you.

Here's where we are as of today.
20201207_092552.jpg
My first attempt at a 4-way weld using the squaring dies I made. Wish me luck....
 
weo said:
Wish me luck....
Click to expand...
Good luck!!

If it were me, with my tools, I'd go with a brass bushing and a steel rod of some sort.

If I had a lathe or a mill, I think I'd try to make some cool brass or bronze fittings and maybe a bearing in there too make it way more complicated than it needs to be!! Lol!
 
No explicit experience there, but I'd suggest a hardened steel barrel. I've used these on folders: https://ticonnector.com/product/316-416-stainless-steel-pivot-set/

Reasoning - I expect to see some force applied to the pizza wheel, so I wouldn't want anything for the axle itself that wears away or deforms. Regarding the linked items, hardened steel at 3/16" should withstand anything reasonable. A bushing would be great, as mentioned above, to reduce friction. The .305" head diameter helps keep things from flying off.

The problem: You quite likely need to reduce the barrel length for the small thickness of a pizza wheel. Possibly to the point that the screws would collide. As such, a sex bolt might be the better solution, but I have no experience with them. Plus, only one screw to deal with. Fewer things to drop on the floor and never find again.
 
The ones I have made had a pressed in brass bushing and a stainless steel pin with a threaded end. There were two brass/bronze spacers between the bushing and the forks.
You could easily use a 1/4" pivot and that would make disassembly for cleaning easy. No need to overthink it, just something to support the wheel between the two forks.
 
well as a "Folder Maker" my advise is to use a 1/4 hardened pivot with a 5/16-3/8 bushing
you do not need great precision on a pizza wheel versus a knife. correct tolerances on inside/outside diameters only,
the pushing down (sometimes hard can/will deform) other non hardened metals.
if you have a lathe you could make what you need in about a hour.
 
Pinoy Knife said:
well as a "Folder Maker" my advise is to use a 1/4 hardened pivot with a 5/16-3/8 bushing
you do not need great precision on a pizza wheel versus a knife. correct tolerances on inside/outside diameters only,
the pushing down (sometimes hard can/will deform) other non hardened metals.
if you have a lathe you could make what you need in about a hour.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. And you're right, the wearing of the axle is probably the main concern.
(If I had a lathe, I wouldn't have asked;))
 
I have made a lot of pizzas and have sold pizza cutters to restaurants and folks who make pizza regularly. I really doubt you will ever wear out a 1/4" pivot. Hardened steel is obviously best, but this isn't going down I-90 for long hauls. If you make 18" pizzas and cut them into twelve slices, you will cut 108" per pizza. You will have to cut 586 pizzas before you cut a mile of slices. A brass or steel hub and a polished steel pivot assembly will likely outlast the blade.
 
In my last lasercut batch I had a few spots left unused in the sheet and quickly hacked a 3 part round pizza slicer, handle, guard and wheel. What I'm going to use for the axle? a corby bolt, I plan to just grind it so its the right size and leave the slots just in case the slicer needs proper cleaning... And then call it a day!

Pablo
 
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If I were making it I’d make a single arm, 1/4” hardened pivot with a 1/2” pivot collar on open side with washers or bearings.

It’s a simple 1/4 hole, a bolt going through and a washer on each side of cutter.
 
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