Hang off for a wek on the rim col. If my 50mm flat rim works you could actually use some strips of ally and a few rivets to hold the rims together then glass into the wheel? hmm no tigging ive layed up my first disc, its flat!!!!! soooo flat you could even play it like a wobble board, so its going to be an interesting experience. tonight i found a peice of galvanized flashing to use as the mold for the ribs. I trimmed off the bigger side, then clamped it between some 50mm angle and a bit of square, then simplybent it with a block of wood and a hammer.then it was simply a matter of sanding and waxing ready to use. I was all ready to mix resin when I was called to dinner duties

So is the dish in the larger wheels just to get more distance=less leverage between the bearings Paul.

Yep! Paul, I will be interested in how these go.. The flatening of the dish to a disc , I think, will allow greater pressures on the disc and may require a little beefing up to alow for the side ways torque and distortion that the dish allowed for.. Interesting. Ron

Why would it cost so much, mine have cost me about $60 each to make.add tires $30 each. Must be some u/s push bikes around for wheels. I don't think you will have any problems if you follow mine or Paul's guidelines. They turn out very strong. Cheers Vic

You may have to beef the hub area up a bit compared to dished ones & put more ribs in, but it should hang together. I reckon it's one of those suck it & see numbers....

throw away the plaster, the domes and cones boys, the next generation of cheap wheels for the masses have arrived!!!!!! I figured if I was going to reduce a wheel to splinters this would be the one but it just didnt happen. they needed an axle that is 50mm shorter= less leverage by the wheel on the axle, the habit of the wider wheels to dig into the axle shaft and jam didnt happen, they just ran smooth and true. the weekend started with stopping to follow a lovely 1m dugite through the bush just to admire the way it moved, then we rigged up on the lake next to the clubs resident kitebuggiers. I was testing the skinny32mm rim as well. it was a dog to sail, and would lose grip easily, presumably from the tyre rolling sideways. the flat 50 however perfomed to perfection. that night we were treated to a first at the clubhouse, a lovely little scorpion, hanging around our feet, it didnt last long as after I killed it a mouse appeared out of a steelpost and carried it away for dinner, as well as all the chippy crumbs, and the remains of a corn cob that we offered as a blessing to the wind gods. little Zepyhr is sleeping full tonight on sunday we had much better wind so I set up with the flat 50 and a "traditional 50" much better traction. i was also running a homemade16 on the front with a hookworm tyre( cost more than the wheel) once the wind hit 20knts the wheels got a proper test, with the salt slightly damp and slushy at just over 85kph the yacht would hit a nice bouncy side drift with all wheels drifting together. short of being hit side on by a club88 with old ron at the helm i dont think they could have got a better test. these are the easiest, toughest lightst wheels Ive put together so far , so i plan to put away the othet molds and just use my sheet of ply from now on. the little steel mold i made from sheet metal could more accurately be made with some strips of timber and sanding sealing waxing . all up cost of the wheel with salvaged rims was $25 for resin and glass,1/2hr to make mold,2hrs construction time.the tyre used in the test were the tip tyres (26x1.95) knobblies that were on the rim when i salvaged the bike we finished the weekend with a flock of 15 fully grown emus cruising through the bush , Then spotted a little water hole full of tadpoles!!!!! 20 taddies in our pond tonight

Prices in the UK for stuff is high ("Rip off Britain"), so things are kept till useless - the last wheels I saw at the tip were buckled and anything useable is rare. Scaffold is galvanised steel so you can only get new ally scaffold at £25/3m (+del). Its cheaper for me to buy in the US and pay shipping and tax/fees on large items - tube notcher in the US £28 + £29 shipping + 20% tax + £7 handling - cheapest in the UK for the same item £114+delivery! I used to climb in France and set off with no gear, buy it in France to bring back - saving about 50-60% min. I can't tig, and I can't get steel wheels anymore so I'd have to pay someone to Tig the rims together at £45-60/hour 2 wheels - rims 32mm x 2+£38 (36mm x 2 £50 2nd hand), tyres the cheapest i can see are Kenda Kiniptions x 2 = £32, bearings x 4 = £7, hub tube = £5, spindle tube = £5, spindle bolts/nutsx2 = £13, CSM 450g in 2 layers per side = £13.80, resign and catalyst = £25, bits'n'bobs/mould board/etc = £10....so £150($230 AUS) I need to get it right first time Cheers Col

Col, Don't be afraid to have a go with any old junk you can lay your hands on. Doesn't have to be ideal - take a leaf out of Pauls book......... Go for it!

see what price for simple 25mm T6061 rims at chainreaction cycles. you would need 4 rims. you could rough up 1 side on each with a grinder then glue with araldite, the use some strips of ally recycled from say window flashing. these could be riveted on the inside to really hold the rim together. no tigging have a look around for a factory that makes kitchen benches and scrounge some chipboard,melamine that way. the stuff I used was throw away scraps from concrete formwork. the nylon bush for the bearing centre could be be specially imported if you had already the rest of the materials sitting in a pile ready to go come to think of it a cheap 26" chinese bike is only $150

Genius! Why didn't I think of that Rims are covered in holes for riveting. Glue, rivet, then glass together. I am, as they say, on it! Thanks Col

Grab them they are just want you need.

We gotstalook after our Pommy Brethren . Now get your head around importing your resins etc.. I find that here retailers think we are a captive market.. Bugger them and import your own. Why pay someone else to do that which you can do for yourself. I am a Rock, I am an Island.. Also a Law unto myself Ron

had a hard afternoon today, I was doing the touch ups and jarrah trim on bookcase number 2 yes really, when i noticed a 20"x25mm rim sitting off to the side, next thing I knew id burrowed into the side shed looking for a mate( no luck ) as my mind had become fixed on20"x50mm wide flatties for the boys speed buggy .luckily I was called to dinner saving the day

You've just saved me the effort of looking for that photo I'll see if I can find a knackered steel wheel to set the spot welding up on. Thanks for the heads on that one. Cheers Col

arghhhhh! you could have taken the grand step of making wheels with an epoxy bearing housing. if you can find some carbon scraps, you could always salvage a used airbag(apparently kevlar) and cut that into thin strips. nylon plugs for molds can be sourced if the person who makes them knew the bearing number. Id go with 6204,or 6004( 20mm shaft)