How to build a gravity wheel.

[JEJEHO]

Hi Alan,

Nice work.

Nixon

[Alexioco]

Alan

I could do with some advice...

How can I make an axle for a wooden wheel so it rotates smoothly like with bearings and also strong so i can attach weights to one side of the wheel without it tilting?

Alex

[AB Hammer]

Greetings Alex

Wood to wood tends to be a lot of friction so what you want to do is bushing effect like in wagon wheels. Sleeves of copper or brass was use in chariots up to wagons yes iron/steel was use in the later periods.
First to use it for a wheel. You would want to turn or carve your wood down to be as smooth and true as possible.
Second you need to know what type of stand you are trying to put it on.  Between columns braced high and low. Similar to the stand earlier in the string supporting high and low you would want to taper The end of the wooden axle and sleeve it in brass or copper and then you want like sleeve to fit them in, similar to but not at the angle of the wagon style wheel. Even though this picture come from the cannon carriage I and a friend Mike built for Rev-War reenactment. It is a good example of the taper but you would want yours strait to keep the wheel strait. Not off angle like needed for the carriage.
Note in the second picture you will see the bushing on the axle part only do not have to go all around but can be plates screwed into the axle to keep steady but this is for the greasing and to be able to hold the extra grease. Also the axle on a wagon or carriage does not turn. Only the wheels. So the plate bushing only had to be on the weighted side unlike the picture the shows it only on the top side it is best to have it on both side. The picture was found to be only on the top side which by itself was wrong. We believed the artist meant to put it on both side like most did.

Third. Lets look as an easy way and just purchase sleeves bushings to go over the ends and let them sit in a u shaped bushing for ease of oiling. Make sure you have larger washers on each end and pend to keep to keep it from sliding out of the u bushing. 

Also make you axle larger out of wood but taper for the bushing also to keep from tilting you may want to go to a duel side mount between two wheel disk or a framework.

[Alexioco]

Wow Alan

I am completely lost now lol I need to use a metal axle yes to avoid friction but i want to use ball bearings around the axle to help make it smooth like a bicycle wheel is smooth and sturdy.

Alex

[grayone]

Alex; My Step-Dad is cutting leather for some sports armor. I will let him know you posted.

Michael