Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

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ivaldes1
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Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Mon Feb 01, 2021 12:29 am

My mighty home-built Reagan spoke press http://www.funprojects.com/techinfo comes out of the shadowy recesses of my garage and awakes!
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George Mills
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by George Mills » Tue Feb 02, 2021 5:42 pm

Good luck, looks like you’re ready.

First time?

Sometimes until you get the hang of it, the TEePee of the spokes gets ahead of itself and you wish you had 3 hands.

Solution? Take a red Solo cup and punch a hole in the bottom just big enough for the all-thread and put the cup bottoms up on the rod before placing any spokes. Keeps the TeePee from wobbling and when/while the teepee is compressing square, the plastic cup just collapses.

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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by AndreFordT » Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:14 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKZ7WrfHdf8

Try this one by Steve.

Good luck
Andre
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by jiminbartow » Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:36 am

Adjust, adjust, adjust. Every half turn, pull and push and twist the spokes with your hands to be sure the mating surfaces are perfectly even. It will get harder and harder as the spokes get tighter, but keep adjusting using as much force as needed. Finally you will no longer be able to move them and hopefully, by then you efforts will have been rewarded by nice even, flush joints. At one point, when it feels like your nut will strip, it suddenly gets easier as the spokes pop in place.

If it is not how you want it such as one or more twisted, uneven, spokes with unflush joints, don’t worry. Start over. I had to start over three times before mastering the technique and getting it right. Good luck. Jim Patrick.


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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by Sarikatime » Wed Feb 03, 2021 11:41 am

The biggest problem I have found with long shag carpet is that the carpet hairs get cought in between the wood and metal rim and can’t take it out without taking everything apart again. Don’t ask me how I know. Frank

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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by AndreFordT » Wed Feb 03, 2021 12:45 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRCDYCRCEek

here an other way to make wheels but you will need a few tools.

Andre
Belgium

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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Wed Feb 03, 2021 10:23 pm

So they are tight at the bottom of the diamond and somewhat loose at the top when I just lay them out. I assume when I press them that the bottom of the diamond will compress?
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ivaldes1
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Wed Feb 10, 2021 9:23 pm

At 4:50 in this video he has a wood cylinder dome then pounds the spokes in to the rim holes. Mine are new spokes so I am going to need to improvise something similar. I do not know what. Right now the spoke ends do not easily go into the rim holes.
AndreFordT wrote:
Wed Feb 03, 2021 12:45 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRCDYCRCEek

here an other way to make wheels but you will need a few tools.

Andre
Belgium
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:14 am

Here it goes. The hub turned a bit so now the holes are slightly off the seams. I am unsure how to turn it back into place given the forces involved.
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by AndreFordT » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:22 am

I use Steves way to make my wheels but:

After painting the parts I drill the holes where the tenons of the spokes go with a 13mm drill and put wax in the holes and the tenons.
Good thing to paint the spokes before the assembly but pay attention don't paint the sides where the spokes touch in the daimond, it work as glue. The spokes will not slide to get in to place. Clean the paint and put some wax on each side of the spokes the wheel will come together easily Steves way.
If you do not have a drill stand that go over the wheel, just spot weld two small drums straight together. The distance of the holes will make you a guide to drill the bolt holes staight.

Andre
Belgium
Attachments
Drilling the holes.
Drilling the holes.
Hub in place.
Hub in place.
Pressing the wheel together.
Pressing the wheel together.
Setting the spokes in place.
Setting the spokes in place.
Preparing the wheel press.
Preparing the wheel press.

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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:37 am

Andre thank you for the ideas and pictures. I will use wax on the next one. I did remove the clear coat before pressing the spokes. I will try to use the 2 drum method making building a drilling jig not necessary.
AndreFordT wrote:
Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:22 am
I use Steves way to make my wheels but:

After painting the parts I drill the holes where the tenons of the spokes go with a 13mm drill and put wax in the holes and the tenons.
Good thing to paint the spokes before the assembly but pay attention don't paint the sides where the spokes touch in the daimond, it work as glue. The spokes will not slide to get in to place. Clean the paint and put some wax on each side of the spokes the wheel will come together easily Steves way.
If you do not have a drill stand that go over the wheel, just spot weld two small drums straight together. The distance of the holes will make you a guide to drill the bolt holes staight.

Andre
Belgium

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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by Steve Jelf » Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:59 am

I agree with wax.
I like Andre's brake drum drill guide. Here's what I made to get the holes straight.


IMG_0568 copy.JPG
IMG_0571 copy.JPG
A closer look.

IMG_0557 copy.JPG
I made these to keep front hubs straight as they're pressed down.

IMG_0556.JPG
This is why I made those pieces.

IMG_0567.JPG
I replaced the foam pad with Masonite to let the felloe slide more easily. I had to block up the felloe to let the front hub go down all the way.
The inevitable often happens.
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:50 pm

Further progress. The bolt holes are drilled. Two brake hubs for a drill guide seemed to work well. While walking the dog I found a non-functioning old but lightly used Ryobi drill someone put on the curb. I cleaned the contacts and took it apart a bit and it worked. I get a lasting bang out of getting curb finds to work. The old Ryobi's but not the new ones have a bubble level to drill straight with. All but one hole are right on the seam between the two spokes. One is a bit off. I hope it fits. I had to file off the powder coat where the other hub piece slides on then repaint with less thick enamel. So I will try to assemble once it is dry.
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:29 pm

Finished with one sort-of. I have some slight misalignments of the spokes. I will use wax on the adjacent faces next time so they slide. Are the gaps shown especially in the last photo not acceptable? I may be able to improve on them with more tightening. Unfortunately my arbor press is just slightly too small to put the whole wheel in and press the spokes like one of the video shows.
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by Steve Jelf » Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:41 pm

I suspect more tightening will even up the waxed ones. I don't know about this one. Try it and see.
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by RajoRacer » Fri Feb 26, 2021 8:06 pm

Tightening any more will most likely end up distorting the hub plate even worse !

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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by AndreFordT » Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:02 am

Ignacio,

I just saw your photos posted on Feb.23.
One of the photos show the wheel without the disck. Your spokes are upside down on the hub.
The cut off part of the spokes should be turned to the hub flensh.
I think you should start over the build for this wheel and use furniture wax too.

Just my opinion.
Andre
Belgium

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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by AdminJeff » Sun Feb 28, 2021 12:57 am

ivaldes1 wrote:
Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:29 pm
Finished with one sort-of. I have some slight misalignments of the spokes. I will use wax on the adjacent faces next time so they slide. Are the gaps shown especially in the last photo not acceptable? I may be able to improve on them with more tightening. Unfortunately my arbor press is just slightly too small to put the whole wheel in and press the spokes like one of the video shows.
I just finished my 2 rear wheels last week and used a hammer and a putty knife on the few spokes that were sticking up a bit. That settled them into place and didn't marr the finish. Keeping the lacquer off of the inside mating surfaces is key. I also had misalignment of the holes at first and I just turned the whole assembly over, blocked it with 2x4's and pressed it apart and started over. Easy.

POR15 gloss black paint worked great on the fellows, just let it dry for a FULL 2 days before using the press. Don't ask how I know this.

I also used some spacers with one machined on my lathe similar to the one as shown in the post above to center the hub on the all thread while tightening the nut. This let me use an air impact gun and long socket adding additional spacers as needed instead of wrestling with a large wrench on that nut from hell.
.
CFA12FC2-0D6C-41DB-A6B0-A5C711C4527A.jpeg
The press (and patience) makes this unpleasant job just tolerable. Don't make the same mistake I did and figure out ahead of time if you have Kelsey or Hayes fellows or Ford fellows BEFORE you stain and finish the spokes. Thankfully I sourced some Ford fellows for the Ford spokes I spent days finishing. Doing 12 at a time isn't a bad idea. Start to finish with 3 different shipments of spokes from Langs was 3 weeks. Thankfully I bought a 1930 Model A roadster to keep me busy while the lacquer dried...

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ivaldes1
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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by ivaldes1 » Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:21 am

Oops!
AndreFordT wrote:
Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:02 am
Ignacio,

I just saw your photos posted on Feb.23.
One of the photos show the wheel without the disck. Your spokes are upside down on the hub.
The cut off part of the spokes should be turned to the hub flensh.
I think you should start over the build for this wheel and use furniture wax too.

Just my opinion.
Andre
Belgium


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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by John kuehn » Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:56 pm

Andre has a good eye! The beveled edge does go in the down position when pressing them in. The beveled edge allows the curvature of the hub to fit tightly against the spoke. It’s a detail that can be easily overlooked. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.


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Re: Mighty Reagan Spoke Press Awakes!

Post by Allan » Tue Mar 02, 2021 10:22 pm

Ignatio, your second last photo of the assembled wheel shows the nuts on the 6 bolts. These bolts need to protrude through the nuts for some thread to show. Then the exposed end of the bolt is peined over to lock the nut so it can't back off. Your bolts are too short to do this. Either you have used standard thicker hardware shop nuts or, if you used new bolts and the correct thinner nuts, the bolts you have are for front wheels, these being shorter because they have no brake drum to retain. You could retain them with a dob of weld, but then you will not have the opportunity to tighten them if/when the spokes settle in.

Hope this helps
Allan from down under

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