search  current discussion  categories  wheels - misc 

squeaky wheel gets no grease-

updated fri 26 sep 03

 

Tracy Shea on wed 24 sep 03


i've got a randall kick wheel with a flat wheel head, bought it last =
year at a garage sale. the wheel head has been stuck since i got it. i =
would like to grease the thing- it's recently started to squeak- and it =
would be nice to be able to remove the splash pan to clean it, but i =
haven't been able to get the thing apart! any ideas on how i might =
loosen it up?? =20

i haven't been able to get underneath with wd40 or anything greasy =
because of the way the splash pan is made, and i checked the archives =
with no luck.....lil help out there???

thanks
tracy shea
garrettsville, OH

Fredrick Paget on wed 24 sep 03


>i've got a randall kick wheel with a flat wheel head, bought it last =
>year at a garage sale. the wheel head has been stuck since i got it. i =
>would like to grease the thing- it's recently started to squeak- and it =
>would be nice to be able to remove the splash pan to clean it, but i =
>haven't been able to get the thing apart! any ideas on how i might =
>loosen it up?? =20
>tracy shea
>
Since I haven't seen one of these in 30 years i am guessing here that
the Randall has a Morse taper on the end of the shaft that goes into
the head so that the flat head can be removed to put on the bucket
head.
I have a Jepson wheel that uses this idea and I get the head off by
putting an old skin diving lead weight under the head holding it with
my fingers curled under the head and tapping upward on the bottom of
the head, It doesn't take very much of a tap with this 2 pound lump
of lead to break it free.
The Morse taper holds by friction but it only takes a bit of force
axially to break it free.
Fred
--
From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA
fredrick@well.com

ASHPOTS@AOL.COM on thu 25 sep 03


Ive been using PB Blaster for all kinds of things to keep loose and also for
old boltsand nuts to loosen. If nothing else works i would strip the wheel and
spray PB Blaster on the shaft upside down. It mite be a hassle but it should
work. Ive been tearing down old a old tractor and some parts need PB Blaster ,
some times also heat.Some things need to be beat also.
Just my $.02

Firing again for my show , if you are near Atlanta please come to my opening
Oct 2 at Mudfire.

Mark
www.lookoutmountainpottery.com

Louis Katz on thu 25 sep 03


Fred is right about the Morse taper but...

If these wheel heads have been on long enough the corrosion where they
touch the shaft is enough to keep them from coming off. After trying a
dead blow hammer (lead, cheap Chinese ones are available from harbor
freight, expensive Chinese ones elsewhere), I've had to resort to heat.
Heat the wheel head with a propane torch about two inches out from the
shaft. The aluminum will expand more than the steel shaft. Then use the
lead.
After you are done clean up the shaft with some very fine emory paper
with an up and down motion, don't spin the wheel if you want the taper
to remain good. If you decide to throw without the splashpan buy a
peice of pipe to place of the slpash pan to protect the bearing.
Louis