There are many amazing skills that have all but vanished from the face of the Earth as the sands of time have blown on. These are things that were not only popular but vital to people’s ability to live and move over the course of time. Building wheels, wagon wheels specifically was one of the skills that was in strong demand until the advent of the automotive age. Thankfully there are still a small, and we mean very small handful of people left in the world that can do this work in the fashion it was once done in. This video is proof of that.
You are going to watch some massive wagon wheels get built from scratch and it’s a fascinating process. From using a lathe to turn down the wooden hubs to fitting the massive steel “tires” to them, there’s so much happening here that is all based on raw, God given and time refined talent. Building wheels of any size appears to be very hard but wheels this big? We’re guessing less than 20 people in the country are cable of doing it this way anymore.
If you enjoy machining, wood working, and skilled tradesmen doing something you’ve likely never watched done before, this video is 100% in your wheelhouse.
See what we did there?
Every kid in the ’50s knew the series “Death Valley Days” and it’s sponsor Twenty Mule Team Boax. Had the model of the wagon for years…
That is major labor intensive. Did they say how many hours per wheel???
This gives the phrase ” made in America ” a whole new meaning .
Real craftsmanship and professional, but one thing was left out, safety. They should of have safety glasses and hard hats while doing this task.