Correct wood for the era?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Correct wood for the era?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Batta on Saturday, September 14, 2013 - 12:51 pm:

The trunk on my 23 coupe opens, but the wood frame on the underside of the "lid" is broken. What kind of wood was typically used in that era? It feels quite lite, i don't think it is a hardwood. The sheet metal lid is in pretty good condition. It is not bent. What kind of primer if any did they use on the wood? The underside of the lid has rusty red color. Can that be reproduced today? What did the original hinges look like? Does anyone have a picture to share? Thanks


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack Daron - Brownsburg IN on Saturday, September 14, 2013 - 01:04 pm:

Ford used a lot of Maple and Gum,and some Ash. Popular would also be good. Wood should be painted to seal it before you finish install it.HTH.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Saturday, September 14, 2013 - 09:58 pm:

Hi: Popular is probably what you have. It is light and is very warp or twist resistant. If the wood need structural strength such as body sills frames, door posts, ect they would use white oak or ash, sometimes gum, maple ash or white oak was used in the bodies. They nearly always used second growth hickory for the wheel spokes. But for your trunk lid popular would be the wood of choice. Remember that Ford had a salvage department that would salvage old crates, short leftovers, ect, so anything could be possible.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Saturday, September 14, 2013 - 11:37 pm:

Poplar. Poplar. Poplar. Ash, oak, and maple are all popular.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Schedler, Sacramento on Saturday, September 14, 2013 - 11:58 pm:

Do you know where second growth hickory can be found?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Sosnoski on Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 09:42 am:

Poplar was probably not what was used originally. Originally it was most likely Hard Maple. Ford was not salvaging old crates to make bodies. That is a myth. Your body was probably not even built by Ford, most likely it was built by Briggs.

Is it a real 1923 with suicide doors, or is it really a 1924 with the standard doors?

The rusty red primer is called Red Oxide primer. It's still available in spray cans or in quarts. Usually the inside of the bodies were painted with a semi-flat black paint, however I have one and have seen others where the inside is the red oxide.

Dave S.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 10:02 am:

Hal. We have it here in Arkansas. "Second Growth" is a term to describe the type of tree used. It is the tree that sprouted up from the stump of the old original "old growth" trees of early America. The wood used in the spokes was from the smaller fast growing trees. The large old growth trees when cut into wood for spokes has a different grain pattern than the smaller trees. The resulting grain pattern is mostly the results of diameter of the tree. The smaller second growth trees will have a tighter smaller ring pattern and is useally a straighter grain. Also as a tree ages it has been subjected to more strain from wind and storms. The medular rays are the cells that run crossways in the grain of the wood. They become more damaged and stressed as the tree ages. Medular rays are what gives the oak trees wood the beautiful "tiger oak" effect to 1/4 sawn oak lumber. The rays are there in hickory but they are not as visible if 1/4 sawn. Most of the hickoy sawn today is second growth. Most old growth trees are gone. For spoke wood you will need to choose you sawn stock. You will be looking for knott free lumber with a small a ring pattern Useally anything from a 6 to 10 inch tree is OK. You can tell by the rings on the end of the wood. You also want the "heart wood" and not any "sap wood". hope this helps.. Donnie..


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 10:36 am:

What popal/poplar means as wood depends on what part of the country your in.Round here it is trash wood and while being lite and strong if you get any water on it-it will grow or rot! Maby it was the wood of choice for chebbys? Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 10:38 am:

You can buy good second growth hickory from:

Stutzman Wheel Shop
33656 County Road 12
Baltic, Ohio 43804
330-897-1391

They grow the wood on their property. It is sawn by them in their own saw mill. It is dried in their barn.

You can just buy the wood from Stutzmann, or they will make it into spokes for you very cheaply, or respoke your wheel for $150.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Schedler, Sacramento on Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 04:09 pm:

It sounds like we have some "Wood Experts" out there. Thanks for the information!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary H. White - Sheridan, MI on Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 06:51 pm:

For fire wood at camp we called poplar "gopher wood." Bring in an arm full and 'gofer' another.


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