Side wheel/sternwheel steam paddle boats

I build scale model Mississippi River type sternwheeler steam paddle boats. I have a few commercially produced kits but like to scratch build my own. I also build scale model circus wagons and other horse drawn vehicles. Recently while working on a couple models in my shop the idea dawned on me,,, an easy way to build the paddle wheels for stern wheelers.  The wagon wheels for horse drawn wagons work good for converting them for the starting point for the paddle wheels of steamboats. Not sure why  this idea didn't dawn on me before now. I have both wooden and plastic wagon wheels which  some will now be used to build scale model paddle wheels for stern wheeler riverboats..