Does anyone know of a person that makes replacement wood spokes? I need to either replace a spoke or replace the entire wheel. My 29 Plymouth has 20 inch artillery wheels.
The Amish make wood spokes for the guys for their old cars. They have never lost the skill because they make their own for those black horse drawn buggies. They're also quite good at making roof bows and other wood pieces for our cars. Do you have an Amish community near by? Where are you?
I am in Huntsville in North Alabama. Found out there are a few guys at my office that o wood working, and one works with hickory. He suggested I obtain a block of close straight grain hickory and store it by the car for a few months so it will acclimate to the humidity. Then he can make a replacement spoke at his shop and install in one day. I may try that. I would have to cut all the bolts off since they are peened. Not sure if I can reuse them or find replacements.
John,
Model T hub bolts are the same diameter, but need to be shortened.
frank
The Amish mostly live up around New York and Pennsylvania. I have a large community just north of me just west of Fenelon Falls Ont. here in Canada. They migrated from southwestern Ont. a few years back where there is a huge community. They are very good at doing blacksmithing and woodworking. Concerning the wood moisture content. I'm not up on how much a piece of wood should or should not have,percentage wise, but when I first started my van I would come back to find my newly cut pieces warped. I happened to mention it to a older man who had worked at a casket company and he told me I had to seal my work that day or the wood would try to change it's moisture content causing the stress in the wood to change and the resulting warpage. So every time I cut and sanded and shaped a piece of oak or maple etc. I sprayed a light coat of clear polyurethane on it from a rattle can and that stopped the warpage. I did it even if I wasn't quite finished with the piece. When I was sure I WAS finished I brushed on a couple of coats to seal it once and for all. I have been through 98% of the wood construction on my van for some years now and the wood has never warped. That was the answer.