Wheelwright’s Shop
This is a picture of a
wheelwright’s shop
from Colonial
Williamsburg. The
wheelwright made each
wagon wheel from raw
materials in his
workshop by hand.
Wheelwright’s Working
Wheelwrights pull iron hoop, or
tire, out of the fire.
Wheelwrights remove iron tire from the fire and
carry it to the wheelwright yard.
Apprentice wheelwright Paul Zelesnikar and
journeyman Chris Wright drop the hot iron tire
onto the wheel and pour water on it to cool the
metal.
Master wheelwright John Boag and apprentice Paul
Zelesnikar examine a wheel for a Windsor riding
chair.
Details from an 18th-century schematic of a coach
body.
Journeyman Chris Wright and apprentice Paul
Zelesnikar in the wheelwright shop.
Turning a nave, or hub of a wheel, on a lathe.
Master wheelwright John Boag uses a spoke shave to
shape a spoke.
The flywheel of the great wheeled lathe stands in
the wheelwright shop.
Lathe in the wheelwright shop.
Felloe patterns are used for making the curved
sections of the wheel.
The great wheeled lathe and tools of the trade in
the wheelwright shop.
Assembly Line Production
Large numbers of
workers use jigs and
fixtures to make large
quantities of the same
part. The parts will then
go to the assembly line
to be put in the cars
made at the factory.
How would life for these
workers be different
from the wheelwrights of
Colonial Days?
How would the cars they
produce be different
than the carts and
buggies made by the
wheelwrights?
Assembly Line Production of
the Model T
Henry Ford
revolutionized the
manufacturing of cars
with the introduction of
the moving assembly
line. The Ford factory
could produce more
cars at a lower cost than
other car makers of the
time.
.
Model T Assembly Line Video
Modern Robotic Assembly Line
Modern manufacturing is
much more automated
than early assembly lines.
Machines can do the
work more quickly,
accurately and cheaply.
What do you think
happened to all the
people who used to work
in the factory?
Robotic Assembly Line