I was dumb enough to use JB weld on my 39 banjo wheel...v'd the cracks and put a ton-o-work into it. Painted it and stored it in the attic all summer...WRONG!!!! When I retrieved it next fall, it was all cracked again. Sold it at the next swap meet!
I’ve fixed and painted 3. Used pc7, used fiberglass body filler, and used a “special” 2 part steering wheel repair stuff. All of them had cracks reappear later with use. There’s a guy on Facebook that does wheel repair and it looks real nice when done. Apparently he covers the whole wheel in carbon fiber cloth saturated with resin so the wheel stays nice. My buddy follows him on FB and purchased some of the materials, but hasn’t fixed his banjo wheel yet.
read the descriptions to make sure you know what you're buying https://www.amazon.com/PC-Products-PC-Universal-Performance-Adhesive/dp/B0815KTCKR https://www.homedepot.com/p/PC-Products-PC-7-1-2-lb-Paste-Epoxy-087770/100649631
Checked out his site, looks like good work. Have you used his services? I’ve got a 1939 Ford banjo that I want redone for my roadster. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Not yet, but that is where I'm going to send my 41 Caddy wheel to have shrunk down on the diameter and then recast. I believe his work quality, speaks volumes just by looking at the numerous examples on his website!
Cellulose Acetate was the material choice for steering wheels for the most part of the 30s and 40s (not sure about 50s). In modern times, urethane is the choice material that will be more robust than before. Cellulose acetate is an organic polymer...ever notice that stench original wheels leave behind? It shrinks thus creating splitting and cracking. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
I posted earlier about Bondic which came up in a pop-up ad. I went to Canadian Tire and bought it. I filed the cracks in my steering wheel and this stuff is amazing. The applicator lets out a tiny bead; just perfect for filling the cracks without gobs of stuff everywhere. It sands well. It dries clear so I'm thinking that it could even be a credible repair for those late fifties Mopars with the obolong steering wheels with clear sections in the rim. Home Depot had a lower price but with social distancing, I didn't feel like going clear across town.
I used PC7 (from NAPA) on several 50s and 60s wheels with good results. My 64 F100 has 20,000 miles in the last 6 years and still no cracks returned. It has been in cold weather and scorching heat as well.
All the layers of flake and clear may help a bit (UV protection). I did want to mention you want to use high quality paint products, I see a lot of guys on here that use cheap stuff. You definitely get what you pay for. This was done with ALL House of Kolor products including the dry flakes and primer.
Yeah nice work but id say beware as ive been waiting over 2 years now for my steering wheel after putting down a down payment. Contacted him twice now about it and keep getting the same "ive been wondering if you still want to go with the same color" and "well ill finish it now" run around. So lets see maybe ill get it this year... Ive been using the pc7 stuff that i got through eastwood. I love it so far. It shapes real nice and is pretty easy to push into the cracks. Takes about 24 hours to dry unless you have access to a paint booth and can bake it in between.
I just don't understand this. Over the years, we've had this same story on magnetos, license plates, sheet metal, carbs, wheels and I've personally been waiting on a Model A roll pan for like 3 years. Is there something about being a great craftsman/artist that precludes being any kind of small businessperson? Yeah, I get the idea that these are usually folks not really in a business but doing work on the side. Fine. I also get that health,family,life gets in the way sometimes. But these folks are taking money, making excuses, making promises they can't or don't intend to keep. Isn't this just plain lying? How can being a great craftsperson turn you into being a bad person?
Who knows. I personally do some work for people on the side but the deal that i say is that you dont take on more then you can handle. Seems with this one, he constantly takes stuff in while people are still waiting. I know im not the only one, as there are others that are also waiting on their steering wheel. At the end of the day, if i dont have my steering wheel in the next 6 months, ill just see if i can get a refund and get on with my life. Anyway i dont want to side track this thread anymore, just want to warn the op or others reading this that there is a possibility of waiting forever on your stuff from this guy...
I've used PC7 as well with very good results but this is also my suggestion, you need to grind the crack out all the way down to the steel inner ring in a 90 degree angle V so the filler penetrates all the way down to the bottom. Also, I think a lot of cracks form because the plastic is shrinking with age, so even the best repair job is going to crack again as the remaining original plastic shrinks down. The ones I've done probably held up well because they're out of direct heat and sunlight most of the time. Wisconsin climate makes that easier. I might try this, I've got a Pontiac wheel and several Mopar wheels with the clear sections and I'd like to try to fill in some gaps as best as I can without actually removing anything. I wonder if it can be tinted, the clear sections in my Pontiac wheel are gold and one of my Imperial wheels is green.
i would think a lot of wheels crack from guys pulling themselves into and out of the cab.after you have v eed the cracks drill some dimples into the V to give the filler some extra bite.i did my best to get my truck wheel perfect,now i have some little cracks but ive learned to live with it.put it down to wear and tear.
I finally bugged him enough to finally receive it after a 2 1/2 year wait. But it still came with lots of excuses and what not. I ended up doing one myself with pc7 and much happier...
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