How to build a gravity wheel.

[MrMag]

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

Yes, I thought it looked a little complicated too. What size (thickness/diameter) of wheel are you thinking about?

[AB Hammer]

Greetings Alex

Yes I am sometime bad about to much information. LOL

For smaller wheels up to 3 ft as long as you are not trying to put 60lbs + on it you can use 1/2 inch all thread but if heavy you need to go up to 3/4 inch or 1 inch. I use flange bearings in steel tubing or wood but don't tighten them to tight for if they get any twist in the mounting. They may bind and not role as good. A little WD 40 will loosen up the grease. On the disk I use wide thick washer lock washers and of course nuts, but  I use lock nuts on the ends to regulate the tightness of the on the flange bearings. Now for split axles I use carriage bolts and 1/4 inch all thread in 6 to 8 placings around with spacers or nuts and lock washers to stabilize the edge of the wheel and keep them aliened to each side. If you are wanting a single side single disk you can do the same with a carriage bolt with a long thread about 6 to 8 inches long and then you will need 2 mounts separated apart by 4 to 5 inches for you flange bearing, but you will have to have a base that exceeds by front of the single face wheel to balance the stand from to much weight applied to the wheel. For those who are not sure what a flange bearing is. It is a bearing with a flange or some could fall it a rim to stop the bearing from going through the hole for the smaller size of the bearing. You can get these from most hardware stores. I use TSC. But when you get past the test wheel stage. You will start looking at larger bar stock and what is called pillow block bearing setups on steel frames. If you build smaller you will build less expensive and more often, with better chances. 

Personal note to Alex; If you look at that video of the one wheel you will see a single side of a split axle set up to do the design I showed you.

I hope this helps

Alan

[AB Hammer]

Here is another view of my wooden stand

From left to wright. 1/2 inch all thread  with a lock nut next to the flange bearing through to the wheel blanks which have a nut then lock washer to a larger thick washer and on the other side then out through another flange bearing and another lock nut. The lock nuts are to keep from to much pressure on the flange bearings so they will spin freely with minimum friction. What is on top of the stand is similar to Bessler's pendulums but they are of all steel. Note in the front view picture that there are no nuts or washers on the inside of the bearing for they are not needed.

Alan

[AB Hammer]

@ All

When building a wheel you will want to lay out your parts before ever building to double check. I like to call it the "Check check double check method". Another is "measure twice drill once method".

Here is an early stage photo of a wheel I was working on and then the finished design.

Alan

[Low-Q]

Regarding friction, there will always be friction. I can see the reason for having as less friction as possible, but I do not see the point in special treatment of bearings to make them even smoother with less friction. If a motor, driven by electric energy, or some how driven by "unknown" forces, the friction is not an issue anymore. Because there is plenty of over unity, the need of a super low friction bearing is just not necessary because it does not steal that much of energy anyway. I feel that most people in this forum is talking about 100,00000001% over unity, because the talk about these bearings are SO important to have going as smooth and frictionless as possible.

I want plenty of over unity in small devices. An over unity in a nano scale is not interesting, because the possible power plant will be so enormous you could harness 1W of a plant that is bigger than the Moon...

Think big, but small