Raven didn’t make it down the hill, an early memorial, emailed I knew though I was there to meet her in case at Bucky’s near the Home Depot. I picked up some dowels at HD for spokes, going with 3/4″ diameter as it looked right. It didn’t rain as I worked outside making the wooden wagon wheel, not a real one, just a prop but a challenge. I blew out the first hub as the 3/4″ bit is too large for the circumference. Hole saw cut another and backed it down to 1/2″ holes and whittle fit, then lathe turned the rest of the spokes to fit. Eight of sixteen spokes done and all the holes drilled in the hub and the fellows (outer curved wheel timbers). A real wooden wheel would have rectangle holes in the hub, I’m cheating as this is just a prop not load bearing and first experiment. Perhaps I’ll make the next one more so but still just props. It’s fun with three more to go.
That was yesterday, today I cut the other 8 spokes. I cooked a batch of spaghetti sauce while I worked the spokes. Good stuff, canned a few jars. I assembled the wheel on the garage floor where there is enough space. For now it is tied with nylon heavy string using a running hitch to hold it tight as the knot slides tighter. I am thinking to get some cheap lumber banding to make the steel tire.
It would be easier to make the next wheel an inch smaller as I could fit the lathe better, this one (18 5/8 spoke) puts my dead center hanging barely on. Or perhaps two holes chiseled each spoke would make a closer representation of the real thing, a long rectangle mortise and tenon on the hub. I am also thinking to add another smaller hole saw cutting to represent the wider hub found on true wheels. This one will need Epoxy glue on the hub tenons to keep it together. It looks good, more to do.
8shotoflove8 