jeffhale2013@att.net
Tenderfoot
Hi,
I've been "oak islanding" in the swamp area on my property. It has been so dry that the "lake" dried up.
I took this opportunity to scan it. I found a plow point and part of an iron kettle, but then I found about 2 1/2 feet down what looked like part of a wagon wheel. I took a trace of the arc and traced that arc onto paper and came up with an estimated 48" in diameter. I could find no spokes or hub as I dug though. Finally dug it out and it is a 48" wheel. I wondered what it was used for. Here's some specs: first, I think the tire is steel rather than iron as my detector sounded off on all three switch settings, not just the middle one which usually finds iron.
The tire is about 1/8" thick and just shy of 1 3/4" wide. There were 16 spokes whose hole diameter was between 5/8 to 3/4" in diameter. The variance probably due to wood swelling. The screws that hold on the fellows plates are pretty small and have square nuts. At first I thought this wheel was from a typical farm wagon, but it seems less heavy duty as though for a buggy or possibly for a farm implement of some kind. After all, it is found in the same area as plow parts. See photos. I'm curious what era and what it may have been used for.
Thanks for any input.
I've been "oak islanding" in the swamp area on my property. It has been so dry that the "lake" dried up.
I took this opportunity to scan it. I found a plow point and part of an iron kettle, but then I found about 2 1/2 feet down what looked like part of a wagon wheel. I took a trace of the arc and traced that arc onto paper and came up with an estimated 48" in diameter. I could find no spokes or hub as I dug though. Finally dug it out and it is a 48" wheel. I wondered what it was used for. Here's some specs: first, I think the tire is steel rather than iron as my detector sounded off on all three switch settings, not just the middle one which usually finds iron.
The tire is about 1/8" thick and just shy of 1 3/4" wide. There were 16 spokes whose hole diameter was between 5/8 to 3/4" in diameter. The variance probably due to wood swelling. The screws that hold on the fellows plates are pretty small and have square nuts. At first I thought this wheel was from a typical farm wagon, but it seems less heavy duty as though for a buggy or possibly for a farm implement of some kind. After all, it is found in the same area as plow parts. See photos. I'm curious what era and what it may have been used for.
Thanks for any input.
