Rational Horse Shoeing and Wagon Making
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with rules, tables, recipes, etc., useful to
manufactures, blacksmiths, machinists,
well-drillers, engineers, liverymen,
horse-shoers, farmers, wagon-makers,
mechanics, amateurs and all others who have
occasion to perform the work for which this
book is primarily intended.
they have been used for thousands of years before the
Christian era. It is easy to imagine how they looked at that
time, when we know how half civilized people now make
wagons. The first vehicle was only a two-wheeled cart called
chariot. Such chariots were used in war and that it was a case
of "great cry and little wool" is certain. The blacksmith used to
be the wagon and carriage maker. Now it is only a rare case
when a blacksmith makes a carriage, and when it happens
most of the parts are bought. In 1565 the first coach was
made in England.
Now there are hundreds of factories making wagons and
carriages and parts .of them for repair use by blacksmiths and
wagon makers. It is no use for any blacksmith or wagon maker
to compete with these factories. We have neither the means
nor the facilities to do it, and have to be content with the
repairs they need. The most important repairs are the setting
of tire, welding and setting axle stubs.
Wagon wheels are often set so that more harm than good is done to the wheel. In setting tire the first thing to do is
to mark the tire. Many blacksmiths set tires without marking the tire. This is poor work. In order to do a good job the
tire should be set so that it is in the same place it had. There are generally some uneven places in the fellows and
when the tire is set the first time, it is hot all around and will settle down in these low places. Now, if the tire is not
marked and set back in its exact bed, it will soon work loose again, and it is liable to dish the wheel too much as it
don't sink into its place, but is held up in some places. Another thing, when a tire is worn so that it becomes thin it will
settle down on the outside, especially when the wheel is much dished. Now if you reverse the tire it will only touch
the fellow on the inner edge of the wheel, and leave an open space between the fellow and the tire on the outside.
When a wheel has bolts every smith knows that it will make trouble for him if he don't get the tire back where it was.
In every case take a file or a chisel and cut a mark in the tire near to the fellow plates, cut also a light mark in the
fellow. These marks are to be on the inside of the wheel: I, because it will not be seen on that side; 2, because in
putting the tire on, the wheel should be placed with that side up. If there are nails in the tire cut them off with a thin
chisel so that it will not mark the fellow, or drive them into the fellow with a punch. Next, measure the wheel with the
gauge (the wheel is supposed to be right, not fellow bound nor any spokes loose in the tenon).
Granite Tools
Wheel Part 2>>>