Steering column broke in half

[Lona]

The steering column in my '31 roadster broke in half today. Attached is a photo (if I can get it to load). The break is near the firewall at an old weld on the column done by a previous owner and I don't know why it was cut then. Since We have several shows coming up, I would like to remove the column only and weld on an overlapping sleeve for a temp fix until another column can be located.

Les Andrews book only shows removal of the whole steering assembly including the steering box. It looks like the column detaches from the steering box but can anyone help me with how to remove the column itself without the whole assembly? Will the column come out if I detach the steering wheel and slide the column up and out?

Also, since the outer column appears to only be a cover for the steering rod and lighting/horn wiring, would it be safe to drive it with the broken column until I can make a permanent fix?

Glen