Make a Cheap Upper Forming Wheel for an English Wheel

[goodfellow]

Here's a simple little lathe project that anyone can do with a minimum of fuss, and can save a lot of money.

This is the upper wheel that was made from a $20 8"x2" sintered caster from HF -- it has a good set of roller bearing and works perfect for these projects





Remove the bearing cage on the caster and machine, part, drill and tap a madrel to length





Caster mounted and the first cuts are made





Using the lathe, the caster was sanded with 600 then 1000 grit paper, and finshed with rubbing and polishing compound for a smooth finish





These things are not as hard as commercial e-wheel uppers, but for 20 bucks they can be easily replaced every few years.