If you have been following, I am building a working Ski Lift.
Does any one have a simple way of fastening the rolling cable wheels to the tower. It needs to be a good installation or the cable will not run correctly.
The wheels will be HO train wheels with some sort of material opposite the flange so the cable will not come off.
Thanks in advance
Harold
LOL
Maybe that’s because no one has an answer.
Rich
I “second” Rich’s comment.
Terry in NW Wisconsin
There are to many good modelers out there. We just need to put our heads together.
We can do it.
Harold
Well, one thing for sure Harold, since the wheel is “cantilevered” , your going to have to have an “axle” that goes back into the tower at least 2/3 rd’s of the distance that cantilevers, and probably supported in a minimum of 2 and maybe even 3 places to give it the rigidness that it needs to support the wheel and the weight of the stretched “cable” and cars. Maybe even an axle that goes all the way across and supports the opposite wheel as well. You really can’t have any support that reaches “over the top” of the wheel, or that would interfere with the support that holds the cars to the cables from passing through. When I can’t figure something out with simple drawings, or working it out in my head, I make a simple “mach-up” with pieces of wood, cardboard, whatever, and “work out” the design.
Just my quick thoughts on what your doing.
Mike.
You can get a proper pulley wheel by using a Meccano pulley. They come in all sizes. I have built many chair lifts and gondala’s out of Meccano. I would put the axle for the pulley straight across and hold both. A meccano motor would also be a good choice to run it. I use to run mine off my train transformer.
More thoughts, I’m guessing your drawing is of a support tower, one of many located between the bull wheel and the idler wheel. Perhaps a “U” shaped (or variation) affair on top of the tower with an axle that runs through from one side to the other, supporting both wheels. The prototype is similar to that. The cable and the chair attachment hardware pass over the top of the wheel. One of the previous posters had great pics of various parts of what your trying to model. I was going to mention in my previous post, when making my “mach-ups” this is where I use the hot glue gun along with the cardboard and wood pieces, so I can get instant results, with out waiting for glue to dry. I’m a bit impatient that way.
Mike.
Good idea. I have assembled part of the tower already. The styrene cross bar is hollow so I ca put the axle in as far as I want instead of fixing something on top. What do you think I could use in the hole to keep it aligned, easy to roll and not coming out?
Harold
Brent
Any more info using that pulley. I am not familiar with it. Design, Sources, etc
Quick!! say something before they think you are stupid.
Charlie
Since this is a cable car, it rides in a hanger above the cable. Only the top of the wheel has to be open. Could you support both sides of the wheel from underneath the wheel? I think that’s what the real ones do.
I think I would go with a stationary axle shaft, and have the wheel turn. You could ca glue a washer to the end of the shaft that the axle is in, and maybe a tight fitting “cap” on the outside, with a washer, to keep the wheel aligned, keeping the assembly snug enough to keep the wheel from wobbling.
Mike.
I was thinking of using the axle that is already attached to my HO wheelsets.
maybe these pics will help
OK, so make the support on the tower so the wheel set just fits in it, and only allows enough “side-to-side” movement to keep the wheel set moving freely. Maybe a support that “cradles” the axle, with the top portion removable, so the wheel set can come out, if needed. I think your idea of using a complete wheel set makes it easier to design a support.
Mike.
OK, I get what your saying. I was thinking your using the wheel set, as it is, but your thinking of cutting the axle in half, and using a wheel with half an attached axle on each side?
OK, this was quick and crude, and not to scale, but something like this?
I think the fiber or even a plastic washer between the wheel and the support would keep things moving easier.
Mike.
So what’s going to keep the cable from falling off the RP25 wheel tread? Plus this is a rather heavy/ wide wheel for the pulley itself. Do you plan to grind a notch/ groove of some sort? Would it be better to add larger diameter sides to a brass/ steel washer to hold the cable in the groove? Mounting can be done by glued rivit or screw and washer if needed
I’m not sure what Harold was going to put on the outside of the wheel. If you read previous post, he wanted to use a wheel set with the axle. He hasn’t responded since I posted this. Must have went to bed, just what I’m going to do !
Mike.
Gidday Harold, This is what Brent was referring to…
http://www.meccanospares.com/shop/category_29/pulleys
Cheers, the Bear.