I just picked up a '68 "wood grain wheel" with some cracks. looking at the best way to repair those cracks. The largest is about 3/16". Is a two part epoxy the way to go? I looked for info in Hemmings, but apparently no kits exist. Any info on how to match up the woodgrain? thanks.

 

And therein lies the rub.

Patching cracked plastic steering wheels is common using JB Weld or similar epoxy products. Eastwood sells a kit. After patching, the wheel is painted. You cannot match the woodgrain. Your two choices are to patch the wheel and paint it in faux wood grain or spend $700-up to have it re-cast by one of the steering wheel resto providers.

 

I emailed Eastwood for info on the woodgrain wheels after seeing an online article that they posted on steering wheel repair. I also found a couple of "how to" articles for the Vette woodgrain wheel, which is pretty much the same thing.

 

This may not be a perfect match repair, especially that you have a wide crack. Anyway, I'm a retired tile setter and stone mason. We use a stone patch material. What makes this nice, is there is a kit off colors to mix the color you need. It is a one part, just add the hardner. What is nice about it, you take what you need, or even more, and you blend the colors till you get what you want. Then you add the hardner, and if you have extra, you don;t add hardner, if you keep it in a closed container it will keep for awhile.After I repaired the wheel, I sprayed it with a clear gun repair coating for doing wood stocks. I did my son's 68 wheel.Not perfect, but a hole lot better than it was. The one problem is it will cost a few bucks, if you have to buy the color kit and the patch material. If you know a stone mason, maybe he will let you use his color kit?

 

Thanks 442Harv, I'll give it a look.

 

Here is a link to what I did. Sorry, but the pictures are no longer attached. The only think that I would have done different is first doped the epoxy with a light brown burnt wood then simply swirled (not mixed) the black carbon into it. I lightly mixed the black to give it an opaque appearence rather than simply black. Mix up some samples first to get the match. After a couple of years, it still looks like the day I did it.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ck-repair.html

 

Hmm, interesting.

 

Hey I just finished one and thanks to the pigment tip from mailbu406, I picked up a pigment kit from pc-7 ( pcepoxy) it worked well, I didn't have to paint the wheel and I think the results were pretty good, the whole process is in my restoration thread ( pages 5 and 6)

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ertible-5.html


but this is what i started with


before repair by thunderboat59, on Flickr


and finished beofre spraying it with a couple coats of clear..

steering wheel repair 006 by thunderboat59, on Flickr

any questions I'd be happy to share what I did..

 

Eddie,

Great job! The only problem is that you out did me.

As I wrote, I knew I should have experimented a little more to get the color match perfect. I noticed to gold too, but did not try and match it. Now I can take tips from you and dress up my repairs. Nice thing about this repair is that if you don't like it, you can do it again as many times as you like!

Rich

 

I have a very old magazine in which they redid a Shelby wood grain wheel. After fixing the cracks they put on wood stain using a sock. They did not stir the can before doing so, and I think they might have used the thick sludge from the bottom. Anyway it turned out great. Ill see if I can find the magazine tonight.

 

Wood would be easier to restore IMHO, as it is porous and really soak in the wood/putty/resin, you can bleach and stain wood. they make great paste filler stains which are just translucent and fill in little voids ( interlux brand). I would have loved to find a real wood wheel but the prices are incredible, ( remember when the first thing we did was pull the stock steering wheel off, and install a grant 3 spoke with the 3 holes and a diameter about the size of a saucer LOL)

Rich, I will find the brand of the gold flakes, I also think you need to add a little copper flakes too. Thanks for the compliment, but really that's what is so cool about this place we can all get ideas and improve techniques...

Wait till you see what i am going to try for a Horn cap renovation, I have an excellent oldsmobile one, but I am going to play with a used up corvette one I have to see how it comes out

 

You can ask for auto repair answers for another good idea. There are given tips about Steering wheel repair, Nice thing about this repair is that if you don't like it, you can do it again as many times as you like.