Hub Treatment.

[Stan Pope]

Try this approach on a piece of scrap:

Use a 3/8" Forstner drill to just barely touch the area close around the hole. A forstner drill has a center pin and an edge cut and a slightly recessed flat in between.

Then use a small wood chisel to taper from the hole to the edge cut.

[ExtremePWD]

The area that needs to be tapered is only slightly larger than the O.D. of the hub. The radial clearance between the axle and the inside of the hub will also shift the wheel position relative to the axle. I just finished taking a sharp, 3 mm wide chisel and tapered around the axle hole on a spare body. It is not necessary to do any premachining. The soft pine cuts easily and a nice shallow taper can quickly be achieved. I started about 0.75-1.00 mm away from the hole and worked the wood moving out in the radial direction. The taper does not need to go all of the way to the axle hole if you are using BSA wheels with the large counterbore in the center of the hub. I would follow up the carving with some light sanding to remove any rough spots and blend the cuts back into the body. Finish the area by rubbing in your favorite graphite or other lubricant as allowed by your local rules.