Ship's Wheel

Trying to determine what type of ship this wheel might have come off of, and what type of ship can be excluded. . . it's big at 68" total diameter, made of teak & brass , has 12 spokes. Estimated age is 1900-1930. Guessing a large ship of over 200 feet...it's one of the largest wheel's I've seen ?

 

Very difficult if not impossible to tell the type vessel that was attached to. I got two like that long ago from an importer in Washington DC who said they got them off old river barges in the Netherlands. Who knows if that's True or not tho. Pick a ship name from an old registry book and have a small brass plaque made up with a few vital statistics, just to make a conversation piece.

 

https://picclick.com/68-LARGE-Authentic-10-Spoke-Antique-Teak-Wood-323202312604.html

This one is similar, but doesn’t say type of ship.

 

Don’t know about the wood but the hub looks like repro. No signs of age or use at all.

 

Just trying to establish a 68 inch wheel. I actually saw a larger one too. You seem to be right about the brass being replaced or reproduction. OPs does appear to have been cut of pryed off.

 

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Other odd thing about the hub is the small square hole. The originals I’ve seen (not that many) have larger round holes with a keyway to ensure the shaft they’re attached to doesn’t slip in rotation. The round shaft is also easier to thread so a large nut can hold the wheel in place. To thread a nut on that square shaft, the shaft has to be lathe-turned down to the diameter of the flats of the shaft. I’m sure this arrangement wouldn’t be strong enough to keep the shaft and nut from being damaged when the helmsman gives it a left hard-rudder spin. Repro.

 

Kind of looks like it might have been either stripped or left to sit out in the sun a long time!! Isn't it kind of a small bit of brass (if that's brass) on the kingpin???? What does the OTHER side look like???? Can you show us?? My Mom had two about that size in her antiques shop.....one had been made into a table....glass on top.....the other was nicely left alone!!

 

I'm not fond of the joints being directly on every 3rd handle....but it does have the metal cap on one handle...........hummmm?

 

That’s the king spoke, brass cap is so helmsman can find it in the dark. When that spoke is at 12:00 the rudder is presumed to amidships. There’s nothing inauthentic about op’s wheel, the suspected fake one is at the link someone posted.