MTFCA Forum

im going to look at some wheels that have new spokes. they were done prior to the current owner. what should i look for
to tell if they are hickory

Color and grain, but if you are not a knowledgeable wood guy you may not be able to tell. Older usa made hammers, axes, and similar wood handles were typically hickory. Find an older tool and scrape the surface of the wood and compare the color and grain against known other species of wood. If you can see a difference you should be able to do the same to the wood spokes.

This thread raises a significant point:

Wood spokes are a major factor in the safety of a Model T. The condition of the wheels & spokes will be an important selling point when it comes time to sell your car.

If you have wheels rebuilt by one of the well known rebuilders, it's a good idea to save the receipt to verify who did the job and what type spokes were used. Or if you do the rebuild yourself, the invoice for the new spokes should not be discarded.

I would love to see a comparison of the 2 types in their natural, naked beauty.
I have a small box of “new” spokes from years ago. Didn’t do a head count, but maybe enough for 2 wheels.

This topic has been discussed in previous threads which include some photos, not all of them great however. Here is one example:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1437802483

As stated above, hickory tool handles are good examples, if you can find a hardware store that sells hickory handles, stop in take a look, the wood is distinctive once you've examined it. Good luck, jb

thats a great idea i will buy a handle and take it with me. philip

If you don't have the time/energy to do your own, Noah Stutzman does superior work.

My Non-demountable wheels are currently at Vintage Wheel in Sonora, CA He makes new spokes and installs new wood felloes. He makes spokes for many brands of cars besides Ford. He has a duplicating lathe.

Chris, When you get your rims back from George and Before you mount the tires make sure you do not have any run out!! Just mount on the spindle and rotate the wheel with a pointer fixed near the rim. If you do you'll never be satisfied with your new wheels. Art Wilson and I had to demount and true up the fellows on a set of wheels so they would run true on the road!
Let me know if your wheels end up with excessive run out.