Hansen Wheel and Wagon, visit...and an answer to a lingering question

[Double D]

On the trip home I stopped in Lecther South Dakota at Hansen Wheel and Wagon and talked with Doug Hansen.about making wheels for us.  Bottom line it isn't going to happen.  We talked about a a group buy No one  Carriage wheel in 1/5 scale.  Minumum order 30 wheels, price $350 to $400 per wheel.  The reason, he would have completely retool build wheels this small for us.  He fully set up to build larger wheels but not the smaller wheels we need.

Doug took me around his shop and showed some wheels he is restoring for the 20  Mule team borax wagon.



















And here is the answer to the lingering question, how do you turn the off set tenon on th end of the spoke for a dished wheel.



You see we have been looking at the forest and can only see trees.  The spoke does not turn for machining.  The spoke is held in a jig and the cutter head rotates and shapes the tenon.



   

[Cannoneer]

Douglas,
Those are interesting photos along with some interesting info; I suppose that they were keeping and using the old naves of the Borax 20 mule team wagon wheels not only because they were salvageable, but also to keep a part of the old wheels history current (it looks like all the spokes and fellies were newly made).

[Max Caliber]

Douglas, great photos, thanks. Looks like they are using ash instead of oak? Do they do their own steam bending? Looks like they are rebuilding a pair of automobile wheels also.

[Double D]

They indeed do steam bending and that is ash. 

[Double D]

Yes the Naves are original.  They try to use as much original material in there restorations.