Here is my plan to attach a wooden flywheel to a metal shaft.
I am making a gyroscope - the flywheel will be metal but with hardwood hubs each side. I will make the hubs from green or damp wood. Well above equilibrium moisture content. Then I will drill holes into the hubs to exact diameter of shaft (3/8") and press shaft into flywheel with hubs attached. When the wood dries it will shrink down tightly around shaft. Something like heating a railroad "tire" and letting it cool and shrink around the wheel.

Moderator edit: New thread created from this.

 

Something like heating a railroad "tire" and letting it cool and shrink around the wheel.

Incidentally, RR's locomotives and cars, use cast steel wheels that are bored to the size of their axle dia., and then the whole wheel is press-fit on to the axle and must meet a certain tonnage level.
No 'Tire' used.

 

Incidentally, RR's locomotives and cars, use cast steel wheels that are bored to the size of their axle dia., and then the whole wheel is press-fit on to the axle and must meet a certain tonnage level.
No 'Tire' used.

Heating a railway tyre onto a wheel

look abut 7 min 20 into the film,

I know there are certainty many ways to make / repair large metal wheels
Certainly in the UK,
wheels used to be "re tired" when the shape had worn down to far to be re shaped,
The outer is made "softer" than the rail as its easier to change an axle than the rails..

 

I serviced the CNC machines for loco/car wheel/axle production for Canada's two major RR's. and all were of the solid cast type,
When "shells" had been melted out of the rim due to locked bearing etc, the whole wheel set is removed and mounted in a double ended lathe which re-profiles the wheel.
In the case of locomotives, it is too labour intensive to remove the wheel/axle.
In this case the Loco is driven over an in-floor lathe, the lathe comes up out of the floor and re-machines the axle to the new profile.
CNC Car wheel lathe

 

I serviced the CNC machines for loco/car wheel/axle production for Canada's two major RR's. and all were of the solid cast type,
When "shells" had been melted out of the rim due to locked bearing etc, the whole wheel set is removed and mounted in a double ended lathe which re-profiles the wheel.
In the case of locomotives, it is too labour intensive to remove the wheel/axle.
In this case the Loco is driven over an in-floor lathe, the lathe comes up out of the floor and re-machines the axle to the new profile.
CNC Car wheel lathe
View attachment 268738

Totally agree, there is more than one way

Some amazing technology in use,