Wood wheels

[Ron LaDow]

More off-topic.
Say the early '90s Laguna Seca Monterrey Historics. When I first got the March F1 running, I ended up pitted next to an 'artillery-wheeled' Brit car of some brand or other looked after by Phil Hill. Phil sat down at the picnic table between the pits that was still there (this was a while back, not all of the pits were paved) to fix an SU carb which 'piston' was sticking. It was a pleasure chatting with him, and amusing when he "de-tuned" some abrasive paper by rubbing the abrasive surfaces together to polish the SU part. With equal good humor, he listened to my suggestions and used the ones that sounded workable; I was proud!
Anyhow, the driver reported that the car "wobbled" in most turns and I remember Phil having the artillery wheels removed, ropes tied to them and having them tossed in what was then Laguna Wetta over-night to expand the wood (it had stopped being Seca some time before that).
It worked, according to the driver, as did the group efforts to get the SUs working.
Anyhow, water was not unknown in making the things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQSMs-b0Jzg

[C J Murray]

Maybe he learned that when he was driving F1 cars for Ferrari?

[Mike Wilson]

I just watched the video. Amazing! What an artisan. I was thinking of Bruce Crawford and Jack Arct making our wood steering wheels. Can you imagine how long it took to make a wood wagon wheel before power tools?!

Thanks, Ron!

[Adam Wright]

Wood wheels are making a comeback, this car came up for sale earlier this year.

[Mike Wilson]

Wow! Are those the prototypes of the Techno-mahoganies?!

[Ron LaDow]

Adam,
When I was restoring the March F1, I used ply 'wheels' since the car weighed nothing and they were cheap when I needed money for other stuff. Worked fine at .005MPH and .001G accelerations.

[Ron LaDow]

the Techno-mahoganies?!

http://instantrimshot.com/

[Wil Mittelbach]

I just watched the video. Amazing! What an artisan. I was thinking of Bruce Crawford and Jack Arct making our wood steering wheels. Can you imagine how long it took to make a wood wagon wheel before power tools?!
Thanks, Ron!

A true by-hand wheelwright craftsman, perhaps somewhat analogous in craftsmanship to properly rebuild a 356 engine and car.