First paying job! Need suggestions...

You could drill a large hole with a forstner bit, or rough out the hole with a jig or scroll saw. With MDF, I'd probably just drill a big hole and start there. You could make one by hand and use a pattern bit and carpet tape to make the others.

That fire truck sure would look nice made of ash, maple, or birch and stained with red Solar Klux.

Barry

Damn spell checker!

That's SOLAR LUX!

Barry

I'm not sure I follow... Maybe my description was lousy.

He wants the effect of a tire mounted on a rim, with a hub in the center, but we're not talking spokes. They'll be solid disks.

So I was thinking a disk (roughed out then cut with a pattern bit in the router), then routing a depression about 3/4" wide, in about 1/2" from the outside diameter, leaving central hub 1 & 3/4".

djb

I don't have a circle cutter but maybe that's the tool I buy. I was planning on bullnosing the outside, but it's routing out the ring around the hub that I'm trying to figure out.

djb

Here are a couple of links for you please take a look . Like they say a picture is worth a thosand words. Hopefully I could be of some help.

Mind you, at $60 US that's a lot more than the $40 CAD I'd get for the job, but I'll check some local shops and see what's available.

Thanks!

djb

Many of the back issues of both Wood & Woodsmith have had articles on various toy truck/road building machines. (see: Fat Cats series in WOOD mag) They also showed many ways of creating different wheels. Might be worth a little research in some of these old issues.

DexAZ

Good thought. I'll czech it out tomorrow.

djb

Thanks.

Then there's the 'reverse psychology' approach -- make a flat disk for the core wheel. drill a _big_ hole with a Forstner bit, in the center of it. (this gives you the 'rim' round the wheel. Now, drill a medium-size hole in the center of the big one. stick a chunk of dowel in

Voila! raised tire/rim, with a protruding 'hub'.

To get really fancy, use a "rosette cutter", instead of the forstner bit.

That would be how I would do it as well.

Barry

Group: rec.woodworking Date: Tue, Mar 2, 2004, 7:26pm (EST-1) From: dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_S.balderstone.ca (Dave=A0Balderstone)

But he wants the outside to show a hub, which means routing out a ring inside each wheel. I was thinking I'd drill two holes in the router base in the table for a pin and use a straght bit, but starting the cut seems to me a rather dangerous idea.

Is that the stain with the pointed white hood?

It's the one that can't get along with the stains of other colors.

Barry

That's what I'm after, but I can't think of any way to start the cut safely either.

I'm now thinking a jig to hold the wheel on the bench and coming at it from above with the plunge router is the way to go.

djb

Does it look like what I've posted on ABPW under the heading "Wheel"?

Thomas J. Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.) (Real Email is tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet)

I haven't seen his plans yet, but I'm sure it will work.

Tenjewberrymuch for the post. Clears the brain and gives me an excuse to buy a larger size forstner or two.

You da man, eh?

djb