How can i make a flywheel, castings are rubbish

[geoff5269]

I have just given up trying to machine a cast flywheel from Reeves after breaking 2 tool tips and realising the casting looked so crudely made that it might not look any good after woods anyway, so I complained and was offered a refund, but I still have to make a flywheel and feel this must be the way forward as the ones for sale are not always right for your model. I don't fancy machining one out of a solid lump of steel with my modest machines , but if I could roll the rim and add a hub and spokes I think this is the way to go. The challenge is to be able to roll a piece of 8-10mm bar or perhaps 5x12mm flat bar. has anyone tried this.
Here is a pic of my rejected casting.
Geoff

[arnoldb]

Hi Geoff

I haven't rolled a rim, but made a couple of built-up flywheels in different sizes.  You can have a look at the the one I made for the MEM Corliss - it might give you some ideas.

Kind regards, Arnold

[Don1966]

Hi Geoff if you followed my Benson built you can see how I built my flywheel. http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php?topic=3702.45

Don

[Jasonb]

Whats the dia? a bit of 5mm wall ERW tube would make a good rim, I've used that for pullys and cart wheels, have a look on my Eastern & Anderson and Galloway builds

Having said that the casting I used on my recent Cameron pump was a lot rougher than yours and looks fine now, just need to put in the handwork.

[Jo]

  Let me guess another  Lady Stephaine casting from rip off Reeves   .

How far out are the bosses on the beam 

Jo

[sco]

You could try Hemingway kits - they supplied me a very nice cast flywheel when I was short of one for my McOnie engine for a reasonable price.

Simon.

[bouch]

I have just given up trying to machine a cast flywheel from Reeves after breaking 2 tool tips and realising the casting looked so crudely made that it might not look any good after woods anyway, so I complained and was offered a refund, but I still have to make a flywheel and feel this must be the way forward as the ones for sale are not always right for your model. I don't fancy machining one out of a solid lump of steel with my modest machines , but if I could roll the rim and add a hub and spokes I think this is the way to go. The challenge is to be able to roll a piece of 8-10mm bar or perhaps 5x12mm flat bar. has anyone tried this.
Here is a pic of my rejected casting.
Geoff

P.M. Research sells flywheel castings, they might have one of an appropriate size.

Other option is to build one up like Rudy Kouhoupt describes in several of his engines.  Use thick walled pipe as the rim, plate stock cut out in the shape of the spokes, and a hub from round stock.  Silver Solder it all together and machine the outer rim and bore the hole for the crank in one setup to create a true-running flywheel.  Check out "Shop Wisdom of Rudy Kouhoupt" (volume 1) and he describes it well in the chapter on the overcrank engine

[kev]

Just machined a 7 incher from RDGtools, the cast iron cut very nice using a standard index tipped tool

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Throw it in a nice big fire and let it lay in the bed of coals till it cools and then see how it responds to machining.

Cletus

[Jo]

I'll assume that is the Lady S flywheel: It is much finer than most and measures in at 140mm diameter and 9.5mm wide. That rim is not very thick at about 2.4mm dia.

As Big E says it is worth first trying to normalise it in a bed of hot embers over night.

Not all tipped tools are the same  When I turned the hardened spindle for my Automatic boring and facing head  only two makes of tipped tools would even touch the metal the others instantly went blunt You get what you pay for.

The other thing is depth of cut: if you are tickling it you are going to blunt your tips. A nice deep to get through the crud is needed, of say 1mm  .

Jo

[geoff5269]

Jo
you guessed right it was a lady Stephanie flywheel, I have used a couple of them before as there not to heavy but gave up with this one,

I like some of the ideas here so that's given me some encouragement, it's good to make as much in house as you can and get exactly what you want.
Geoff