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very curved, a low crown surface is slightly curved. The rigidity and strength in the surface of a workpiece is provided by the high crown areas. The radius of the surface, after working, depends on the degree that the metal in the middle of the work piece stretches relative to the edge of the piece. If the middle stretches too much, the operator can recover the shape by wheeling the edge of the piece. Wheeling the edge has the same effect in correcting mis-shape due to over-stretching in the middle, as does shrinking directly on the overstretched area by the use of heat shrinking or
264:) of steel and sometimes must be replaced by steel when a stiffer frame is needed. Steel frames made of solid flame-cut plate, or frames built-up of cut-and-welded plates, are common designs. Steel tubing, generally of square section, has been used for wheeling machine frames during the past 30 years, in the US particularly, where sheet metal shaping has become a hobby as well as a business. Tube-framed machines are reasonably priced and are available as kit-built machines or can be built easily from plans. The stiffest tubular frames have a fully triangulated external bracing
460:, by tucking and beating the tucked metal into itself, or by using a cold shrinking hammer and dolly. Stretching or shrinking the flange requires a correct profile hammer and dolly. The hammer and dolly must match the desired flange shape at the point of contact through the flange, (known as ringing the dolly) with the hammer. A lot of shrinking or stretching work hardens the flange and can cause cracks and tears. While these can be welded, it is much better to anneal the metal before this happens to restore its workability.
285:-type shrinking. This is because the edge holds the shape in place. Shrinking the edge prior to wheeling aids the formation of shape during wheeling, and reduces the amount of stretching and thinning needed to reach the final shape. Shrinking processes reduce the surface area by thickening the sheet metal. Shrinking by hand is harder to do and slower than stretching using panel beating tools or wheeling, because of this it should only be used when absolutely necessary. Aluminium sheet should be
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161:. Panels produced this way are expensive, due to the highly skilled and labour-intensive production method, but it has the key advantage that it can flexibly produce different panels using the same machine. It is a forming machine that works by surface stretching and is related in action to panel beating processes. It is used wherever low volumes of compound curved panels are required; typically in
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over varying sheet metal thickness for smoothing, with both hands free to manipulate the work piece. This style of adjuster is also helpful for blending the edge of high crown areas that are thinner, with low crown areas that are relatively unstretched. A drawback of the foot adjuster is that it can get in the way of very longitudinally curved panels, such as the cycle type mudguards (wings/
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the correct pressure and appropriate anvil wheel shape, and accurate close patterns of overlapping wheeling passes (or actually overlapping with low crown anvils) makes using the machine something of an art. Too much pressure produces a part that is undulating, marred, and stressed—while too little pressure makes the job take a long time.
452:. This finishes and strengthens the edge. Typically, there is too much or too little metal in the flange, which pulls the panel out of shape after the flange is turned—so it must be stretched or shrunk to correct the surface shape. This is most easily done using Eckold shrinking and stretching, but can be done using
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that the operator can place in the machine and work easily. On some machines, the operator can turn the top wheel and anvil 90 degrees to the frame to increase the maximum size of the work piece. Because the machine works by an amount of pressure between the wheels through the material, and because
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Localised wheeling on one part of the panel is likely to cause mis-shaping in adjacent areas. Raising or stretching an area causes adjacent areas to sink, and correcting that may affect areas further away from the original panel working. This is because the tensions in the panel caused by stretching
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The operator must have painstaking patience to make many passes over an area on the sheet to form the area correctly. They may make additional passes with different wheels and in different directions (at 90 degrees for a simple double curvature shape, for example) to achieve the desired shape. Using
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The pressure of the contact area, which varies with the radius of the dome on the anvil wheel and the pressure of the adjusting screw, and the number of wheeling passes determines the degree to which the material stretches. Some operators prefer a foot adjuster so they can maintain constant pressure
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The operator of the machine passes the sheet metal between the anvil wheel and the rolling wheel. This process stretches the material and causes it to become thinner. As the material stretches, it forms a convex surface over the anvil wheel. This surface is known as "crown". A high crown surface is
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process, that is one of the most difficult and skillful parts of wheeling. As the size of the panel/section increases, the work involved and the level of difficulty increases disproportionately. This is also a reason that very large panels can be very difficult to do and are made in sections. High
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paper, section templates (made using paper or thin sheet metal), station bucks, formers, profile gauges, profile templates and of course an original panel. Wheeling machines that feature a quick-release lever, which enables the operator to drop the anvil wheel away from the upper wheel so the work
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After achieving the correct basic shape with the correct amount of metal in the right places, the worker must blend the edges of high crown areas with low crown areas, so that the surface contour transitions from one to the other smoothly. After this, the final wheeling stage involves very light
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To address this problem, some wheeling machines have a hand adjuster close beneath the anvil yoke (also known a wheel holder) so such panels can curve underneath unobstructed. This type of machine typically has a diagonal lower C-shaped frame that curves lower to the floor, with a hand-operated
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on a stake, speeds up the fabrication of higher crown sections. (A stake is a dolly, that can be much larger than hand held dollys, typically with a tapering square cross section casting underneath it. This is to mount it in a bench vice or a matching female hole in a beak anvil as used by
260:, making them difficult to push and pull the metal through when operated at high pressures. Later, when ball bearings came into use, the machines became more suitable for hard and thick material, such as 1/8” steel. Despite the advantages of cast iron, it has less than half the stiffness (
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Key to producing the right shape is to have the right amount of stretched metal surface over this wider area. If this is achieved, it is possible to "move" the metal with minimal extra stretching, filling the low spots with metal from the high spots. This smoothing is almost like
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or wiring, after the fabrication of the correct surface contour has been achieved. The flange is so important to the shape of the finished surface that it is possible to fabricate some panels by shrinking and stretching of the flange alone, without the use of surface stretching.
229:. The largest machines have throat sizes of 120 cm (48 inches), while smaller machines have throat sizes of about 60 cm (24 inches). The C stands vertically and is supported by a frame. The throat size usually determines the largest size of
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are the most significant element of this simple device. For the most part wheels have changed very little since the 19th century. The early
English machines (as opposed to the American versions), such as Edwards, Kendrick, Brown, Boggs, and
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the surface to make it a smooth, cohesive shape. This stage does not stretch the metal but moves the already stretched metal around, so using the minimum anvil pressure and as wide an anvil as is possible with the panel shape, is essential.
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joints as it reduces the amount filing/grinding/linishing needed or almost eliminates it altogether. It also, more importantly, reduces heat distortion of the surface contour, which must be corrected on the wheel or with hammer and dolly.
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is limited to only one model of panel per set of dies. The
English wheel model shown is manually operated, but when used on thicker sheet metals such as for ship hulls the machine may be powered and much larger than the one shown here.
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that has a much higher capital setup cost and longer development time than using an
English wheel, but each panel in the production run can be produced in a matter of seconds. This cost is defrayed across a larger production run, but a
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A properly equipped machine has an assortment of anvil wheels. Anvil wheels, like dollies used with hammers in panel beating (which are also known as anvils) should be used to match the desired crown or curvature of the work piece.
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adjuster close to the anvil wheel holder, instead of the horizontal and long vertical hand adjuster shown in the above picture. A third type of adjuster moves the top wheel up and down with the bottom anvil wheel left static.
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Typically, only small high crown panels, (such as repair sections) or large low crown panels (such as roofs), are made in one piece. Large low crown panels need two skilled craftsmen to support the weight of the panel.
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wheel usually has a smaller radius than the rolling wheel. Although larger machines exist, the rolling wheel is usually 8 cm (3 in) wide or less, and usually 25 cm (10 in) in diameter, or less.
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affect the panel shape further away than might be imagined. This means the operator must work over a large area of the panel, fixing these side effects while causing more side effects that must also be fixed.
177:), car prototypes and aircraft skin components. English wheel production is at its highest in low-volume sports car production, particularly when more easily formed aluminium alloy is used.
467:. Planishing manually using dollies and slapper files or planishing hammer, after hammer forming is very labour-intensive. Using a pear shaped mallet and sandbag to stretch the sheet metal (
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These limitations are the reasons why large high crown panels such as wings and fenders are often made in many pieces. The pieces are then welded together usually with one of two processes.
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welding joints don't have this drawback, provided they are allowed to cool to room temperature in air, but do produce more heat distortion. Panel joints may be achieved using
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that pressure changes as the material becomes thinner, the lower jaw and cradle of the frame that holds the anvil roller is adjustable. It may move with a hydraulic
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268:. They are most effective on thinner or softer materials, such as 20 ga steel or .063" aluminum. Cast frame machines, like the one pictured, are still available.
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An
English wheel showing four interchangeable lower wheels (anvils), the larger fixed upper wheel, the pressure adjustment screw and a quick release mechanism
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piece can be removed and inserted quickly without losing the pressure setting, are great time savers during this part of the process.
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At every fabrication stage, the operator must constantly reference the shape that they want to reproduce. This may involve the use of
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The machine is shaped like a large, closed letter "C". At the ends of the C, there are two wheels. The wheel on the top is called the
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welding (Tungsten Inert Gas) produces less heat distortion, but produces a harder, more brittle weld that may cause problems when
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As the size of the panel or section increases, the work involved and the level of difficulty increases disproportionately
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using a moderate pressure setting, but is still heavier than that used for planishing. It is a time consuming and fiddly
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on machines designed for sheet metals. As the material thins, the operator must adjust the pressure to compensate.
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chassis racing cars that meet regulations that require sheetmetal panels resembling mass production vehicles (
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tool that enables a craftsperson to form compound (double curvature) curves from flat sheets of metal such as
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An
English wheel is a better tool for a skilled craftsman for low-crown applications than manually
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The final panel fabrication process, after achieving the correct surface contour, is some kind of
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due to work-hardening of the metal, which makes it brittle unworkable and liable to fracture.
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The Craft of
Prototype Sheetmetal Bodywork & Coachbuilding: Volume III by Elliot Kudarcy.
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314:) used on motorcycles, pre-WW2 sports cars, and current open-wheeled cars like the Lotus /
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The rolling (top) wheel is flat in cross section, while the anvil (bottom) wheel is domed.
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Where high-volume production runs of panels are required, the wheel is replaced by a
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or power hammer is faster still. The
English wheel is very effective when used for
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Building
Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II,
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The risk of over stretching/thinning an over-large high crown panel or section
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527:"How This Medieval Machine Turns Flat Metal Into Beautiful Car Bodies"
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Strength and rigidity is also provided by the edge treatment such as
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before wheeling because rolling at the mill during its production
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The size of work piece that the operator/s can physically handle
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Fitting the work piece in the 'throat' depth of the machine
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processes), this is useful when finally smoothing the
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The thickness of the sheet that the machine can handle
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
721:Learning The English Wheel by William H. Longyard.
157:The process of using an English wheel is known as
751:Justin Baker Traditional Cast Iron English Wheels
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411:/smoothing by hand, or in the wheeling machine.
225:The depth of the C-shaped frame is called the
202:, while the wheel on the bottom is called the
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594:White, Kent. "Rolling Along with the Wheel."
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238:on machines designed for steel plate, or a
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381:Five key limitations of the machine are:
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618:Advanced Techniques for the English Wheel
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
16:Metalworking tool for curving sheet metal
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612:An American's View of the English Wheel
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598:, Issue: Vol. 27 No. 5, Sept–Oct 2008.
419:– that is welding without filler rod (
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356:crown panels/sections may need to be
735:by Kent White. Article reprint from
47:adding citations to reliable sources
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13:
700:A. Robinson, W.A. Livesey (2006).
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14:
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725:
785:
743:Ron Fournier Metal Q & A at
683:Advanced Sheet Metal Fabrication
664:Ultimate Sheet Metal Fabrication
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34:needs additional citations for
733:The Fine Art of Metal Shaping,
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1:
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476:blacksmiths and farriers.) A
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133:, in Britain also known as a
702:The Repair of Vehicle Bodies
596:Home Shop Machinist Magazine
525:Smith, Sam (July 14, 2015).
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626:Metal Fabricator's Handbook
570:"How NASCAR Race Cars Work"
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507:p. 89, Cypress, CA, 2013.
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685:. Wolfgang Publications.
666:. Wolfgang Publications.
887:Electrohydraulic forming
892:Electromagnetic forming
745:fournierenterprises.com
877:Casting (metalworking)
574:Auto.howstuffworks.com
446:flanging (sheet metal)
126:
1098:Tools and terminology
737:Experimenter Magazine
643:Ron Fournier (1989).
624:Ron Fournier (1990).
364:pressure wheeling to
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927:Progressive stamping
645:Sheet Metal Handbook
43:improve this article
1129:Fabrication (metal)
1003:Finishing processes
681:Tim Remus (2003).
662:Tim Remus (1999).
417:autogenous welding
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966:Joining processes
897:Explosive forming
865:Forming processes
711:978-0-7506-6753-1
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576:. 21 March 2001
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99:December 2008
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54:Find sources:
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32:This article
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957:Tube bending
912:Hydroforming
787:Metalworking
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578:. Retrieved
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553:. Retrieved
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41:Please help
36:verification
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1068:Fabrication
1016:Galvanizing
856:Sheet metal
846:Fabrication
830:fabrication
647:. Penguin.
628:. Penguin.
450:wire edging
377:Limitations
231:metal sheet
212:lower wheel
208:upper wheel
204:anvil wheel
153:Description
1118:Categories
1088:Metallurgy
1031:Patination
851:Piece work
580:25 October
555:2009-10-05
488:References
482:planishing
444:, such as
409:planishing
349:planishing
316:Caterham 7
305:Adjustment
171:spaceframe
69:newspapers
1083:Machining
1078:Jewellery
1046:Polishing
1011:Anodizing
988:Soldering
902:Extrusion
471:), or by
465:hammering
436:Finishing
353:iterative
276:Operation
240:jackscrew
143:aluminium
1093:Smithing
983:Riveting
978:Crimping
947:Spinning
932:Punching
917:Stamping
358:annealed
332:template
298:flanging
287:annealed
159:wheeling
1103:Welding
1073:Forming
1063:Casting
1041:Plating
1036:Peening
993:Welding
973:Brazing
952:Swaging
942:Sinking
937:Rolling
907:Forging
882:Drawing
872:Coining
839:General
826:Forming
473:raising
469:sinking
429:welding
366:planish
326:Shaping
312:fenders
251:Ranalah
214:.) The
137:, is a
83:scholar
708:
689:
670:
651:
632:
545:"Home"
511:
283:Eckold
227:throat
175:NASCAR
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
293:it.
266:truss
216:anvil
147:steel
90:JSTOR
76:books
706:ISBN
687:ISBN
668:ISBN
649:ISBN
630:ISBN
582:2021
509:ISBN
236:jack
210:and
129:The
62:news
456:or
448:or
425:TIG
423:or
405:TIG
318:.
145:or
45:by
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828:,
572:.
529:.
496:^
169:,
165:,
149:.
817:e
810:t
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772:t
765:v
714:.
695:.
676:.
657:.
638:.
584:.
558:.
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