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Grizzly's English Wheel

32K views 91 replies 14 participants last post by  Nonhog 
#1 ·
Hi Guy's and Gal's
I just got a email from Grizzly Tools and this weeks special is their small English wheel. $80. Bench mounted. It comes with 6 lower conture wheels.It says it will handle up to 16 ga steel. Now I realize this is a long ways from the tool we desire but has anyone had experience with a small unit like this? Grizzly make some pretty good tools and everything i've gotten from them has been of a fine quality. I'm considering this as a learning tool having never used a English Wheel before.
What do you guys think. Good for learning or a waste of money? Any of you more talented guys have a opinion?
And no I don't work for Grizzly in any way shape or form. Actually I only work for my wife and I'm getting tired of hearing "Oh boy, peel me a grape!"

BB :thumbup::thumbup:

The link below will take you to it's page.

Grizzly.com
 
#3 ·
cheaper than wheels ?

The price looks cheaper than buying a set of wheels. If you need a larger one you could always build a larger heavier frame.It will probably work for making patch panels. I took a class from Ron Covell a few years ago and he said the E wheel frame DOESN't have to be super ridgid- strong, that most of the time you don't want to use a lot of pressuer or you will get tire tracks in it. HF sells cheap lasers, mark a grid on your part then watch the laser to get an even tilt each pass.
 
#4 ·
I've also had very good results from Grizzly Tools, and it looks like a decent beginner wheel for the price. I'd guess it might have a little deflection if pressed too hard, but it can easily be reinforced if it does. The arms are heavy wall box tubing, but some angle iron welded to them will reduce any flexing if it does flex at all.
I might have to think about getting one too, and see how good it is at that price!
 
#9 ·
I am looking at one but then since I am in Wa I have to pay the extra tax so it winds up being 102.00 for me..

The main thing a larger wheel frame provides is the throat depth that allows the wheeling of larger pieces..

Sam
 
#50 ·
so what do you think? The wheels in the pics look sort of thin. I'd be concerned with tracking, and as long John mentioned, no flat spots. Just wondering what to expect. After watching an hour of Wray shellin on the english wheel with huge wide wheels I guess it would make any wheel look thin.
 
#13 ·
I don't know how I missed this thread until tonight but I did. I don't see how you can go wrong for a hundred dollar bill. Can't wait to see how you guys like them. I also agree with what Timothale said Ron Covell said. The frame does not have to be as rigid as people think. Mine is way over kill but we made it in about 1990 and to be honest neither me nor my friend that did most of the work had any experience with one so we were kind of flying blind.

When you all get a chance to play with them post some pictures and show us what you are doing. :thumbup:

If it is in your budget, get a copy of John Glovers video on making a model A front fender with an english wheel. By the time he makes the fender he covers about any shape you can imagine. It will be a real education for you.

John
 
#15 ·
Hi guys. Mine arrived a couple days ago and I have mastered making bent metal! it doesn't look like anything but it's curved!That being said I did have to make some adjustments to get things aligned. The saddle that holds the lower anvils was high on one side so out came the grinder and a little touch up. The anvils are now parallel to the larger upper wheel.

The large upper wheel had to much side ti side movement so a little shimming was necessary. The holes in the framework that the upper wheel attaches with are a little over sized so I'll make a couple of bushings to correct that.

All the anvil wheels and upper wheel look fine. They have sealed bearings and harden pins. It looks like Ching made the frame and Chang made the wheels. Chang is probably two years older and has more experience. Not bad for a eight year old!
I'm going to weld up a socket that the end will slide into and attach it to one of the posts in my shop. That way it will be removable and out of the way. Certainly worth $93.00!

BB :thumbup::thumbup:

I think tomorrow is the last day of the sale. 9/25/13
 
#19 ·
Got mine yesterday, and assembled it. Took it to my basement workbench and clamped it in the vise. Haven't used it yet, or even played with it, but it definitely is for small panels, as the depth is about 15", so a 30" panel would be the largest that could be worked.
Once I get time to play with some metal I'll see what mods it might need, and try to work some sheet metal up!
Do you gentlemen have a set of shrinker/stretcher jaws to go with the English Wheels?

John
 
#17 ·
Mine will take some adjusting and as far as size is concerned a large wheel almost needs to guys to function on a large fender or something but for cab corners and patch panels this will serve just fine..and once you learn on this one the big wheel will be easy for you..

Sam
 
#18 ·
Got mine yesterday, and assembled it. Took it to my basement workbench and clamped it in the vise. Haven't used it yet, or even played with it, but it definitely is for small panels, as the depth is about 15", so a 30" panel would be the largest that could be worked.
Once I get time to play with some metal I'll see what mods it might need, and try to work some sheet metal up!
 
#27 · (Edited)
Marchant shrinker

Marchant Manufacturers of Metal Forming & Riveting Machines

"The Marchant Model 6 FG is operated through actuation of a pendulum movement foot pedal. A calibrated handwheel adjustment insures exact gripping-action for all thickness of material within the capacity of the machine."

A Marchant is a top end tool. ( $ $ ) the adjustable hand wheel lets you preset the shrink and just put the pedal all the way down, you can work faster with out over shrinking an area or over stretching.
After using the Marchant at the College Street Rod Fab class I took a few years ago , I have been think ing about adding a similar adjuster -limiter to my chepo HF shrinker. that would be advantageous if you modify the dies as Lazze showed in his video to increase the horizontal distance between the dies.
 
#28 ·
E wheeel use.

I took a fab class from Ron Covell a few years ago and I wondered what he was doing, He took the sheet of aluminum to the Shot Bag and with his teardrop hammer put a lot of big goose egg bumps in it. I had always started on the edge of a sheet and gradually worked across the panel, working it into the final shape as I went across, slowly. Ron then went to the Ewheel and started rolling and quickly formed it to fit the buck. The Skill part is knowing where to put the goose egg bumps, how many and and how deep you make them.
 
#31 ·
I have been wondering if the small anvils on the Grizzly wheel have the flat spots in the center if the wheel. Properly machined wheels have a different radious ground for each wheel with a flat area in the middle that might vary from 1/8 inch for the highest crown to maybe 5/8 for the lowest crown. There purpose is to prevent tracking marks when wheeling a panel.

I have been told that some of the cheaper models do not have the flat areas but do not know for sure if that is the case.

John
 
#34 · (Edited)
That did not seem to be too difficult as he described it. he also followed it with polishing the anvils to a mirror finish.
It's at
English Wheel

Here's an excerpt:

"This is an easy fix that does not require a lathe - only a decent belt grinder. I have found this English wheel to work perfectly for my needs without these flats on the anvils - so I have not put them on the anvils. For those thinking they need these flats, here is an easy way to do the job. The anvil mounted on its axle is held by the axle ends so that the anvil may freely turn. The only tool required is a belt grinder with a platten. The anvil alxe is held at a 45 degree angle - I always hold the left side higher and the right end lower to create this angle. The other way will work just fine. If you slowly and gently bring the center high spot of the anvil against the belt backed by the platten, you will notice that the anvil will pick up speed. When it is revolving rapidly, apply a little more pressure against the platten. This will slowly and concentrically grind a flat on your anvil to whatever size you think you require. After the flat width is established, move down to the rubber tired drive wheel of the grinder and slowly blend the flat into the curvature already on the anvil. Do this slowly and everything will be concentric. Buff the anvil and you will have the "required" blended in flat. The 2" wide belt I use for this type of work is labeled 150MX and has an angled butt joint on the ends - not an overlapped joint. This prevents a "thump" everytime the joint comes around. This type of belt will give a very smooth finish to the anvil. I am able to go from this belt grinding directly to the sisal wheel charged with emery for a nice prepolish."

I noticed the top wheel is slightly loose in the frame with both side-to-side movement and up and down movement. Any easy solutions for that?
 
#35 ·
That did not seem to be too difficult as he described it. he also followed it with polishing the anvils to a mirror finish.

I noticed the top wheel is slightly loose in the frame with both side-to-side movement and up and down movement. Any easy solutions for that?
Not unless you wanted to bore it out and install a better bearing. I really do not believe it will be an issue. As long as it does not effect your ability to track accurately it should still produce good results.

John
 
#39 ·
Usually the easy solution to the upper and lower wheels not being in the same plane is to put a cardboard "shim" under one side of the lower anvil to bring the low side up. That way the flat spot on the lower wheel provides even pressure against the upper flat anvil.

I suspect that if the Grizzly wheel is not machined with flat spots it probably is not very important. The contact area is going to be the same regardless.

John
 
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