How to repair a wagon wheel?

[Randall J Cox]

I've volunteered to repair an old wagon wheel for a friend. Seems like its been in the family for over a hundred years and he wants to make it a prominent part of his backyard that he is redoing and landscaping. Anyway, I watched a utube on how they are made and it looks like this one is typical of the way the made them years ago. Most of the spokes seem to be relatively solid but, lots of the outer segments are not. That's the part that I will be replacing, not all but probably 5-6 of them that are rotten. Each segment with a spoke going to the center is doweled to the two adjacent segments and each spoke is tenoned into the segment. Then, the steel rim is heated to expand it and put on, when cooled it shrinks onto the wooden wheel. Although only decorative (obviously), the wheel probably weighs about 150 lbs. As the rotten outer segments are the ones I will be replacing, I plan to just drill and chisel them away (I'm guessing they will just crumble). I've made a pattern to bandsaw new replacement pieces out of either cedar or douglas fir. My question is how to secure them between the spoke and steel rim. As I can't put dowels between them nor fit them over the spoke tenon, I thought that I'd just cut off any dowel or tenon stubs and slide the new ones in place with epoxy both from the spoke to the segment, between segments and also where the the segment is against the steel rim.

As this whole thing has me scratching my head, I'm open to any suggestions on how to go about this. Thanks. Randy
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[stevo wis]

[QUOTE=Randall J Cox;3016394]I've volunteered to repair an old wagon wheel for a friend. Seems like its been in the family for over a hundred years and he wants to make it a prominent part of his backyard that he is redoing and landscaping. Anyway, I watched a utube on how they are made and it looks like this one is typical of the way the made them years ago. Most of the spokes seem to be relatively solid but, lots of the outer segments are not. That's the part that I will be replacing, not all but probably 5-6 of them that are rotten. Each segment with a spoke going to the center is doweled to the two adjacent segments and each spoke is tenoned into the segment. Then, the steel rim is heated to expand it and put on, when cooled it shrinks onto the wooden wheel. Although only decorative (obviously), the wheel probably weighs about 150 lbs. As the rotten outer segments are the ones I will be replacing, I plan to just drill and chisel them away (I'm guessing they will just crumble). I've made a pattern to bandsaw new replacement pieces out of either cedar or douglas fir. My question is how to secure them between the spoke and steel rim. As I can't put dowels between them nor fit them over the spoke tenon, I thought that I'd just cut off any dowel or tenon stubs and slide the new ones in place with epoxy both from the spoke to the segment, between segments and also where the the segment is against the steel rim.

As this whole thing has me scratching my head, I'm open to any suggestions on how to go about this. Thanks. Randy
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OTE

Randy,
Check out Engels Coach Shop on You tube. Dave has several videos replacing the fellys and putting the metal tire on.
It seems like you could make a pattern from one of the existing pieces and duplicate.
Good luck

[Frank Pratt]

Yes, Engels Coach Shop channel is the place if you want to learn just about anything to do with wagons & wagon wheels. It's an excellent channel & once you start watching, you'll spend many pleasant hours there.

[John TenEyck]

If it's just going to be for garden decoration I would make the new pieces as halves which would allow you to leave the ends of the spokes as they are. Epoxy the two halves together around the spoke and to the adjacent pieces, and maybe a screw or two through the rim to hold them in place.

John

[Doug Garson]

Like John said, if you cut the piece in half and clamp it back together before you drill the hole you will get a better fit around the spoke. Also if you make the pieces so you have to force them into place they will "self clamp". You could also pocket screw them together and then fill in the pocket with exterior grade wood filler before you paint.

[Randall J Cox]

I watched a couple of the Engels Coach Shop utubes, actually some interesting videos, never knew how you made or repaired wagon wheels (why would I?). Anyway, I now have a good idea of what I want to do. Thanks for all comments. Randy

[Randall J Cox]

John and Doug, thanks. Think thats what I'm going to do. I have cut and chiseled out 5 outer sections (the parts against the rim) and have left all tenons on the spokes (one was already rotted off). I will drill the hole for the spoke tenon while the block is square and before I cut it round on my band saw, that way I get the hole straight. Once it looks like it fits in sideways, i'll bandsaw in half and epoxy to adjacent blocks, to tenon and to steel wheel - should work. Thanks. Randy