Wooden Wheels

[flat creek]

I have been around blacksmithing for many years,and very rarely do I hear any intresest in wheelwright and or wainwright work. Is the lack of available tools or the lack of reference material the reason? I ask because my father of 86 years who is a wheelwright feels the craft is dieing. Any input would be helpful, Thanks.
Preston.

[civilwarblacksmith]

Unfortunately unless you are around Amish country, there isn't a whole lot of call for a wheelwright. Maybe with Wild west re-enactors? With the civil war re-enactors we don't see a whole lot of need for wheel wrights as there are places to buy the wheels when needed.

[canuk]

i have been asked several times this weekend about fixing the metal rim onto the wooden wheel, i got a feeling if you knew how to do it you could get some sideline business, alot of people end up with those old wagons and that, that they want restored to sit in the yard

[Mills]

I got into blacksmithing because of wagons. There is some good literature for wagons and wheels on the internet. Fitting the tire onto the wheel is a lot of fun especially the first time. tools are straightforward and easy to make or learn the techniques that don't require store bought tools. Shrinking a tire look to be the most difficult but that is only a guess as I never have. making spokes is the most technically challenging as you need a lathe and a good hand. Next is the hub and boring it. Afterwards it goes pretty quick.

It is more difficult to find a wainwright or wheel wright, but basic smithing and wood work skills will carry you through most of it. The geometry of the wheels is as involved as a modern vehicle.

A good resource person is Jymm Hoffman. He has posted here as well as at forgemagic and farwest forum. He has a lot of work on display at Ft Ligonier. He doesn't do wood but he knows the info and can point you in the correct historically accurate directions. So a little research on him and his work and that will probably give new information as well.

[Ferrous Beuler]

Flat creek, I would LOVE to talk with your Dad. He must be a goldmine of information on wheelwrighting. Perhaps you could do a video interview with him on the subject. This has been done here at the local vet's clubs inwhich several ww2 and Korea vets gave extensive interviews on their wartime experiences. Men who never talked much on what they lived through opened right up and told their stories because they realize that it is for future generations and the importance that it be passed down.
Your Dad might like to tell of being a wheelwright, explain the how tos and describe all the different tools and their usage.
For those interested in wheelwrighting I recomend a pair of videos from Engel's Coach Shop. Dave Engel is a master wheelwright and has put out two videos on the subject, "The Art of The WHEELWRIGHT" parts 1 and 2.
Part 1 is "Evaluating Whells" and covers how to identify needed repairs in old wheels. It runs about twenty minutes.
Part 2 is "Building Traditional Light Wheels". It runs 90 minutes and really gets into great detail on the construction of the "Sarven Patent" type of wheel, used mostly on buggies toward the end of the horsedrawn era.
Mr. Engel has done a truly outstanding job with these productions and shows not only the techniques used but also the shop tools required for wheelwrighting.
Those interested in wooden hubbed wagon wheels should check out one of the "Foxfire" series, sorry but I forget which volume (9?).
In it a blacksmith from Georgia, Judd Nelson, builds an entire farm wagon from scratch and it is all covered in great detail.
There actually IS a demand for such wheels these days and if you can make them they will sell.Dan:)

[irnsrgn]

When I started my apprenticeship 57 years ago, that was my first job in the shop, replacing spokes and felloes in wooden wagon wheels.


Them bigguns is easy compared to the little ones.




This little running gear was smashed up pretty good when I started to restore it.


This half size one I built from scratch.


I used to use it to hold my tool chest when demoing Timberframing at steam shows and such.

Edited July 28, 2008 by irnsrgn

[ThomasPowers]

Actually drawknifed spokes from riven lumber makes a much better spoke than a lathed one from sawn lumber; but takes longer and more skill.

[civilwarblacksmith]

I do know that one of the board members here at the Union Mills homestead where my shop is, was a wheelwright for Colonial Williamsburg for 6 years. Unfortunately I have had any interest around this area for wheelwrighting. I think it would be a neat trade to learn.

What exactly is wainwrighting, this is something that I have not heard of?

[Glenn]

wain

[flat creek]

irnsrgn, your half size wagon is great.I agree the smaller the wheel the harder to make. I have made several Studebaker clone goat wagons, they take as long as it takes to build a full size spring wagon.I have all the wheel work that I can do on a part time basis,I guess my question was why do you not see or hear of it being demostrated at any of the gatherings?
civilwarblacksmith, a wainwright builds heaver wagons ie high wheel, freight,log and so on.
Dan OHare, I havent seen the videos, but heard they were great. We have all the current literature and books.We have drove far and wide to glean knowledge on the craft,and talked to many helpful people who was more than willing to share their knowledge. It just seems the younger people are not intrested.
Preston.

[Restoreman123]

Nice work on your scale wagons. I do revolutionary war cannon carriages, representing 1781, French, English and American. When I started out 9 years ago, there was very little about building them out there. I spoke with C.W. Master Wheelwright & others there. I also spent time at C.W. BS. shop Shel & Peter were very helpful. I do mine straked as was true to the period. It would be somewhat difficult to do at demos. Way to long to keep anyone's interest. The most dynamic thing I do is the actual straking, lots of smoke, hammering, activity galore, the rest is pretty straight forward and slow. I guess you could schedule putting a tire on, but unless you have to do several or at least one pair or set, that would be it. It's not a repeatable process per se.
Well there's me reply.

[Ferrous Beuler]

Flatcreek, nevermind the up and coming generation, they for now are too busy getting pierced and tattooed and whatever but history shows even this generation will "straighten up and fly right".
Irn, MAGNIFICENT. Sir, you do very fine work and I can see by the smile on your face that you know that.

[irnsrgn]

WernerWagonWorks - Page: 1 of 30

[Doug C]

Did a little digging and found the wain in Wainwright comes from the generic term for carriages built for hauling agricultural goods instead of people. Wheelwright specialized in wheels which were considered the hardest part of making a wagon. I lived in a neighborhood as a kid that had a family named Wainwright and had a crush on a girl named Cartwright. Trade names that became surnames might be an interesting thread.

[DEERESMITH]

Tillers international in Scotts Michigan offers wheelwrighting class every year.
I cut this from there site:
Wheel Wrighting - 464 VIDEO
Learn the process of constructing wooden wheels for wagons and buggies. See how small hubs are turned and mortised. Practice your hand at shaving spokes. See how felloes are steam bent. Lend your hand as we heat shrink steel tires onto a set of wheels in a cloud of steam. Wheel wrighting is a fascinating combination of early precision wood and metal working, and involves exciting team work. Take cartwrighting as well to complete your transport-building skills.
Products: none. Enrollment: 4 to 12. Minimum Age: 14.

a/ June14-15, 2008-- Saturday-Sunday, 9am-5pm -- $185
Cook's Mill, Scotts, MI. John Sarge, Dave Kramer, Instructors.

Tillers International Home

[1860cooper]

I guess part of the reason I'm taking interest in cooperage is because there seem to be a good handful of wheelwrights in the area. But it is something I want to try. Wheels go for a lot of money as a deco item and some people still know its value as an actual usable wheel. And the sheer number of rich equestrians seem to be keeping the wainwright business pretty alive.

Still, I hope to learn wheelwright, maybe as soon as next year. In collecting tools for cooperage some of the staving tools are one and the same as the spoke tools, so that's a nice aside for me, if I want to hunker down and make the spokes the hard way.

Keep us posted on your journey.

[Bentiron1946]

Nice Studebaker's!I know a fellow that has a tire shrinker/stretcher sitting in his back yard rusting. Anybody want me to check if he wants to get rid of it?

[David Einhorn]

Making wooden wheels takes perhaps more precision and effort than many folks these days care to expend, in my humble opinion.

Here is a picture of Dwight and myself, tiring a wheel at my shop on April 26, 2009.

If anyone has wheelwright equipment rusting in their backyard, I would be happy to try to return it to usefulness. I especially could use a spoke copy lathe, a hub boring machine, and a hydraulic tire setter. ;)

Edited May 25, 2009 by UnicornForge