Thread: refurbishing wagon wheels

Well here we go pictures of wagon restoration
Pic 1 Wagon back early in the year before we started.:
2. Wagon partly restored today.
3. The only main beam in one piece
4. A restored wagon at the Warracknabeal farm Museum, but this is a different wagon to the one we are restoring.
We hope to get our wagon restored to this quality
Regards
David

Hi David,
Looks like an interesting project to be involved in, keep us informed how it goes.

Nice David. As always, one picture beats a thousand words.

Can any of your museum colleagues help with the original question of restoring wagon wheels?

Cheers

Graeme

I found this website with a story of James Thompson rebuilding a derilict wagon wheel.

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/j...Heel/index.asp

He has reused his hub, which looks to be in worse condition than mine. It's got me wondering if I should have a better look at my hubs, and maybe just make new spokes and wheel segments, or fellows, as he calls them.

Originally Posted by Ironwood

I found this website with a story of James Thompson rebuilding a derilict wagon wheel.

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/j...Heel/index.asp

He has reused his hub, which looks to be in worse condition than mine. It's got me wondering if I should have a better look at my hubs, and maybe just make new spokes and wheel segments, or fellows, as he calls them.

Sound like the go, otherwise they'll be a bit like Murphy's ax that is completely original, only have three knew handles and 4 new blades. (Or something! Never was any good at remembering jokes. ) At least it is well seasoned.

Hi there Ironwood!
I like the sound of this project of yours. Good luck to you.

Your nave (hub) looks as sound as a pound, provided the nave bonds (iron bands) are tight on the nave.

Spotted Gum is indeed a fine timber for shafts, spokes and felloes (pronounced fellies).
There are numerous local timbers in this country suited to wheel building, perhaps the best in the world.
Grey Ironbark makes for a splendid nave, hard as buggery, stable etc.

European wheels usually have Elm naves due to the interlocking grain and resistance to splitting, spokes are usually Ash and felloes usually Oak.

The outside circumference of the finished wheel rim will need to be significantly larger than the inside circumference of the iron tyre, perhaps 5/8ths of an inch. As the tyre shrinks onto the wheel, all manner of loud snapping sounds will be heard as the wheel takes up the load of the cooling tyre.

Many old wheels don't have tyres that are shrunk onto the wheel rim, instead they are "straked". Straking is the process of shoeing a rim with tyre sections, each the length of a felloe. Such strakes span two adjoining felloes and are nailed or riveted on, thereby holding the wheel together.

Old wheel naves were often not turned on a lathe, the bore being drilled and then reamed out with a simple hand tool. The outside of the nave was often dressed up square with a carpenters axe (the best tool in the world!!), perhaps then a drawknife and shave.

Ideally compass timber is the material of choice for felloes. This is often hard to source, so straight grained timber must be used. In this case the grain should run, unbroken, from one outside felloe corner to the other, thus determining the minimum thickness of the wheel rim.
Therefore a 6 felloe, 12 spoke, 1.2m wheel will ideally have a rim thickness of no less than 80mm.
Most dray and springcart wheels are 7 felloe, 14 spoke jobs, therefore permitting thinner rims than 6 felloe, 12 spoke wheels.

Just some thoughts.

Love the forums, full of great stuff.

Good luck again Ironwood........ kill 'em mate.

Adam.

Wow Adam! Really interesting. I like the "all manner of loud snapping sounds". Makes me want to make one just to hear it.

Originally Posted by tea lady

Sound like the go, otherwise they'll be a bit like Murphy's ax that is completely original, only have three knew handles and 4 new blades. (Or something! Never was any good at remembering jokes. ) At least it is well seasoned.

Grandfather's axe - its a family heirloom - passed down from generation to generation, just had a new handle now and then and a couple of new heads, but its lasting really well for its age!

Originally Posted by skarp

Hi there Ironwood!
I like the sound of this project of yours. Good luck to you.

Your nave (hub) looks as sound as a pound, provided the nave bonds (iron bands) are tight on the nave...............................................................
.....................................................................................

Just some thoughts.

Love the forums, full of great stuff.

Good luck again Ironwood........ kill 'em mate.

Adam.

Hi Adam,
thanks for that informative reply, you sound like you know a bit about this sort of thing.

I have knocked out a couple of spokes on each wheel, the fit of the spoke tenons in the hub mortices is perfect, it takes a good effort to get them apart.

Unfortunately looks like some internal damage from white-ants, so reusing them might not be an option.

I have to go away for a few days, but will have a better look when I get back home, and am back on my feet,

Ironwood.

Ironwood!
Are you back on your feet again?
How did you get along with the wheel rebuild?

Adam

Hi Adam,

I am back in the world of the living, but very snowed under with other stuff.

And things have just taken another turn.I have one girl who works for me needing extended time off for health reasons, and another two who are booked to go on holidays very soon.
So that leaves the rest of us doing some long hours for a while.

I hope to get back into this project once things settle down.

I had a good look at the naves (hubs) and I dont think I will reuse them. The navebonds have been held on with nails, as they have come loose at some stage, and there is to much rot and splitting to be confident of using them again, so I will make new ones.
Just need time to get started.

Hey! Good to see you are back though. Its now other peoples turn to be crook.

Originally Posted by tea lady

Hey! Good to see you are back though. Its now other peoples turn to be crook.

Hi TeaLady,
it's great to be back, not sure about someone elses turn, it's no fun being sick.
Too much of it happening these days, we must be doing something wrong.

Hi, I know Im probably a little late, but I may be some use, I am a working wheelwright in the uk, and being young and daft I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

In return I would love to know the meaning of life! i think ive found it but who can be sure?

Keep up the good work!