How to preserve wood of 100 yr old model t Ford wheel I dug up?

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by Picklejar, Mar 6, 2021.

  1. Picklejar

    Picklejar New Member

    20210306_215124_resize_89.jpg 20210306_214453_resize_65.jpg 20210306_214503_resize_95.jpg 20210306_214521_resize_75.jpg 20210306_214515_resize_41.jpg 20210306_214541_resize_2.jpg Hello, last December I found an old model t Ford wheel, approximately 100 years old, on the riverbank sticking out from under the sand. I dug it up and brought it home, but couldn't find any advice on how to preserve it as it dried. It's been kept wrapped in a tarp in a cool room for a few months, but unfortunately the wood has started to crack severely in several places.

    The outer rim and center are made of metal, while the spokes and inner part of the outer rim are wood. Large chunks of what I presume are wood (it's still dirty, so I can't tell) are starting to chip off. Any advice on how to clean the sand and preserve the wood (what's left of it) would be helpful.
    Also, any idea if its worth anything in this decayed state (I'm guessing not, but thought I'd check)? Thanks!

    Pics: the first image is the day I dug the wheel up.
    The rest are after several months in a tarp. The last image shows the size of the pieces that are chipping off.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 6, 2021
    judy and TraceyB like this.
  2. Roaring20s

    Roaring20s Well-Known Member

  3. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    there were 15 million model T's made, so with each car having 5, there's a lot of wheels out there!
     
    judy likes this.
  4. Picklejar

    Picklejar New Member

    Okay, thanks. I've seen similar wheels going for a couple hundred bucks online, but they're in much better shape. Just wanted to be sure before I donated to the local museum.
     
    judy likes this.
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