# waterwheel construction question



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I'm in need of a 7/8 scale waterwheel. Before I start building it, I wonder if anyone can offer tips. I'm afraid if I build it out of traditional methods of wood and nails, it will fall apart b/c in constant contact with water.

However, nothing beats the look of wood.

Has anyone built a waterwheel that's lasted pretty well? Type wood used and construction methods?

I'm also planning a sluiceway to feed water to it.

I have a temporary waterwheel and mill from Lowe's, as it's for smaller scale, maybe 1:32.

Cheers

Dave


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Dave,

Get in touch with Bruce Chandler he built a water wheel mill a while back. You might be able to find a build on it over on LSC if you dig around a little over there.

Chuckger


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Hi, couldn't find it but seems I recall seeing it and another one. None of them really went into detail regarding the construction of it, as I can recall. Also, once they finished it I don't know how well it held up


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave

Bruce Chandler's web site.

Bruce Chandler's - Stone Mill[/b]


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

thanks; I see he used styrene and resin castings; I guess that precludes wood construction


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

That's what I have planned to use on mine... some day, Dave. Please keep us posted on construction! 

Thanks, 
Matt


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Garden Texture has plans for a wood wheel in with their mill plans, I think.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Stoneworks has a real nice water wheel 

http://www.rrstoneworks.com/mills.htm 
it is made out styrene with brass bolts 
Dennis


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

I built mine from Garden Texture plan about 8 years ago and has been outside ever since. It is made from redwood and glued no nails and works fine also the flume is made from redwood.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

thanks, all, Dennis' link shows them made from resin or metal. Nice looking (unfortunately, they're way too small for my scale, which is 1:13.7). I'll have to think about this. Seems wood would fail. However, amazingly enough, I've seen 1:1 waterwheels made of wood that have been going for a number of years. 

Dave


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave; 

For 7/8ths scale, Ron's idea would probably work best. Cypress wood (if you could find it) would probably last even better than redwood. The thing about the 1:1 waterwheels is that they usually don't need all their wood replaced at once. It doesn't work that way with our (relatively) small scales. 

Best wishes, 
David Meashey


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

thanks, all, I'll mull this over and when I come up with a plan or finished project, I'll be sure to post it, along with methods used 

Dave


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Talk to the ole guy out in Kalifornia, Noel Wilson, he has a good one on his layout, and I'm sure he would help ya out!! He's on here so give him a shout out or go to his channel and leave him a message!!! Regal 

http://www.livestream.com/noelw/


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

From the Old Guy.. laf... Here is one of them I built and found it the old archives using a Stone Works water wheel. 
Highly detailed and made in Resen. Stained looks like real wood. 
This show how the whole mill was built and has been running a few years now with Dbl. up brass bushing on shaft. Hope this helps.









Water wheel link


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Here is one that would never wear out, it is a Fitz steel wheel, 3" wide, one thing about this one it is heavy enough that it has a real nice prototype speed.
It turns at a speed that looks very real, many of the light weight wheels turn so fast they sling water.
Dennis


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)




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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Dennis, the prototypical speed must be nice. I think I'm hooked on this one! I might try my hand at these, bolts, rivets etc, as I don't (yet) have welding materials.This also might lend itself to the high volume water flow I have as it has width.

BTW, I do like all the other photos shown here as well. Thanks everyone.! 


Santa Fe and Butthead cove video link given above was great! Showed the waterwheel and sluice at the very end. I haven't even thought about the sluice, but I think this could be done in wood and use pond liner strips inside. It would have to angle down at the end to prevent water from seeping back up the underside of the sluice as it tumbles onto the waterwheel.

In case people are wondering, the one I bought from Lowe's is still working like a charm (although the paint is coming off the resin). It was only meant to be temporary as it is smaller 1:32 or 24 scale.

Cheers

Dave


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## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

Maybe it would pay to clamp one of the bushings tight or extend the shaft in to the building so that some kind of resistance mechanism can be added. I think that would go a long way to getting to a scale speed and make the water actually work and fill up the buckets a bit more.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

One could even generate electricity by attaching the axle to a device. Now that I think of it, most waterwheels spin so fast you really can't appreciate their beauty.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve C. sent me a PDF File that you can print out on this project that show how ours was built after I new I had to build one like Bruce Chandlers Mill.
Note: It's 27 pages long.. 

To slow down the water wheel like we did is make sure to set the water to it, almost over center of the water wheel.. We also re-route the excess water before the wheel.. 
You can slow down the wheel to a stop if want to. There is also another gate for that to. 
The other thing is you have to balance the wheel for slow running. 
Remember this is a Grist Mill and in real life it is turning a geared down large stone wheel for grain and does turn kind of fast for the power it needs to run. Thanks Steve C. for the help...


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I might see if I can plan another visit to Bruce's house, as it's been a few years and I've not seen his new setup yet. 

I've been doing some experimenting last night. Nothing set in stone, mind you, pardon the pun, but I've been playing around with some PVC, which I've got a lot of. I need to purchase some PVC cement tonight as my old batch got hard. I probably need more purple primer as well. Anyway, using my 6 ton shop press and a heat gun, I managed to flatten some PVC and found that it cuts nicely on my bandsaw. I made a circle of about 10 or 12 inch diameter and have begun playing around with some cut pieces to see what style of buckets should be used. 

On page 192 of this file, I noticed an interesting treatise on waterwheels, describing how welded metal ones a preferred over wood, so I'm thinking the PVC need not be distressed with a wire brush to simulate wood texture and that it would look just fine painted in a shade similar to that of Dennis's shown above. 

http://books.google.com/books?id=ki...onepage&q=popular science august 1947&f=false 

I may try my hand at a PVC wheel and then try one in metal as well and compare the 2. 

My main concern is designing a durable and quiet axle/bearing assembly that will last in heat, cold, snow, ice sun, rain, and constant water and turning. Here's where your advice would really really help. 

Anyway, here's some beginning experimental photos. You can see I'm still undecided (last 2 photos) on the fin style 

Cheers and thanks 

Dave V


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Waterwheel made over weekend from PVC and galvanized steel. Lowe’s waterwheel is shown for comparison. Axle is steel inside PVC. We’ll just have to wait and see how it holds up. I don’t know if grease would eat the PVC, since I didn’t get an axle recommendations. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm4DzoVBukA


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## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

Looking good. It really dwarfs the Lowes wheel. Seems to have a good speed too.


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