# wheels for small wooden toys



## nate22 (Jul 12, 2010)

My uncle and me are making small wooden toys like cars, trucks, semi trucks and other designs. My question is where is a good place to get the wheels from and what is the best way to attach the wheels to them.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

HERE is where I get mine.
The axle pin they sell is one way to attach them. 
You can make your own wheels with a rosette cutter and a matching hole saw. The nice thing about the hole saw is that you end up with an axle hole.


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## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

I buy my wheels from craft stores locally, but online is a great place espically if you need lots of them. Some of the big box hardware stores have them as well. Do you have a Menards? I know they have them, but don't ask an employee they don't always know they do.
I usually use a dowel for attaching the wheels. I find it easier to cut the dowel to the size I want then get the wheel to the end of the dowel, with out over tightening the wheels so they don't spin.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Gene has your answer. It is just what I do when making rolling toys…..................Jim


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## PRGDesigns (Jan 25, 2012)

Another alternative would be Cincinnati Dowel, or CinDoCo. Woodcraft apparently buys their dowel stock here because I peeled a lot of CinDoCo stickers off of the hardwood dowels I purchased from them.


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

The wheels for my toy train I got at craftparts.com, good service, low price. And good quality.


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

Here is another source for wooden wheels. I have used them good quality and quick shipping.

http://www.americanwoodcrafterssupply.com/wooden-products/wheels-axle-pegs.htm

Bruce
Boise, ID


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I use an axle pin to attach wheels.


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

You can make your own by using a holesaw the size you want. Drill several holes 3/4 inches(+/-)deep in a board then slice off the thickness you want on the bandsaw. 1/4" drill on the holesaw lets you use a 1/4" dowel. Drill 9/32 for the axle hole, a little sanding and you got it.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Here's a way to make your own: Start with a spade bit that has a diameter same as the diameter of the wheel you want. With a rat tail or chainsaw file, file a hollow on each side of the point (the point doesn't need to be narrowed). With your file, bring the half-hollow out to the edge, thereby forming a spur. Drill (best with a drillpress) half way through.If the the point doesn't show on the other face (meaning your stock is thick) finish the center hole with a small diameter bit. Turn board over and finish from other side. You could clamp a scrap board to the backside to keep your drill from skating around when you break through. Incidentally, the spurs make the spade bit much more efficient for ordinary drilling, and they drill a rounder hole, almost as clean as a forstner. Of course you'll be limited in the size of wheel you can make. I think I have seen 1 1/2" spade bits (?) I've been reshaping spade bit this way for decades. Takes about 5 minutes to make one, about 1 minute to resharpen. I like to keep the spurs sharp, and always tilt the file a little to give the cutting edge a relief angle. This is like the rosette idea mentioned previously, but on a smaller scale. They will look a lot like the ones pictured in johnstoneb's link.


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## Eagledad (Jan 24, 2013)

I get most of my stuff from Caseyswood.com They seem to have better prices than Craftparts.com.


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## rsharp (May 6, 2008)

Hobby Lobby usually has a good selection to choose from.


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## JesseTutt (Aug 15, 2012)

It is true that the local Hobby Lobby has a reasonable selection, but comparing the price of Hobby Lobby to online I cannot justify the price of purchasing local. If the prices were close I would definitely purchase from Hobby Lobby.


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## treborwoods (Jan 4, 2012)

I have a variety of sizes of HSS hole cutting tools for cutting holes out of steel. My red ones have a replaceable 1/4" center pilot bit. I replace that with a 15/64" brad point wood bit on which I have filed a slight flat spot on the shaft where the set screw meets the center bit. I insert this brad bit into the hole cutting tool making sure the tip of the bit extends 3/16 to 1/4" beyond the cutting teeth of the tool.

The 15/64" inch bit is such that a 1/4" dowel rod fits so tightly into the axle hole of the wheel that no glue is needed. Attempting to remove the wheel from the subsequent toy results in twist breaking the axle.

When I use this adapted tool on the drill press I drill to within 1/16" all the way through the wood. This prevents a complete wheel blank from getting caught in the tool and assures the brad bit has completely gone through the wheel. I use a fence on the sacrifice wood deck that assures that an external wall of the hole cutting tool is exposed as the drilling progresses down through the wood blank while the internal wall touches wood all the way down. This provides an outlet for sawdust and greatly relieves the amount of heat built up.

When the initial deep hole has been cut, flip the wood over and gently re-drill using the axle hole as your guide. Yes, a 15/64 bit means there is a bit of off-centeredness involved- a whopping 1/128" of an inch. Not that your grand child lacks in perception, but my two little genius have yet to say, "Granddad, your wheels wobble!"

Bob Turner, [email protected]


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## BigJerryWayne (Aug 23, 2012)

I just got an order in last week from these folks. Prices are good. I got 200 wheels of various sizes and axles to go with them.

http://www.caseyswood.com/shoppingcart/zen-cart/


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## bobsmyuncle (Jan 12, 2011)

Yet another choice: http://www.midwestdowel.com/pages/shop/category&CatID=20

Haven't compared the prices, but the local woodworking club buys them from Woodworks.


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## ellaloo (Jul 15, 2013)

wood wheel is the perfect match for wooden car.


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