How to Make a Pulley at Home
A pulley is a simple wheel crafted of alloy steel or iron. Pulleys are used in many products including clotheslines or even lawn mowers. If you are having a hard time finding the proper sized pulley for your next project, consider building one yourself. Using a sand mold you will be able to create any sized pulley and duplicate it a number of times. The process takes some getting used to but with practice you will perfect it and produce higher quality items.
Things You'll Need
- Wood box
- Casting sand
- Water
- Wood disc
- Metal furnace
- Metal
- Carbide bit
- Power drill
- 1/4 inch bolt and nut
- Socket wrench
Instructions
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1
Place casting sand inside of solid wood box or container (any solid container will do) until the container is half full.
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2
Pack the sand down with a flat tool like a trowel or tamping tool until it is hard and all the air pockets are pressed out of the sand. Add water to the casting sand if the sand will not pack down sufficiently.
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3
Insert a disc shaped piece of wood into the sand to form one half of the pulley. Use a disc of wood that is the exact size of the pulley you are going to produce. Then remove the disc leaving just the impression of the disc in the sand.
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4
Insert scrap metal like pieces of aluminum siding or steel framing into a metal furnace pot (make sure it is unplugged). Turn the metal furnace on and set it to high. Wait until the metal is fully melted inside the furnace pot. This will take between 15 and 25 minutes depending on your furnace.
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5
Remove the metal furnace pot using a pair of iron tongs and a heat glove for added protection. Or, use the provided heat tongs that come with your furnace to remove the melted metal. Pour the melted metal into the sand mold by tilting the tongs and furnace pot. Let this cool for several hours and then remove the solid pulley half.
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6
Repeat steps 1 to 3 to create another half of the pulley. Then drill out the center of each pulley with a 1/4 inch carbide drill bit and power drill. Attach the two halves using a 1/4 inch bolt, washer, and hexagonal nut. Tighten the nut with a socket wrench.
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Tips & Warnings
Working with hot metal is dangerous so take precautions. Only work with melted metal in a fireproof room like a cement basement or garage. Never work with melted metals near flammable materials. Make sure the room is well ventilated and wear protective garments like a leather apron, heat gloves and protective glasses.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit cistern pulley image by JCVStock from Fotolia.com
