String wrapping a steering wheel

Since this thread is still the top hit when you Google "string wrap steering wheel" I figured I'd resurrect it...I recently found it when trying to figure out just what to do with the spokes when I was wrapping the steering wheel of my CJ7.

I used 50' of 3/16" nylon rope, and had plenty to spare. I probably should have gone 1/4" as my main goal was thickening the wheel. If you want to try the technique found in that big four-spoke classic wheel, I think it uses 1/8" (or even thinner). 3/16" was way too thick to go that route.

The start is straightforward: Tie the string to the bottom spoke with plenty of slack, and start wrapping it around the wheel. As I went, I would go back and twist until the string was so tight I couldn't twist it anymore. It doesn't take much, really. I did that the whole way around, squeezing the string together, then twisting it tight...until I got to the first spoke.

On the left side, I was kind of just winging it and when it started to work, I just moved on. For the other two I had a kind of epiphany with what to do with the string to make it symmetric and clean. It involves wrapping until you reach the midpoint of the spoke, sending the string across the spoke and around the wheel, then tucking the string inside of that...This encourages the string on the "new" side to stay snug against the spoke as you back-fill string to meet at the midpoint. After that, you cross the string over once again and just start wrapping again...It's hard to explain, but the images should.

For the tie-off, I did a quick overhand knot and just melted the rope together with a soldering iron. I tried a lighter, but it melted fully through in one part...The iron was much more controlled. I didn't bother with shellac or whatever 'cause I like the feel of the rope, and there isn't much risk of corrosion with a nylon rope around a plastic steering wheel.

 

Just got done wrapping the wheel in my 47, a 15" 40 Ford style wheel. I used 9/64" cotton rope from the local Ace Hardware store. Someone above posted that 50' was plenty to do theirs, so I bought a 48' length and figured it' would be enough, but it only got me 3/4 of the way around. I had to buy another 48' section and splice it in to complete it. Now, I'm wondering what to finish it with, if at all. I like the feel of the cotton, but I figure that if I leave it natural it's gonna collect oils and dirt from my hands. Someone else in this thread mentioned finishing with a shellac. But I'm thinking I'd rather not finish it with something that is going to harden so that I lose the soft feel of the cotton. A friend suggested Scotch Guard. Any other suggestions.

 

Scotch Guard is worth a try! BTW, It looks wicked!

 

Thanks, I went with the Scotch Guard, 2 coats this afternoon with a couple of hours drying time in between coats. Now we'll see how that works out.

 

Nice to see this thread back up. Here's a picture of my wheel. I was at the Circuit des Ramparts in Angouleme in September and there was an English guy advertising string wrapping for steering wheels and leaf springs.

Sent from my moto g(6) play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

This is my new look wheel. After replacing the cracked banjo wheel once, when the new one cracked again a few years later I decided to wrap it. I bought some black para cord and my wife volunteered to wrap it for me. Since she has some macrame experience I thought she would do. A much better job than I. She did...and it looks and feels great. good job Flower!

 

Here's two pics of a Speedway sprint car style wheel I wrapped with leather from JoAnn Fabrics. About to do the other spokes with the same pattern. BTW not a real Dodge Brothers wheel...that's a DB dust cap I will fasten to the wheel later. Making a 'faux' Dodge Brothers speedster.

 

This is my Austin gasser's original banjo wheel that I wrapped a decade ago. Noticed the image is gone from my 2013 post, so posting again to bring it back.



I used clothesline twine as the larger 3/16" diameter made getting the wraps tightly together an easier task. I also found that by wrapping as far as possible at each spoke allowed me to do a nice crossover at each spoke, where stopping right at the spoke made it ugly.
I did mine on the car vs. removing the wheel, and that made it a little awkward to start out with a large bundle of rope, but actually helped hold the wheel also to allow me to pull things tight. I kept the knot at the end behind the bottom center spoke and used glue to keep the small knot from untying itself. I mainly wrapped this wheel because the diameter of the grip was too tiny for my hands, so wrapping gained about 3/8" in the diameter, and dressed the wheel up too.

 

I just saw this thread.
I recently saw a cord wrpped steering wheel and I love the look for my replica champ car. I will read through this thread for ideas.
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