THE WHEELWRIGHT.

This artisan's employment embraces the mak ing of all sorts of wheels for carriages whieh are employed in husbandry, as well as for those adapted to the purposes of pleasure. Road- waggons and other vehicles constructed for burden, are also the manufacture of the wheelwright.

In London this business is divided into two distinct branches of work ; one of which being confined to the purpose of manufacturing
wheels for carriages of pleasure, is an appendage to coach-making ; the other to the making of the bodies, wheels, &c. of the different kinds of machines required for the transport of the various commodities for the purposes of trade, and the comfort and convenience of the people.

It will appear, by a very superficial examination, that such a business is of very great consideration, and must be undoubtedly of very great antiquity; as, from the earliest dawn of civilization, the transport of heavy bodies from one place to another, such as stones and timber, for the purposes of building, would suggest to man the use of rolling bodies for such conveyance, and, as an improvement upon these wheels for such purposes

This trade contributes largely to the transfer and supply of many of our first necessities, by affording the means of ready transit
for articles of all descriptions, as well as in oflferrinng a similar convenience of quick communication for ourselves, it is pleasing to reflect, that, amidst all the various improvements in arts and manufactures, this of carriage-wheels has been by no means neglected ; our artizaus in this line stand pre-eminent; our carriages are manufactured on better principles, as well as more neat in the execution, than are to be found in any other country.

The tools necessary in this business are many of the same as those employed by the carpenter and, indeed, the carpenter and the
wheelwrightcht, many country places, are one and the same person.

The wheel is composed of several parts : as the nave which is the centre-piece; the spcokes which are inserted at one end of the
nave, and the other, into the fellies, which make up the outside rim, or circumference of the wheel. These three parts constitute a
wheel ; but, for the sake of giving strength to the wliole, some iron-work is used : this we shall describe in its proper place.

The nave is that short thick piece of wood in the centre of each wheel, which receives the axle tree, with holes ready to receive the spokes.

When the spokes are fitted in the nave, the rim, or fellies, are next put on the spokes. Each felly is of sufficient length to receive two spokes, so that if there be twelve spokes in a wheel, the rim should consist of six pieces, or fellies.

The nave is bound at each end on the outside with strong iron hoops, called nave bands; withinside also, there is a ring of iron, called the wisher or washer to prevent the hole from wearing by the friction of the axle. To the outside rim, or fellies, is an iron tire, fastened with very strong nails, or spikes. The parts of the tire are made red-hot before they are put on the wheels, in order that they may burn a small depth in the wheel, or, at least, all that roughness which might hinder it from lying flat with the wood ; besides, by being in this state, they may be easily bent, so as to conform most accurately to the curve of the wheel. Another advantage is, that iron, when hot, expands, and as it becomes cold it contracts into shorter length ; and, as the tire of the wheel contracts, it must have a tendency to draw the several parts of the fellies closer together. To give the man power over his work, the wheel is placed in a sort of pit, made in the floor, on the sides of which the nave may rest, so that little more than half of the wheel stands above the surface. Large pincers enable him to bring the red-hot iron from the fire, and place it on the wheel. An axe with a bended blade, and is used for hollowing out the fellies.

By thus scooping out the wood, the grain is often so much cut and injured as to weaken it in a great degree. To remedy this, a method has been invented of bending timber into a circular form, so that the whole rim of the wheel consists of not more than two pieces, which are covered with a tire in a single piece. By this mode of construction, the ciicumference of the wheel is every where
equally strong, and much more durable than wheels made in the usual form, although not more than half the quantity of wood is
employed.

Elm, which is sometimes employed by W'heelwrights for axle-trees, is also much in use for chopping-blocks, not being liable to
split. But Ash is much more commonly used for axle-trees than Elm. The part of the axle-tree which is inserted into the wheel is
either covered with two plates of iron, called a fore and hind clout, to prevent the wearing of the wood ; or a more common practice now, is to have what is called an iron-arm fitted to the iron-hox, which is fixed tight in the nave of the wheel. The arms are screwed to the axle by stout screws. The wheel is secured by a pin, called a linch-pin,

Wheelwrights in the country are maker of carts, and a variety of other carriages: the wood that they principally use is Elm, Ash, and Oak.

This business is a very laborious one, and requires that no lad should be brought up to it who does not possess a strong constitution. A journeyman will earn from a guinea to thirty shillings a week.