evaluating wood spokes

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choirsilva
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First Name: Christopher
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* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Model TT
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evaluating wood spokes

Post by choirsilva » Sun Nov 03, 2019 10:26 pm

Just picked up the wheels for our 1926 TT after having them soda blasted, All of the spokes are very tight but, the cleaning process did leave them with some missing material and being very rough. When the spokes are tight, are they safe to use? Bondo wood filler followed by paint? I've already had the detachable rims zinc plated and have mounted new tubes, flaps and tires.

Thanks in advance for your advice.
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Mark Gregush
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by Mark Gregush » Sun Nov 03, 2019 10:45 pm

Sorry but those are fire wood. They are dried out, split and full of wood borer holes.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

1925 Cut down pickup
1920 Dodge touring
1948 Ford F2 pickup


Topic author
choirsilva
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by choirsilva » Sun Nov 03, 2019 11:10 pm

Mark,

Is there a shop in the Portland area or Northwest that would re-spoke these wheels?

Christopher

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Steve Jelf
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by Steve Jelf » Sun Nov 03, 2019 11:14 pm

I agree, they are toast. Or perhaps fuel to make toast. For the front wheels you can buy new spokes and install them with a Regan press. I would send the rears to Stutzman for new wood.
The inevitable often happens.
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Joe Reid
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by Joe Reid » Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:21 am

The wood does look a little sad but how does it feel. Soda blasting and blasting in general is tough on wood and shows all the flaws. Does it flex if you push outward on the hubs or is it solid. The problem you will have with a wheel is it may collapse on a corner. Epoxies and fillers do work if the wood is solid. Pressure in and out on the hub of is determining factor.

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KWTownsend
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by KWTownsend » Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:41 am

Christopher-

In the Portland area, contact Tom Dessert.
He is in Ridgefield, WA
dessertt at hotmail dot com
Three 6 oh- 9 one oh-forty-three sixty two.

: ^ )

Keith

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TRDxB2
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by TRDxB2 » Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:56 am

If you haven't done so already, scrape wood off a spoke or two till you get to some hard wood. Also check the integrity and density of the dowel end of EVERY spoke (poke with a philips screwdriver). Chances are the results will influence you decision.
The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either.
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Allan
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by Allan » Mon Nov 04, 2019 6:59 am

I am not familiar with TT wheels so this comment may be way out of order. The felloes on your rear wheels have a depression on which the end of the spokes rest. On a 23" wheel this would indicate that the felloe had been modified to make spokes fit tighter in the wheel, and that someone had already been there rebuilding that wheel in the past.

Otherwise, In my opinion, the only way to sympathetically strip wooden spokes is by hand using the scraper of your choice. My choice of scraper is ordinary window glass cut into 6" x 1" strips, or a broken bottle will do. This does not raise the grain and takes minimal material off the wood. I suspect that your wheels, in the state shown, would not have passed my rap-with-a-knuckle test and would therefor not be a candidate for stripping.

Allan from down under.


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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by D Stroud » Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:20 am

Allan those felloes are original, they have not been modified. That being said, the spokes would be great for making some wheels for yard art, or ink pens. They're toast as for using them for usable wheels. Dave
1925 mostly original coupe.


Topic author
choirsilva
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by choirsilva » Mon Nov 04, 2019 6:45 pm

Keith, Thanks for the information, I've sent an email with picks to Tom. I'm not comfortable trying to save any of the spokes on my wheels and am going to go ahead with replacing them. I may do the fronts myself after building a Regan press but, haven't found the rear spokes on any of the supplier's websites.

Christopher
KWTownsend wrote:
Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:41 am
Christopher-

In the Portland area, contact Tom Dessert.
He is in Ridgefield, WA
dessertt at hotmail dot com
Three 6 oh- 9 one oh-forty-three sixty two.

: ^ )

Keith

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Mark Gregush
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by Mark Gregush » Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:09 pm

I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

1925 Cut down pickup
1920 Dodge touring
1948 Ford F2 pickup


Allan
Posts: 5174
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
First Name: Allan
Last Name: Bennett
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
Location: Gawler, Australia

Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by Allan » Mon Nov 04, 2019 11:27 pm

Thanks David, I've learned something today.
Allan


Topic author
choirsilva
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2019 2:58 am
First Name: Christopher
Last Name: Silva
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Model TT
Location: Oregon

Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by choirsilva » Tue Nov 05, 2019 6:05 pm

Keith,

I'm delivering my wheels to Tom tomorrow for the re-spoke work and he expects about 4 weeks for return. Thanks for all of your help.

Christopher


D Stroud
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Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:45 am
First Name: David
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Re: evaluating wood spokes

Post by D Stroud » Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:07 am

Allan when I was gathering up parts for my TT (the one Dallas has now), I found two NOS Kelsey "23 rear wheels at different times that had never had hubs installed in them. One had those raised areas at the spoke holes, the other one didn't. Otherwise, they were identical. Don't have any idea why, just one more Model T (TT) mystery. :D Dave
1925 mostly original coupe.

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