A wheelwright used a variety of woodworking tools to shape hardwoods into everything from tool handles to wagon parts, in precision, labor-intensive work that relied on templates to create duplicate pieces such as wheel spokes. The work began with hardwood from the local forest, with ash or hickory commonly used for tool handles because their long grains made them flexible under pressure, and oak used for wagons because it was strong, rot-resistant, and could be heat-bent when soaked in water; the intended shape of the finished piece determined its general size and thickness. A shaving horse allowed the worker to use both hands to shave wood while a foot pedal held the piece firmly in place. The wheelwright used many custom tools, and the shop had to be organized and dry because moisture on iron parts caused rust and could mold or rot wooden handles. In making a wagon, a foot-operated treadle lathe could form the barrel of the hub, gouges and chisels cut the spoke holes, a hand auger or brace and bit drill bored the center, draw knives shaved and shaped each spoke, and hand planes shaved down flat boards. Sharp tools were essential because dull ones were inefficient and could injure workers; small tools were sharpened with hand-held whetstones and larger cutting edges with hand-crank sharpening wheels. The wheelwright and blacksmith worked together piece by piece to assemble the custom parts of a wagon, and neither could do the work without the other.