Tightening Wood Fellow/Non-Demountable Wheels

When restoring early non-demountable wooden wheels, one of the problems normally encountered is that the wood fellow is loose in the metal rim causing the entire wheel to become loose and unusable.  With the price of a re-wooded wheel bearing it is desirable to look for an alternative to re-wooding, and an inexpensive repair is available.  The only criteria are to start with a wheel that has sound wood in both the fellow and the spokes, and begin with a rim that is not bent.

          Once the criteria are met, the wood must be removed from the metal rim.  First, remove the hub from the wheel; then the rivets holding the fellow to the metal rim need to be drilled out so the fellow and spokes can be removed.  When the rivets are removed, push the wood from the rim, keeping the spokes in the fellow.  At this point, check to see if the spokes are tight in the fellow.  If the spokes are VERY loose in the fellow, the wheel may not be salvageable, yet if there is a small amount of play you can drill a small hole in the end of the spoke where it enters the fellow and pound a slightly larger nail in the end of the spoke.  The nail will act as a wedge and tighten the spoke.  This nail needs to be no longer than one inch.

          Next go to your local sheet metal shop and have some galvanized sheet steel (20 gauge) cut into strips measuring 1¼ x 37 inches.  This metal will act as a shim to be used between the fellow and the metal rim.  You may use one, two or three strips on each fellow, depending how loose the fellow is to the wheel.  The sheet metal shim(s) is/are tacked to the fellow using small nails.  Using nails allows you to pound the fellow back into the rim without the sheet metal shims moving.

          Once the shim(s) is/are in place, align the fellow onto the metal rim using the same rivet holes as before.  It will be necessary to pound the fellow into the steel rim because the shims make the fit VERY tight!!  Use a wood block and a large hammer to accomplish this.  DO NOT pound on the fellow with a metal hammer; use a wood block.  Next, place the hub into the wheel.  The hub will be tight, and the easiest way to install the hub is to tap each spoke down into the hub.  Again, use a wood block to accomplish this task.  The spokes are “walked” around the hub by tapping them down until the spokes bottom out on the hub.  Using the six carriage bolts, bolt the hub plate onto the wheel and tighten the nuts on the hub.

          To align the front wheels, place a front spindle with its bearings in a vice, and place the wheel on the spindle.  Tighten the outer bearing and then spin the wheel to determine the alignment.  Once the wheel runs true, rivet the fellow to the wheel.  Shovel rivets, which can be purchased at your local hardware store, are the closest to the original.  The rear wheels can be installed on the rear axle of a Model T and then can be aligned as the Model T is running.  Once straight, the fellow can be riveted to the rim.

          This procedure can save you a great deal of money and still produce straight, sound wheels.