Wheelwright By: Kinte’sha, Linnea and Kinser

The Colonial Wheelwright The name wheelwright came from an old English word “wryhta”, which means worker or maker. This person had a hard job. He first had to rely on the black-smith to make the metal tire. Then he would make all of the wooden spokes for the wheel. The size also depends on the type of wheel the tire is going on.

A Wheelwrights Job The wheelwrights job is very difficult. This job may take four days to a week to make one set of wheels. A wheelwright would have to make sure the wooden spokes were aliened just right to make sure that the spoke would not come out of the wheel on a journey in a wagon, cart, or other mobile vehicle.

How a Wheel was Put Together. They used mallets, drills, a grind stone, wood and metal.

Today’s Wheel Today’s wheel is made of rubber and metal. The past wheel was wooden wheel with a metal tire, but not as complex as the tires and wheels today. Today’s wheels are made with nuts and bolts. Today they use more complex tools like air compressors. On both today’s wheels and the past wheels you have to balance them to make them even. Today the wheels have power steering. This job is still necessary today because we use them everyday for vehicles, like cars, planes and other transportation vehicles.

Wages and pay A Journeymen would earn $.22 a day, rather than a workmen would earn $.15 a week. An apprentice would earn $5 to $10 a week. This was a man working from 6a.m. to 8p.m. The highest paid wheelwright is a master wheelwright. He would get paid $100 to $200 a week. This was if he performed and made the best wheel he could make. Today’s wheel maker will make somewhere around $26,360 annually and will make around $12.67 a hour.

Where would you find the job of a Wheelwright? You would find the job of a wheelwright in any small town. You would find this job because it is a needed part for an average person in the colonial era.

Today’s tire companies in the U.S. Victoria Tire, Titian Tire, Lucas Tire, Hoosier Racing Tire, Good-Year Tire, East-Bay Tire, Douglass Tire, Cooper Tire, Carlisle Tire, American Transport Tire, B.F. Goodrich Tire, Bridgestone Tire, Firestone Tire, Hankook Tire, Michelin Tire and Maxis Tire just to name a few. If you want to work in this industry you will be called a wheeler. You can find a job at any componie that makes wheels and/or tires that is listed above.

Would you want to do this job today? Kinser- Yes I would do this job today if this was the last job I could pick from. But the job I would most like to have is a welder. Then I will hope to someday be a blacksmith and have my own shop. Kinte’Sha- Yes I would do this job because you can make a lot of money.

Citations "History.org: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Official History and Citizenship Website." Wheelwright : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct "Wheelwrights." Wheelwrights. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct "TIRE BRANDS." Brands of Tires: Browse All Tire Brands at Belle Tire. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct "Pattern Wheel Maker Career." Pattern Wheel Maker Salary and Employment Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct