Steering wheel restoration

[rolando38]

Hello

Today I decided to tackle the restoration of my 16" S2 steering wheel, original but looking a bit sorry:



front surface badly used:



usual cracks above the 2 horizontal branches , making the top half of the wheel too "flexible"





I could have simply replaced it by a new one but I don't like the idea of parting the car with its original parts and second I was interested in the remanufacturing, so I purchased 2 halves of mahogany from a reputed UK craftsman



the interior of one one the halves is grooved


the opening is slightly too small, will need soe adjustment



some of the bits come easily , but generally the wood has been very well



with the use of a chisel, I snapped off wood chips



I also used a plane to remove the thicker wood parts left; needs some re-sharpening but as the metal is aluminium, still a soft material



and that's what left of it on one side...



and on the other side...



insertion into the grooved half



and the second



the "holes " for the fingers (round) are slightly different from original (oval)



next step is to glue the parts together; I wil probably 1st glue the grooved half to the aluminium and the the second wooden half

haveto find the right glue, though
any previous tests ?

[abowie]

I use Araldite (epoxy) and glue both halves on at the same time.

You will need to clamp the 2 halves together.

[rolando38]

thanks !
I ordered the same epoxy resin used by Chris
not so easy to find in France, though

[rolando38]

Restoration of the wheel part 2

don't forget to mask the aluminium parts close to the wood
and prepare alcohol for cleaning of the resin in excess



there cannot be exactly the exact amount of resin , and if there isn't enough there will be holes or worse ; therefoe you need to have excess



you also need to align transversally the 2 halves



tomorrow I will release the clamps and try to "turn" the whel on a drill (as if it was a lathe) with a central wooden shaft

[rolando38]

after removal of the G clamps



more extr resin than expected





after 45 minutes of grinding wiith Dremmel


still some more sanding needed...

[andrewh]

very interesting. you prompted me to do the same with my spare wheel but its going to be wall hanging ! I am concentrating on the alloy at the moment. Its not bad , no scratched but little marks from slight corrosion which don't want to come out with the cutting paste so i think I am going to have to do the sanding, which slightly horrifies me but I am sure it will come back eventually.

[wilde]

Here is what I have done with a second steering wheel found in a junkyard. Black epoxy and wood restored by a local cabinetmaker ! I found the idea when I saw the second Lindner Nocker made by CMC.





Off topic, it's really funny, we never met, but I already know two of the topic's contributors. Rolando38 on the Facel Vega forum and Andrew about DB4 GT, when I have made the entire register. Same guys at the places!