Wheels had hubs. Besides, they didn't stay round.
If a customer had a damaged wheel, I think giving it a spin under the traveler would be an easy to see what size it had been.
Measuring flat iron for a tire was easy: roll the wheel along it, then cut 2 or 3" longer. Bending it into a circle would shorten it. That's where the traveler came in: measure the wheel and measure the C-shaped tire before welding.
Good guess! Plug cutter is correct. It was a good week, I'm always happy when the mystery items all get identified. The answers for this set can be seen here:
Rob
2839: According to H. G. Holmstrom in _Modern__Blacksmithing_ (1904), the traveler was not required to measure the flat iron. It was used after the tire was bent into a circle, which was probably irregular.
Thanks for the link, I added it to my answer. I didn't have time to read the whole article but will read it later today or tomorrow when I get time.
Rob
2846: The arms look spindly. I wonder if they're metal. Near the arms, there's a wide groove across the board on the side that would be up. I wonder if it's for slicing through something instead of cutting against the board. The last raised portion could serve as a visual gage to slice something into 1" pieces and drop them into a container about 24" in diameter. I've never seen a barrel of pickled eel. 2848: Are the push buttons electrical? There are mirror sundials. Perhaps XI is for the hour around 11 AM and the XII is for the hour around noon.
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