Thread: HF English Wheel

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What's wrong with them and what could be done to fix the problems they have??. I don't currently own a 220 welder,so to build one isn't possible.I could weld bracing on it and have a friend fabricator come over and finish weld that.

i have looked at them from HF never used one of th HFs i did get the plans was a small book on how to build one that you could build model A front fenders on . frame for one is not a big deal its is the wheels that are expensive to build . i did not build one or buy any thing here in the rust belt when i did body work all shops i worked at i made do with out one . you have to think how many jobs your going to need it for ? there is other tools that would be needed along with it if your building bodys . much can be done with body hammers . dolys . buy a good set of body hammers and dolys start there first . shot bags . old tree stump bowled out . air hammer for forming . working metal was some thing i really liked to do if i ever could get my firbromyalgia under control. i would be back swinging body hammers back in a heart beat most all tools for metal work are under man power .you have to have very good upper body for metal .work one not falling apart

It is the HF wheels that while I do the research I am seeing mixed opinions.Guys are saying those are hard to work with for tracking and some leave ridges that would drive you crazy.I have posted on Allmetalshaping too.

leaving ridges usualy means you aren't useing it properly

Happy "T'day Charlie and thanks for posting.I am new to the E wheel thing so please explain that.

Originally Posted by 1gary

Happy "T'day Charlie and thanks for posting.I am new to the E wheel thing so please explain that.

it.s called tracking your try to move it to much at one time

Harbor Freight fabrication tools are the absolute bottom of the barrel quality wise and poor quality fab tools will invariably create more work then they will ever cure! The list of hand tools that Pat suggested will be more then adequate to do the job, if you get QUALITY tools and not just look for the cheapest price. A few things I would add to Pat's list is a couple of wood dowels about 1' long of various diameters from 3/4" to about 1 1/2" diameter and a couple pieces of tubing with a "t" handle welded on them that you can secure in a vise. Works great for shaping tight radius' and for getting the dings out of sheet metal that a hammer and dolly put in them.

An English Wheel is not some "magic deal" that will form any panel you want, they require lots of practice and learning to even understand the basics of their abilities. IMO, all the panels in the world won't do you a bit of good if you don't have a QUALITY 220v mig welder to install them with, a 110v flux core cheapy just doesn't make quality welds on sheet metal....

Dave-I have a gas shielded 110 mig that I run .023 wire.

They HF frames are both weak and may be out of alignment - top to bottom. If the alignment is good then you just need to a another layer of 2X4 bracing to the top and rear.
The as-sold wheel frame will move up and down visibly as you add tension - with the quick release handle you can wiggle the upper frame buy over an 1/8th. It is personal preferance if you want this action or not. It is a spring-like pressure and can be used to an advantage. I prefer greater rigidity in a frame.
If you are wheeling and getting ridges then your lower wheel has a radius and shouldn't have.
The HF machine also has a poor quick release and a cheap screw for the adjuster, if you work with a really good machine like an Imperial you'll see the differences immediatly.
It all depends on what you realistically want to make, if you are doing a door skin or the odd panel and weld with a skim coat then the HF machine is ok. If you want to make a highly metalfinished product then you'll need a better machine.

I am getting mixed reviews.It's the reason why I posted here for the brain trust I trust.

I have had my 110 gas shielded mig for yrs and it does do ok on sheet metal,but nothing like the L-Tec 220 I had long term use of to back haft a Monza.The 110 I don't trust for the heavier stuff.

I just can't afford one of Kerry's E/Wheels.But as I do research and reading about E/Wheels as I have time,some are saying it is the HF wheels that are bad,so early on I thought if I could brace the frame and buy better wheels I might be able to get a machine that wouldn't be the best but workable.

The Comstocks are about two and ahaft hrs away from me.To attend of of they meets certainly would help in learning more about metal working in general and to get to use a E/wheel.I have to check to see when they are holding the next one.

I purchased a horizontal band saw from HF and after going through 3 in less than a year and a half, I'd say, don't waste your money on it. My band saw cuts crooked and has since new. You can't get it to cut straight, and it just gets worse each time you use it. I can't imagine their english wheel will be any better!

Originally Posted by 1gary

I am getting mixed reviews.It's the reason why I posted here for the brain trust I trust.

I have had my 110 gas shielded mig for yrs and it does do ok on sheet metal,but nothing like the L-Tec 220 I had long term use of to back haft a Monza.The 110 I don't trust for the heavier stuff.

I just can't afford one of Kerry's E/Wheels.But as I do research and reading about E/Wheels as I have time,some are saying it is the HF wheels that are bad,so early on I thought if I could brace the frame and buy better wheels I might be able to get a machine that wouldn't be the best but workable.

The Comstocks are about two and ahaft hrs away from me.To attend of of they meets certainly would help in learning more about metal working in general and to get to use a E/wheel.I have to check to see when they are holding the next one.

you lost me gary ? your going to buy a HF wheel . but the frame is weak so your going to add to it ? the wheels are no good . so your thinking of buying better ones? to use on a cheap frame to put better wheels on ? sounds like you should start with a clean sheet of paper and build one . wheels they sell on e bay ?? i can form a small part with a hammer and doly have you cut you teeth on any hammer and doly work ? you may not want a wheel ?

I have the old mini planishing hammer. They don't sell it anymore, but I paid $40 for it on sale. It's pretty simple. Just a frame, 2 manderals ( flat and rounded ) and an air hammer with a special bit that is just flat. For $40, it's worth what I paid. I'v made some panels, but what I have used it most for is straightening flanges. I don't have a brake, so bending with pliers and running it thru the planeshing hammer straightens it up quick.. Only thing that doesent work right is the foot pedal leaks air, so it does not shut off, and only shuts down.

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

I purchased a horizontal band saw from HF and after going through 3 in less than a year and a half, I'd say, don't waste your money on it. My band saw cuts crooked and has since new. You can't get it to cut straight, and it just gets worse each time you use it. I can't imagine their english wheel will be any better!

I don't want to stray far off subject but, the reason it cuts crookid is because it is out of adjustment. There are adjusters at each place where the blade leaves the pulley section, you loosten them and play with them until you get the tension out and it is 90deg to the table. Then you need to square the blade to the clamp, i took a small square and cut it to fit. You move the movable part of the clamp out of the way then loosten the adjustable part of the clamp so it is square to the blade.
You make those adjustments and have a nice sharp 18tooth blade and it'll cut nice and square.

I have a Harbor Freight english wheel and I like it. This is the only english wheel I've ever used, so I can't give a comparison of different machines. Maybe if I was making my living doing that kind of work every day I'd want a different machine, but, like most Harbor Freight tools, it's fine for the hobbyist's personal use.

I had wanted an english wheel for a long time and had collected some plans for building one, but the $500+ for just a couple of the wheels always kept me from pursuing that project. Then Harbor Freight came up with this machine about the time I was building the hood for my roadster, so I bought one. Got the whole thing and all the extra wheels for about $350 back then.

I had cut the panels for my hood and attempted to shape one of them by rolling it around an oxygen tank - didn't work. So I tried wrapping the other one around a telephone pole - didn't work either. I ended up with a pair of panels full of bumps and creases, so I threw them in the scrap pile. A couple days later I bought my HF english wheel. When I got it home and assembled I naturally wanted to try it out, so I grabbed one of those discarded hood panels and started "wheeling". It turned out pretty nice, so I rescued the other one and "wheeled" it, too. Those hood panels are on my roadster now!

I have seen an article somewhere on polishing the wheels and how to make the HF frame more rigid, but I haven't found it necessary yet. Maybe if I was "wheeling" heavier gauge metal (my hood is 20-gauge) I would need the reinforcement... I have found no issue with the wheels. If I was wheeling aluminum and intended to polish it later, I might want to polish the wheels, too, but they're fine as they are for panels that will be sanded and painted later.