cartwright (wheelwright)

A craftsman who made the wooden parts of wagons, coaches and sleighs. Hungarian wheelwrights were famous in Europe from the late Middle Ages for centuries. In bigger towns they formed common guilds together with smiths. Coaches, carts and wagons had different types in different regions. In mountains and woods in Transylvania peasants cut their own wagons. Wood for wheels was scalded in troughs, then it was heated in kilns. Wheel frames were cut after naturally bent beech or elm tree patterns. Then the place of spokes were bored out and the wheel was put together. The wheel hub was made on a separate lathe.

TI