Bent Wood Steering Wheel Restoration.mpg

This video a gives a step by step description of how I restored the steering wheel on my 1929 Wippet sedan.

[@64t120r]

That's a real good looking steering wheel. Nice job.

[@jaycunnington451]

20 years ago I was working at Illinois Railway Museum under a guy named Roger Hewitt. The car we worked on had bent wood roof guards at the ends to protect from the trolley pole crashing down. Roger told me a trick he learned to bending wood was from a friend of his at Seashore Trolley Museum (Kennebunkport, ME). He said to add a bit of ammonia to the water for steaming. That would soften the lignin in the wood to the point that his friend claimed he could almost tie a 1X2 into an overhand knot. Even better, the wood was so limp it would not try to spring back to its former shape as it dried out.

[@williamhaley4975]

Looks wonderful! A piece of art!! thanks for sharing...

[@danielwilson6401]

Thank you very much for that informative video. While I may never make a wheel like that, I always wondeered how to go about it. My late Grandfather drove a 1926 Whippet to work everyday up into the late fifties in Kenosha, WI.

[@seriphone]

Spectacular work mate, well done

[@andrewwilson8317]

Very impressive work,every right to be proud of that. Make you smile every time you drive it

[@wonderboy13691369]

You are a true craftsman. Nice job

[@edgaralvarado4903]

A labor of love. I bow in your general direction.

[@Hall102]

Really, a spectacular job! You will love driving down the road with that!

[@arendstolte9293]

Thanks. The car was finished last year and is being driven.

[@hackneysaregreat]

Great job, you can be really proud of it!

[@2lindel]

great video- Was looking how to do the finger grips and your video explains it great!

[@andreassiegler2238]

Very nice job! I will have to try that, too, for my 1929...

[@stephensano9156]

Fantastic job!

[@GTLee9]

Very creative. Great job.

[@josephlaperuta1124]

mister you are awesome!

[@jockellis]

This is a beautiful job. Hope the rest of the Jag will be in as good a shape when it is finished.

[@dgadver]

Truly amazing!

[@Checkthisup]

Looks great. Thank you for sharing :)

[@lifesabuzzwhoopwhoop]

if restoring the rest of you 1929 Wippet Sedan came/comes out as well as the steering wheel has, thats something to take pride in. Great job.

[@theseconddarrin3788]

Very nice!

[@carriagemaker]

Very nice jobb!

[@madhoorm66mohamed4]

good job

[@polloloci21]

Very cool- wish you were my neighbor so I could exchange shores for knowledge.

[@aubreyaub]

I suppose you think that, You are a really clever bugger. Well, if I was You, I would too. Bloody well done

[@pittbullrican]

speech less

[@willy8477]

Prima

[@danrasmussen4125]

plz show me more of the whippet

[@gary24752]

What did you use for the bending backup strap?

[@arendstolte9293]

Some used heavy duty steel strapping that I got free at the lumber yard.

[@bankmasteranburung]

Foto slide

[@arendstolte9293]

Hugo, different manufacturers used different methods for making the wooden steering wheel rims. Some used the bent wood method but others like Chevrolet made the rim from six or eight sections finger jointed together. The challenge in all of these is making the large finger joints. If you are doing sections, any hard wood will work. If you are doing steam bending you need to select a wood that bends well.

[@krusher74]

He knows he just did it all in the video