Guest Mark.S Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I have a 1924 Australian built DB and have the wheels pulled apart. I am currently sanding the timber spokes ready to coat. What is best to use oil, stain or other? I am not after 100% period correct as there is currently some evidence of paint on one spoke. (it was under a blob of dried grease) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Zetnick Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I used poly on mine, but have heard some use linseed oil....I hope you are not sanding the edges where the spokes fit together as they need a very tight fit going back in.....also, number your spokes, so they go to the correct wheel and in same order.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22touring Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Mark, I assume you know the spokes were originally painted with "postal blue" enamel, right? So if you're doing a stock restoration, you might want to consider painting them factory-correct, as I have done to mine. I think it looks great. But if you're sure you want to go for the "natural look", then don't use linseed oil. It darkens the wood after a time and makes it look really terrible. Go to a woodworking supply store and buy some special wood oil that is formulated so as not to darken after it is applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mark.S Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Mark, I assume you know the spokes were originally painted with "postal blue" enamel, right? So if you're doing a stock restoration, you might want to consider painting them factory-correct, as I have done to mine. I think it looks great. But if you're sure you want to go for the "natural look", then don't use linseed oil. It darkens the wood after a time and makes it look really terrible. Go to a woodworking supply store and buy some special wood oil that is formulated so as not to darken after it is applied.The paint i found was blue but looked to be a deeper blue then postal but this might have been the age and grease stain on the paint. I have been recommended Kitchen timber oil.The wheel in the pic is the look i am after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mark.S Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I used poly on mine, but have heard some use linseed oil....I hope you are not sanding the edges where the spokes fit together as they need a very tight fit going back in.....also, number your spokes, so they go to the correct wheel and in same order..Hi Bob, Spokes are numbered and separated where they are stored and i marked the first two spoke holes in each rim with center punch marks so i know where to start and the direction to install. I am only sanding the area that does not touch the steel when reinstalled.i am new to timber work, any information on the poly would help please. E.g. brand / type any tips?Did you lubricate the spokes when pushing it all back together? Did you reuse the original bolts? They had a lot of tension on them, enough to squash the timber, either that or the timber not clamped between steel expanded over the last 90 years. There is about a 1mm dip down where the hubs were clamped to the spoke.RegardsMark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsmoke Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I recall this subject a couple of years back on the VCCA (Chevy) site and recomendations to assemble the spokes and rim in their natural state, and then dip entire assembled unit in a pan of an oil mixture for a few days until wood is completely saturated. Theory seems to be that this will provide the longest lfe for the wood, create a real tight fit, and so on. I expect at some point when sufficient drying has taken place, wheels could then be painted if desired. While linseed oil or other similar product might result in differential discoloration of wood, it does keep wood from rotting/splitting etc. Wagon wheels treated like that often last 100 years without paint provided they are regularly reoiled. Once they are painted, if exposed to wet that gets trapped behind the paint, they begin to rot in as little as 5 years. So if painted/sealed, make sure they don't get exposed to excessive water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank29u Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 (edited) I used a MINWAX product. Indoor/Outdoor Spar Urethane, Clear Gloss. Claim is provides "Exceptional Protection From Sunlight, Rain/Moisture, Temperature Changes. No stain was used. Brushed on 6 coats, after wheels were assembled, sanding between coats with 220 grit according to instructions. (added picture) Edited January 7, 2016 by frank29u (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Zetnick Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Hi Bob, Spokes are numbered and separated where they are stored and i marked the first two spoke holes in each rim with center punch marks so i know where to start and the direction to install. I am only sanding the area that does not touch the steel when reinstalled.i am new to timber work, any information on the poly would help please. E.g. brand / type any tips?Did you lubricate the spokes when pushing it all back together? Did you reuse the original bolts? They had a lot of tension on them, enough to squash the timber, either that or the timber not clamped between steel expanded over the last 90 years. There is about a 1mm dip down where the hubs were clamped to the spoke.RegardsMark Mark, I used what frank29u used....I think I only did 5 coats, but as he did I sanded w/ a fine grit between coats. I didn't use any lubricant in putting it all back together. I didn't have original bolts, but I think people have reused them as the heads are more rounded than today's carriage bolts. Here are some photos in a post I did a few years ago http://forums.aaca.org/topic/201899-1929-dodge-da-hub/?hl=%2Bwood+%2Bwheels#entry1036098...basically I had 2 plates of metal on either side of hub w/ an allthread bolt connecting them thru hub....I arranged the spokes like a teepee around a plastic cup and started tightening the bolt on the allthread until the cup collapsed and the spokes were fairly tight around the hub....then I used a rubber mallet on backside of spokes to finish the installation.....the photos will help...I got the idea from fellow DBer, Jan Arnett. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DodgeKCL Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I agree with the marine spar urethane. That's what I used on mine 30 years ago and they've been through a few unavoidable Summer rain storms with no problem. I have touched them up twice,I think, over the thirty years. It's much more expensive than household polyurethane but works much better for wheels in water and road debris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank29u Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Here's more info I should have provided. Did not touch mating surfaces of spokes at the hub and numbered everything before dis-assembly. Bob Z provided a great explanation complete with pictures. (To be original, my entire wheel should be painted to match the body, in my case a dark blue. I've been thinking it might be time to paint them. Plymouth didn't offer natural finish until the '30U, and it cost extra.) My replacement bolts were Model T hub bolts. They are correct diameter for my Plymouth, but needed to be cut to length. They have the correct mushroom head as the original.bolts. A local store, Little Dearborn, specializes in Model T, A and early Ford parts. They were kind enough to let me select completely rounded heads from their stock. My main concern in assembly was ensuring the hub axis was perpendicular with the felloe. I measured a lot, but the tight fit probably helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 22Touring, do you have the paint code for the 'postal blue' used on your spokes perchance? It looks like a more medium blue than I expected and while my car has disc wheels, I am looking for a medium blue to paint them and the car body (fenders aprons will stay black). Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan arnett (2) Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 If you follow the information Bob provided you should have no problem reassembling the wheels if you have numbered them correctly but there are several other things to remember. I have used spar varnish for 40 years on many cars and it has always held up. I also reuse the old bolts if they can be salvaged as they have a different head on them. Make sure you lay the rims on a flat surface to make sure they are not bent as you do not want to find out later. You also have to decide how you are going to paint the rims. You can paint or powder coat. If you powder coat the rims the coating will make the spokes real tight but do not use any lublricate. Just lubricate the threaded rod the you use to pull the wheel together and it will work. Remember that the wheels were originally painted after they were asembled not after. I don't know if your rear wheels have wide headed bolts to hold the brake drums but if you I use elevator bolts. Have fun.Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mark.S Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Thanks for the information Jan.I will check the rims are flat before painting them.I had to cut the brake drum bolts to get them off.Picture is of a spare back wheel that was used for a power take off years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan arnett (2) Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan arnett (2) Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 The three pictures got posted without a description so here is what I wanted to say. The one picture is a 1916 Model T which I restored over forty years ago with marine spar varnish and it still looks good. You mentioned that you had to destroy the brake drum bolts and I had to do the same. I replaced the bolts with elevator or step bolts which I radised the heads on a grinding wheel. These bolts can also be used to mount the running boards as they have thin heads which you can countersink into the wood. When I first starting restoring cars I used glass to scrape the spokes and remove the paint. I use broken bottles and the scraping burnishes the wood and really makes it smooth. Have fun and stay warm.Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22touring Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 MikeC5 wrote: "22Touring, do you have the paint code for the 'postal blue' used on your spokes perchance?" It is Pratt and Lambert "Postal Blue" No. 1137. There was no Pratt and Lambert dealer within driving distance of my residence, so I went to a Sherwin-Williams dealer instead. They were able to reproduce it from their color cross-reference list. I have also heard that Studebaker "Admiral Blue" from around 1956 or 1957 is correct. I have a brother-in-law who works as a house painter, so I asked him what brand of exterior gloss oil-based enamel he thought was the highest quality. Without batting an eye he rattled off, "Sherwin Williams, hands down", so that is the brand I bought. Also, my brother used to mix paint for S-W, and he told me that they never skimp on the expensive ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Thanks 22T, Since I'll be painting metal I'll have to see if it translates into an automotive paint or compare with Studebaker Admiral Blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 I am also working on my wheels for my 1918 DB Touring. A couple have deep soaked oil in the wood, and I'm not sure how to get it out. Any suggestions? I would like to finish them clear, but will paint blue if necessary. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nearchoclatetown Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Thanks 22T, Since I'll be painting metal I'll have to see if it translates into an automotive paint or compare with Studebaker Admiral Blue. Admiral Blue is a truck color only used in the spring of '57. I've even looked at AACA library's color charts and they mention it but didn't have a chip for it. They had a mix formula but the big problem then is it does not translate to modern paints. Let us know what you find out. I found a '80's Ford truck color that is fairly close to original wheels I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22touring Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) I didn't really mean to over-restore the wheels on my '22 Touring, but maybe I did wind up doing so. I had the hubs and felloes powder-coated because I hated the way the felloes got scratched up when you use normal paint. I chose a brighter blue for the hubs and felloes. I did paint the spokes postal blue, and hope I matched the color fairly closely. I had the rim clamps black phosphate coated. That's how they were coated originally, I think? I'm attaching pictures of the wheels after I got them back from Bill Calimer's shop. 22touring Edited January 31, 2016 by 22touring (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 If the rim clamps were originally black, perhaps they were Parkerized? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 They look really nice. I like that Postal blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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