Sam or Mary Yancy on wed 8 sep 04
Perhaps all aluminum wheel heads are not "pure aluminuim" but alloys. Probably the cheapist alloys to allow the wheel head to be hard and be easy to machine and be made as cheeply as possible. Many different aluminum alloys are used in airplanes and racing cars. The outer "skin" is a type of metal that is called al-clad. this is aluminum alloy sandwiched by pure aluminum on the outside for corrosion protectio but can be heatreated for stifness. I don't think that pure aluminum would work as a wheel head as it would be soft and "weak". Perhaps the wheel heads are not aluminum but pueter or some related metal. Any experts out there??, Sam in Daly City
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on wed 8 sep 04
Hi Sam, all...
Yes...seems like an Aluminum alloy to me...at least all of
the ones as I remember seeing.
Some, at times, may have been a high Zink die-casting I
suppose, as well.
Pure Aluminum is quite soft...and such things as these Wheel
Heads, if made from it, could be easily bent in one's hands.
Many of the earliest Aluminum Pots and Pans ( ie "The
Illinois Pure Aluminum Company" et al, ) used pure Aluminum
and these Pots and Pans were 'soft'...you could squish ( or
straighten) them easily in your hands, and too, that was
part of their novelty and charm...
Our Wheel Heads are not Pewter or Britannia Metal or the
likes...too soft, or too semi-soft and crackable in
bending...
If I ever manufacture a Wheel, I think I would elect to make
the Head out of red Brass...it would be hard to beat for
pretty...
Phil
el ve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sam or Mary Yancy"
> Perhaps all aluminum wheel heads are not "pure aluminuim"
but alloys. Probably the cheapist alloys to allow the wheel
head to be hard and be easy to machine and be made as
cheeply as possible. Many different aluminum alloys are
used in airplanes and racing cars. The outer "skin" is a
type of metal that is called al-clad. this is aluminum alloy
sandwiched by pure aluminum on the outside for corrosion
protectio but can be heatreated for stifness. I don't think
that pure aluminum would work as a wheel head as it would
be soft and "weak". Perhaps the wheel heads are not aluminum
but pueter or some related metal. Any experts out there??,
Sam in Daly City
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