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Fabrication of the Tugboat Luna Pilot Wheel
Boston, Massachusetts
Fabrication of the Wood Pilot Wheel of the Historic Tugboat Luna
Marine Millwork Fabrication: The Pilot Wheel of the Tugboat Luna
The tugboat Luna was the first diesel electric tugboat. Built in 1930 by noted naval architect John Alden, she worked Boston harbor until the late 1980's when she was abandoned. Many of Luna's parts were stolen, including the steering wheel.
Working from two photo's taken in 1958, and the original specifications, we reconstructed the design of the 48 inch mahogany wheel with a bronze hub and holly inlay.
By analyzing the photos, the specifications and through research at Mystic Seaport Museum, I determined the hub diameter to be 7". Edson Marine Corporation likely made it. Since those hubs are no longer in production, I had to create a new one. I started by making an engineering drawing. The next step was to turn some wood casting patterns for the hub and the back plate. I sent these to a foundry, which cast bronze blanks. The blanks and the drawing were sent to Marblehead Engineering, which made the hub.
The wheel was built on three full size layout boards. The first wood portions to be built were the spokes. Various patterns jigs and construction operations can be seen below. The wheel has been donated to the Luna Restoration project.
Period view of the pilot house, showing wheel and, incidentally, a period waterfront street scene, somewhere on Mystic River.
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Pilot house view the other way, showing a glimpse of the wheel, one of just two views available for guiding reproduction of the wheel.
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Finished reproduction pilot wheel for the tugboat Luna. The wheel has been donated to the Restoration. The inlay is holly.
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Bronze wheel hub, custom cast and milled, front side.
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Bronze wheel hub, custom cast and milled, back side.
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Turning mahogany spokes.
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Spoke in cutting jig on the table saw.
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Scribing out circular moulding for the wheel with the router.
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Shaping the circular mouldings with the router.
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Two mouldings.
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On the assembly board.
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Fully assembled.
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