datsunfreak Posted March 19, 2021 Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 (edited) Kinda fell into this lately and was curious if anyone else out there has attempted it? Here's how my first go at it went... I had a wooden Nardi that was a little busted up... So I started removing the wood from it... And that got me to here... I wanted it to be walnut, but with some color. So first sizing up some 1/4" thick walnut... So then I made a circle cutting jig from scrap wood and a palm router... Which netted me two nice pieces of walnut, one with a groove for the wheel rim to fit into... I had some thin pieces of dyed maple (as well as more walnut), so I made some layers to add a splash of color... Started gluing those to the walnut halves I made earlier... Then I used the circle cutting jig to make a router template from MDF... I clamped the wheel halves to it to flush trim them and hit them with a 1/2" roundover bit... Then glued those together with the wheel rim in between... Got it sanded down and made a small piece of MDF to attach it to a cup spinner... Before glue-up, I added a thin piece of plain maple between the two halves. then coated the rim in epoxy resin... After another sanding to smooth it out more, and an additional coat of epoxy resin, it came out pretty decent... On the back side, I made some finger groove notches... A close up of the layers... Edited March 19, 2021 by datsunfreak 8 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 I am starting attempt #2 now, a fake Nardi a friend got off ebay and decided not to use... Got it to here, and I'm deciding on woods now... I have some 1/2" thick bamboo I am tempted to use... 😁 5 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted March 19, 2021 Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 Ha ha ha, well done, because I don't hate it and I thought I wood. 2 3 Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 On 3/19/2021 at 10:34 AM, datsunfreak said: I have some 1/2" thick bamboo I am tempted to use... 😁 Bamboo is inherently slippery due to native oils. That's why the best slide rules were made of bamboo. Use an agressive degreaser before gluing and you will likely suceed. 1 Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 "Slide Rule"? Think engineer's analog computer. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
5t341tH Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Wow great job! 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 22 hours ago, MikeRL411 said: Bamboo is inherently slippery due to native oils. That's why the best slide rules were made of bamboo. Use an aggressive degreaser before gluing and you will likely succeed. This stuff I have is reclaimed shelving from a Pier 1 Imports that closed locally. I did not know about the oil thing, but it seems to glue up fairly easy. 👍 1 Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 35 minutes ago, datsunfreak said: This stuff I have is reclaimed shelving from a Pier 1 Imports that closed locally. I did not know about the oil thing, but it seems to glue up fairly easy. 👍 Then I would guess it had been treated with acetone. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 2 hours ago, MikeRL411 said: Then I would guess it had been treated with acetone. Makes sense, as it's quite dry to the touch, and doesn't seem to clog sandpaper like an oily wood would. When you buy it in "sheets", I think it's quite heavily processed by the time you get it. 👍 1 Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 7 hours ago, datsunfreak said: Makes sense, as it's quite dry to the touch, and doesn't seem to clog sandpaper like an oily wood would. When you buy it in "sheets", I think it's quite heavily processed by the time you get it. 👍 Also would have to be "processed" to be glued up for flooring. 1 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted March 26, 2021 Report Share Posted March 26, 2021 On 3/19/2021 at 10:29 AM, datsunfreak said: --snip-- On the back side, I made some finger groove notches... A close up of the layers... Awesome project and excellent results! 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2021 13 hours ago, carterb said: Awesome project and excellent results! Thank you sir. 👍 I got another one brewing that should be done in a couple of days. Will post up when it's finished. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 Did a piss poor job of taking in-progress photos for this one, but here it is anyway... In the parts stash, I had one of these old Grant 3 spoke, foam-rimmed wheels like this... , So I stripped the tired foam off and got to work. Didn't like the holes so on the back side I covered them with some card stock, and then a thin coat of resin... I then painted the whole thing navy blue, and covered the holes on the front with some stickers, then a thin coat of resin... Then put a coat of resin on the rim and put some blue glitter in a pepper shaker, and... Then two more coats of resin on the rim, and one coat on the whole thing to finish it off... Close up of the rim... What do you think? I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea, but for less than $10 invested in it, I am happy with it... 👍 5 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 That one feels like something you would find in a hella flush STI. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 I dig it! Pretty cool. 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 14 hours ago, Lockleaf said: That one feels like something you would find in a hella flush STI. I was thinking S13 drift missile, but yeah... 😄 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2021 On 3/19/2021 at 12:34 PM, datsunfreak said: I am starting attempt #2 now, a fake Nardi a friend got off ebay and decided not to use... Got it to here, and I'm deciding on woods now... I have some 1/2" thick bamboo I am tempted to use... 😁 Finally got going on this one. First a router template... Then some 1/2" thick walnut... Got those two piece cut out and routed, then started on attaching them to the wheel. On the last wood wheel, there were some glue "stains" visible through the resin that I was pissed about. So this time I "glued" the two halves together with resin instead of wood glue... 😄 After it cured... Then some routing... Could not route where the spokes are so ended up filing/sanding that by hand. Here is where we are now. Not 100% done, but thought I'd share anyway... I like the two sap wood stripes it ended up with... 6 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 Sorry I'm late to this party... looking good sir! I like how my old faux-wood one is turning out. Good thing I don't still have the van for which it was purchased! I'd be super jelly of it! 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 24 minutes ago, dimlight65 said: I like how my old faux-wood one is turning out. I have decided it is done. I am not truly sure it is, but we are stopping here. 😄 I used some 0000 steel wool to knock down the shine on the aluminum and give it a more matte finish... 5 Quote Link to comment
john510 Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 As a finish carpenter that does all kinds of fancy stuff out of exotic woods i say that looks great and now i want to give it a shot. 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 (edited) On 4/17/2021 at 6:15 PM, john510 said: now i want to give it a shot. You should! I think next I might do a thread on a DIY shift knob. Between that, and my horn button thread, I think everyone should try a little more DIY. 😁 Edited April 30, 2021 by datsunfreak Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 It occurs to me that I have never thrown away a steering wheel, regardless of how ugly it is... And this is one of those... 😄 And I like that it has a very thin rim, so it'll be easier to make the wood rings for it... Oddly, even though it is fairly lightweight, it is obviously made of steel, not aluminum. So I will have to paint the spokes on this one... 2 Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 Love it! Your steering wheel conversions are BADASS!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted April 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Duncan said: Love it! Your steering wheel conversions are BADASS!!!! Thank you sir. 😁 Quote Link to comment
Racer X 69 Posted April 30, 2021 Report Share Posted April 30, 2021 (edited) On 3/29/2021 at 5:09 PM, datsunfreak said: What do you think? I think you are creative and resourceful. And you make some cool stuff, unique, one of a kind stuff. What is the image from on the spokes? It reminds me of the finish on some freestyle snow skis and snowboards. Edited April 30, 2021 by Racer X 69 1 Quote Link to comment
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