Wood Steering Wheel

[Martin]

Not a T bucket wheel, but when the time comes I will probably make one similar to it for my car, and out of the same wood as the body.

This is a reproduction of an original equipment option on 65 & 66 corvettes. I have been making these in my spare time for a corvette restoration shop near St Louis for about 15 years. They are teak and rosewood. The front and back are each nine sections with a thin slice of wood between each, they are assembled with the joints staggered and inlayed with rosewood all the way around, inside and out. There is a 3/8" round steel ring inside the wood.

IMG_1320 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

IMG_1318 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

IMG_1319 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This is a wheel I made for a boat I restored a couple years ago, I think I like the metal spokes better for a car though

IMG_1253 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I hope this works, in the preview I couldn't get the pictures to come up in the thread.

 

[Youngster]

That's some really fine work Martin. If I were to go with a retro look on my T, would you....

Ron

 

[Martin]

Would I?.......Well, I wouldn't rule it out. If you have a wheel that I can put wood on, and either like the Corvette style or can draw something else up. I have done other ones that I dont have pictures of. A 16" OD would be easiest because I am already set up to work with that size, but I can work with pretty much anything.

I am going to be looking for a whole car's worth of parts.........what have you got laying around that you dont need......

 

[Track-T]

Not a 16" wheel,14", Shoot me a price for down the road...
bluetrackt@yahoo.com

 

[Youngster]

Let me see what I can come up with for a spider. I like doing labor trades. I'm sure we can come up with something.

Ron

 

[Hank]

What nice work. I'm always amazed at the quality of craftsmen that are here. That is lovely.

Hank

 

[Martin]

Not a 16" wheel,14", Shoot me a price for down the road...
bluetrackt@yahoo.com

Prices are very negotiable, the corvette wheels go for $600 each and he supplies the cores. The boat wheel I ended up giving away. If I knew what was under that electrical tape it would help, is the metal ring round rod or flat bar, and do you want any of it exposed. Some wheels have a flat bar center that is exposed around the rim of the wheel, and riveted together. That style would be relatively simple to reproduce. Covering all the wood is somewhat labor intensive and therefore more expensive. Type of wood used will effect the price too, the vette wheel has about $60 worth of wood on it. Wood comes in an amazing variety of colors and grain patterns too, you could really let your imagination run wild. Timing counts too, these things are back burner projects and while I am willing to work with a reasonable deadline, rush jobs get very expensive.

My wife, with a rolling of the eyes and a chuckle, calls me a horsetrader, but I guess if the shoe fits.....so, what have you got that you dont need!!

 

[Track-T]

They are very nice,But,Wayyyyy out of my budget.