Restoring steering wheel from broken pieces.

[Model "A" Fords]

This is not a "how to" but how I did it story.

I restored a couple 1930 Model A Ford steering wheels using broken pieces from original wheels. The pieces were reduced to powder by feeding them into a bench grinding wheel after first cleaning the area of debris. The clean powder was collected for use in the repairs.

Next the wheel to be restored was prepared by using a die grinder to cut the cracked area out and leave a clean surface for bonding. A few drops of Crazy glue gel was put in the prepared spot and the powder was sprinkled on top and pressed in. After the glue set the remaining powder was brushed off and more glue was added, sprinkled with more powder, pressed in and repeated until the area was higher than the surrounding surface. Now the surplus hard resin was reduced to the correct height and shape using files, die grinder or other abrasives to blend with original. Once the shaping was finished the surface was smoothed using fine sandpaper then the whole wheel surface was blended with Scotch Bright. This made it look like the original dull finish

I was pleased to hear when some people thought I tricked them using an original perfect wheel. If that were the case it would have saved a lot of time. All was great until someone pointed out that this hub had a spline and I needed a keyway hub. Lots was learned and another wheel would have to be restored for my car.

With all this fine new experiences the original wheel from my car was chosen for the next project. This one had less than half the resin left on it but with my beautiful test piece behind me I got started. I prepared the wheel and started the gluing and powder pressing routine. It went good to start with until doing too much at a time the Crazy glue overheated and had to be removed and redone. It turned out better to do small areas at a time and work in spots away from the fresh ones.

I soon realized that one glue package didn't go far so I bought a half a dozen packs next time. It turned out to be a lot of next times and once finished about two hundred dollars was spent on glue and a few months used up. Well it turned out beautiful and now ready for fine point judging without even putting any extra coatings or finishes on.

During my restoration I dropped the wheel two feet from my work area onto the concreate floor. You can imagine the shock and disbelief of this impromptu test while watching it bounce a few times before being able to grasp it with one hand. I just cringed to think of starting fresh. To my amazement there was nothing wrong with it. Even after finishing it I dropped it again. I was so amazed that I banged it a few more times just to see if it was real and all was good!
When the restoration was finished I became aware that "Crazy" was printed in front of "glue" and probably was referring to myself. I now know why people paint the wheel and sprinkle a bit graphite for the look and feel!

There is a lot of information here on the Ford Barn. Before starting work read some of the this great info and you could possibly save on some heart breaking work.

[shew01]

That’s an interesting story. Thanks for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Marshall V. Daut]

"During my restoration I dropped the wheel two feet from my work area onto the concrete floor....Even after finishing it, I dropped it again."

Dear, "Model A Fords" -
Remind me not to invite you over to our house to help wash china dishware.
Marshall
P.S. Great job restoring those steering wheels! It shows true dedication to doing a job properly instead of taking shortcuts. Quality workmanship always shows!

[Joe K]

I have restored a "pretty degraded wheel" which included not only cracks and pieces missing from the rim, but also segments on the spokes, to include a completely absent spoke cover.

I started on the spoke doing a sort of "roughing up" using a die grinder and a flap wheel.
The wheel kind of "caught" the edges of the existing black and perhaps "faired" them in to make a sort of "transition" for the new coating.

Then layer upon layer of epoxy - you know the sort that comes in a tube with a "binary" nozzle. The epoxy was measured out onto a glass plate, and then before and during setting, applied to the spoke.

This actually worked pretty well. Further work on missing segments of the rim were successful also, but there I didn't do the extensive "roughing up" done on the spoke, rather counting on the adjoining black cover for attachment.

Cracks I grooved out with a "thin wheel" hand held grinder longitudinally, but then filled with the epoxy.

A curious discovery: after an hour or two, the epoxy in each case would be "largely set" - but not completely. Sanding the wheel with first 150 grit paper would "transfer" black from the original wheel INTO the epoxy. After a full set of a day and then sanding with 300 grit, the repairs on the rim virtually disappeared. It became difficult to see where I had repaired the rim and the original surface.

The spoke meanwhile was "coming along" and there since there wasn't a lot of "adjoining" original wheel, the epoxy retained more of the "epoxy appearance."

So in the end, to "level" the coloring, I elected to paint the wheel with several coats of satin black spray lacquer. Each coat dried VERY thin, but hard.

The wheel, restored has been retained among my "spares."

But imagine my disappointment in finding that there is a "loose something" inside the tubular rim of the steering wheel. Turning the wheel as it might be used in a car, one can "detect" this sound.

So - CHECK your wheel first before restoration for potential LOOSE PIECES inside.

It may be a reason to find another specimen for restoration.

Joe K

[Marshall V. Daut]

"But imagine my disappointment in finding that there is a "loose something" inside the tubular rim of the steering wheel. Turning the wheel as it might be used in a car, one can "detect" this sound."

If you can hear a tinkling sound inside the steering wheel rim while the engine is running and you are driving down the road, you have my vote for owning the quietest Model A in the history of the world!
Marshall

[Model "A" Fords]

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Originally Posted by shew01

ThatÂ’s an interesting story. Thanks for sharing.

shew01,thankyou.

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

"During my restoration I dropped the wheel two feet from my work area onto the concrete floor....Even after finishing it, I dropped it again."

Dear, "Model A Fords" -
Remind me not to invite you over to our house to help wash china dishware.
Marshall

P.S. Great job restoring those steering wheels! It shows true dedication to doing a job properly instead of taking shortcuts. Quality workmanship always shows!

Marshall, my wife heard something go bump in the night. Since then I don't do dishes.

P.S. thanks' for the kind words.

Originally Posted by Joe K

I have restored a "pretty degraded wheel" which included not only cracks and pieces missing from the rim, but also segments on the spokes, to include a completely absent spoke cover.


Joe K

Joe K, Nice steering wheel project! Congratulations on your restoration. Sounds like you had your own share of fun.

Regarding the rattle, you can drill a hole into the tube for a syringe to inject epoxy. Rotate the wheel so the piece picks up some glue. The epoxy will hold the piece once cured, then repair the hole same as the other repairs.

A friend glued some wood using five minute epoxy. It didn't cure so I suggested going closer to the heat as it was a little cool. Again no cure so he started fresh. No better!
I offered to help and he asked what I was doing? I said mixing the glue. He said according to directions the nozzle already does that. I said this nozzle only dispenses the resin and hardener in the correct ratio but still needs mixing. Once the epoxy cured he cracked a smile.

[JoeCB]

Model A Fords, thanks for posting, creative technique... very informative.

Joe B

[Jdee]

Not A ford but A buddy of mine asked me to fix this wheel for him. I guess a new garden hose and tape I did kind of fix though. Just funny he said it was rough.

[ronn]

I enjoyed reading this thread and it is interesting to see the enjoyment you get from your work.




for me, going to a swap, having a hotdog, and negotiating on a better wheel is what I enjoy.
the best part of this hobby is there is no right or wrong way- just the way you choose.

[rotorwrench]

I use the PC-7 epoxy resin since it's a thick type of resin that can be sculpted to a certain degree. After mixing is can be applied to the surface with an artist's palette knife and then smoothed and spread by wetting the palette knife in denatured alcohol. Other tools can be used in the spreading and shaping process as long as the denatured alcohol doesn't affect them. They have to be smooth surface tools. Work time is up to an hour after mixing which is enough time to do quite a bit of surface before stopping and letting it cure. The dark gray color matched the color of my original Triumph 1800 roadster steering wheel so I didn't have to paint it.

On a black steering wheel, I've used a black epoxy paint with a flattening agent added to give it the original look of an old hard rubber steering wheel. The paint is what I use to refinish main rotor blades on helicopters so it lasts a long time as long as it's properly cured.

[Gene F]

I hear you can use bowling ball repair kit for cracks, and get nice results with a little handwork. Seems logical.

[rotorwrench]

A lot of the modern bowling balls are made from polyester resin and other materials for the core. An old friend of mine, now deceased, worked for Columbia Industries here in San Antonio for a long time keeping their equipment going. They used some special machines to cast, machine, and finish those things. They are actually pretty complicated to make. I think I would chunk it if it cracked. If that outer shell cracks, it may change the performance of the ball which might be OK and it might not.

[Jdee]

The PC-7 epoxy does work really nice. I have done about a dozen Packard wheels using it. Also, some of the Bumpe repair epoxies work well I don't have the name of what I used for it though. Still have some at the shop I'll have to find it.
The Unimog wheel with the garden hose on it, I ended up 3d printing a shell to put on it. recasting would be too much of a pain.
Thanks for the how I did it story Fun stuff.

[SAJ]

Great methods. For black bakelite and steering wheel repairs I take a 1 to 1 epoxy (polyamide type hardener and resin), mix in a pinch of black iron oxide powder as used to colour cement (Bayer 318M or 318 in my case but any meant for concrete from the hardware store will do). Some talc powder to thicken if necessary. Baby powder will do, but talcfrom a ships Chandlers shop or fibreglass Composites supply shop is very cheap.
This will be a 24 hour cure at room temperature and cure glossy unless you use enough black oxide to both thicken and make it matt. It will not then be so tough, so I prefer to sand the gloss away to match the surrounding material.
Apologies for lots of specific detail, but then that's my job. My factories make and supply fibreglass resins and fillers etc in New Zealand, and I am not sure how easily this stuff is available in the USA.
Distributor bodies and caps, junction boxes, horn buttons etc can be invisibly repaired like this. If carbon tracks cause shorts in distributors, just grind it out and replace as above.
SAJ in NZ

[rackops]

Has anyone tried this with the red Fordite wheel? My steering wheel isn't horrible, but it's also not awesome. I'd like to restore it, but at the same time, don't know if it's worth the effort over just buying a reproduction.

[Model "A" Fords]

PC-7 for rotorwrench and jdee, SAJ black iron oxide for color and Joe K color transfer from sanding with epoxy that was uncured.

This got me thinking about rackops red wheel. Could it be repaired with PC-7 and sanded until matching surrounding surface. Next coat with a thin layer of epoxy. While still tacky press powder made from original material into the epoxy and let cure. Sand.

Extra original material can be had from some ones scrap wheel.

[rotorwrench]

The red steering wheels were made from a form of bakelite which is made with phenol and formaldehyde resin. The color comes from the microballoons that were mixed in to give more body and make it a solid color with no opaque qualities to it. I'm not sure what that filler was used in them but all sorts of materials from glass to asbestos fibers were used as well as others. Most of Henry Fords experimentation with soy bean fiber came later but it could have been used as a filler as well. Hard rubber replaced the bakelite in early 1929.

A person could match the red oxide color for these wheels and just paint them but I wouldn't recommend grinding that old red bakelite without a mask.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Here is a very detailed repair method offered by a very knowledgeable former contributor to this website:
https://mail1.mediacombb.net/service...=864715&part=2

Marshall

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

Here is a very detailed repair method offered by a very knowledgeable former contributor to this website:
https://mail1.mediacombb.net/service...=864715&part=2

Marshall

Marshall, the link does not work for me. Maybe others??

[McMimmcs]

Originally Posted by Model "A" Fords

This is not a "how to" but how I did it story.

I restored a couple 1930 Model A Ford steering wheels using broken pieces from original wheels. The pieces were reduced to powder by feeding them into a bench grinding wheel after first cleaning the area of debris. The clean powder was collected for use in the repairs.

Next the wheel to be restored was prepared by using a die grinder to cut the cracked area out and leave a clean surface for bonding. A few drops of Crazy glue gel was put in the prepared spot and the powder was sprinkled on top and pressed in. After the glue set the remaining powder was brushed off and more glue was added, sprinkled with more powder, pressed in and repeated until the area was higher than the surrounding surface. Now the surplus hard resin was reduced to the correct height and shape using files, die grinder or other abrasives to blend with original. Once the shaping was finished the surface was smoothed using fine sandpaper then the whole wheel surface was blended with Scotch Bright. This made it look like the original dull finish

I was pleased to hear when some people thought I tricked them using an original perfect wheel. If that were the case it would have saved a lot of time. All was great until someone pointed out that this hub had a spline and I needed a keyway hub. Lots was learned and another wheel would have to be restored for my car.

With all this fine new experiences the original wheel from my car was chosen for the next project. This one had less than half the resin left on it but with my beautiful test piece behind me I got started. I prepared the wheel and started the gluing and powder pressing routine. It went good to start with until doing too much at a time the Crazy glue overheated and had to be removed and redone. It turned out better to do small areas at a time and work in spots away from the fresh ones.

I soon realized that one glue package didn't go far so I bought a half a dozen packs next time. It turned out to be a lot of next times and once finished about two hundred dollars was spent on glue and a few months used up. Well it turned out beautiful and now ready for fine point judging without even putting any extra coatings or finishes on.

During my restoration I dropped the wheel two feet from my work area onto the concreate floor. You can imagine the shock and disbelief of this impromptu test while watching it bounce a few times before being able to grasp it with one hand. I just cringed to think of starting fresh. To my amazement there was nothing wrong with it. Even after finishing it I dropped it again. I was so amazed that I banged it a few more times just to see if it was real and all was good!
When the restoration was finished I became aware that "Crazy" was printed in front of "glue" and probably was referring to myself. I now know why people paint the wheel and sprinkle a bit graphite for the look and feel!

There is a lot of information here on the Ford Barn. Before starting work read some of the this great info and you could possibly save on some heart breaking work.

Can you post a before and after picture ?