Mark Wood Wheels

adrian

Flying Squad
Hi,

Does anyone have any experience of Mark Wood's wheel castings?

They do look rather good and he has just released suitable castings for an 8F.
Scan b LMS 8F

So I'm now in the dilema Scale 7 Slaters wheels or Mark Wood castings!
 

Len Cattley

Western Thunderer
Hi Adrian, I have some Princess wheels and I think they look very good moulded both sides to the prototype, Paul (locomodels) has (hopefully) put them on his lathe and trimmed them down to S7.
Len
 

Stoke5D

Western Thunderer
Adrian


I've got a 7 mm Black 5 set from him and also I had him make some 7mm wheels for my MOK Ivatt 4 'Flying Pig'. Photo's available if required.

I also have a 1/32 set for my Fred Phipps Class 22 kit.

Most of his wheels are 1/32 or 10 mm but if you've got time time he will make 7 mm versions. I've asked him to make a set for my recently ordered Finney7 WC but it will be several months before he's got them ready. I already had the S7 Group 8F wheels, so will stick with them for my build.

Definitely very impressive IMHO.


Andrew
 

adrian

Flying Squad
As cast wheels go I'd say there better than the late AGH wheels.

Thanks for the feedback it's good to know. Especially as I've just contacted him about stock levels and he said he'd just turned on the wax injector for the next batch - so that now includes a set of 7mm 8F castings!

Most of his wheels are 1/32 or 10 mm but if you've got time time he will make 7 mm versions. I've asked him to make a set for my recently ordered Finney7 WC but it will be several months before he's got them ready.
Again thanks for the feedback - I spotted that he has a set of 1/32 wheels for a V2 so I asked if there was the possibility of a set in 7mm. He said they could be next in the queue after the WC/BB wheels - so that was another order placed!
 

Stoke5D

Western Thunderer
Good move.

I think Col is right that they are better than the AGH wheels I've seen, so I'm glad that his previously announced retirement doesn't seem to be significantly impacting availability.

Andrew
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hello Andrew,

I would appreciate any photos you have of 7mm MW wheels. I presume male/female taper pin axles?

Can you please (if you feel able to) say how much you paid for your wheelset (all of loco and tender? With crank pins? Insulated?).

Thank you.

Richard
 

adrian

Flying Squad
I'm glad that his previously announced retirement doesn't seem to be significantly impacting availability.
Just going from the information on his website it implies that his partial retirement means no longer supplying turned wheels. i.e. I think it will be a castings only supply.

I would appreciate any photos you have of 7mm MW wheels. I presume male/female taper pin axles?
as above - I believe it's now a castings only service so the finished item will be down to a 3rd party turning the wheels for you.

Can you please (if you feel able to) say how much you paid for your wheelset
I appreciate your question was for Andrew with a set of finished wheels - for myself the set of 8F wheel castings work out at a shade under £190, however I have a lathe and a Scale7 form tool so I'm quite happy turning the wheels myself. There's something quite satisfying when turning cast iron and it starts to sing.
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
as above - I believe it's now a castings only service so the finished item will be down to a 3rd party turning the wheels for you.

If I may be allowed, it's not advertised on my web site and I think most people who know me think of S7 wheel turning service but I do have a F/S profile tool and I'm happy to process wheels and axles to F/S standards also.

Just a small plug :D

Col.
 

adrian

Flying Squad
I have a lathe and form tool; yet to acquire the Cojones (Squires?)
ebay is your friend! When I got the form tool I bought a cheap assortment of wheel castings from ebay just to practice on.

I was looking for an example but there's nothing currently available - so I looked at completed items.

So something like this works out at £2 a casting.
GAUGE O WHEEL CASTINGS FOR LOCO | eBay

but then I saw these - someone got a bargain!
Harris wheel castings O Gauge | eBay

Harris wheel castings O Gauge | eBay
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
ebay is your friend! When I got the form tool I bought a cheap assortment of wheel castings from ebay just to practice on.

I was looking for an example but there's nothing currently available - so I looked at completed items.

So something like this works out at £2 a casting.
GAUGE O WHEEL CASTINGS FOR LOCO | eBay

but then I saw these - someone got a bargain!
Harris wheel castings O Gauge | eBay

Harris wheel castings O Gauge | eBay

I believe that they were Raymond Walley's but I might be wrong a bargain in any event.
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Thank you for the reply Adrian.

I have a lathe and form tool; yet to acquire the Cojones (Squires?)

Richard

Richard,
Although I've never used one for turning wheels I'd be interested to know where you got your form tool from - can you divulge?

Coincidentally to your posting I was just contemplating a set of Mark's wheel castings for my Duchess. But, as Adrian suggested, I'd want to do another set first to get my hand in. I've turned the odd set of P87 and HO wheels, but they're smaller and in nickel-silver, so a somewhat different proposition.

I believe that they were Raymond Walley's but I might be wrong a bargain in any event.

Rob,
They were - I missed the set I needed for my LSWR G6, Grrr....

Steph
 

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
Richard,
Although I've never used one for turning wheels I'd be interested to know where you got your form tool from - can you divulge?

Coincidentally to your posting I was just contemplating a set of Mark's wheel castings for my Duchess.

Steph


I have a set for my Duchess but not got round to turning them yet. They look very good with oval spokes but turning will need a different method from Harris castings as there are no spigots on the back. There should be less chance of breaking a spoke when turning off the back to reveal them as you have to do on Harris castings.

Ian.
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Ian,
Yep - I found Mark's turning instructions on his website and realised the turning method is a little different to that commonly used. But it's not so far from the methods I used for HO wheels!

Steph
 

Stoke5D

Western Thunderer
To answer a few queries:

The Black 5 wheels were castings only (loco. and tender) £195.89 delivered - see photos.

Black 5 face.JPG

Black 5 rear.JPG


The Class 22 wheel set were supplied turned near scale for 1/32 (Scale 32) and are centre insulated for split axles mounted on said axles with pin £163.41 delivered - also see photos.

Class 22 wheels.JPG

Class Insulated Wheel.JPG

Both these were in his existing range. The Ivatt 4 wheels (loco. and tender) required a new 7mm master and were castings only £156.29 delivered. Finally, the WC/BB wheels (loco. and tender) I've just ordered to be made for 7mm are £194.40.

Not cheap but I think they are worth it when you have kits of the standard achieved by MOK and Finney7.

As Adrian mentions, he's still supplying the wheels but not offering turning any more, except for the Class 22 wheels it seems, which was convenient for me.

I intend to make the WC split-axle pick-up and so the wheels will be finished the same as the Class 22 wheels.

As Steph has said, there's some instructions and diagrams on Mark's website about how to turn his wheels. You need to make some aluminium discs to support them. I hope I'm not patronising anyone when I mention that you should practice on CI and not Steel, as it's quite a different material and also needs specific cutting tools (carbide tips). The profile tool should only be used for a fine finishing cut. I have the S7 Group tool for 7mm. Mark supplies a Scale 32 version which I also have and will use for my forthcoming garden venture.

Hope this helps.


Andrew
 
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