English Wheel?

[James L. Smith]

So many dents and dings, like in the boot cowl, the interior aluminum parts, the tank covers, etc. How about getting them wheeled out? Anybody got any experience with the English wheel and can comment?

Also have a Taylorcraft cowl that is all dinged up, and the nose bowl could use plenty of smoothing too.

A friend of mine looking at my dinged up PA-18 nosebowl said a good aluminum body man like he knows could make it look brand new. I'm going to send a picture of it, let you be the judge.

Thanks!

I'm presently cutting the rib notches on the LE purchased from Dakota. It is heavy but sure is just beautiful and perfect to the eye. No dents, no dings like the old LE.

 

[Mikey]

The guy who did the restoration on my -12 is a master w/ the English Wheel. He fabricated new side cowl pieces including the triple bead ribs like the originals. So I would say yes, that in the correct hands it would be the ticket.
Chris
PS: He isn't on this site because he still doesn't own a computer or a cell phone, because then he wouldn't get any work done. Smart guy!

 

[Steve Pierce]

Small hammer and dolly can do wonders on those small dents in the soft material. English wheel is more for forming compound curves. I did a little bit of work with an english wheel and a Yoder hammer when I worked at Ezell Aviation in Breckenridge, TX. It is truly an art. You have to think about where that metal is going as you work it. Jason and I flew over to Ezell's the other night to get a lesson in smoothing out some hammer dents we got while forming some wing tips on the Luscombe we are rebuilding. After 2 1/2 hrs. of sitting in my recliner with a small ballpeen hammer and a miniature football dolly I was able to smooth it all out. From my limited experience it takes time, patience and some special tools.

 

[Josh]

Hey Steve are they done with RedBulls P-38??? Talk about sheet metal work!!!

 

[Steve Pierce]

It is coming together. Wings were being polished and booms being built. Engine nacelles were a work of art. Nelson did some nice work on them. Wish I had some pictures. One was in it's raw form and the other was polished out. No bondo in those babies.

 

[d.grimm]

English Wheel

I have found a wide furniture castor with the metal on a smooth clean surface and just use hand pressure and roll the castor back and forth works real good on soft aluminum. Poor man's English wheel. Six years in the body shop business doesn't hurt either.

 

[R. JOHNSON]

I recently ordered a set of anvil wheels from Hoosier Pattern and I'll weld the frame of the english wheel myself.

Ryan