Paddle Wheels

[Bernie.A.]

  :)Morning Everyone,
I'm a new kid on the block and I am in the process of building  my first Wheeler to the plan by Glyn Guest out of the Model Boat Mag.

I am using the worm wheel drive off one motor. I have made the Paddle Wheels. Now do you permanently fix them to the drive shaft in order for them to turn or do you put say a split pin effort through wheel & shaft so they can be dismantled.

Some help from the more experienced members would be much appreciated.

Many thanks Bernie.A.

[Eddy Matthews]

Hi Bernie, welcome to Paddleducks

Some method of being able to dismantle the drive system is always a good idea. You'll appreciate the extra time taken if you ever have to take things apart!

A splitpin can be used, but I normally use either Meccano bits or aircraft wheel collets to attach my paddlewheels. Meccano fits onto 5/32" shaft, but aircraft wheel collets can be got in a wide range of sizes to fit different shaft diameters..... Just glue the wheel collet/Meccano wheel onto the inner face of your paddlewheel, and tighten onto the shaft using the grubscrew.

Wheel collets can be got from almost any model shop that stocks R/C model aircraft, Meccano can be easily obtained via Ebay.

I hope that helps a little?

Regards
Eddy

[Gordon]

I agree with Eddy on the need to be able to take things apart.  My Ticonderoga this summer tangled with a fish line and removal was made easy by setting the paddle free from the shaft.  I used a mecano set part with a small set screw for the hub of my wheels which are balsa with curved  buckets cut from a plastic tube designed to protect the handle of a golf club. I gave up on the idea of feathering. (The same tube turned out to be the exact scale size for the smoke stack).  The outer rim of the wheel is protected  by a narrow strip of copper glued around the edge.
Gordon.

[Bernie.A.]

  ;)Eddie & Gordon,
Many thanks for your prompt reply. The aircraft Wheel Collets seem to be the answer.
Regards Bernie.

[mjt60a]

I use those in my 'home-made' wheels too, but I build them into the centre of the wheel (1st two pics) in the two articles in Model Boats about Tipstaff and Phantom, the builder used meccano wheels bolted to the inside of the paddlewheel (3rd pic - though that's a brass one, plastic ones were used in MB - which are lighter)

[Barrie]

I have also used collets on my wheels, but I wasn't sure that glue would be strong enough so I also drilled them and used lengths of brass wire to take some of the rotational forces.

Barrie