Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

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SoCalRancher
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Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:26 pm
First Name: Ed
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Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by SoCalRancher » Fri Jun 10, 2022 1:26 am

Have two front wooden wheels on my C-cab truck that are in sad sad shape.
Would appreciate any recommendation of who could make them well again.
Thanks
Model T Wheel.jpg


Wayne Sheldon
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Fri Jun 10, 2022 5:09 am

What about Vintage Wheel Shop in Sonora? I used to hear good things about them. Eight hour drive for you each way though according to google maps.
I had a wheel done by them for a Studebaker a long time ago. they did great work then, and I have continued to hear good things about them. Seems I saw someone else mentioned in California about a week ago?

Pulled it out of my pea-brain. On Steve Jelf's posting under ""fixing" our wood wheels".
See;

https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=29440

Is a "Dave's Wood Wheel" in Brea California. I know absolutely nothing about them???? But they are a lot closer to you?

For me? I wouldn't mind having your wood myself to rebuild. I have gotten pretty good at mixing and matching refitting and making a good wheel out of the best pieces of two or three bad wheels. But that is me. I don't recommend trying it without a lot of background and/or training.

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KWTownsend
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by KWTownsend » Fri Jun 10, 2022 8:42 am

Tom Desert is also here on the west coast. He is just north of Vancouver, Washington does nice work.

: ^ )

Keith

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Topic author
SoCalRancher
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Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:26 pm
First Name: Ed
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* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 RunaboutRoadster, 1914 Speedster, 1923 C-cab TT Truck
Location: El Cajon, CA
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by SoCalRancher » Sat Jun 11, 2022 1:47 am

Wayne and Keith:

Thanks for the heads up on near-by wheel rebuilders.

I will check out Vintage wheel, Dave’s Wood and Tom Desert tomorrow.
Dave in Brea is not far from me.

Thanks again,

Ed


Wayne Sheldon
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Sat Jun 11, 2022 2:58 am

Keith T, I knew there was someone up in your area, but I did not know who it was. Now I know. (Now if I can just remember it?)

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Sean Butler
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Sean Butler » Sat Jun 11, 2022 12:46 pm

Dave's a great guy. Fairly close, as well.

Dave’s Wood Wheel
Dave Seiler
412 South Flower
Brea, CA 92821
(714) 501-7080
wheelguy221@yahoo.com
Sean Butler
Huntington Beach, CA


speedytinc
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by speedytinc » Sat Jun 11, 2022 1:24 pm

Sean Butler wrote:
Sat Jun 11, 2022 12:46 pm
Dave's a great guy. Fairly close, as well.

Dave’s Wood Wheel
Dave Seiler
412 South Flower
Brea, CA 92821
(714) 501-7080
wheelguy221@yahoo.com
Very cheap!. No overhead for the home workshop. He charges hobby pricing, not business make a living prices. The wheels he did for me cost less than buying spokes from venders. I dont think he makes wood fellows yet, but, if the wood is still good, he can make a wood fellow shim & tighten them up like new. Call him directly.


elliott1936
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by elliott1936 » Sat Jun 11, 2022 7:43 pm

You can't go wrong with Tom Dessert. I have known him a very long time, and have seen some of the wood wheels that he has rebuilt, and they are a work of art. Tom Elliott


Original Smith
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Original Smith » Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:24 am

Calimer's is the only place to go.


RRmp108
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by RRmp108 » Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:55 pm

Hello,
First Forum thank you, I found George's name in the postings and I called him do a set of wheels for me I dropped them off back in June and I pick them up last week. I live in Sacramento area so it was worth the drive up to Sonora. I thought I could sand out and redo my old spokes but after reading about wheels on this site I called Geroge.
Image
Thanks
Tom
Attachments
July_Wheels.jpg


SurfCityGene
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by SurfCityGene » Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:03 pm

Ed, I agree with what Speedy T John and Sean said about Dave Seiler's Wood Wheel shop. It's an easy drive from where you are and the cost of shipping could be close to what Dave might charge. I would bet that Original Larry has never had any work done or talked to Dave about wheels.
I had my '12 wheels replaced by George many years ago and the wheels looked super but after several years of driving with the front wheels out of round causing a vibration a slower speeds I finally decided that I was going to fix them or have them replaced. I was able to true up the wheels after removing and taking a cut on the mill of the outer felloe to get it into a perfect circle. We glued a thin wood shim to the newly cut felloes and then cut the finished wheel to a correct size that we could press into the steel rim. Now the wheels run smooth at all speeds. No more slow speed shaking and the tires stay on the surface at highway speeds as well!

Give Dave a call and he might be able to help you. His work is First Class and super reasonable. All the club members around here have had great work done by him.
1912 Torpedo Roadster

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Steve Jelf » Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:30 pm

I've seen Callimer's wheels at Hershey and they look great. But I'm curious to know why they're better than Seiler's, Stutzman's, Garrigan's, etc. I make my own steel felloe wheels, but I had Stutzman do the new wheels for my 1915 and they are excellent.


For those wondering if there's a wheelwright near them:

Anderson’s Wooden Wheels
Dale Anderson – Owner-Operator
Box 1433, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Canada S6V 5S9
Phone (306) 763-4049
Fax (306) 763-4018
dale@anderprop.com
http://www.anderprop.com/ww_index.html

Calimer's Wheel Shop
30 East North St.
Waynesboro, PA 17268
(717) 762-5056
http://www.calimerswheelshop.com/

Stutzman Wheel
33656 County Rd 12
Baltic, OH 43804
(330) 897-1391

Vintage Wheel Shop
George Garrigan
19842 Via Redondo
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 533-0468

Dave’s Wood Wheel
Dave Seiler
412 South Flower
Brea, CA 92821
(714) 501-7080
wheelguy221@yahoo.com
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring

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John E. Guitar
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by John E. Guitar » Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:47 pm

Steve, you forgot to include Keith Wilson on your list:

Keith Wilson
26 South St
Allora, QLD 4362
Australia

https://www.allorawheelman.com/

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Steve Jelf » Tue Aug 02, 2022 12:41 am

Thanks, John. I will add him.
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring

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MichaelFrice
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by MichaelFrice » Mon Jul 17, 2023 4:15 pm

I just got my 1915 wheels back from Tom Dessert, beautiful!
Ridgefield, WA
1915 Model T Touring
Attachments
20230716_153824a.jpg
20230716_153805.jpg
20230318_114528.jpg
20230318_114523.jpg


Ron Patterson

Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Ron Patterson » Mon Jul 17, 2023 5:58 pm

Don't forget Johnson's wood wheels in Ardmore Oklahoma.
They built four new wheels for my 1915 Runabour with excellent results.
New Wheels.JPG
Ron Patterson


Ron Patterson

Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Ron Patterson » Mon Jul 17, 2023 6:04 pm

Check out Johnsosn's website.
They provide an excelent tuorial on their complete wood wheel rebuilding process that impressed me.
Ron Patterson

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George House
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by George House » Mon Jul 17, 2023 6:29 pm

Very interesting Ron. I’m glad you suggested Johnson’s Wood Wheels. They finally have a website. I’ve been trying to contact them for 15 years and left a dozen messages. Many forum friends will remember that I’ve been gritching for years that we don’t have a mid America wheelwright. So I called them again today……and left another message.
They did beautiful work on my ‘07 REO 28x3 round felloe wheels.
A Fine is a Tax for Doing Something Wrong….A Tax is a Fine for Doing Something RIGHT 🤔

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Steve Jelf » Mon Jul 17, 2023 11:07 pm

Check out Johnson's website.

I realize the website is still up, but I suspect Steve Johnson isn't. He hasn't been at Chickasha in several years, and like George I've never received an answer to my emails. My guess is that his website is on autopay and he has left the building. That's why I took him off my wheelwright list.
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring

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JBog
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by JBog » Tue Jul 18, 2023 9:21 am

Are there any in the northern Colorado area?


Martin
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Re: Looking for Wooden Wheel Rebuilder

Post by Martin » Tue Jul 18, 2023 10:21 am

I recently had four demountable wheels re-spoked by Stutzman. They are beautiful, I am 100% satisfied.

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