Tyring the market cart wheels
We got stuck into the final round of tyring last weekend. So far Colin and his brother has restored two Oxfordshire bow rave wagons, one timber wagon, a seed drill and a market cart. That means over the last year or so we have tyred sixteen wheels and made a felloes for all of them along with many spokes although all the original naves have been retained.
The last one was Stephan’s market cart built in 1900. He discovered that beneath the blue paintwork it had in fact originally been black with scarlet pin stripping almost everywhere. That certainly tried his patience!
We got started on an already blistering hot Sunday and then proceeded to light a fire. You can’t tell from the photo but the heat coming off that fire is insufferable and means you have to be quick sharp with the tyre irons if you want to lift the tyre away with loosing your hair!
The tyres were a tight fit and wouldn’t have gone on if I hadn’t have forged up some tyre dogs the week before.
All that is left now is to finish painting it and to find some brass lamps to go with it. If anyone out there has any that will suit please get in touch!