Making Wheels in 1918

[barryvabeach]

I never guessed there were this many steps in making a car wheel -  btw, no one loses a hand in this film, but I cringed a few times when saw how close the workers hands got to some pretty dangerous operations.   OSHA would not have been happy.   https://youtu.be/yqGA92D7B6g

[museumguy]

That was just the wheel. How many people do you think were involved? 150 or more?

[barryvabeach]

No idea , though the scene where they ar filing the spokes, the guys look like they are standing right on top of each other.

[Petertaylor]

When the wheels were dipped into the paint tank, it appears that the exposed ball bearings got painted!

In the 1950s our family car was a 1918 Dodge with wooden spokes.

[Petertaylor]

642,750 Fords made in 1918. That’s a lot of wooden spokes!

[barryvabeach]

Pete,   I thought the same thing about the ball bearings, though maybe they helped with rust?   What was the  Dodge like - I assume it was a fairly stiff ride?

[Petertaylor]

About the old Dodge, I mistyped; it was 1928. Very boxy with room for six. When it was raining, it was my job to stand next to my mom and work the wiper blade. It had a lever on the inside above the windshield. My recollection is that the windshield could pivot open.