Source for Hubs

[Tom Saxton]

Does anyone have a good source for hubs? Specifically, I'm thinking of a live axle system with the skyway wheels. There are nice hubs for the wheels, and make it easy to attach a sprocket, but how can we attach to an axle? I'm guessing you can't cut a keyway in the plastic wheel.

I'm thinking of something like the hubs pictured on this page, but suitable for skyway wheels with the plastic hubs.

http://www.robotmarketplace.com/marketplace_hubs.html

Obviously, if we had a big metal lathe we could make what we need, but we don't have access to one.

[sanddrag]

I've never seen a live axle hub made for the skyway wheelchair KOP wheels. If you cannot make your own, I would sugges running a dead axle or using a different wheel.

[Kyle Love]

CD-swap?

[John Gutmann]

Why not use the plastic hubs then just make a circular plate you mount to it that has the right sized hole in it for the axel and then put keyways into the plate. One plate for each side of the wheel of course.

[Madison]

Why not use the plastic hubs then just make a circular plate you mount to it that has the right sized hole in it for the axel and then put keyways into the plate. One plate for each side of the wheel of course.

This is what I'd recommend as well. Do you have access to a mill? You'd need to use some fairly beefy plate on each side of the wheel, though, so you don't shear the key, especially for drive applications -- maybe 3/8" or so.

Do the Skyway wheels you're planning on using have bearings in the hub?

[Tom Saxton]

Thanks for the suggestions. We are considering other ideas, including the plate idea, which is really just a weaker version of the hub design. Likewise for dead axle. I just figured we couldn't be the only team that's ever wanted a hub like this, so maybe someone out there might know about a supplier for hubs on our scale.