This is a rare example of a Carlotti where it has never been drilled for mounting. It was originally a gift to an English gentleman and just sat proudly displayed in his family room for many years. Carlotti wheels of this construction method suffer from an assembly flaw, and this wheel was no exception. Not wanting to interrupt the flow of the alternating and contrasting wood strips, Carlotti chose not to install rivets. Consequently, virtually all original Carlotti rims have fallen off due to glue failure. Since this wheel was never used, the rim was still intact, but came off very easily with only slight effort. When restoring a Carlotti, I drill and install internal dowels that travel through the metal rim and half way into both front and rear rim pieces. After reassembling the wheel with a secure bond, no evidence of the dowels is ever visible and the rim will be secure for many decades to come. The last few pictures show the doweling of this rim during reassembly.

The turning on the spokes is lightly done, so I have only cleaned the spokes and have not polished for fear of removing the turnings.