[ryork]

I picked up an HF english wheel yesterday using a 20% off coupon on the sale price of $249. Got it for $199. I got it mostly for curiosity. I've heard a lot of bad things about them, but for my use it will probably work just fine. It took about 30 minutes to put together and get set up.

I cut a piece of metal about 5" square and rolled it around a little then took a wooden hammer and beat on it a little, rolled it through the wheel a few more times to get the lumps out and now have a perfectly fitting patch for the headlight bucket on my 38 LaFayette. Now the headlight bucket does not need a patch, but now I know if I ever need a patch on the body somewhere I will be able to make one that will fit right making it easier to weld in place.

I think it was $199 well spent.

I'll hang this one on the wall to remind me of the first thing I made on the wheel.
Bob

[cboy]

In case you haven't seen it, you might want to check out this thread relating to the HF wheel and some of the modification that can be made to improve its functionality.

[ryork]

Thanks Cboy..I read that thread Monday evening before buying the wheel on Tuesday. That is one of the reasons I decided to go ahead with the purchase. I doubt the wheel will be what limits my ability to be creative and make the parts I need. If I get to the point it is I will make the necessary mods as I go along. Some of them I may make sooner rather than later. I think one set up like yours will probably work for me for the duration.
Many thanks to you and some of the other regular posters. I think I have read most of the posts. A lot of useful information free for the looking. I am amazed every time I see what you have created from scratch.

Bob

[cboy]

Originally Posted by ryork

Thanks Cboy..I read that thread Monday evening before buying the wheel on Tuesday. That is one of the reasons I decided to go ahead with the purchase.

Hot dang...maybe HF ought to send me a commission check.

[ryork]

Originally Posted by cboy

Hot dang...maybe HF ought to send me a commission check.

Sounds right to me! If they can pass out those 20% off coupons in the magazines you should be worth 10 or 15% at least. That would be $30 or $40 for each one they sell. If I'm ever in China I'll stop by and talk to them for ya..

[deadbodyman]

Even though its not the greatest 200.00 puts you in the game.I always wanted one and was going to make my own but I'm glad I bought my HF first i got some valuable experiance and have been to some metal shaping meets so I got a very good idea of just what I need..One anvil wheel costs about 5-600.00 for a professional E wheel. Its one of the best tools I ever bought and opened a whole new world to me..I also bought a bead roller from HF I love that too ,for 100.00 you just cant go wrong I just finished turning it into a power roller, now I cant work without it.A good power roller starts at 600.00 with one set of dies.i made all the floor pans including the trunk floor, wheel tubs and rear fenders in my old plymouth.I'm extremly happy with both.

[ryork]

I bought a bead roller and brake while I was still in my old house in Missouri. Shortly after I packed it all up and moved here in Illinois. I had it packed up along with the 38 and 39 for almost 2 years. The garage is finished and the 38 nash is inside, so maybe before long I will get to use some of this stuff. I did play with the bead roller a little just to see what it would do. The brake I used in Missouri and made a rocker panel for the 39 Pontiac.
I need to practice my sheetmetal welding. All the metal shaping equipment in town won't help me if I can't join the panels together.
I believe I read your post about converting the bead roller to power. That will be something else to put on my list of things to do.

Bob

[deadbodyman]

take the crank off and put asteering wheel on it first you'll get much better control....

[timothale]

When I was taking the panel class at UVU one of us grandpa's was building 3 inch longer doors to stretch his 27 roadster. He overwheeled them and put on a bubble. I was hesitant to wheel the deck lid I had spent so much time building for the 29 Nash roadster so we louvered it . We have home made gantry crane in the shop. My son was working on his 22 dodge lakester. and wanted to planish out the sides so he hung a 2 X 6 off the chain hoist then roped the plannishing hammer on one end and his weight lifting weights on the other. that made it easy to work the car.

[timothale]

I saw the info on metal meet about powering the beadroller so i bought the $50 atv winch and some sprockets from surplus center. We use one of the battery jumper systems some one gave us. with the winch mods you can power it fore and aft or pull the release and use the steering wheel with a helper. My son bought the smaller bead roller and modified it with a fast electric motor to run elect wire thru he has his crew save to smash insulation for recycling. Now I have a lot of duplicate dies. I will have to decide what contours to make. I tried one set and they were harder steel than I expected from Harbor Freight.

[ryork]

Originally Posted by deadbodyman

take the crank off and put asteering wheel on it first you'll get much better control....

That I will definitely do. I don't like the crank. Also, would like to put a wheel on the lower adjustment for the e-wheel. I think it would be easy to make small adjustments with my leg without taking hands off the piece being worked. While playing with the wheel yesteday I had a pretty big piece of metal and it was awkward to reach under it to adjust tension without letting the metal droop and bend a little.

Now I just need to figure out how to make a thumb protector..I can see a painful experience somewhere in my future

Bob

[ryork]

Originally Posted by timothale

My son was working on his 22 dodge lakester. and wanted to planish out the sides so he hung a 2 X 6 off the chain hoist then roped the plannishing hammer on one end and his weight lifting weights on the other. that made it easy to work the car.

How does the old saying go? Necessity is the mother of invention..

Over the last 50 years I've come up with some rather unusual ways of doing things that I'm sure would not meet OSHA approval..

Bob

[timothale]

My oldest son Is a safety officer in the USAF and when ever he is up for a visit he usually says he needs to get out his clipboard and give us a deadline to get compliance.. But fuel storage too close the the landing strip I understand.

[ryork]

Cboy or Deadbodyman....since you both have more experience with the HF wheel do you think it would get in the way if a piece of 1/8th steel coming down from both sides of the top wheel about a quarter inch higher than the wheel and rounded off to keep your thumb out of the wheel would get in the way? Maybe even a small cross piece between the two sides near the front of the wheel.
I ran my finger between cam gears on a 80 inch flathead Harley once and I still remember that almost 50 years later. I had it on TDC with the plugs still in. Just one touch and it rotated. I imagine it would be about the same through the wheel. I read the post about running a thumb through the wheel. OUCH!!

Bob

[deadbodyman]

HAHAHA,ILMAO, That my friend,THAT is the first thing I did ,but with me it only took about three passes to pinch my thumb,I was lucky I didnt flatten my thumb..Heres my solution then...but after you get used to it you'll be alright and vigilant...go slow at first speed comes with experience...