So, after finishing the Aeromarine and the H.M.I. it's time to return to the Fokker Dr.I. project.
Long, long time ago, I promised to show ypu, how I do wire wheels.
Maybe some will think, why would you do this to yourself?
The answer is, that I never have been overly enthused over PE wire wheels.
Secondly there are so many vehicles I really need to add to my collection, more Crossley's, a Rolls-Royce Tender etc...
For the Rolls Royce Tender I will need 12 wheels!
As some of you might know, it all began in 2016 with the Crossley tender build.
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=7145.msg131699#msg131699As the Crossley build started out, as little more than an experiment, not thinking it was doable, I didn't document the procedure...
Now, for the Jasta diorama build, I want to retry it with the scratch building of a German Staff Car.
To make things a bit simpler, I've been usng the wheels from Roden's Rolls Royce Armoured Car.
Making a silicone mould of the three parts for the wheels and casting resin copy's.
This is the jig I developed back then, it's still the one I'm using. It's a fairly simple tool adding 24 wires x 2 to get
the look of a real wire wheel.
First I place a 'rim' in the middle of the jig with a axle made from 1.6mm styrene rod. Discs can be made in different sizes.
I've been experimenting with various types of monofilament, but right now I'm using 0.12 mm or 0.15 mm.
The 'wires' are glued to the rim with CA.
A second disc is glued in place for the second part. The second rim is glued on top of the other with CA to 'sandwich' the wires
between the rim parts and the second 'round of wires are mounted using the second row of 'pins' on the jig.
After that I've made a disc to 'land the wires on the rim to get the right angular shape of the spokes.
When the CA has dried the 'spokes/wires' are cut, leaving the finished wire wheel, ready for mounting.
Closeup of the finished rim.
The rim is mounted from the back into the tyre.
The five wheels for the Staff Car are ready.
I know it looks quite complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it is really fast to produce
this kind of simple spoked wheels.
Cheers: Kent
