Hello.

[Thersby]

Hello, I am Roy, i have a small machine shop in which i have repared and manufactured wheels for motorcycles in spoked styles and cast alloy.
The latest types of wheel i have repaired are cast alloy and forged alloy wheels fitted to the 2016 superbike teams and the guys on the street. although i am English i lived in Calgary Canada for a couple of years 42 years ago, when i got married and as they said go West young man go West, so i went west and although i had a great time and learnt many new ideas one man in calgary repaired wheels and i looked in his workshop and was initially impressed.
after 2 years i decided that the west wasn't the place for me as my skills were not appreciated in the area where i was, i would have had to move to California to find possible work. so after experiencing i went back east and found fortune in the old skills that were still in demand in England.
the oldest wheels i have rebuilt were from an 1898 Benz dog cart which was a single cylinder engine powered cart. the most enduring wheel i made was for a 1917 Lancia that competed in the Beijing to Paris road race via Mongolia, it was the hard way home, 4 wheels were build and converted from 17 to 24 inch diameter to take small truck type tyes, he made it home and finished in the top 10 also after checking the wheels not one spoke was broken.
i have made wheels for the Royal signal Army stunt team and many stunt riders, the current trend or riding round in the dome of doom is popular with my service. i also in 1984 made a few frames for Ducati Motorcycles and these are still racing around the world in the classic series today. i also found that in the wheel repair business the chance of buying equipment to repair wheels was and is none existent, so i had to invents machines to repair the wheels i was getting sent to me.
if anyone is repairing spoked wheels i do have in my workshop a spoke threading machine from the 1930's a well strong and proven machine, i can make spokes in 10g9g8g7g6g5g and in the metric threads 3.5mm.75 and 4mm.07.
hope this helps and if i can answer a question please feel free to send me a note.

[Jon]

Hi Roy - welcome to HomemadeTools.net

Sounds like you'll fit in well here

Do you make any tools to work on your wheels?

[Thersby]

[QUOTE=Jon;86110]Hi Roy - welcome to HomemadeTools.net

Sounds like you'll fit in well here

Do you make any tools to work on your wheels?

Hello yes i do the general wheel building jigs are out there and many variation of the themes are good to see, but for specialized work there is nothing on the market, and you make your own by constant modification and adaptation.
my current modification is to make some chuck extension jaws so you have the ability to hold a wheel rim by the outer edge in a 3 jaw chuck. i am taking pictures of how i am doing it and will post when done. i may have to mod the lathe i lifted the actual head by 38 mm giving me a huge swing clearance and it has made the lathe good to operate on 18 inch wheels, if i can get 19 in wheels in that would be a bonus.

[hemmjo]

nteresting, lifting the head stock on a lathe is a fascinating idea, WHY DID I NOT THINK OF THAT!!!!! I just joined today and the cost of my membership here has already been recovered!!!

Thanks,

John

[mklotz]

nteresting, lifting the head stock on a lathe is a fascinating idea, WHY DID I NOT THINK OF THAT!!!!! I just joined today and the cost of my membership here has already been recovered!!!

Keep in mind that you will have to lower the rotation speed as you increase the workpiece diameter in order to keep the SFM at a reasonable value. Also, getting a tool to bear on the rim of something that big may be problematic. Just some things to think about.

Also, the tool post will need to be elevated as will the tailstock if that is to be used.