Four Wheels from e-goldmine for a $1 and a mounting idea inspired by RBB
I needed to top off my order to reach the $10 minimum when buying cheap gear motors from electronics goldmine. In their bargains section they had four wheels 6" for $1 which fit the bill. They are hard molded plastic and look like they would normally be used for a gas grill or suitcase. So I imagine they can carry any weight I throw at them. Here's what they look like:
But they only have a hole for an axle, so some creativity is required to mount them and connect to a motor. I perused "Robot Builder's Bonanza" pages 273-4 for some ideas. Ideally I would use a flange with a set screw, but those are hard to come by locally. But I've had good luck joining threaded rod to motor shafts using hose tubing which is readily available. So I produced the following proof of concept.
Basically I took a 4" 5/16 bolt and tee nut to capture both sides of the wheel. In a piece of wood I drilled a hole for the bolt. On the opposite side I drilled a 7/8" hole for a skate bearing and put that into the wood.
Here's what it looks like from the front side.
It seems pretty solid and turns fairly well. The idea is that I would capture the skate bearing between two pieces of wood so it would take the brunt of the forces involved. A dab of JB Weld and screws would hold the tee nut in place and allow power transfer to the wheel.
But they only have a hole for an axle, so some creativity is required to mount them and connect to a motor. I perused "Robot Builder's Bonanza" pages 273-4 for some ideas. Ideally I would use a flange with a set screw, but those are hard to come by locally. But I've had good luck joining threaded rod to motor shafts using hose tubing which is readily available. So I produced the following proof of concept.
Basically I took a 4" 5/16 bolt and tee nut to capture both sides of the wheel. In a piece of wood I drilled a hole for the bolt. On the opposite side I drilled a 7/8" hole for a skate bearing and put that into the wood.
Here's what it looks like from the front side.
It seems pretty solid and turns fairly well. The idea is that I would capture the skate bearing between two pieces of wood so it would take the brunt of the forces involved. A dab of JB Weld and screws would hold the tee nut in place and allow power transfer to the wheel.
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