Doing a wheel on a lathe is certainly not the only way, or even the easiest way. Good wheels have been built — horizontally rather than vertically — by using a router on a trammel (pivot point). I built my 36-inch, eight-spoke wheel by cutting the circle — inside and outside — on a band saw. Fabricated a large bandsaw table with two pivot points, one for the outside diameter and one for the inside diameter. The pivot pin ran through the center of the hub. Had all parts dry-fitted and screwed together. As the saw band came to each spoke, I removed the spoke, sawed past that point, reinstalled the spoke and proceeded with the cut. How did I cut the inside circle? Took the dry-fitted wheel to a saw shop and had them weld a saw band INSIDE the circle. Took the whole works back to my shop, installed the band on the saw, cut the inside circle and then broke the band to remove it. Did finish detail on the inner and outer circle with a router. So there are at least three ways to do a wheel. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more.