It doesn't get any more 'circular' than upcycling aircraft wheels!
A Boeing 747 wheel coffee table was one of the first pieces we ever produced. In the early days of Aerotiques, we acquired one that was actually used as ballast in the nose of an old Piper Aztec fuselage training aid.
The concept is fairly straightforward, clean up, refurbish, refinish and pop on a glass top. Weighing in at 70kg/150lbs, however, they're a bit of a beast and have certainly served their time by the time we get our hands on them. It’s hardly surprising really. There are 18 wheels and tyres on a 747, each weighing 190kg/430lbs. You need that three and a half tonnes to support the weight of a fully laden 747 on take off (412 tonnes/910 000lbs) at around 160Kt and even more so when you’re hurling 300 tonnes/660 000lbs at a runway at 150Kt on landing.
Stripping them down is not entirely straightforward. We originally began by cutting the tyres off, but it's a messy and challenging process. With the help of a local HGV specialist, however, we devised a way to lever them off in a more traditional manner. Before the tyre comes off, however, there are a number of processes to follow. First and foremost, we need to make sure they're fully deflated. Popping them off at 200psi would be interesting, to say the least! The tyres are actually heavier than the wheels they’re on, weighing in at a whopping 125kg/275lbs.
Next we need to remove the brake pack heat shields, so the wheel nuts are accessible. Secured in place by 10 stays, 20 bolts caked in grease and years of brake dust often need some some 'convincing' first. The flimsy alloy shields rarely survive intact.
With the shields removed, the 3/4" wheel nuts are visible and, with some contorting and an extension bar, just about accessible. Pneumatic power, some nudging and a few swear words will normally do the trick in slackening off all 18 of them.
The valves and fusible plugs are next to come off, although they're sometimes already removed during the scrapping process. We retain, refurbish and refit what we can salvage, including any data plates and balancing weights.
Blasted, or chemically stripped back to their raw state, they’re finally ready for finishing. Originally, they were off white or dove grey, but now they’re something of a blank canvas. Previous clients have typically gone for black, but a rather lovely, chrome-effect powder coat finish has been the most popular.
While the powder coaters work their magic - we use an excellent local small business who achieve outstanding results - we polish the nuts and bolts. It’s a thankless and time-consuming task removing years of corrosion and bringing them up to a bright finish.
We use the brake heat shield mounts and some aluminium angle brackets (from a batch of unused BAe 146 spares we acquired) to mount four, heavy duty, hidden castors to the underside, which makes the wheels a little bit easier to manoeuvre around the home.
Hub caps are like hen’s teeth. We rarely see the originals. We’ve typically turned aluminium discs to ‘fill the hole’, although on the handful of occasions we have had the originals, those are refurbed and refitted too, together with their wire-locked nuts.
Whatever we choose for the centre, it’s the ideal spot to record the aircraft’s registration or history.
With the peripherals refitted (nuts, valves, fusible plugs and balancing weights etc.) the glass top is the final touch. The wheel will comfortably support a top of up to 39”/1000mm diameter, or more but we’ve tended to cut them to the clients’ specific requirements. 3/8”/10mm toughened, low iron glass gives a great finish. If we have the original hub caps, they protrude above the rims and the glass has a centre hole.
We have, on occasion, fitted LED lights to the rim, or inside, depending on the clients’ preference.
We normally deliver the finished pieces ourselves. They’re very heavy, we’re not entirely comfortable handing them over to a courier and we actually really enjoy meeting our clients. Seeing our handiwork ‘in situ’ is always a bonus too.
We are, of course, left with the tyres. Some have been in remarkably good condition and, if they had the relevant paperwork, could almost certainly live on - we’re told a new one costs $6000. We pride ourselves on our ability to reimagine aeronautical components into new things, but even we struggle when it comes to massive tyres! If you want a huge planter or swing for your garden, or know a local rugby club who might enjoy dragging them around the training ground, then pay us a visit: we can’t ship them, they’re too big but they’re a lot less than $6000!
Our last two wheels are going to be quite special. To celebrate their centenary, British Airways painted three of their 747s in ‘retro’ colour schemes. G-BYGC wore the iconic BOAC scheme that adorned the first Jumbo to flag carrier’s fleet. Sadly, despite initial plans to preserve her, she was scrapped last year. We have acquired a pair of her wheels, unusually, complete with their hub caps.
If you’d like to have a little piece of aviation history enjoying a quieter retirement than during its service life, drop us a line….
This video clip shows the process for a previous client…
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