# Question: How do you make toy wooden wheels?



## Pezman (Jun 1, 2009)

I'd like to make toy cars, trucks, and trains for my young son. I am however frustrated that I have to go to woodcraft to buy toy wheels with a 1/4" hole in them all the time. I'd prefer to just make them myself but I don't know how.

Can you share how you make toy wheels? I don't have a lathe and would need to rely on my drill press I assume.

I'd like to make wheels similar to those that I buy at woodcraft. They seem a touch fancy, is there a drill bit I can buy?

Here is an example of a toy I made that required woodcraft wheels.


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## JAGWAH (Dec 15, 2009)

Consider the rossette cutter. These can be for your drill press. Drill your 1/4" hole and then use the rosett from both sides.

An economical solution is to take a 1 1/2" quality padle bit and grind the shape you want on the bit .


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I made some from Walnut for a truck










that we made at the Toy Workshop.

I used a hole saw but didn't cut al the way through. I then used a bandsaw to cut the wheels free from the board (Cut the back off the board). We then used a forstner bit to cut a little recess in the middle so the wheel didn't look so flat.

The other wheels we bought.

Good luck,


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## thiel (May 21, 2009)

I've seen people cut the rough shape with a hole saw or bandsaw.

Then, they use a simple jig with a stationery sander. Here's how I'd describe the jig:

-a t-track mounted sled (small, say only a foot long) that will run in the track parallel to the face of the sander (usually a disk sander)
-a set of drilled holes which run perpendicular to the t-track/sander face. These would be spaced so that each hole would be a "common" distance away from the sander disc. Each of these common distances would be the common radii of wheels you need to make
-a pin long enough to go through your wheel blank and into the sled.

And here's how it works:
-Place the pin through the wheel blank
-Insert the pin (with wheel blank attached) into the sled at the desired radius for the wheel you're making
-Fire up the sander
-Work the sled back and forth, rotating the wheel blank as you like, to smooth the blank to a perfect radius. 
-Since the distance from hub to sander never changes, there's no chance that you'll get a flat wheel. 
-If you do this with a belt sander, the belt itself will turn the wheel blank so that it automatically eliminates the high spots.

I hope that helps!


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## Gary (Jul 24, 2006)

Do you own a lathe?


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## Pezman (Jun 1, 2009)

*UPDATE ON WHAT I DID:*
On a recommendation in this thread, I drove to Home Depot and bought a 1 3/4" hole saw drill bit.

STEP 1: I put it in my drill press and punched out the holes from a 1×6". The biggest problem is it leaves a really rough poor quality edge on the side of the board that is facing down since once it punches through it stops cutting and just starts spinning the wheel.

STEP 2: I then take out the bit, and disassemble it (it is an interchangeable size model) so I can get the wood out nicely without marking it

STEP 3: To remedy the poor quality rough edge, I then run both sides of the wheel across my router table with a 1/4" round edge bit spinning.

STEP 4: To sand them I take my belt sander, clamp it upside down to my table and turn it on. I then put 2 wheels at a time on a thin screwdriver and I use a drill depth clamp that is used for drill bits (assuming that is what they are called) on the screwdriver so it doesn't fly off. I then run the wheels on the belt sander at a small angle so they don't "just spin".

It worked pretty well. I am pretty frustrated that they don't "look" like the ones I buy at woodcraft, I guess I'll have to buy a $100 drill bit to achieve that look.

@Gary: Sorry, I don't own a lathe.


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## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

To smooth wheels that I have made I have used my drill press. Put the wheel on a threaded rod between a couple of nuts and put that in the drill turn it on and the wheel spins, then sand. This makes the wheels more round then I can manage with my belt sander. 
Karson's use of the fostner bit to make the wheels less flat is very useful, it can make the wheels look like they have hubcaps or something.

On another note - Some of the big box craft stores sell wheels for cheaper then Woodcraft. It might take some of the sting out of having to buy them to get the look you want.


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## davidpettinger (Aug 21, 2009)

Also, you might want to take a look at Micheal's and Hobby Lobby. Both of those places have sold toy wheels in the past, ready for finish. If you are not in a rush, these guys carry all kinds of wheels.
http://www.americanwoodcrafterssupply.com/index.html


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## mikeberry (Dec 12, 2009)

https://stockade.ca/


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## TemplateTom (Jun 1, 2009)

"STEP 3: To remedy the poor quality rough edge, I then run both sides of the wheel across my router table with a 1/4" round edge bit spinning."

In the year 2005 when Teaching the blind many routing skills I sat down and prepared a method of making some wheels as I saw they were into that type of project when I was there as a volunteer and as I was now the teacher I had to produce a Safer method of making wheels. This is my answer to the problem keeping safety at the forefront.

(1) I made a simple square box (a) to hold the jig that the material was fixed to and (b) to hold the templates secure to control a number of routing processes required to complete the project with safety.

With a collection of template guides and a variety of cutters I was able to produce the wheels from start to finish with the router.

I hope the photographs will explain the various stages required.

Oops I forgot to submit the pics to Photobucket
I'll be back
Template Tom


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## TemplateTom (Jun 1, 2009)

STEP 3: To remedy the poor quality rough edge, I then run both sides of the wheel across my router table with a 1/4" round edge bit spinning.
http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Small%20wheels/Routingwheels4.jpg

Box constructed I call it my Jig Holder

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Small%20wheels/Routingwheels-1.jpg

Routing the external shape and also adding the round over.

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Small%20wheels/Stage2-1.jpg

Rout the internal of the wheel

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Small%20wheels/Stage4-1.jpg

Rout the external edge of wheel

Sorry if I have not put them in the correct order as all this is fairly new to me.

I'm sure there could be a few questions I have not answered yet.
Template Tom


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## Blondewood (Mar 30, 2009)

Wal-mart sells inexpensive wheels too.

If you don't have a disk sander and drum sander in your dp would work well too.

Here's a link for the jig to round wheels: http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip010921sn.html


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

When I needed 2 3/4" wheels I cut a divot with the forstner (for looks) then cut them out with a 3" hole saw which gave me a disk about 1/16" oversized. Then used the method linked by Blondwood, above.

For sizes readily available, I just buy them. More efficient use of time and resources, IMO.


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## wcndave (Jun 29, 2010)

Any ideas on how to do this if you DO have a lathe.

i was thinking specifically about how you hold the wheel in place whilst still having access to the face of the wheel…

some kind of mandrel?


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## essexe (Jan 12, 2011)

I see that this is old thread but here are some bits for the drill press.

http://www.mcjing.com.au/categorybrowser.aspx?categoryid=1214


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## bobsmyuncle (Jan 12, 2011)

For $100 of tools and a *lot *of time per wheel, you can really afford a lot of wheels:
http://www.midwestdowel.com/pages/shop/category&CatID=20


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