Steering Wheel Rebuild

[shaun]

So this is my first attempt at a build thread here. I hope this helps someone take on this project which wasn't as difficult as I anticipated. My main
goal with our coach is to preserve as much as possible (plus I don't like the look of the aftermarket or Sonoma wheels). This is what I started with:

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160921_205815.jpg

As you can imagine, it was broken, sticky, and it smelled really bad (like old cheese!). Here it is with all the stinky tape and plastic removed:

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160922_113449.jpg

I started with a slab of cherry that was 1" by 8" by 48". This was the thinnest piece they had in those dimensions and it was around 20 bucks. I also
had some left over which is good if you screw up all the time like me.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160922_134434.jpg

I had to plane it down to 5/8" first. I wanted a wheel that was a bit taller than it was wide, so by clam shelling two pieces I could end up with a
wheel that was around 1" x 1.25".

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160922_135251.jpg

This is the first prototype I mocked up to check fitment. I had to extend a compass to make the arcs I wanted. The final measurements were 7 and 29/32
for the outer arc and 6 29/32 for the inner arc.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160922_141727.jpg

Now you can see how I routed the outside of the piece with a 1/2" edge rounder and routed the inside with a 5/16" bit.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160922_142417.jpg

For some strange reason it fit perfectly on the first try...This never happens.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160922_142446.jpg

The next step was to clean up the wheel frame. There was some extra material around the outside that needed to go.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_143114.jpg

A close up of the grinding:

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_143138.jpg

I used my prototype to trace the other 7 pieces and cut them out on the band saw.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_150400.jpg

 

[shaun]

They turned out better than I thought considering I paid 50 bucks for the band saw.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_152535.jpg

This was by far the most dangerous part. The small pieces and large amounts of material removed required a lot of focus. I only ended up losing one
piece after it went flying.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_153859.jpg

The wheel is starting to take shape.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_161057.jpg

The bottom half was the most difficult. I had to gouge out a bunch of notches for the frame supports (more on this later).

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_164644.jpg

The top half all mocked up.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_172541.jpg

Lots of glue and lots of clamps.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160923_174400.jpg

Here is the notching detail. I raised the straight bit in the router and free-handed this. Lots of trial and error...

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_092451.jpg

All sanded and shaped. I used a combination of drum sanding and palm sanding with 120 grit to get it close (but not perfect).

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_144753.jpg

I decided to clear coat the wood to keep it from drying out and cracking.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_161531.jpg

In hindsight, I could've paid closer attention to the wood grain and kept a nice wood finish. However, I had plans for a leather wrap and no one is
going to see this anyways.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_161652.jpg

 

[shaun]

I cut a strip about 4" wide and 50" long from a side of 6 oz Horween Tumbled Black. It has a nice grainy texture and is super soft.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_164450.jpg

I pre-stamped all the holes using a 6 point diamond chisel tool. Leatherwork is a hobby of mine so this is the fun part

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_170829.jpg

I decided to end stitch the cover before I started wrapping. This turned out to be a bad idea...

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_175947.jpg

Here's the cover all nice and tight to start...

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_181145.jpg

I used 4/18 Crawford waxed Irish linen to stitch the whole thing. This part took a couple hours...

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_183948.jpg

It didn't take me long to realize that I was going to end up with too much material. The wrap was pretty tight and created a lot of slack by the time
I was done.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160924_215237.jpg

I had to cut my nice end stitching and chop about an inch off. Then I had to restitch it using a curved needle (not fun).

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160925_150431.jpg

A close up of the revised end stitch.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160925_164202.jpg

I had to notch out the leather as I went around the frame supports.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160925_164318.jpg

A view from the outside.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160925_164411.jpg

The finished product. I had to remove a bit of plastic from the centre section to accommodate the wider wheel rim, but it all worked out.

 

[shaun]

The finished product. I had to remove a bit of plastic from the centre section to accommodate the wider wheel rim, but it all worked out.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160927_152536.jpg

Overall I am super happy with the way it turned out and I can't wait to try it out. I put this together over a couple days, but only working on it for
a few hours at a time. Let me know if you have any questions about it and I'll try and help you if I can

 

[dennis sexton]

WOW great job and a super tutorial!
Thank you very much for sharing.

Dennis
--
Dennis S
73 Painted Desert 230
Memphis TN Metro

 

[jim kanomata1]

Great work.

> The finished product. I had to remove a bit of plastic from the centre
> section to accommodate the wider wheel rim, but it all worked out.
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160927_152536.jpg
>
> Overall I am super happy with the way it turned out and I can't wait to
> try it out. I put this together over a couple days, but only working on it
> for
> a few hours at a time. Let me know if you have any questions about it and
> I'll try and help you if I can
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Fremont,CA
jimk
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502

 

[kingsley coach]

Hellofajob !!
Shaun, where do you live?

Mike in NS

> Great work.
>

>
> > The finished product. I had to remove a bit of plastic from the centre
> > section to accommodate the wider wheel rim, but it all worked out.
> >
> > http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6978/20160927_152536.jpg
> >
> > Overall I am super happy with the way it turned out and I can't wait to
> > try it out. I put this together over a couple days, but only working on
> it
> > for
> > a few hours at a time. Let me know if you have any questions about it and
> > I'll try and help you if I can
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Jim Kanomata
> Applied/GMC, Fremont,CA
> jimk
> http://www.appliedgmc.com
> 1-800-752-7502
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Michael Beaton
1977 Kingsley 26-11
1977 Eleganza II 26-3
Antigonish, NS

Life is too short to hold a grudge; slash some tires and call it even !

 

[a.]

Quote:
> ...Horween Tumbled Black...
The color doesn't work with the scheme of your GMC. Now you have to redo the whole cockpit.
--
73 23' Sequoia 4 Sale
73 23' CanyonLands Parts Unit 4 Sale
Upper Alabama
"Highest price does not guarantee highest quality."

 

[shaun]

I live just outside Cranbrook, B.C. in a little place called Fort Steele.

 

[kingsley coach]

I guess I won't be dropping by with a question on 'leather working' !


I'll get some pictures and contact you off the net here.

Mike in NS...a little more than a day's drive away.

> I live just outside Cranbrook, B.C. in a little place called Fort Steele.
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Michael Beaton
1977 Kingsley 26-11
1977 Eleganza II 26-3
Antigonish, NS

Life is too short to hold a grudge; slash some tires and call it even !

 

[charles boyd]

Mike, if you took the Pan it would only be 1/2 day trip.
--
C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee

 

[kingsley coach]

Chuck
Something tells me I'd be stopping every half day anyway...to tighten loose
nuts and bolts...

Mike

On Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 9:42 AM, Charles Boyd
wrote:

> Mike, if you took the Pan it would only be 1/2 day trip.
> --
> C. Boyd
> 76 Crestmont
> East Tennessee
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Michael Beaton
1977 Kingsley 26-11
1977 Eleganza II 26-3
Antigonish, NS

Life is too short to hold a grudge; slash some tires and call it even !

 

[johnny]

It's a shame to cover that caliber of woodworking, even with good leatherworking.

--johnny
--
'76 23' transmode Norris upfit, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.

"Sometimes I wonder what tomorrow's gonna bring when I think about my dirty life and times" --Warren Zevon

 

[Daniel]

Wonderfull job, Shaunone!!

> I live just outside Cranbrook, B.C. in a little place called Fort Steele.

About three months ago, we visited Fort Steele Heritage Town, a realy nice expirience, during our Canada and USA trip, with a rental MH, stopped in
late afternoon at the Wasa Lake Campground .... What a small world ... :d

Bye, Daniel
--
Daniel Jacobs, No GMC, but an admirer of them .... We'll see what the future brings ....

Always remember, the world is full of nice people!
So, if you can't find one, be one!

 

[mark sawyer]

I really like the way that turned out... I have a couple wheels I'd like to try that on...

Question: Does the leather "grip" the wood fairly well? I'm not one to death grip the steering wheel, but I know some wheels have the leather glued
down in addition to being stitched...
--
Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
Manny 1 Ton Front End,
Howell Injection,
Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
Fort Worth, TX

 

[shaun]

> Wonderfull job, Shaunone!!
>

> > I live just outside Cranbrook, B.C. in a little place called Fort Steele.
>
> About three months ago, we visited Fort Steele Heritage Town, a realy nice expirience, during our Canada and USA trip, with a rental MH, stopped
> in late afternoon at the Wasa Lake Campground .... What a small world ... :d
>
> Bye, Daniel

Yes, it's a great place to visit, lots of history!

 

[shaun]

> I really like the way that turned out... I have a couple wheels I'd like to try that on...
>
> Question: Does the leather "grip" the wood fairly well? I'm not one to death grip the steering wheel, but I know some wheels have the leather
> glued down in addition to being stitched...

I was worried about this as well. I can still twist it a bit if I try hard, but I don't think it's going anywhere with normal use. I think the clear
coat helped a bit, and the leather is stitched pretty tight.

 

[jerry burt]

This looks great and your leather work is top notch. A small critique especially if you decide to leave the wood exposed. Stagger the top and bottom
joints of the wood joints as much as possible. It will give the wheel more strength overall. It will probably not show with your wrap but it will
cause a gap if left as finished wood. You would be surprised at how much a steering wheel flexes in normal use.
--
Patti & Jerry Burt
73 Gmc 26' Canyon Lands -
Photos - http://jburt.smugmug.com/GMC-Motorhome
Lots of upgrades but lots to do to make it ours.
Members: FMCA - GMCMI - GMCWS - Pacific Cruisers

 

[sgltrac]

I agree with Johnny.

Sully

On Thursday, September 29, 2016, Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <

> It's a shame to cover that caliber of woodworking, even with good
> leatherworking.
>
> --johnny
> --
> '76 23' transmode Norris upfit, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and
> add - ons.
> Braselton, Ga.
>
> "Sometimes I wonder what tomorrow's gonna bring when I think about my
> dirty life and times" --Warren Zevon
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

 

[sgltrac]

A burl wheel could work for sure in these coaches I think. Maybe accent it
with some small finishers on the dash and "door " panels.

Sully

> I agree with Johnny.
>
> Sully
>
> On Thursday, September 29, 2016, Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <
> gmclist

>
>> It's a shame to cover that caliber of woodworking, even with good
>> leatherworking.
>>
>> --johnny
>> --
>> '76 23' transmode Norris upfit, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and
>> add - ons.
>> Braselton, Ga.
>>
>> "Sometimes I wonder what tomorrow's gonna bring when I think about my
>> dirty life and times" --Warren Zevon
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
>