Customer Reviews

Practical Carriage Building

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book encompasses multiple perspectives on aspects of carriage building. If you want to restore a carriage or build an authentic carriage from scratch, this is the ONE book you must have. Topics of discussion include rebuilding wheels and hubs; proper caster and camber of wheels and axles; appropriate lumber for different areas of construction; how to pick a good tree for the right lumber and many, many, MANY more.

Would highly recommend this book as a first time purchase, is excellent as far as technical information as to building the wheel, but lacks specific information about building and turning the hub for the wheel.

If like me, you are looking for a book that will actually give you the constructional information you need to build or repair a cart or carriage this is the book to get. The collected wisdom of the old craftsman in their own words, not scholarly ruminations that give little or no practical help to those few of us who want to keep alive the craft.

This book is a two volume set in one book. Unless I was learning to be a wheelwright using 19th century technology (Volume 1 - first half of the book) or was learning to be a wheelwright using 19th century technology (Volume 2 - a large part of the lead in to Vol 2 is a condensed version of the data from Vol 1) I would not recommend this book. Vol 2 does go into the building of wagon bodies and fith wheels which could be of use to modelers or restorers, but having said that, I think there are much better sources for primary data available for general wagon construction.

This book is a reprint of information published over 100 years ago.

As an historical reference to "how it was done back in the day", the book is interesting. Depending on what you would need the infomation for, this could be a very good reference. For my needs, I found it lacking.

This books has been very helpful to me in restoring a 100 year old Carriage. I may attempt to construct one of the vehicles described in this book.

Book has lots of detailed data on the building of carts in the olden days. It would have been even better if it would have had a cross reference on how to build carts with today's techniques.