Early 1961 XKE. What is the correct method to use to
restore the steering wheel. The wood is good but has dried
and split.
Should I use epoxy to fill the gaps? Should I spray with
clear automotive finish or varnish or ??
Should I polish the metal?
Thanks in advance.
RMillar–
RMOly
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In reply to a message from RMOly sent Fri 30 Jan 2015:
It’s hard to give a definitive answer without see ing the wheel
, Personally I hate the replacement wood that is touted around
for E Types as they are too thick. E Type steering wheels had
slender and graceful rims , Mine at the time in the 60s had
the alloy polished.
There are good wood glues and fillers available . I’ve also
noticed that restorers often stain the wood too dark a shade .
and that’s not only steering wheels but also [ and worse ]
,dashboards and door cappings,. You could try asking a cabinet
maker/ French polisher for advice.
The original E types wheels had the wood in a quite light
honey colour.
I use modern 2 pack paints to restore the various black
steering wheels I find it is very durable and produces a good
finish . A similar procust in clear may be suitable for the
steering wheel.
Certainly shellac, which Jaguar used in the old days but may
or may not have used on E Types would not survive well if you
are in an area where UV is present.–
The original message included these comments:
restore the steering wheel. The wood is good but has dried
and split.
Should I use epoxy to fill the gaps? Should I spray with
clear automotive finish or varnish or ??
Should I polish the metal?
–
Ed Nantes SS
Melbourne, Australia
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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In reply to a message from RMOly sent Fri 30 Jan 2015:
When I restored the wheel on my 67 I sanded off the
original finish, then applied sanding sealer, then 4 coats
of Minwax polyurethane Spar Varnish. I let each coat dry
for 24 hours and sanded with 400 grit before applying the
next. It came out pretty good and looks original. I
polished the spokes. The wood was in good shape but you
can fill cracks with wood glue if needed.–
The original message included these comments:
Early 1961 XKE. What is the correct method to use to
restore the steering wheel. The wood is good but has dried
and split.
–
John Testrake 67 Etype 2+2, 74XJ12L rhd, 87 XJ12/700R4
St.Louis, United States
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