>The wooden water wheel on the mill at our historic site has disappeared
>over the years.  We want to replace it.  Advice we are getting is to
>forget about restoring the wheel as wood but to replace it with metal.
>Any experience with wood vs. metal?
>Pro and Con.  Replace or Restore.

The question is, are you a museum or a water powered mill based theme park?  If
you are a museum then your obligation is to replace the dearly departed wooden
waterwheel with an identical wooden replacement.  Many wooden wheels will last
many, many years of service if properly cared for, and may even outlast a steel
wheel.

We have a local historic mill that in 1984 restored its machinery and had to
install a new wooden wheel since the old one was gone.  They could have simply
replaced it with a steel one, and replaced the wooden beel gears with steel
gears while they were at it, but in this metal dominated society it is
important to show people that in
t he days before Henry Bessemer wood was the only low cost material available
for machinery of this type.  Many people don't even believe that wood could
take the work that it is subjected to in these applications.

On a longevity and economic standpoint, a steel wheel made of the proper
corrosion inhibiting metals would probably cost somewhat less than a properly
fitted wood wheel made of the proper species of wood.  I am sure there must be
some mills on the internet that you could ask what wood is best suited for
wheels and their expected life spans.

Rick Rowlands
Youngstown Steel Heritage Corporation
Youngstown, OH