Upnorthair Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 Is there something I can dab on my painted wood spokes for moisturizing and appearance? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 Linseed oil. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodge28 Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 "Wash' the metal part with Vapor Rust using a paint brush and then wash with water , dry and paint over. Sand the wood spokes to bare bone and soak with a 50/50 mixture of Varsol and linseed oil . Use as many coats . May be 12. Allow coats to dry before applying the next 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Make that Boiled linseed oil. No need to sand the wood if you are looking for wheels with patina. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upnorthair Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 Thanks. That rings a bell from the last rims I did 25 plus years ago.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 (edited) My apologies up front. A minor point of linguistics? On most modern cars, the "wheel" and the "rim" may be one and the same thing. However, on many automobiles, especially antique automobiles? The "rim" is a part of the whole wheel. The "wooden spokes" are also a part of the whole wheel. However, the "rim" and the "wooden spokes" are NOT one or the same. All wheels, regardless of age, have several parts. Some specific parts are used on some wheels but not on others. The "rim" generally speaking is the part that the tire is somehow held onto. Most modern "rims" have some sort of "center" attached to them. That "center" provides the means to bolt the "rim" onto the "hub". This particular type of antique automobile wheel is a "demountable rim" "wooden spoke" wheel. In addition to the spokes and hub, lugs, or clamps, lug bolts and nuts, the "rim" is just another part of the complete wheel. One other important part of the complete wheel of this type is the "felly" (or "felloe", or about three other spellings?). In this wheels case, it is a "steel felloe", the metal ring between the wooden spokes and the bolted on "rim". On many earlier wheels, the "fellies" are also made of wood. And some earlier wheels are "non-demountable rim" wheels. For these the "rim" is attached directly onto the felly and does not come off for ease of tire repairs. All that is the short version. Sorry, sometimes, I just have to let that inner language (bad word deleted?) out. (I initially called myself a bad name. Somehow, that word went away?) Again, my apologies, and my thanks to the moderators. Edited April 2 by wayne sheldon Inappropriate language (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 The wheel looks very nice! Some day, I hope to see better pictures of the rest of the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bens39dodge Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 A Franklin! Nice! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 On 3/30/2024 at 10:04 AM, Upnorthair said: Is there something I can dab on my painted wood spokes for moisturizing and appearance? Maybe Wayne & Dodge28 have been drinking too much coffee? I thought his original question was very specific. I suggest you guys read it again. Jack & I correctly answered the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upnorthair Posted April 1 Author Share Posted April 1 I think Wayne just needs friends.. He was so focused on himself he couldn't seem to get beyond the fuddy dutty of getting off his podium just to help a guy that wants to not mess this up!!😋 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Bennett Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 (edited) On 3/30/2024 at 10:04 AM, Upnorthair said: Is there something I can dab on my painted wood spokes for moisturizing and appearance? I am supposing that by “dab”, you don’t intend on doing a major “wheel” rehab job. And, since the question is fairly elementary so far an antique car maintenance is concerned, I also suppose you want to learn a bit more about your wheels. Well, the “wheel” you have pictured here is apparently from the front axle of what I’d guess to be an early 1920’s model car/pickup, I’d guess to be a Dodge Brothers. I am stymied by the absence of a “split” in the rim, but that does not change the fact that the tire and rim are easily removed from the axle, but the removing hub and wheel can be a real bear. The spokes on this wheel can be worked on without removing the hub from the axle since they are (neither easily or comfortably) accessible from both the front and rear of the wheel. However, on this particular car anyway, treating the rear spokes are a totally different story. Restoring the aesthetics of the wheel by “dabbing” something on them is cool, but it has little to do with the parts of the spoke which are also prone to damage and catastrophic failure. Remember that only a small portion of the spoke can be seen, or are accessible for dabbing whatever. The centers of the wheel also contains a whole bunch of wood, which is professionally and precisely fitted together behind steel plates, and in case of the rear wheels, bolted directly to a large brake drum. I would use some linseed oil to add some resilience to the wood, but I’d also use several, over several days/applications of tung oil and finish up the dabbing with a coat of either a good polyurethane or spar varnish. Keep in mind that the center of the wheels, and more specifically, the spokes between the steel plate and the brake drum in the rear cannot be accessed without removing the spokes from the hubs and the drums and that entails both removing the hub (got puller and seals?) from the car, 🚗 removing spokes, pressed into place decades ago, by a professional spoke right, on a press specifically designed for this purpose, and believing all the while the bolts/nuts will come out clean and easily, and when they do finally give, or you end up cutting them off, they will be cheaply and easily replaced. I am certain anyone who can believe this also believes the spokes will be easily replaced, in their proper order, when it comes time to replace them on the hub. I believe this amount of dreaming should include finding the portion of the spokes which have been concealed by the hub and metal plates to be rot or crack free and aren’t buckled or warped from age, moisture, rot and rust. The take away from this whole spiel is the caution that there is far more to these old wheels than meets the eye, and this caution must be known and appreciated prior to doing anything to them. Jack Edited April 1 by Jack Bennett (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Bennett Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 1 hour ago, Mark Shaw said: Maybe Wayne & Dodge28 have been drinking too much coffee? I thought his original question was very specific. I suggest you guys read it again. Jack & I correctly answered the question. The OP asked a question, not unlike one which would be preceded by “I just bought my first antique car, and…….?”, and posted on Facebook for well informed, and highly technical answers. I think a person who sells 1924 aluminum engine blocks, and knows what a “gasolator” is, and has done wooden spoke wheels 25 years ago, just wants a presence among his old car brothers…….and those brothers probably need to refresh the reason they joined the forum themselves. Just making a presence by saying this, so nothing personal intended. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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