Split, Sawn & Shaped

Crafting a wooden wheel by hand is a meticulous process that demands specialised tools and expertise passed down through generations of skilled tradespeople, known as wheelwrights. 

From felling trees to sawing and splitting logs into timber slabs, each step is crucial in shaping the components of a wheel. The final steps are executed by a blacksmith who makes and fits a metal tyre.

Explore over 25 original wheelwrighting hand tools and tune in with Factory Supervisor Andrew MacDonald as he guides you through the art and science of making a wooden wheel by hand. 

Witness the historic trade of wheelwrighting, preserved right here in the Factory as part of Queensland Museum Cobb+Co.