[Rohan J]

In our little machine shop we have a Miter saw, an abrasive cutoff saw, a band saw, a drill press, a table saw, an old imprecise maximat mini lathe, and a full-size jet vertical milling machine.

Our team has used mecanum wheels for three years, though we've always purchased them from AndyMark. This year we used the 8" variety, though my favorite is the 6" due to the closeness to round. I know of quite a few teams that make their own wheels, and it seems to me like getting the plates cut out right, and then bending them would be somewhat difficult. We've played around with polyurethane and silicone molding compounds, which, like epoxy, come as two parts, and after mixing them together, they begin to harden. This would be a good way of making the rollers. If you can spare the change, however, I highly recommend buying the wheels from AndyMark, as you will be sure that they will always function properly. AndyMark has excellent service, and makes excellent products. We have contacted Andy on several occasions about issues and he has always been prompt, both in response and in fixing them.

Good luck!