I'm not sure who authored this excellent, but brief, PDF on cording steering wheels. I'd like to learn more, before I attempt it. Any additional instruction would be appreciated.
http://www.triple-mregister.org/uploads ... prings.pdf
Bob Brennan (with lots of time to cord steering wheels)
S. Freeport, ME (-15* F this morning with 10" more snow tonight. Who needs windows!)
TC7794EXU (de-nuded of all previous paint and being professionally painted, as we speak)
Corded steering wheels
Re: Corded steering wheels
I've never seen anything better than the one you provide a link for.
Last edited by Duncan M on Wed Dec 06, 2017 2:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Corded steering wheels
If that is the look you want.
Last edited by Duncan M on Wed Dec 06, 2017 2:41 pm, edited 3 times in total.
-
Robert Brennan
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:51 am
Re: Corded steering wheels
Duncan, thanks for the suggestions. I haven't a clue what the demand is, but it might be a lucrative cottage industry. Any underemployed Irish sweater knitters out there?
Before I would attempt a steering wheel, I'd need to know where to start. A spoke? It would be nice if the author of this PDF could expand on it.
Bob Brennan
S. Freeport, ME
TC7794EXU
Before I would attempt a steering wheel, I'd need to know where to start. A spoke? It would be nice if the author of this PDF could expand on it.
Bob Brennan
S. Freeport, ME
TC7794EXU
-
Gene Gillam
- Posts: 1275
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:52 pm
- Location: Saucier, MS
-
Robert Brennan
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:51 am
Re: Corded steering wheels
Thanks Gene,
This is just what I was looking for:
http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials ... mbing.html
Wouldn't have found it without you.
Bob
This is just what I was looking for:
http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials ... mbing.html
Wouldn't have found it without you.
Bob
Re: Corded steering wheels
Robert-
Do you make your own steering wheels?
Do you make your own steering wheels?
-
Gene Gillam
- Posts: 1275
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:52 pm
- Location: Saucier, MS
Re: Corded steering wheels
How-to pictures and a good write-up for the Tech Section when you get it finished!
-
Robert Brennan
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:51 am
Re: Corded steering wheels
Duncan, TC7794 has a mahogany wheel not of my making. It is solid and well crafted, but has a couple cracks. Ply construction would have been stronger, and a better choice. I have been sorely tempted to re-do it, but cording seems a more aesthetic option.
Gene, when I get around to doing it, I'll follow up with details.
Bob
Gene, when I get around to doing it, I'll follow up with details.
Bob
-
Robert Brennan
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:51 am
Re: Corded steering wheels
mgtc7794 . <mgtc7794@gmail.com>
Mar 2 (8 days ago)
to frayedknotarts
Thanks for your excellent tutorials. My ambition is to cord the 3 spoke wheel on my '49 MG in this style:
http://www.triple-mregister.org/uploads ... prings.pdf
My knowledge is very limited on how (and where) to start, how to finish, how to treat the spokes and what, and how much, material to use.
I would appreciate any guidance you could offer.
Thank you.
Bob Brennan
S. Freeport, ME
Frayedknotarts .
8:45 PM (9 hours ago)
to me
Interesting article! I have often been approached to do a car's wheel and have always shied away due to "forest blindness" (too close to the friggin' trees to see the Moose in the underbrush!).
I have been so fixated on doing ships racing wheels (slender steel spokes (5 or 6) from a hub to a 3/4" steel tubular rimmed wheel) that it never occurred to me that the CAR'S wheel is INSIDE THE BLOODY CAR and doesn't HAVE to be waterproof! If the car's wheel gets into a situation where watertightness is an issue, I don't think the driver will be particularly worried about the wheel corroding, but will probably focus more on "How do I get OUTTA here before the car sinks??!!!"
Bearing this revelation in (what purports to be my) mind, the "Kiwi" crosshatching on the flat spokes is a dynamite way of handling things. Do you have a name or contact for the author of the piece?
You would (or I would) start the French Sennit (on the rim... a series of half hitches cast sequentially and in the same direction) on the "back" of the wheel (facing the dash and dials) and in the middle of one of the arcs of the rim. Be sure to leave a few feet of unused line where you start the sennit... you'll need that to secure the whipping when finished. (Trust me) .
Continue the French Sennit until you run out of room, then see about doing the "Kiwi" cross looping on the flat, and when that is to your satisfaction, continue with the French Sennit right around to the next spoke juncture, do the 2nd "Kiwi", continue the French Sennit, to the third spoke juncture/"Kiwi", then do the French Sennit until you reach the starting point.
At this juncture, you can loosen five or six passes of the beginning of the sennit and pass the line from the end of the sennit under them. At the same time, loosen the last five or six passes and pass the extra line you allowed at rthe beginning back and under them. Now you can tighten the sennits...the start first and pull some of the slack out of the sennit end, then the last passes and pull the slack out of THAT under-line. It is easier to do it than to describe it, but it's exactly like whipping a rope-end, except you're doing it in two directions.
Once done, the Sennit should appear to make a continuous precession around the wheel. If not, you may want to start the sennit at one or the other of the arc ends rather than in the middle, but always allow for the extra line and six turns you can loosen and re-tighten.
The ends, of course, should be nicely "trapped" by the friction of the over-turns and can be carefully cut off where they emerge from those overlays. CAUTION here... a mis-step and you'll be doing the whole thing over again.
The fella in the article said he used linseed oil to coat the work... Gawd! It must have taken forever. The smell probably wouldn't affect a castor-oil injecting MG owner but the length of time to get that hard finish on it must have been frustrating as all... Well...
I'd recommend Zinnser or Rustoleum shellac in a "Blonde" colour... it will give a effect similar to the cured Linseed Oil in colour but take about 1/10th the time and is VERY easily refreshed with an alcohol rub-down and another coat of shellac when needed.
Varnish is always a possibility, but I would try a few sample sennits (on a stick or a large dowel) to see how it come out before doing it. It tends to get darker the more it is handles, but it gives a superior glossy surface.
How much will you use? Depends entirely on what size line you'll use, the diameter of the rim, how tightly you make your turns for the sennit, etc. The only way to find out is to take a measured amount of line and start working. Say you take 20' of line and do ten sennit turns, then a flat portion and go back to the sennit until you run out of line. You can then extrapolate from that how much you'll need to do the entire wheel. ALWAYS add in a 5% "F.U." factor. It's is enormously preferable to have line left over than to come up three inches short and have to start all over again.
I also recommend that once you get the pattern of the spoke flats where you want 'em, that you do a whole wheel at LKEAST twice. When finished, take a LOT of pictures, then take the line off the wheel and discard it, and start over with fresh line. A minimum of twice for theis with the third one being "the charm". (We hope) Taking the pictures will allow you to see the improvement between #1 and #3... and there WILL be a marked improvement!
Cast your sennit turns tightly and pull back to get the slack out, then finish the turn and start the next turn, etc., etc., etc. There is a reason that this stuff was taught to apprentice seamen and then they got to do the work... it is mind-numbingly boring "make work": Repetitive, annoying, hand-killing boredom when you do it aboard ship. Imagine the USS New Jersey (BB62) with her about a half-mile of railings that needed constant updating and maintenance with this sort of stuff, and in a lot of different patterns, as well. Painting, cleaning, repair and replacement... It took "X1" Division all day, every day to keep her looking "purty".
OK: What else can I lie to you about? Again, thanks for those pictures and the article... I am in your debt!
Vince Brennan, Artisan
Frayed Knot Arts
416 West WoodLAWN St
Philadelphia PA 19144
267-254-8984 (cell)
http://www.frayedknotarts.com
Serving your knotting and fancywork needs worldwide.
Custom and rush our specialty.
Click here to Reply or Forward
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Mar 2 (8 days ago)
to frayedknotarts
Thanks for your excellent tutorials. My ambition is to cord the 3 spoke wheel on my '49 MG in this style:
http://www.triple-mregister.org/uploads ... prings.pdf
My knowledge is very limited on how (and where) to start, how to finish, how to treat the spokes and what, and how much, material to use.
I would appreciate any guidance you could offer.
Thank you.
Bob Brennan
S. Freeport, ME
Frayedknotarts .
8:45 PM (9 hours ago)
to me
Interesting article! I have often been approached to do a car's wheel and have always shied away due to "forest blindness" (too close to the friggin' trees to see the Moose in the underbrush!).
I have been so fixated on doing ships racing wheels (slender steel spokes (5 or 6) from a hub to a 3/4" steel tubular rimmed wheel) that it never occurred to me that the CAR'S wheel is INSIDE THE BLOODY CAR and doesn't HAVE to be waterproof! If the car's wheel gets into a situation where watertightness is an issue, I don't think the driver will be particularly worried about the wheel corroding, but will probably focus more on "How do I get OUTTA here before the car sinks??!!!"
Bearing this revelation in (what purports to be my) mind, the "Kiwi" crosshatching on the flat spokes is a dynamite way of handling things. Do you have a name or contact for the author of the piece?
You would (or I would) start the French Sennit (on the rim... a series of half hitches cast sequentially and in the same direction) on the "back" of the wheel (facing the dash and dials) and in the middle of one of the arcs of the rim. Be sure to leave a few feet of unused line where you start the sennit... you'll need that to secure the whipping when finished. (Trust me) .
Continue the French Sennit until you run out of room, then see about doing the "Kiwi" cross looping on the flat, and when that is to your satisfaction, continue with the French Sennit right around to the next spoke juncture, do the 2nd "Kiwi", continue the French Sennit, to the third spoke juncture/"Kiwi", then do the French Sennit until you reach the starting point.
At this juncture, you can loosen five or six passes of the beginning of the sennit and pass the line from the end of the sennit under them. At the same time, loosen the last five or six passes and pass the extra line you allowed at rthe beginning back and under them. Now you can tighten the sennits...the start first and pull some of the slack out of the sennit end, then the last passes and pull the slack out of THAT under-line. It is easier to do it than to describe it, but it's exactly like whipping a rope-end, except you're doing it in two directions.
Once done, the Sennit should appear to make a continuous precession around the wheel. If not, you may want to start the sennit at one or the other of the arc ends rather than in the middle, but always allow for the extra line and six turns you can loosen and re-tighten.
The ends, of course, should be nicely "trapped" by the friction of the over-turns and can be carefully cut off where they emerge from those overlays. CAUTION here... a mis-step and you'll be doing the whole thing over again.
The fella in the article said he used linseed oil to coat the work... Gawd! It must have taken forever. The smell probably wouldn't affect a castor-oil injecting MG owner but the length of time to get that hard finish on it must have been frustrating as all... Well...
I'd recommend Zinnser or Rustoleum shellac in a "Blonde" colour... it will give a effect similar to the cured Linseed Oil in colour but take about 1/10th the time and is VERY easily refreshed with an alcohol rub-down and another coat of shellac when needed.
Varnish is always a possibility, but I would try a few sample sennits (on a stick or a large dowel) to see how it come out before doing it. It tends to get darker the more it is handles, but it gives a superior glossy surface.
How much will you use? Depends entirely on what size line you'll use, the diameter of the rim, how tightly you make your turns for the sennit, etc. The only way to find out is to take a measured amount of line and start working. Say you take 20' of line and do ten sennit turns, then a flat portion and go back to the sennit until you run out of line. You can then extrapolate from that how much you'll need to do the entire wheel. ALWAYS add in a 5% "F.U." factor. It's is enormously preferable to have line left over than to come up three inches short and have to start all over again.
I also recommend that once you get the pattern of the spoke flats where you want 'em, that you do a whole wheel at LKEAST twice. When finished, take a LOT of pictures, then take the line off the wheel and discard it, and start over with fresh line. A minimum of twice for theis with the third one being "the charm". (We hope) Taking the pictures will allow you to see the improvement between #1 and #3... and there WILL be a marked improvement!
Cast your sennit turns tightly and pull back to get the slack out, then finish the turn and start the next turn, etc., etc., etc. There is a reason that this stuff was taught to apprentice seamen and then they got to do the work... it is mind-numbingly boring "make work": Repetitive, annoying, hand-killing boredom when you do it aboard ship. Imagine the USS New Jersey (BB62) with her about a half-mile of railings that needed constant updating and maintenance with this sort of stuff, and in a lot of different patterns, as well. Painting, cleaning, repair and replacement... It took "X1" Division all day, every day to keep her looking "purty".
OK: What else can I lie to you about? Again, thanks for those pictures and the article... I am in your debt!
Vince Brennan, Artisan
Frayed Knot Arts
416 West WoodLAWN St
Philadelphia PA 19144
267-254-8984 (cell)
http://www.frayedknotarts.com
Serving your knotting and fancywork needs worldwide.
Custom and rush our specialty.
Click here to Reply or Forward
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