This is a fascinating video, highlighting the wheelwright's art and craft. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. https://m.youtube.com/user/EngelsCoachShop
I used to watch the Woodright Shop with my Dad years ago ,, the guy all old skool hand tools ,, watched him build a wagon wheel one time,,, our forefathers were pretty crafty fellas .
My Grand Dad was born into the dawn of the automobile, when many were still using wood spoke wheels, so he got super handy at repairing and modifying the wheels he used. When rubber balloon tires came along, he invented what we now know as the bead lock, In his mind, it made for easier tire changes along side the road without a bunch of tools, so that's what he made for all his rigs! When steel wheels came along, he was kinda pissed about them, they were much harder to change tires on, while the tires hadn't changed to keep up! He had a 1914 Ford Race About he built from a couple of wrecked cars, he had all sorts of trick stuff going on with it, including a set of oversized wooden spoke "Truck" wheels and tires to handle the dirt roads of the central Willamette valley at speeds nobody dared run, and it worked! He kept that crazy little Ford way up into the mid 60's when he finally decided to sell it! It's now a part of the Harrods Car collection, though it hasn't been shown in public since Gramps sold it! I have only ever seen pictures of it, would really love to see it in person some day!
