@MerlinsOldSchoolGarage and Makay are back in the shop but this time they aren't up to the usual shop builds... You don't want to miss this special episode!
Doing a little research among experts turns up some Ford specs using Shagbark Hickory. Others say Redoak, but the general consensus tends to agree, it's Hickory. 🙂
Have you ever read the history of Kingsford Charcoal? "Ford Motor Company sold more than one million Ford Model Ts in 1919. Each one used 100 board feet of wood for parts such as frame, dashboard, steering wheel and wheels. Because of the amount of wood used, Henry Ford decided to produce his own supply. He enlisted the help of Edward G. Kingsford, a real estate agent in Michigan, to locate a supply of wood. Kingsford’s wife was a cousin of Ford.[2] In the early 1920s, Ford acquired large timberland in Iron Mountain, Michigan, and built a sawmill and parts plant in a neighboring area which became Kingsford, Michigan. The mill and plants produced sufficient parts for the car, but generated waste such as stumps, branches and sawdust. Ford suggested that all wood scraps be processed into charcoal." --- From Wikipedia
Now I would ask, did you read it? Ford and Kingston joined in 1919. Building the Model T started in 1908. Between 1908 and 1918, approximatel 2,714,939 Model T designs emerged from Ford's factories. I will assume the majority of them had wheels, and that the majority of the wheels had spokes made of wood. That was the original question, and not how Kingsford charcoal briquettes came about. I'm sure that even certain types of wood were preferred for use as dashboards, and another may have been preferred for carriages, and yet another may have been preferred for wheel spokes. In all, more than 15M Motel T vehicles were built in an era that ended in 1927.
You're either a certified genius, or stark raving mad! Great engineering Merlin! Next time I roll through AZ, I really want to stop and turn some wrenches with you, brother!
Makes me really appreciate living in the woods of Tennessee and being able to walk out front and pick up hickory wood off the ground for the old smoker lol
Just the best thing EVER!! A bit of work, a bit a food & lots of laughter !! Yes, I've burnt Model T wood before! It definitely smells different to the Chevy Stuff!! 🤣
I'm from Michigan and most of my family worked for GM and my Grandfather worked for Chrysler and Continental motor company. I really appreciate you saving this part of history.
Thank you so much Sir and crew and family you make this old man so happy I fought so hard to make America great thank you for living the american dream ✊🇺🇸😇
Merlin reminds me of my own grandfather, owned an auto repair shop, and could fix anything. In the afternoon sometimes his buddies would stop bye and see what was going on and see what pop was working on today.
Great video! I can almost taste those ribs! LOL!! Love all the model A stuff you do. Taking all those different parts and pieces and putting them together to make something different is amazing. Keep up the good work Merlin!! Special "Howdy" to Makay too!! Tell Deseri she can make me some of that desert!! 🤤
When I was 20 yrs old my dad ,brother and i restored a 1929 model A Huckster. That had a lot of wood parts over 50 yrs old. as dad made new parts in our ranch house basement. mom lived with saw dust and paint fumes she kept a better homes and garden type house upstairs. But one winter our fire place was down in basement and dad decided it was safe to rid himself of the old wood pasterns as new ones were on model A upstairs in garage. He put them in the fireplace. Burned like they had been soaking in fuel so much caught the lining of the chimney on fire ( like a turbo charger ) we quickly shut the air off and it burned out with out taking the house with it!
Wishing everyone a Blessed Easter Sunday morning to everyone!! ✝️ Thanks Merlin for the video 🪛🔧🔨 Don't forget everyone Jesus Christ is the answer through it all ✝️🙏👍💪
'Happy Easter' ✝Amen for He Has risen... Amen At the last minute I see your Easter Greeting with the Cross and the old Chevy loaded with Easter Goodies. Also like the history lesson from one of your viewers on Hickory spokes and Ash framing on the old Model 'Tees'. I can recall my dad telling stories on how they kept the spokes tight in the wheels. They would park in a running stream to soak the spokes just enough to get a tight swell. I suppose they did this on hot summer days. My folks were originally from Ohio where wet weather was plenty full but surly dry spell were also reason to 'Soak the Spokes' from time to time.
Back in the early 50's my cousin and I Used parts from my uncles worn out model A's in the back lot, to build a, what's known today as an ORV. We found that to climb out of the canyons, we would turn around and back up the grade. It worked out pretty well. We also built a square box on the back and loaded a couple hundred lbs of sand. For Traction. Lots of great days running around the Canadian river canyons. Now Lake Meredith takes up all of our playground.
Most of the body frame is hard maple although sometime elm got in the batch. White oak on the top bows because it can be steam bent. Not only it that dried for a century but it is also old growth wood that is rarely found these days if at all.
Hey Merlin, You got some fun work done on a couple Model T's and had some home cookin and blueberry desert as well. I would call it a good day in Havasu. I guess I missed the part of a show where you cut part of the model T frame off to drop the frame for your Speedster. Maybe next show you can get back onto the Speedster build. Take Care
Edward Kingsford was a real estate agent and a friend of Henry Ford. He used a process and a machine set-up designed by Thomas Edison to recycle the sawdust from the hickory wood used to build various Model T parts, and turn them into charcoal briquettes. So "Kings-Ford" is historically accurate.
Pretty much nothing better than the smell of Hickory burning 🔥 waiting on some good ribs! Love watching the work and driving those old cars and trucks. Thanks for the Sunday video.
Great way to spend the day hanging out, a bit of car stuff, a bit of modification, some smoking and BBQ stuff and even some nice cake stuff, doesn't get any better than that.
Awesome music during the speed interludes. I wish I was one of your neighbors, I’d help a lot and provide many how not to do things examples. Love your program
Merlin, best fresh from the bush, no matter which berries, no comparison if they are in the cake. We used to collect blueberries as children in the Ore Mountains and eat them fresh, or as a cake with cream on top. Hhm, grandma made the best, super. A long, long time ago, unfortunately. Happy Easter and greetings from Frankfurt
This is off topic but, ili was just watching Vice Grip Garage and you drove a 10 hour round trip to help Derik and Bayley out with the 9" gear set. Absolutely amazing act of generosity.
Happy Easter all at Merlin's! I was cracking up... Merlin, you never let go of that fork even tho you were eating with your fingers. I bet they were delicious
New name for Merlin old school and food garage. All the food looked amazing hopefully yinz had a good Easter. Keep up the great work and stay safe out there.
not likely the wood has preservative residue but just so you know, creosote was in commercial use in the early 1800's and copper naphthenate came available around 1890, so yes wood could be treated before 1900.
I shop vac the ashes out of my smoker when I BBQ on it. I didn't have to modify the smoker , the Shop Vac or the Ashes either. Although it advisable to allow the ashes to actually become ashes before the Shop Vac is added to the equation
Hickory was the only wood to use for spokes. Most other kinds of wood failed and people have died as a result of broken wooden wheel spokes. Some as recently as within the last 10 years.
Merlin,, I’m a priddy good shade tree mechanic myself but,, your ability to engineer and overcome absolutely AMAZE me !! Carry on my friend. Religious watcher. 👍🤠
Merlin for the win,love the smoker add-ons. Thanks for taking us subscriber's along for the ride. Rib's for the win. Love the channel. Keep up the great work. 👍✌️🤙🤙😎😁🍀🍀🍀🍀🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🪄🪄. PS. Thanks Makay, for the extra good smelling content. Model A an model T for the win, complements of Merlin's stash. 👍✌️🤙🤙
