Wood spoke wheel maintenance

[Wheelmang]

I was watching a rerun of Wheeler Dealer this AM and they were working on a 1904 Durant. One of the issues Ed China was addressing was loose wooden spokes going into the rim. The issue was "the wood had dried out". Their fix was to soak the wheels in water for a couple of days in order to swell them up.  

Is this a real fix? If yes, would this be a good preventative maintenance practice on 90+ year wheels? Would you want to sand down before soaking and then refinish after they have had a chance to surface dry? I own a 1926 DB and will soon be resurfacing the wood wheels. 

Thanks all for your input.

Paul

 

 

[26-25Buick]

Paul,

There are a number of remedies out there but if they’re really loose then remaking is about the only solution. They can be kept tight with 50:50 turps and linseed oil. Wheels that are painted or varnished will dry a little more as these finishes tend to breathe so in really dry climates (natural or artificially created) this can be problematic.

[ArticiferTom]

Water is a temp fix or more a maintenance fix . You will have to keep wet til repaired . This is why water crossing had thur paths also ,in 18th and older century . Raw linseed , not boiled will not dry out put will swell wood back up and hold if sealed with paint on outside . Takes many soakings and will darken wood .

[Larry Schramm]

I just took the wheels apart on my '08 Buick to have them rewooded.  They were reasonably tight, but at 110 years old I did not want to take a chance on driving and having a wheel break and cause a bunch of damage.  For about $1,000.00+- my safety is more important.

 

IMO, once the wheels get loose, most of the "fixes" are probably temporary and might compromise your safety.

[Terry Bond]

Good grief-here we go again on wood spokes!   This has been discussed numerous times, especially on Model T club forums.  Soaking in water is not a fix.  Spokes are pretty dense, unless rotted out.  You'd need to soak them for a few months to absorb any water-unless they are falling apart to begin with and the grain has opened up considerably (dry rot).  In that case, replacing them with new spokes (and probably the wood felloes as well) is the only viable solution.  Soaking in linseed oil, used motor oil or a a dozen other home-remedy chemical baths is similarly a relatively useless endeavor.  If he vehicle is to be driven the only realistic and SAFE solution is to replace.   Terry

[Wheelmang]

Thanks all for your responses. I apologize if I created a redundant topic. This is my first go around with wood spoke wheels and they are on a DB so I would not have seen the many posts on the Model T forum. Guess I should have searched wood wheels before posting. Lesson learned!

My wheels are in great shape. My question was more of a preventative maintenance nature. All of the great responses above answered my questions. Thanks again.

Paul

[TerryB]

As you are a new user to the forum its good to ask these questions.  It keeps important safety topics fresh in the eyes of all of us.  Don't be afraid to ask more as you explore the world of antique car ownership.

Terry

[Guest]

My Pontiac has been my daily driver since 1959 (400,000 miles). It sat outside for 8 or 10 hours a day, every day in any weather.  For about 20 years I re varnished my wheels every four or five years and tried all the "new" urethane finishes.  The urethane finishes always chipped and peeled off like cellophane even when thinned and sanded between coats. Then I went back to "spar" varnish, five coats starting with 10% varnish and 90% thinner and gradually working up to two coats of 100% varnish.  Then I striped my wheels and put on three more coats of varnish.  For the last 25 years I give my wheels a light scuffing, on the outside of the spokes, with fine sandpaper (not enough to get down to the stripes) and apply a fresh coat of varnish every five or so years. 

I would think if your car wasn't out in the snow, salt and gravel roads every day you might only have to recoat the top coats every ten or more years.