Home made Steeringwheel.

My latest installment in my Billet Is Uncool series....


I built my Roadster with a steeringwheel out of a '40 Ford.



I really liked the look of the huge steeringwheel in the small interior of my Roadster.
But you kinda had to bend your legs around it, which could make you cramp up if you were on the highway for a while.

So I started to think about an other steeringwheel...

 

Ok... And then?

 

tease

 

I got a chunk of aluminum.



And cut and filed it, untill it looked like this.



And I bought a new wood rimmed steeringwheel, and drilled out the rivets.








Edit.
Sorry guys... I type slow...

 

Next were the spokes, and rim.

I layed out my pattern on 4 pieces of 1/4" thick aluminum.



Rough cut them to size, and bolted them together.



I cut and milled on the stacked spokes a bit more.



And then I cleaned up some of my rough cuts on my rotary table.

 

I wish I had your equipment.

 

Wow

 

type faster!!! yer KILLIN me here! "i want some patience.... and i want it NOW!"

 

I unbolted the stack, cut them in 4 exact 1/4 pieces.



And welded them together at the rim.



Next was a thick weld from the spokes to the hub.
( thick enough it could be blended in later...)



Rough shaping it on the Lathe...



Probably not how you are supposed to do that, but it worked for me.

 

oh. thaaat's what that is.

for some reason i found that statement and picture funny.

nice work, looking forward to 'the rest of the story'.

 

After a shitload of filing and sanding, it looked like this.



I opened up the countersunk part of the wood rim so they'd accept brass screws.

Drilled and tapped the steeringwheel, and put the wood on.



( the wood had to come off again so I could polish the aluminum to a kind of a dull shine...)

 

KILLIT BILLIT!!!

just kidding, turned out a whole lot better then i had imagined!

 

Yup....

 

Wow!

 

that looks fantastic. great job and terrific work.

 

Bolted up and in the car...






BTW...

The horn button is early Fiat 600.
( I thought it was just about perfect for this wheel...)

 

Looks like an adapter for a Bell style wheel to early Ford column? I was about to ask about the horn button. Carve a V8 into the center, and it'd be perfect. Looks good man, I envy your machining skills and equipment!

 

Yeah, the adapter bolts to the back of the hub.







I'm not skilled or trained as a machinist...

( I measure everything with a ruler and a very old set of calipers...)


But I'm having fun...

 

those old calipers are the best!!

 

They are!!

And you can use them as a scribe...

 

cool Alex
very art deco

 

Thanks Paul.

 

super nice wheel man looks great

 

Beautiful.

 

Nice work as always, that's a beautifully designed steering wheel.

 

So, when do finish the bitch with real paint and interior?!

 

Really goes with the car I think. cool

 

Nice work...as usual.

Neal

 

I'm without a computer, so Im looking at the pics on my phone.... Guess, Ill just have to make the drive and see it better!!!! It looks like an early Itaian design... LOVE IT!!!!!!

 

Dude, thats over the top..very nice.

man, to have the machines and knowledge to make stuff like that is so sweet