I have been searching the Internet for months Looking for a 1957-1960 ford f100custom cab steering wheel with ZERO luck. If I see a 1957-1960 ford f100 I leave a note on the windshield saying call me if you will sell your wheel. WELL....today was my lucky day. Drove by my buddy Kirks house (he has like 5 of these trucks for parts) to pick up a window regulator and we started Talking about how hard this steering wheel is to find. He has one on his daily driver and another nice one he's saving for his next build. He then comes out of the back of his house and mentions he has a 3rd steering wheel that's really jacked up and in bad condition. At this point having it in my hand I jumped on it and said I'LL TAKE IT. I got home and got to work on it.. Used bondo to put together and fill in large cracks throughout the wheel. I'm not a very handy guy and I'm sure there are better ways to fix but this is how I figured it should be done ( just to mention how not handy I am. I was super proud i changed out the window regulator myself!) Right now wheel is in primer and I need to do some more sanding in some areas. I also have located a horn ring and will post when restoration is done QUESTION......... WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE A NICE SHINY COAT WITH RATTLE CAN PAINT.?.....IS THERE A PROCESS BESIDES BUYING HIGHGLOSS PAINT and HIGHGLOSS clear? Wetsand etc?
you have some killer threads dude everything you post is something i need to do soon or am currently doing hahaha. awesome job on the wheel. as far as a glossy shine just get the thing dead ass smooth and shoot a high gloss pain and clear. not much to it. do thin coats. checkout lowkat on here. he does ALOT of rattle canning
THANKS! This site is like a endless supply of knowledge. I searched for stuff and If I can't find a post I'll make one for the next guy. I'll post pics when it's all done. I'm just happy I found one! Thanks for the tip if this cracks I'll know how to fix it!
x2 on that epoxy ^^ my dad used some 2 part epoxy on a wheel he did and that shit dried hard like granite
Maybe I'll go pick some epoxy up and do a nice coat over top. I'm looking for a smooth shiny finish. Is there a way to paint the wheel first the clear epoxy over it and sand it down for a clear shiny finish? I have not really worked with epoxy
The problem with plastic filler is that it has no bonding abilities. I build coffee tables out of steering wheels. I have restored many wheels, so I have some knowledge. I use JB Weld, not the fast set. It bonds, and flows into cracks well. It also sands fairly easily. Do your finish work with plastic filler, then use good epoxy primer. I have used spray engine enamel with good results. Professionals say plastic filler, you can call it bondo if you want though, LOL. I like your truck, working on my 58 crewcab, soon to have a big back window. For older wheels from the 30's I use fiberglass resin brushed on. Use tape on one side of the wheel to create a form for large cracks. Let the resin, or JB flow into them. After it sets up, it's easy to fill the remaining void.
yup, epoxy works great. i've used jb weld a bunch of times with good results. just sand/file the gaps in your wheel a little before you work the goop in. and be aware that the epoxy expands a little so there will be a decent amount of finish sanding to do before paint. use the regular slow-setting stuff, like lowriders said. you'll be surprised how well it works (at least i was). much more stable than the plastic they cast the wheels in.
but you already filled it, and it's in primer. i should read the whole original post before i start typing.
As jazzbum said you've already got it done, but, unfortunately, it probably won't last if you use it. Now you have some experience under your belt, and your next one will be even better. You can always paint the first one, get a horn ring, and hang it on the wall.
I went and got jb weld to fill in cracks......sanded down and hit with gloss enamel paint and clear....it still needs to be color sanded. I cleaned up the horn ring that was covered in overspraY that I purchased it off a fellow HAMBER. It's not perfect but was better than before BEFORE AFTER
2 part epoxy is the only way to go, the old wheels were made out of a high carbon epoxy resin to begin with so the 2 part epoxys are the best. I use some stuff from PPG, locktite epoxy is also pretty good and JB weld will work ok in a pinch but it's a little more soft than the others. Paint prep: If you have a good heavy coat of primer on it, I'd go ahead and shoot some guide coat (a mist coat of another color) onto it and wet sand it with something like 220 grit, which is enough to get it nice and smooth but rough enough to let paint stick to well. If yoiu're going the rattle can route, Rusto Oleum makes an "appliance epoxy" paint that lays out real nice and is super tough and doesnt cause any reactions or adhesion problems with the epoxy fillers under it. You can pick it up at evil places like Wal Mart or Lowes pretty cheap. A little late to the conversation, but thats my $.02
It looks great Blake! My first concern was the same as every one esles. The wheel will eventually crack, more than likely. But, that is ok, you are showing some good skills for a "non handt guy". Look at the bright side, it it cracks, you already have practice fixing, sanding, and painting!
2 part epoxy and i knew a guy that dipped his in paint and they were like glass! the guy did high end vw wheels and just kinda disappeared one day.
Blake, Nice job, any idea how the horn mechanism works? I have the wheel and the horn ring (Power Steering) but I'm missing the wire and all the contact stuff. I can't seem to find anything online on how the contact works.
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