I am trying to successfully make some hand-crafted nose gear. I have tried an idea and it generally works. But it has two fail points.
My attempt:
I use a chop sticks for the main strut. And use landscaping wire for the angled piece which acts like a spring.
I sandwich two pieces of FB with card stock on the outside, with a chopsick sized hole as a base I then make a shallow groove above and below on the stick, and make to retainer clips from card stock with slightly smaller holes.
At the bottom of the stick, I drill two parallel landscaping wire-sized holes, about 1/2" apart, 1/2" from the tip. I then make a u in the end of the landscaping wire. One side as thick as the chopstick. The long side goes into the hole closest to the tip. After it's in it's folded toward the tip and back under at an angle. In my build I used 45°, maybe I should have used 60°.
Then I bend it around the wheel and 90° perpendicular to the bend angle to be the axle for the thin nose wheel. I make mine with the bottle cap method. And pool noodle.
(Reserved for pic)
When I load it, the gear bends. And wavers side to side. The noodle turns sideways. This wheel is not hooked to steering, but designed as a possibility.
How do you keep your wheel on?
And how do you find the right stiffness for the strut?
What do you use?
My attempt:
I use a chop sticks for the main strut. And use landscaping wire for the angled piece which acts like a spring.
I sandwich two pieces of FB with card stock on the outside, with a chopsick sized hole as a base I then make a shallow groove above and below on the stick, and make to retainer clips from card stock with slightly smaller holes.
At the bottom of the stick, I drill two parallel landscaping wire-sized holes, about 1/2" apart, 1/2" from the tip. I then make a u in the end of the landscaping wire. One side as thick as the chopstick. The long side goes into the hole closest to the tip. After it's in it's folded toward the tip and back under at an angle. In my build I used 45°, maybe I should have used 60°.
Then I bend it around the wheel and 90° perpendicular to the bend angle to be the axle for the thin nose wheel. I make mine with the bottle cap method. And pool noodle.
(Reserved for pic)
When I load it, the gear bends. And wavers side to side. The noodle turns sideways. This wheel is not hooked to steering, but designed as a possibility.
How do you keep your wheel on?
And how do you find the right stiffness for the strut?
What do you use?