Wheel mounting woes.

[archcvd]

Hopefully someone can shed some light on my situation.

I would like to mount wheels on some 8mm shafts that are poking out of my motor but I cannot seem to find any mounting hubs or wheel that would accommodate a shaft of this diameter.

I was hoping to use a pair of Colson wheels with these shafts. Any help? :(

[Alex]

What sort of tools do you have available?

You should just be able to bore out the 6mm hole to 8mm, depending on your situation:

http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/4275-Wheel-Hub-Colson-7-8-Wheel-6mm.aspx
http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/4276-Wheel-Hub-Colson-7-8-Wheel-6mm-1-8-Broach.aspx

It's just aluminum, but you'll want to get this as precise as possible.

Once drilled out, it should fit into the Colson wheels no problem:)

[archcvd]

Thank you for the suggestion Alex!

Unfortunately the drill press I have is wildly inaccurate due to the lack of vice and its age. I did however find myself a pair of wheels and hubs to fit the 8mm axle perfectly, so it was just a matter of screwing the hubs onto the wheels.

[Alex]

Where'd ya manage to find the wheels?

[archcvd]

I was doing a random Google image search looking for something with an 8mm bore and I happened to run into them at http://www.robotobjects.com/

I'm surprised how obscure some websites can be because I couldn't find anything through the main results.

[darkback2]

This is something that I have found hugely annoying about colson wheels. I love the 2" * 6" wheels. The major problem being the wheel bore is 1 3/8ths. I haven't found an aluminum shaft big enough without having to resort to having them machined for me at a local metal shop...big bucks. So I've resorted to using wood. I can get Oak shafts from Home Depot that are about the right size. I then drill a hole in the center of them large enough for the motor shaft to fit inside, and connect it all with epoxy. I drill holes in the wheels and sink wood screws through the wheels and into the wooden shafts.

DB

[archcvd]

Big bucks indeed. When I do actually find a place to make things for me it always costs me an arm and a leg. Now I don't remember its name, but while reading the MAKE blog they mentioned something once about a communal machine shop of sorts. Definitely something I would make use of, however I doubt something like that would pop up in my neighborhood anytime soon.

[Matt]

Now I don't remember its name, but while reading the MAKE blog they mentioned something once about a communal machine shop of sorts.

http://techshop.ws/

[archcvd]

http://techshop.ws/

That's the one! Thanks Matt ;)

[Matt]

This is something that I have found hugely annoying about colson wheels. I love the 2" * 6" wheels. The major problem being the wheel bore is 1 3/8ths. I haven't found an aluminum shaft big enough without having to resort to having them machined for me at a local metal shop...big bucks. So I've resorted to using wood. I can get Oak shafts from Home Depot that are about the right size. I then drill a hole in the center of them large enough for the motor shaft to fit inside, and connect it all with epoxy. I drill holes in the wheels and sink wood screws through the wheels and into the wooden shafts.

DB

The hubs on this page don't do the trick for you?
http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/c/2894-Colson.aspx
They need to be tapped in with a hammer, but that's the way they work, with a pressure fit. The hubs aren't 1 3/8 though, the colsons I've seen and that we carry have smaller bore holes.

[darkback2]

Yeah...I'm using the 2 inch wide colson wheels. I get them from the following:

http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/BPDWC15.html

I know...I feel like I'm cheating on you guys or something.