Wheel for model jeep

Hi All,

I’ve started the refurbishment of a 1:14 scale WW2 era model jeep, the most pressing issue is the absence of wheels. Attached is a photo of the spare wheel, which is hollow so I assume is pressed from sheet steel. OD is 40mm, “tyre” width is 10mm. Any thoughts as to how I could make a wheel/tyre to visually match this? My only thought so far is to turn it from solid using a hand ground lathe tool to get the tyre profile, but that sounds challenging. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks, Philip.

If it is hollow it sounds to be two 'shell' pressings back to back. Is there any evidence of a seam down the centre of the tyre? If it is a pressing I would have thought a die to press the wheel/tyre halves would be quite doable. Depends what tools you have available.

Martin

Try looking at wheels (plenty on Ebay) for model aircraft or companies specialising in model aircraft. I am into model boats and wanted to make a 1:12 scale welding trolley for a model workboat and used model aircraft wheels.

3D printed possibly, hard plastic for hubs and flexible for tyres. For ** Example ** I believe Neil has had some success in this area ** Thread **.

John

Thanks to all for your suggestions, pressing from a Die and 3D printing were options that I hadn’t considered. I’m keen for the wheels to visually match the existing spare and haven’t yet found anything similar from a model supplier, but will continue looking. Making a press die is currently beyond my skill and equipment set, but would be a good solution. 3D printing could also work well, need to research this.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Philip

You could turn it from solid aluminium etc. easily enough. Use a ball turning tool to put the radius on the tire. (Jeeps have tires not tyres. ) The shallow grooves on the side could be done with a ball turning tool with the tool poked forward of the pivot point to cut a concave surface instead of the usual convex.

Or you could as you say grind up some form tools. Probably one radius tool shaped in a quarter of a circle could be used to do one side of the tire then flip the blank over and do the other side. Then the grooves on the side could be done with a simple round-nosed form tool. c.

I think you would have it done in the lathe quicker than any other way unless you have a 3D printer already to go. Making dies would be good if you were going into mass production but probably not worth it for four wheels if you are not fussy about having original style pressed tin wheels etc and the solid aluminium would be ok.

Hand turn from wood or some kind of nylon/delrin/acetal what have you?

Or looks like it would lend itself to casting. Mould from plaster, silicon, plasticene, papier-mashe, gumstrip. Cast in resin or similar.

W.

Don’t want to hijack the thread but thought this may be of interest? My Dad brought it home after demob at the end of WW2 (1946) it was made/cast by the chap who’s family he was billeted with in Holland at some point. I repainted it for my son about 45 years ago and re-made the “roof” bars the canvas top has since gone missing, wife made that!

more pics in my “miscellaneous pics” file if your interested

Matching the spare wheel exactly might prove awkward. Why not make five and be done with it? Like William above, I'd probably use black delrin and paint the wheel part afterwards. Maybe knurl the outside, too, for a "tread" effect? Then you would get a more realistic look. Unless that offends the "original" aesthetics. Don't think I've ever seen a Jeep with round section, bald, tires or tyres.

John

Parts for pressed steel toy trucks do come up on e baay and other sites periodically, one link below.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/224114764764?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=706-89093-2056-0&mkcid=2&itemid=224114764764&targetid=885401534601&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9001027&poi=&campaignid=9561945108&mkgroupid=98506994779&rlsatarget=pla-885401534601&abcId=1063836&merchantid=137611401&gclid=CjwKCAiAyc2BBhAaEiwA44-wW6YLC0bztjsAFoC28od1PBe3xRVNLleH4rKZm0Ehp0j_Br_-9vR_5xoCVPQQAvD_BwE

These toys have a big following in the USA and there are several people on you tube who do restorations on them. Might be worth a Google to contact a few to see if they have the wheels you need or can ID yours. Marx, Buddy L , Tonka, and Lincoln companies, and others, made pressed steel toys in the USA.

It's hard to see the scale of the wheel from the pictures but could the wheel be made in 2 parts?

The inner hub would be easy to turn from steel or cast iron and then painted. The tyre could be made from a thick o-ring.

OR

You could try "spinning" the wheel shape over a wooden form, Made in 2 parts from soft brass and then soldered together before painting.

Edited By Hollowpoint on 22/02/2021 10:55:52

Interesting post from JohnF, this jeep is also a souvenir that my father brought home after demob from the RAF in 1946.

Williams idea of resin casting is a good one so I may explore that further, but will initially make a form tool and try turning them up from aluminium bar. If they turn out well I’ll post a photo of the completed refurb.

Thanks all for your contributions.

Philip

Bouncing this one; because I have just found this:

**LINK**

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/news/article/a-profile-copier-for-the-unimat-3/4978

Clearly the idea is adaptable to many lathes.

MichaelG.

I imagine that something like these are not suitable they are 1 7/8" diameter.

I have also made wheels from wood as these for a tractor(Photo pre fitting as one wheel is the wrong way around which was a simple fix" could also make them for use as a pattern to suit the Jeep

Further interesting suggestions, thank you. A profile copier would be ideal, but probably OTT for this job. Hadn’t considered using wood, definitely food for thought.

I’ve yet to make a start on the wheels, but they’re next on the list.

Philip