1/35 scale Ransomes Portable Steam Engine

[Gordon Ferguson]

The completed rim is then positioned over a template showing the individual spoke positions.

You might find this site useful , as well as containing a lot of options it does a spoke one where you can feed in you wheel diameter and number of spokes ...... in this case 12 , 6 at front and 6 at rear

https://www.blocklayer.com/hub-spokes.aspx

You may also spot that the rim is raised off the template , this because in this case the spokes are dished and therefore the hub is wider than the wheel rim .... so the rim is raised by the width of hub minus width of rim , divided by 2

The hub is made from a variety of different sized rings cut from plastic tubes , you can see my high tech sanding jig to ensure rings are a consistent width..... I know there are a lot people who can cut accurate rings direct from tubes but it's a technique that I have never mastered .

The hub is centred on template by appropriately sized drill bit ...... the template itself is just glued to some cheap cork coaster I bought off eBay ..... handy as they take pins easily .

[Gordon Ferguson]

Keep going your nearly at the end, have a coffee that will help  ;

Spokes are then cut to correct length and the ends of the spokes given a slight bend at each end to enable them to lie flat on both the rim support and the hub ........ yet another example of my high tech techniques , note the tape on pliers to enable me to bend the ends all the same length.

Spokes are then glued to rim and hub , complete one side and then leave to harden off for an hour or so, flip over and complete other side ....... All Done  

It might be of interest , that for this wheel because I was a bit concerned over the strength of the spokes so I used 15 by 60 thou strips ...... in hindsight I wish I had used 10x60 thou which would have more than strong enough ... and would have looked better

[Ray Dunakin]

Very helpful, thanks!

[Les Tindall]

Thanks Gordon, some very "cunning" techniques. I would never have thought about inserting the wheel rims into a circle template, I was imagining a centre former with the wheel rim "wrapped" around the outside.  Your lateral thinking looks a lot better.  Now I just have to find a plastic template of the right size- there's probably an official name for them (I am currently working in 16mm scale). 
Les

[Les Tindall]

Another cuppa and it all became clear!  I just cut a template to the right size using using a compass cutter.
Les

[fspg2]

Gordon, which glue do you use to connect the fine parts together?
Everything looks very clean!

[Gordon Ferguson]

Frithjof,

I use the Tamiya extra thin glue and usually after everything is dry I lightly go over all the surfaces with one of those fibre glass pens ...... my aim is to keep the work as clean as Barney's who set the standard for me over the years, I'm close but still a way to go 

[Barney]

Great stuff  and many new ways of doing things just keep it coming - and its nice to know that others have difficulties in some areas of construction but there  is always a round it
thanks for sharing your methods
Barney

The use of templates & equations and  myself thinking of Photo Etch production of parts its all getting a bit mind blowing !!

[Barney]

Never to late to learn - I notice you use a spring bow compass for circle cutting - i have used some different types of cutters but never really satisfied with the finished job always seem to get a different finish with every cut - and some of the cutters appear to flex a little giving an uneven cut - seeing your use of  a spring bow compass I thought I would give it a go so after many years of using the "Olfa cutting tool" I used a cheap Helix compass using a metal centre point for the cutter ( instead of the lead ) the results where astonishing a nice clean cut with very little finishing to do
One question do use a special cutting tool/tip or just use the standard centre point/tip that comes with the compass
So I think its time to invest in a spring bow compass
Barney
photo 1 the cheap compass using the standard centre/ tip

[Barney]

2 the OLFA compass cutter - used for many years but disappointing results - struggles with small circles

[Barney]

3 the PAT P cutter tends to "bend and distort the circle " Now in the bin
Please note these are my views on these tools - But its took up to today after many years to forget them even bin them

[Les Tindall]

Yes I've found that the cheap plastic compass cutters bend somewhat and so you cannot always get the same size circle.  Oh dear, I'll have to invest some money in a decent one.  Gordon, I'm on the verge of ordering some circle drawing templates for some wheels!! 
Les

[Gordon Ferguson]

Barney, yes I have those as well .... the circle cutters , one tip that have found when using them is to use them backwards i.e. use the back of the blade to score rather than cut .
Having said that I do prefer the spring bow compass , I just use the the standard supplied points .( but it is a good supplier so points are hardened steel ) ..... works reasonably well up to 40 thou thick card as long as you are patient and don't try to cut too much on each pass .
None of these tools are particularly good at cutting any circle under say 3/4" or about 15mm diameter unless you are using very thin , less than 15 thou material

[Chuck Doan]

Great tutorial! Such beautiful work.

[finescalerr]

One of the most universally useful explanations I've seen here ... because all of us have run into the same problem at some point. It's helped very experienced and accomplished modelers. -- Russ