I’ve been spinning with a drop spindle more than Maude these days, but TJ sent me the following advice to keep Maude healthy:

Can anyone give me some good ideas on helping remoisturize and refinish
a very very dry old wheel that’s obviously been sitting in a very very
hot dry old barn? Lots of small separations and splits but nothing
unsurmountable functionally speaking. Not sure of the wood type, some
finish still showing on spokes and very slightly-cracked hub.
Pretty sure it’s still sound, but want some
advice before I go scrubbing it down or oiling stuff up. For instance,
do I do all the gluing before oiling? I am assuming that oil will
retard the effectiveness of glue?
What is the best way to deal with
the shrinkage displacements on the wheel rim? It’s quite beautifully
built, tongue-and-groove fit….
Thanks for all suggestions!
(And yes, if all else fails, I’ll take it to an expert but I really
want to learn this … there are so many wheels that need help!)
PA
N. California

Hi Pamela,
when I restore old wheels I clean them with a damp cloth first to
remove all dust and possible dirt. Let dry then I rub them with soft
rag soaked with ***Raw*** Linseed Oil (there is boiled linseed oil and
it is not suitable for this) so that the wheel and all wooden parts are
nicely covered with it and make sure some of the oil gets into the
visible cracks.
I wait for 2-3 days depending on the weather.
After that the wood has soaked up all the oil, but if the cracks have
not closed you can repeat the oiling part. I usually varnish the wheel
and wooden parts, You can also just use wax polish, but in this case I
suggest you rub the linseed oil in once a year – usually before the hot
weather starts.
For the metal parts medium steel wool (without soap
– you can get that in a hardware store) works really well to polish
those. I usually also replace the hooks.
Have fun,
Vera & Karley, South Australia
http://people. aapt.net. au/~vermiro/ index.html

Wood Beams, Wood Beams, Wood Beams…. That’s my answer, and I’m sticking to it!
If you are doing repairs, do the glue thing first, then clean any glue
that’s not in the joint (sometimes we miss a spot or two).
Regarding finishes for wheels; Jonathan has a real aversion to VOCs no
matter how low in volume (ymmv!). We use Tried & True finishes and
they are really beautiful. Do allow enough time for them to dry.
Spin happy!
Sheila B