Varnish for series 1 steering wheel

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 8:53 am

Hi the steering wheel is in great condition , but my dad has stripped the varnish off as it was worn my question is what varnish colour / make should I use to get it back to original ,
Thanking you in advance Jim

Simonpfhc · Post by **Simonpfhc** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 10:32 am

Hi Jim,

Can't remember who posted this originally, but I save this as it will probably be the method I will follow:

Chris : when I refinished my steering wheel my neighbour, who served his time as a cabinet maker, urged me not to varnish it ( which he quite correctly stated tends to feel sticky in hot weather ) but having stripped the old varnish off , to use colron finishing wax applied with 000 or 0000 wire wool. This produces a wonderful, non-sticky, soft sheen which is easily refurbishable, but in 3 + years I have not needed to do anything with it. I really can recommend this.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 12:32 pm

It was I who did the original post about finishing wax, and I stand by it some years and about 6000 miles later . If the varnish is already gone, you are more than half way there !

Simonpfhc · Post by **Simonpfhc** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:22 pm

Thanks Christopher - sorry I didn't remember it was you ;-( But glad to hear that it is definitely a proven method ;-)

Cheers.

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 4:37 pm

Cheers for that will give it a go :D

Simonpfhc · Post by **Simonpfhc** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 5:59 pm

Jim,

Some before and after pictures would be extremely helpful ;-)

Cheers.

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 5:09 pm

Ok will try and sort it this week :D

Post by **Heuer** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 5:18 pm

Here is mine before:

And after:

No stain just lacquer.

JimH · Post by **JimH** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 6:57 pm

Me is liking muchly

Post by **Heuer** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:17 pm

Not my work - http://www.steeringwheelrestoration.co.uk/ Cost was ?195 and they collected and delivered back within a week. The finish is the same as used on grand pianos with a finish like glass. Superb touch to the fingers and it is a joy to hold. Unfortunately it is a two pack specialist finish and not suitable for home use as it hardens within seconds of leaving the spray gun.

Simonpfhc · Post by **Simonpfhc** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 9:37 pm

Beautiful David. I presume they refurb the whole wheel and not just the wood? And how does it feel when it gets hot in sunlight? Any stickiness??

Cheers.

Post by **Heuer** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 11:23 pm

Whole wheel is refurbished - cracks fixed. gaps filled, alloy polished, finish sprayed on. No stickiness regardless of temperature, it just slides through your hands and the varnish is so hard it strengthens the wheel. I have an original finish Coventry Timber Bending Co wheel on my OTS and they both feel and look exactly the same.

Simonpfhc · Post by **Simonpfhc** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:34 am

That does sound like a great job. Think I will make enquiries.

Cheers.

SEJohnson95 · Post by **SEJohnson95** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:04 am

Heuer wrote:I have an original finish Coventry Timber Bending Co wheel on my OTS and they both feel and look exactly the same.

Does that mean you came to the conclusion that CTBC make all of the wheels for Jaguar? I remember you saying on the factory fit thread that "The first steering wheels were made by the Coventry Timber Bending Company Ltd (who made the D-Type steering wheels) as part #C15168 and fitted until about October 1962. From late 1962 the cars had the grooved mahogany steering wheel part #C20267 which continued through 4.2 production Contrary to popular perception these were not made OEM by Moto-Lita - I have yet to find out who actually made them for Jaguar"
or am I missing the obvious and you have just installed the refurbished one in your OTS?

Post by **Heuer** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:20 am

The refurbished CTB wheel/horn push is original to my FHC although the previous owner saw no value in it and it was hung on his garage wall. He had fitted a repro wheel and horn push but I asked for the ornamental gem as part of the deal. The CTB wheel I have on my OTS came off an OBL car as the owner wanted a Moto-Lita with studs or some such. It is one of the very early ones which seem to have been more blonde in colour than the later ones and absolutely gorgeous to feed through your hands. The later mahogany grooved wheel feels distinctly clumsy by comparison.

If you look at period pictures of the D-Type?s and the early E-Type?s you will see the wheels are all very light in colour and they were made from selected veneers to give that iconic look ? it was what CTB Ltd were known for, a high quality bespoke product. As Jaguar demanded more wheels the cost, time and supply constraints would have prevented the CTB craftsmen from selecting the veneers they would like to use. The company could not cope and which is why Jaguar later decided to change production technique/manufacturer to be guaranteed supply, quality and lower cost. My observations suggest the iconic ?blonde? beech wheel was only seen on the very early cars (maybe the first 500?) after that it was pot luck what you got. With increasing demand CTB took whatever bulk supplies of beech they could get their hands on and colour selection went out of the window. My May 1962 FHC wheel, whilst beautiful in its own right, is much darker than my early 1961 wheel which is exactly the same as pictured on the E-Type brochure cover.

The steering wheel is your main contact with the car and defines its character so it really is worth getting it right. People spend ?1,000+ on a set of wire wheels but baulk at the idea of spending ?200 on restoring the steering wheel. Ditto the original horn push. Incidentally the reproduction steering wheel I took off my FHC was actually a thing of beauty. A replica CTB Ltd wheel with slightly thicker alloy and a chunkier rim. I sold it to ChrisC and he was delighted with it. Took me a while but I tracked the supplier down. It is offered by SNGB as #C15168R 'special order' at ~?250 but manufactured by Steering Wheel Restorations I believe. It is an absolutely gorgeous re-creation despite the fact the rim is synthetic wood finished with the same hard piano lacquer they use for their restorations. It has zero flex as a result and, again, a delight to use. Worth getting one for everyday use and put the later mahogany one on the wall!

This is what the reproduction looked like before I replaced it:

This is the original restored CTB wheel now on my FHC :

This is the original unrestored CTB Ltd wheel on my OTS:

Jaguar Johnny · Post by **Jaguar Johnny** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 12:10 pm

very timely posts Gentlemen all,

I'm in the throws of doing the same work ( metal upgrade/cleaning and wood rim trim )

I'll going to source and try the Colron option on an odd piece of wood and see the results prior to application on the wheel / then the varnish option...have to say I'm happier in working "wood" as opposed to "metal"

in the interim though, many thanks for all this debate...very useful

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 9:36 pm

just sharing info on Coventry Timber Bending Co found on http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Timber_Bending_Co

"Coventry Timber Bending Co Ltd, Swallow Road, Holbrook Lane, Coventry, and later of Bodmin road, Walsgrave, Coventry.

Manufacturers of laminated and solid woodwork for cars and boats. Manufactured wood rim steering wheels for Jaguar, MG and Austin Healey.

1938 Established. Directors: H. E. Newsum and L. G. Hains
1954 Produced 100 D-Type Jaguar steering wheels
1961 Produced 7,500 iconic E-Type Jaguar steering wheels
1963 Lost contract to supply E-Type Jaguar steering wheel to others
1984 Insolvent and wound up"

Jonny XKE · Post by **Jonny XKE** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:46 pm

My wheel isn't varnished. I would prefer a varnish finish to it. Any recommendations on what I should use?

oldak · Post by **oldak** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:11 am

Just two points- First I always use a satin finish on wood. When you look at a gloss finish you see yourself. When you look at a satin finish you see the wood grain. Second, I use a gel urethane that I wipe on and then wipe off. I do this six times to build up a nice finish.

Post by **Heuer** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:31 am

Have a look at Osmo products. https://www.osmouk.com/

They do an oil which dries to a satin finish.

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