Making a steering wheel

Some of you folks know that I live near Mike Lempert, a maker of restoration and custom wood steering wheels. Check out his website at www.lempertwheels.com. Mike helped me make the wooden trim on the top of my doors (see pics), for which I've gotten a lot of compliments. Well, for the last couple of weekends, I've ben acting as an apprentice while we make a steering wheel to match the door trim, complete with matching sapele mahogany and aluminum rivets. Last weekend we followed his process of cutting the wood into strips and gluing it into a round form. I got back over there today and we shaped the rough glued wheel into a smooth circle, and then cut it in half so that there is one piece on each side of the metal center that includes the spokes. We then routed some (not all) of the round edges onto the wheel. That's all we can do until we get the center metal part back from the polisher. It's really an interesting process. I'll post again when we do the next bit. Maybe I'll remember to take my camera next time.

Sounds very cool.

Lane... this I want to see, please do post pics and a detailed description as you go along . ~Alan

Lane.
Your door trim is beautiful and I'd like to do the same. What type of wood and stain did you use? I have the standard VS Nardi wheel.
Troy

The wood is sapele mahogany, like the wheel we're making. It is a bit more golden and less red than the Nardi. It also is a bit more golden and less red than the sapele mahogany on the wheel we're making :-(. Oh well, no two boards can be expected to match unless they come from the same tree.

The finish was something called "Waterlox" that Mike tells me is available from Ace Hardware or Wood Crafters. That really is just a sealer that brings out the natural color of the wood. There is no stain involved. I rubbed on three coats of that. I honestly cannot remember if I glued the aluminum rivets in and sanded them down before or after the Waterlox, but I think it was before. On top of that, and over the rivets, I brushed on two coats of HybriVar, which is similar to polyurethane, but leaves a more natural, less plasticy feeling surface. Finally, I added the billet aluminum ferrules that I got from Carey Hines.

They are mounted by three screws that are behind some of the rivets. I had to reach up in the doors to put nuts on the screws. The final finishing was done after they were mounted. Removing them, should I ever have to do so, will be a little difficult, but not impossible.

Lane - I have an order in for a Derrington. Maybe you are working on it, however, I think Carey has a big back log, so I'm not looking for it real soon. Anyway, post those pictures.

I can guarantee I'm not working on yours ;-) This one's MINE!

I know Mike had quite a backlog for a while, largely due to supply problems with the manufacturer of his aluminum center sections. That seems to have been resolved, so he's working through the backlog.

I'll post pics as soon as I get back over there. It may be a bit of a wait to get yours, but you will be very pleased when you see it.

Thanks Lane. After seeing your door trim, I'm considering doing the lower part of my dash in wood as well. I wonder if anyone else out there has done that???
Troy

Lane - No hurry on mine. Mike is a real standup guy. He sent me a loaner for Morro. It just didn't make it by a day. I've got it on now, but I like the look of the Derrington with the rivets.

Troy: Rather than do the whole bottom part, what about continuing the door top trim around the dash in place of the usual roll of padding? I know VS doesn't usually put that on its cars, but look at mine, or some others and see what I mean. If that were replaced with the same wood, including rivets, you'd have a real nautical theme going - assuming you're into that. I actually thought that a custom Speedy would look good with the wood as I described, but with the top of the dash in body color paint, and the bottom of it upholstered like the doors. Just a thought.

Warren: Yeah, he's a good guy. It's a small operation (him and one helper), and I think his prices have brought in more business than he expected. Coupled with one flaky supplier, and he fell behind.

Funny you would mention a "nautical theme" Lane. I can't tell you how many times it has crossed my mind as I am out driving that this must be what it's like to be crusing on the lake in a vintage Chris Craft. Exactly the same kind of classic beauty.
I'll give your suggestion some thought, but, at least at the moment, I think I'm leaning more toward my lower dash idea. Also, I'm no wood worker, so I doubt that I would take on the rivet idea. In fact the last wood working I did, was in the 9th grade 40+ years ago when I made a skateboard in woodshop. I had to claim it was a breadboard because we weren't allowed to make skateboards!
Troy

I did a wood dash in my 911. Looked great and easy to do with some nice oak veneer and some contact cement. Wish I had taken some pictures before I sold it.

UPDATE: Ok guys, the wheel is almost finished. I went over to Mike's place today and he'd glued the wheel halves onto the aluminum center. We shaped the wheel inside, removed the excess outer wood and shaped the outside, put in the rivets and the finger indents, and put on the first coat of Waterlox sealer. I took a bunch of photos and will add them in a moment. All that's left is another coat or two of sealer, the varnish, and drilling of the holes in the spokes. This last may take place after I put the wheel on as he needs to replace a bearing in his drill press.

1. Mike (ok, guys, lean your heads) holding the recently glued wheel

2. The raw wheel after routing the inner edge

3. Removing excess wood on the outer edge

1. Me, using a belt sander to take the wood down to the edge of the metal center

2. Routing the outer edge

3. Some hand work on the spokes

1. Shaping on the lathe. Notice the dandy see-through spokes (musta picked a fast shutter speed)

2. Marking where the rivets will go

3. Routed finger indents

1. Smoothing the indents

2. Finished wheel with no, um, finish on it

3. With the first coat of Waterlox. Gotta dry now

That is just too cool!

Now THAT'S what you call a CUSTOM wheel!!

FINI!! (sort of)

We put the wheel on today, and I think it's gorgeous. I say "sort of" because it was supposed to have drilled spokes, but a bearing went bad on Mike's drill press and he's afraid the holes would be wonky. He'll add them after he replaces the bearing - assuming I want them. Right now I'm thinking I like just the way it is. Votes?

CRAP! I guess my "membership" has expired (a reminder would be nice). I'll re-donate and add pics.

Remember Lane, I'm the Vulture sitting here waiting........I love that wheel.......

Look great Lane. Can't wait to get mine.

Hey, Leon, expect to wait a while. ;-) I'd recommend getting one from Mike yourself.

Here are the pictures. In one of them you can see the new seat belts, as well.

Lane---congratulations----beautiful steering wheel!! The belts are primo as well and really look good in your car!---Jack

Damn, Lane....that thing looks NICE!

Great in-process photos, too.

I especially like that one of the singer, James Taylor, working at the belt sander.

;>)

Hey James, where's them safety glasses?

Lane very nice man.. forget the drill i love the wheel just as is. Totally bicthing man.. LOL..

Speedster "D"

Wish I could sing like James Taylor. Or anyone, for that matter.

As long as you don't wish that you could ACT like him!

I watched Two Lane Blacktop for the millionth time last weekend . . .

Lane,
Any chance Mike would make up sets of the door trim if we got enough orders?

Lane, that's beautiful. Don't bother with the holes.

Gerry - I dunno, but I'll certainly ask him. One problem is that the dimensions are likely to differ between manufacturers. When I made mine, It was all measured for a Beck. Not sure how it'd fit a different brand. I can certainly check, though.

Cory - Thank's, C-dawg. I've decided the same thing.

Whoa! Just looked closely at the final pics of the wheel . . . SENSATIONAL !
Don't put the holes in the spokes, WAY to common and makes a new wheel look like a repro. Right now it's got that wonderful look that the wheels used in the early Jag race cars and vintage off shore racing boats had.

PISSA ! ! ! ! ! !

Well Lane.....Everyone, me included, says forget the holes......So if you are not going to use them, send them to me.....They will be added
to the parts already collected for the new project......Guess who can't locate the body moulds of choice......