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The
wheelwright was much appreciated in the times when carts
were the only means of transportation.
In Banat wheelwrights are called "voacnar". The
artisan made the whole cart, not only the wheels. He did
the final assembly together with a blacksmith, who applied
the metal bands to the wheels and some other metal reinforcements
to the rest of the wooden parts. It took about a month to
make a cart.
The tools were expensive, so if the old master did not have
a son or son-in-law to take over he gave them to his best
apprentice at the end of the training.There are very few
artisans left. Due to economic reasons, this craft is dying
out.
Wood has been replaced by iron, and the iron carts with
rubber wheels are more resistant, thus rendering the wooden
ones obsolete. |
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