Double Bass Home-Made Bass Wheel?

[jdapodaca]

I was wondering if anybody here's thought of making their own bass wheel.
I'm in the process of having one made instead of spending $75 or more.
If anyone's made their own wheels I'd like to see how they turned out.

 

[Monomer]

Any machine shop experience?



it looks to be about a hours worth of machine work (each)

 

[Anonymous75966]

Curious. Who's making it for you? Is the idea just to save money, or also to make a really heavy-duty item?

I knew a player who used a furniture caster with a shank that happened to be the right diameter for the endpin socket. Great way to damage the bass if you ask me.

I bet you could make a bass wheel out of a Vespa or other scooter front end, one of the really lightweight ones with 8" wheels. If you turned the fork backwards, you could bring the centre of gravity back toward you, which would make it easier to push (send one to Rabbath for an endorsement). And ... you could have a handbrake! Heavy though.

OK, who's going to build it?

 

[bejoyous]

Yeah, I tried that. With all the time wasted running around tring to find the right materials and designing the thing it was a better value to let the experts handle it and I just bought one from Upton bass.

I likened it to changing my own oil. It's possible but why get my own hands dirty when someone else is so much better at doing it. My time is more valuable than saving a few dollars.

 

[Monomer]

I likened it to changing my own oil. It's possible but why get my own hands dirty when someone else is so much better at doing it. My time is more valuable than saving a few dollars.

I would NEVER trust a jiffy-lube style place to change my oil. I've heard way to many horror stories. Either take it to a dealer ($$$) of DIY (easy and cheap, who knows- you just might learn something)

 

[jdapodaca]

Curious. Who's making it for you? Is the idea just to save money, or also to make a really heavy-duty item?

OK, who's going to build it?

both, to save money and to make a heavy duty type wheel.

i'm not physically putting it together. my dad's buddy at Tyson foods, who makes...everything, basically, at the plant, is welding it and using good materials (stainless steel) and all.

I bought an 8" pneumatic wheel and basically told them what it needs to have, showed them a picture of the gaines wheel and the onyx wheel. it should turn out well. however i have nothing to compare it to since I don't own a gaines wheel. I'll post pictures when it's done.

you could bring the centre of gravity back toward you, which would make it easier to push (send one to Rabbath for an endorsement)

that's a good one.

 

[Blaine]

I made one. wasn't too hard. i found a wheel in an industrial supply cataloge and basically bent some stock hardware store steel for a kindof one sided fork. the biggest downer was in the end it weighed a ton. if i were to do it again i'd make sure to find a lightweight wheel. when i use it and come to steps where i have to carry the bass,,,, painful. the only strong advice i'd offer is watch the weight.

 

[Doug Ring]

A handbrake sounds like a great idea.

But... where's the lever going to go?!