How to make polyurethane railcart wheels

[@MrGallonofpcp]

Im in the middle of making my frame and the whole time I cant stop thinking about how Im gonna make the wheels, and here we are.... Thank you

[@ryanrandomness]

Nice

[@svenraven9780]

Or use some brake rotors from a small car as wheels, maybe use a lathe to make the diameter a bit smaller

[@ericdee6802]

I never knew eurothane was like two part epoxy, dang, I can make all kinds of stuff with that eurothane. Great video, Thank you for sharing!🤠👍

[@beaunerh8478]

Thanks for bringing me here! Saw your video on TikTok and appreciate your replies and help! What a great idea, this should help get me down the tracks!

[@HarryPalmer-P.I.]

Yeah I thought they were metal wheels maybe found in a salvage yard. Great instructional video.

[@terrylear4219]

I'm impressed. Well done.

[@ALSomthin]

Yup old brake rotors make nice ones too that poly sticks to the rotor pretty nice too.

[@ufoengines]

How much do you charge for a set of wheels?

[@kellydavis4954]

how do you find railroads that you can do this on? looks like a blast and good clean fun for the kids

[@wingnutbert9685]

Nicely done! I'm considering slices of PVC pipe for wheels, mounted on dolly wheels. Slip PVC over the wheel and inflate the tire to secure it. Maybe an inside flange cut out of some cheap UHMD cutting boards. Wrap the PVC in inner tube rubber or dipped/sprayed in rubber bed liner. I was wondering about those Polyurethane "V" rollers that are used on boat trailers. Might be interesting to see how a "V" shape would work on the rails. I guess one could, with the tools to do it, make the hub from good plywood. Stack disks to make the cone shape. Find a flat/smooth sided flower pot/plastic container (Maybe even a terracotta/ceramic flower pot). Fill any drain holes with epoxy putty. Calculate the volume of the Poly needed (Definitely get some with a longer open time! LOL!). Pour that volume into the pot, then push in the plywood cone. Maybe an extra piece of plywood for the top with a flange to center the ply cone in the pot. Might need some fine tuning for balance, but that's not hard. Just need the pot to have the right taper on the sides to give you that auto-centering angle for the wheel. Or pour the tire on it's own and come up with a three piece wheel, like beadlocks used on off road jeeps and crawlers. If you want to get fancy/ not have to toss the rim every time the wear out/ or if someone wants to produce a wheel for sale that has parts available in case of repair needs. Again, just throwing out some coffee shop engineering musings. :D Thanks for the videos! Very generous of you and inspiring. ( probably to my wife's dismay..... LOL!)

[@chrisb8783]

1St time viewer. Loved it, loved the music. Subscribed and liked.

[@znuh]

THANK YOU for this!! This was the one component I was getting hung up on!

[@ryanrandomness]

Did you figure it out?

[@znuh]

@@ryanrandomness YUP! Thanks!

[@jamesgordwen1595]

Hey Ryan! awesome video. I was wondering if i would be able to buy a set of wheels?

[@rubenacosta2231]

If you send me dimensions of the wheel I will make a mold of if in cad and 3d print it. We can really start dialing these in !

[@Dunehoon]

I need help with this

[@steveturansky9031]

To try to get rid of air bubbles, you could try some vibration as soon as you pour the poly. A palm sander, multitool, massage gun or even just tapping on the mold may help the bubbles rise up. Sort of like with concrete............ Wouldn't slightly bigger diameter wheels help straddle rail imperfections?

[@anthonyarenal3582]

I know working with resin, that you can put wax on the board and the mold so the Poly does not stick.

[@frankjolin5589]

Very informative video....great idea....can I have the details of the wheel hub...because i am having problems locating the same...manufacturer model number...anything that could help....great job

[@ryanrandomness]

Shoot me a message on my Instagram Ryan_Randomness. I can send you a picture of where I found them recently for less than half price

[@gordybishop2375]

Vibrate table might help. How was it attached to lathe?

[@AlvaroNuyadoparedes]

Exelente pronto partiré la fabricación de mi tren saludos de Chile 🇨🇱👍👏👏

[@HimanshuSharma-dm8ol]

I watch yours and archies' videos.they are very nice

[@OldGuyAdventure]

3D printing the shell of the mould would be an idea; you could build the mould to separate and suspend the rim inside with standoffs. Only some have a lathe to form the wheel.

[@ryanrandomness]

I know someone that did this and it turned out great.

[@Jesus_Christ_for_ps2]

Stellar video dude

[@ryanrandomness]

Thanks

[@Steven-ql6hj]

If you need to make a bit tougher more wear resistent a post curing process can be used, and mtl mfg can give notes on.

[@themikeymikechannel2947]

Challenge for all rail carters!!!!! Put a full working lawnmower cutter on the bottom of your carts for all who have weeds / plants growing on the track. And than KZbin it for more views than ever b4!!!!!!!

[@cbpuzzle]

200lbs extra on a cart that has to be picked up and carried around rocks?

[@arksrandom5968]

Hey Ryan, where can i find those wheels you used? Ive never been on the rails before and i really want to give this a try! And do you think that company is still selling those axles to? Ive got a plan for everything else except for those 2 so far

[@MyLife-lg6tg]

Here's a thought I had while watching your machine rolling along. Could you make a wheel by either riveting some rubber cut from an automobile tire, to a small steel rim? Or alternatively it could be bolted to the rim, using bolts with large countersunk heads, just a thought. Dan S. From Michigan, & Texas

[@billjones5178]

Hi. Just a thought. You got that nice lathe, you could save lots of money, turn wheels out of tough grain wood. Maybe gum or elm . Worried ? Wrap a metal band around surface at contact points w rails?

[@DeltaThreeOne]

I mightve missed it in the vid, but what size rims?

[@PaulThomas-qo9vy]

Thank you, very informative! Maybe I can do that too!

[@seanjmichel]

Where did you source those rims

[@bradwelch7425]

You need to prep the steel first, use a polyurethane adhesive, remove all paint etc and after pouring polyurethane it needs to cure in an oven for maximum durability

[@PariahSojourner]

Cool, really cool....., but... the music. I have a really hard time making out what you're saying because the background music is so loud. Other than that, cool!!

[@ryanrandomness]

Oh man is it unbearable? I thought I turned it way down. Maybe I'll just reload the video.

[@PariahSojourner]

@@ryanrandomness It's not that bad if I focus, it's just my ADHD brain keeps going from your voice to the music to your voice.... If others can bear it, don't reload it. :D

[@danielkushner5963]

Yeah man, I agree. It's pretty loud. Not worth a reupload though

[@nickstroke]

Any ideas where I can find wheel hubs/rims? Thanks in advance for the help!

[@marteck319]

Harbor freight. Northern Hydraulics / northern tools and equipment

[@villagelightsmith4375]

AhhhHaaaa! Ye olde exothermic mix! Would refrigerating the stuff before mixing give you a longer pot life?

[@sleepingpowder1595]

you been near the ridgecrest area? pretty cool military projects near the abandoned rails and you can sometimes see testing!

[@ryanrandomness]

Been in that area but just passing through. Sounds cool I'll have to check it out.

[@billydonnelly7378]

What size rims are those??

[@timgiles9413]

Ryan, what size are your wheels? You said that your flange is 1'' x 1''. What is the width of the tread area? My wheels are 6'' tall (7 and 3/16'' top to bottom) x 4 3/8" wide (5 and 1/16" front to back) That should give me a 1'' inch flange and a 4 and 1/16" tread area. After I pour my first "tire", (which will use a lot of material) then I will mill it to the finished shape. Then I will make a two-piece ceramic mold (fire kiln) and use that mold as my new mold and use less material. The ceramic mold should last forever and make as many "tires" as I want. I should only have to mill the first tire (we will see) My molds are ready for the poly and I want to be sure before I waste money. Thanks :)

[@andrewwilliams9887]

Why hot use brake rotors?

[@johnnymark4413]

What would you suggest if I didn’t have a lathe to cut the polyurethane?

[@ryanrandomness]

You might be able to find someone to help you.

[@jamessimmons1888]

Good job on the wheels, I wonder if a wood lathe would work for finishing the wheels?

[@ryanrandomness]

Thanks. While not impossible it would be tough.

[@carmiethompson2676]

It's not the lathe, it's using the proper cutting tool, feed & rotational speed.

[@billjones5178]

I turned a couple of wheels 8” diameter, x 2 inch thickness to make a rail wheel for moving a large trailer into a barn door . Limited number of moves, but expect years of service. May wrap with a band or side bolt a flat metal limiter. Much easier and cheaper than making full metal wheel. No welder or cad cutter , or plasma cutter needed. Just your wood lathe & hole bit, & easy to cut a taper face w wood on lathe. First ones I made from maple , will use gum, elm or dogwood in future and test for life. . BTW, if your cart load has great value, add a drop safety block if u are worried about failure, but remember horse drawn wagons to war chariots had wooden wheels for centuries!

[@wingnutbert9685]

@@carmiethompson2676 But you do need a lathe big enough.... 😉👍

[@carmiethompson2676]

@@wingnutbert9685 A wood lathe doesn't have all the control a metal lathe would have. So my previous comment wasn't accurate. A wood lathe doesn't have a controlled cutting tool. It's free hand so thinking about it a bit more then I did previously, I don't think you could use a wood lathe. I'd like to see if someone could though.

[@ShawnChristopher10101]

What kind of wear are you seeing on these?

[@ryanrandomness]

No wear at all

[@gameking647]

What would you suggest if I don't have a wheel to make a mold from?

[@ryanrandomness]

I originally used at small bucket. Anything that isn't too much bigger than your wheel will work. The goal is to use as little polyurethane as possible.

[@gameking647]

@@ryanrandomness Thanks!

[@dandrews319]

I saw this company offers some resin with a longer set time. Have you tried it yet? Try a brick on top of that pot so you don’t have to hold it.

[@ryanrandomness]

No. What one are you looking at?

[@dandrews319]

@@ryanrandomness Model Pro Black Slow. 6 and 12 mins

[@dancer1]

we need to ride!

[@ryanrandomness]

Trying to get out there

[@claudineielvbergb.4692]

O próprio pote já serviria de molde para as rodas...

[@MyLife-lg6tg]

If it was bolted on, it could then be changed after it became worn. Again Dan S. From Michigan, & Texas

[@planetmartin9741]

You said the polyurethane is pricey How pricey Between the labor and the price is it worth the effort? You can get rail wheels for around $70

[@seanjmichel]

Post link for rail wheels please

[@kracksmith4ejm1]

thanks and maybe you can make extra to sell?

[@colinsauter3611]

Me too

[@tomjakobsen8110]

Hmmm.. poly-polution?

[@cbpuzzle]

Poured upside down, leaked out the bottom, separation between batches, forgot mould release. Everything went wrong and still got usable wheels 😅

[@ryanrandomness]

60% of the time, it works every time

[@tsummz1073]

Dang, I just watched all your videos with rail carts. I’m going to try and build my own, unless you wanna sell one ? Haha. I’m up in riverside so not far from SD. Have you ever gone up to the tracks near bishop or anywhere by 395

[@dandrews319]

Are the tracks abandoned?

[@tsummz1073]

@@dandrews319 yes Look up the lone line branch abandoned rails

[@tsummz1073]

@@dandrews319 lone pine****

[@dandrews319]

@@tsummz1073 looks like the rail line was all removed by 1999. I surfed around and I think I found the rail bed going down to Indian wells almost. Would it be possible to drop any coordinates from Google maps to better find an area?

[@ryanrandomness]

No I haven't. Too many tracks and not enough time.

[@anthonybaransky137]

Why not just use car brake rotors? They could even be wrapped with innertube rubber. When it wears out, just replace it. Nothing lasts forever anyway

[@ericbell871]

Thanks!

[@phillipdavidhaskett7513]

Great idea, but sloppy execution. Making a better mold, measuring the volume and pre-measuring the component ingredients to allow for 5% waste seems simple and much more efficient. Haste makes waste.

[@deadcrow6888]

Would you be willing to make some if someone was willing to pay ya ?

[@waynej7037]

might have been a good video if not for the over bearing background music!

[@meinder2]

There have to be cone shape :)

[@HondaGoldwingGL1800]

Enjoyed your video, but that music is a massive distraction and for me, hard to hear what you are saying.

[@angeloritofasanaro9850]

In Atomic refuge

[@valluco98]

How much you can make me one off those wheel I would like to ride on the rail road tracks adventures can u sell me ones off those wheel Ryan

[@ryanrandomness]

Unfortunately it costs quite a bit to make them. If I found cheaper materials I might start making more.

[@michaeldose2041]

So to make a wheel, first thing you need to do is find a wheel and make a cast. Got it.

[@jamesstackhouse8882]

Good information Bro. I just need to unburden my frustrations; I cannot watch men working in sandals or flip flops ( reason to follow )and for the love of god please keep your work area tidy. That’s all Bro, peace. Reason: was with a buddy at Home Depot, buddy had a job I was helping him with, he wore flip flips into Home Depot, we were loading 3/4” sheets of plywood. He lost grip on his side of plywood and it dropped straight down on his toes. Did you ever witness a big toe EXPLODE ??? Blood and gore everywhere. Yikes

[@ourv9603]

Wasted Effort. Trains use metal wheels because a box car hauls 180,000 lbs. Metal wheels reduce rolling resistance. Your little railcart doesnt weigh much. Rubber tires actually work better on the metal rails-better traction. All you need is the flange to keep the wheels on the tracks. I saw one guy simply used plywood discs. Amazon sells 12" metal discs. You can simply attach the disc to each wheel. Dont make it harder than it needs to be. !

[@ryanrandomness]

You should try actually watching a video before you comment. Thanks for the good laugh though.

[@mikemargeson8101]

I can see you don't take care of your tools very well. Lathe looks like crap.

[@scootersonlyrepair510]

Just mix the hardener in the mold then you dont have to worry about pouring fast

[@mikemargeson8101]

I can see you don't take care of your tools very well. Lathe looks like crap.

[@BobSmith-mc7uq]

Listening to his noise he plays on the vireo should give you a clue.