My English wheel (sheetmetal wheeling machine)

**MichaelMoore** · Dec 1, 2018, 11:17 AM

The long build description is here on my website:

Euro Spares - Tools - Sheet Metal Tools

At the beginning are a few photos/description of a pair of wheeling machines a friend and I made decades ago. After that is a lot of description and photos of my "I don't ever want to feel like I need to build another one after this so I need to do everything I can think of and try to do it right" machine from about 10 years ago.

The machine is just under 7 feet tall and the chassis is made from 8" Schedule 40 pipe. I purchased a nice set of Hoosier Pattern anvils because I don't have a CNC lathe for doing accurate radii on large pieces, and that was money well spent. What wasn't so well spent was the time making the quill spring loaded. There is a lot of discussion on metalshaping forums on how stiff a wheeling machine should be and while I had some thoughts of my own I figured that I should make it so I could try it in either sprung or rigid mode, and also have some control over the spring rate too. At the end of the page is a summary of some testing I did on the two modes and my conclusions.

The completed machine:

My English wheel (sheetmetal wheeling machine)-ewheel_301.jpg

quill components:

My English wheel (sheetmetal wheeling machine)-ewheel_022.jpg

adjustable lower anvil holder:

My English wheel (sheetmetal wheeling machine)-ewheel_228.jpg

The quill adjuster and dial, with each of the 4 increments being .01" movement on the quill. I can easily interpolate to .001". That is a spring lock-out bar protruding from the front of the machine:

My English wheel (sheetmetal wheeling machine)-ewheel_311.jpg

cheers,
Michael

**rossbotics** · Dec 2, 2018, 08:49 AM

Thats an awesome English wheel, that thing should never wear out, good work

Doug

**PJs** · Dec 4, 2018, 11:34 AM

Thanks Michael for the write up and pics. Those Hoosier wheels are works of art. Your Website was great too and enjoyed your testing protocols at the end. More so I truly enjoyed going through your site and your perspectives on bikes and building them. The CL160 brought back some memories and still think it had the sweetest sound of bikes of that day...frame was funky though and knew several guy setting them up for TT. So too with the Built to Blow Sherpa. My buddy had one and I remember it being a bit persnickety, keeping it running but when it did...nice bike of the day. And the BSA B50MX work...Dick Mann's bike...Great site!

OlderDan and I were talking a year or so ago on his O'ring additions to his bikes and I have yet to find the pictures of the Bonney/Tiger I built from 3 boxes of bikes I bought from a TT racer in Mill Valley, Way Back ~73ish...They'll show up, I hope...reading your stuff made me remember all the hours of fun and a few trials and tribulations on that build.

Sorry to hear about your rip-off!! Seems, hand shakes just aren't what they used to be, yet you were mighty kind.

Thanks for sharing your excellent build and your website with us!

PJ

**DIYer** · Dec 5, 2018, 03:14 AM

Thanks MichaelMoore! We've added your English Wheel to our English Wheels category,
as well as to your builder page: MichaelMoore's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

English Wheel by MichaelMoore

tags: English wheel

**Toolmaker51** · May 19, 2023, 11:48 PM

I remember when English Wheels caught on again, everybody and their uncle wanted one.
Early 90's, guys seeing 'Indian Larry' of Brooklyn NY cable show, put them back on the map via tanks and fenders. Doubt a 1/3rd found use by the wannabes.

Now, M. Moore's wheel is the real deal. No question, sturdiest home built I've seen, in a big way deserves the high quality wheel tooling. Display of project work says it'll be used.