Hi folks. I need to create a tapered oval spoke shape to complete this pattern for a steam train wheel pattern. See oval shapes with magenta arrows pointing to their respective positions.

Any suggestions? I cannot get it to form a solid that can be boolean unioned to create a single piece to send off to the foundry.

Thanks!

Chris

Maybe you can make one by one
Then Boolean
Then Fillet the intersections

Here the first :)

Hi twofoot,

In my opinion,
The two shapes pointed to are "Hubs", ("Rings"), for which each profile shown needs to be Revolved about the center point of the wheel.

The "spokes" are shown by the two angled, mostly straignt, curves, between the two Rings.
Their cross sections need to be shown.
Also, a view from the side of the wheel should be uploaded. It looks like there is such a view off to the left of your uploaded image.
Also, need to see the portion of the page below the uploaded image...

- Brian.

If the "spoke" is mostly solid, it may also need to be a Revolved solid, perhaps with pie sections cut away, per side view...

A google of "Train wheels images" shows different types of wheels. Perhaps you could upload an image of the corresponding type.

Hi twofoot,
Please post .3dm.
It is hard to understand what you are asking for...
- Brian

Hi Chris, yes if you have a side or any other view image and if you could post the .3dm file with your current results in it that would help a lot to better understand what you're trying to do.

- Michael

Hi Chris,

Is this the front truck wheels for a railroad train and tender? 999? In the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL ?

Wayne

https://www.albanyinstitute.org/tl_files/collection/historical-objects/1999.29_nycr-999.jpg

There are a few other photos of this train.
The spokes appear to be a tapered, rounded, rectangular shape, wider from the center of the track to the outside of the track.
There would be some fillets as well.
Outside view would help establish their other dimensions seen from the side, and perhaps some of the fillets.
The inner and outer hubs, and the (10?) spokes, were likely cast in one piece.
I think that the outer rim, which contacts the track, would be designed to wear down, and be replaceable. (?)

Could not locate any plans on the web...

- Brian

William Buchanan was the designer of the "999."
40 inch tender wheels?
https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/transportation-gallery/the-exhibit/999-steam-locomotive/

Here is my attempt based on the blueprint and photos of the 999 engine I found on the web. These of course are the small truck wheels and not the large drive wheels.

The blueprint with just the one view is not enough information, but I hope I came close.

The original question was about getting the entire wheel to boolean into a solid. I had no issues with that, or with adding a fillet around the 12 spokes.

We would need to see your 3DM file to help out.

Ed Ferguson






Curves used to make the wheel:

Hi Ed,
Excellent work!
-Brian

those shapes are quite beautiful ed.

Yes, it is for NYC 999.

Chris

Let me clarify. I sorted out my problem with the tapered spokes. Yay me. There never was a problem creating a single solid using booleans.

See screenshot. The red arrow points to an area where the fillets need to be very heavy *between* the spokes but not as heavy at the top and bottom of the spoke. I'm sure it's a blend or network or something else I also don't know how to use.

3dm file lives here for your viewing pleasure: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kkldadi27wf7y0t/NYC%20999%20tender%20wheel%20v2a.3dm?dl=0

Thanks

Chris

Hi Chris,
Very nice wheel.
May I ask where you found the "blueprints"?
Signed by Buchanan, they appear to be originals circa 1893, with some notes from 1919 and 1933.

Presumably when the 86" drive wheels we replaced with 70" wheels, the smaller wheels were changed also.
Spoke count must have changed also?

- Brian

I looked at some photos on the Internet and there is definitely a web structure joining the spokes on each end. I think the way it all blends together will make it difficult for NURBs modeling - perhaps Sub D is the way to go on this one.

I attempted to make an approximation by creating filler pieces to go between the spokes. Maybe with some additional effort the filler pieces can be sized correctly and made such that they blend into the spokes more gracefully.

Ed Ferguson

Nice poster of the 999. (Original size wheels).

https://www.ebay.com/i/353260486381?chn=

Also found a beautiful scale model, but it only had 7 spokes.

- Brian

Hi Chris,
perhaps this method may help.
After boolean union spokes to hub select the edge and join.
Add circles sized to the radii you need and sweep joined edge curve.
Trim Hub and blend.
Note when I produced the hub I rebuilt the curved section
so the surface was complete (no seam lines) this helps the blend operation.
Cheers
Barry

Barry, you are WAY better at Moi than I am. LOL

Is there any way you could show me the process step by step? This is EXACTLY what I need.

Thanks

Chris

Hi Chris,
you can just use the fillet tool as shown in the photo.
I did the collar trim to give a variable fillet as I was unable to get it with the fillet tool.
I'm basically trimming the solid with a collar produced by sweeping desired fillets.
The sweep path is the edge where spoke joins the hub.
If your still unsure post me your curves and I will mark up what's needed.
Cheers
Barry

Edit:
It's possible to do it with the fillet tool with variable fillet my problem was filleting across the seam of the hub.

Hi
have you try ONSHAPE to do the bevel ?

@ Barry-H, how did you get the sweeped circles to meet the spokes and hub at a tangent with your first technique? Or are they just roughly positioned close enough to tangential to suffice?