Whether your B9 robot ends up being mobile or not, it’ll still need a set of wheels. A full set consists of 32 wheels made up of four different sizes. Only 16 wheels show on the front and back of the tread section, so it’s possible to do less than a full set. However, eight additional wheels are visible from the sides, so you might consider making 24 wheels total.

Metal wheels are the ultimate, but they are expensive and maybe not necessary for a stationary model. PVC pipe can be used with end caps attached to give the same look.

I used solid PVC rod to make mine. They’re stronger than pipe but still inexpensive. I had someone turn the wheels on a lathe to the dimensions shown in the diagram here. If you get both 3" and 4" stock, it's a matter of cutting the required size for each wheel, turning each piece to the correct depth, and drilling a center hole. Easy for me to say, since I didn't personally do the work, but those are the steps. I primed and painted them with silver/aluminum paint, and they came out good. The cost of the PVC material was about $50.

For absolute authenticity, you could also drill out additional holes in the sides of each wheel. The original robot’s wheels were done this way, but most builders haven’t included this detail. Craig Reinbrecht has done this (click for a photo).

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