What if and How - Suburban Wooden Steering Wheel

[oliver2-44 9,743]

My Suburban projects are crawling along. 

But I've been in the shop working on various house projects for my and my sons house's.

I have 2 suburban steering wheels repaired and usable.

But this metal frame of a Suburban Steering Wheel has been calling me to do something custom with it? (or just distract me)

It measures roughly 12-3/8" ID and 12-3/4 OD. It's actually fairly round, but not perfect.  the round steel rod measures just under 3/8" (+/- 0.340)

I'd like to hear ya'lls ideas on how to make a wooden overlay on it.

I have plenty of  3/4" White Oak, Ash,  Walnut and Maple wood scraps.

Some thoughts/questions?

would you make the circle out of three 120 degree or six 60 degree pieces of wood. 

If three were used would it be getting to be to much sort of end grain on the ends of the segments.

One idea for construction would be to use a lamination of three 3/8" thick pieces.

Maybe Maple, Walnut, Maple.  I'm thinking the Maple is hard , but finer grained so less tendency to crack at the ends of segments.

considering this won't take much wood, i certainly could pick up some other species of wood if it would work better or add to appearance.

I could cut the 3/8 " Maple top and bottom segments with their inside and outside curve to be the top and bottom. Not sure if these would be Butt jointed at the ends or? 

Maybe stagger the top and bottom joints 1/2 way lengthwise for strength?

Then cut the walnut the same but in 3/8" wide pieces to lay on either side of the wheel rod. (These piece could be very fragile)   

Then glue the maple/walnut/maple sandwich around the wheel.  (This seems like it would be a lot of pieces to work with gluing all at once)

it would be nice to come up with some sort of joint/way to pre assemble the top and bottom maple into complete rings.

The thing I haven't figured out is what type of joint to use since it will be getting routed round or semi round after assembly.

The finished wheel would be something like a 3/4" x 3/4" cross section with 1/4" or 5/16" routered round edges.

 

I have a band saw, scroll saw, table saw, router, and access to a planner.

 

So let me have your ideas on how you would do this. 

@formariz is certainly an expert craftsman, who else are wood craftsmen out there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[formariz 11,987]

You are in for a challenge. Kind of hard to describe in words how to do it. Using too many pieces of different woods it’s going to drive you nuts. Essentially to use complete existing steering wheel the easiest way it is to make a sandwich. The more segments the less end grain of course and the best look. There are various ways of doing it however I would make it the following way using only the tools you have;

 

1- decide how many segments you want and assemble an oversized “pizza pie”. Use finger joints in segments such as the ones in finger jointed trim. You are gluing a lot of end grain to end grain which is not a dependable glue surface so those provide long grain surfaces. They also allow you to assemble pie prior to gluing it. Pie slices allow easier safer cutting of joints tan a very small piece. You  also need to decide on this step how thick you want it. As for species it’s personal preference on the look. I don’t like to work with maple . It burns when machining , it doesn’t plane well and if appropriate measures are not taken it comes out blotchy when stained. 
 

2- complete pie will provide you with a center point from which you will attach your jig to route the half circle into which the steering wheel will sit. It will also make clamping easier using a band clamp, and allow easy layout of final diameter.You will need to get the proper core box bit to route the half circle. Check fit with steering wheel since it may not be perfectly round. 
 

3- once you have the two pies with half circles routed into them, you can then cut the outside part of circle. Screw the two halves together using center point for first screw so it’s precise and cut the two at same time. Now route the 1/4 rounds already on the outside while it has the strength of the entire pie. You can then cut the inside creating the circle. Your steering is flat (not dished) so on the ribs it’s good to leave some material like on the original . Probably like one inch or less. Therefor the inside is not a continuous circle. The half circle for the ribs could have been done before but best at this point by hand since you can now try it for fit. Careful with inside cut during and after because now it’s fragile. Inside will have to be cut with a jigsaw or scroll saw.

4- dry fit it until you are sure of everything. Then it’s time to assemble and glue it together. If the half circle routed for steering  and ribs is precise it will keep everything nicely aligned. Clamp it every couple of inches for a tight glue line but don’t starve joint since it will be rather narrow when finished .Use water resistant glue since it will be exposed to moisture outside. 
 

 5- once glued and strong as a completed unit ,you then have to shape the inside. A router table is best for that. Can also do it safer by hand since you have to worry about the part around ribs.

 

it’s best to make it oversized when it comes to the thickness and to keep reducing it once assembled since it is then at its strongest point. Don’t try to make it too narrow . Not only it probably break during construction it also will not have much glue surfaces. I would stick with 1/2” to 5/8” material for each half. It will make a comfortable surface to grab and it will not look bulky. Even 3/4” is ok. By the time it’s all dressed it will be much thinner. 
 

Edited June 26, 2023 by formariz

[Ed Kennell 38,158]

Great plan Cas.     Go for it Jim.         Cas, should he bore out the center of the pie to fit the steel wheel center so the wheel can be trial fit into the two routed halves?

I'm thinking the  final assembly would be all one piece.   The outer wheel, three   spokes, and a small inner wood hub  that surrounds  the steel hub.

[ri702bill 8,316]

This looks to be a time intensive, but worthwhile project for a low speed tractor.

I mention "low speed" because real wood steering wheels on cars from the factory have been banned for a while now. They become a hazard in a front end crash - forward body movement breaks the wheel and you end up impaled on the wood spikes. I worked with two different guys that suffered that injury. Both had rather long beards all year long to hide the facial scars... One had a 1963 XKE, the other a Datsun 240Z.

My only design issue is the one we see all too often, where the spokes are distorted and the wheel bent from leaning too hard on it while getting on or off the tractor. That may distort the spoke to rim joints...

Bill

 

[oliver2-44 9,743]

Thank you each for the reply.  @formariz I have only worked with Maple a little and can see the wisdom of not using it. Is there any wood you would suggest that would give an attractive look be at least a little easier to work with. 
I was thinking of keeping it simple and leave the spokes steel rod.  Maybe if the 1st one came out good I would venture into doing the spokes on a second one. 
 

[formariz 11,987]

Ahhh. Spokes! It was late last night . No matter how much I tried I couldn’t come up with that word. Must be getting old.

2 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

Great plan Cas.     Go for it Jim.         Cas, should he bore out the center of the pie to fit the steel wheel center so the wheel can be trial fit into the two routed halves?

I'm thinking the  final assembly would be all one piece.   The outer wheel, three   spokes, and a small inner wood hub  that surrounds  the steel hub.

One can bore the center if desired, however fit may be difficult since there is a lot of extra wood in the middle. If warped it will prevent the outer parts from fitting tight. Center is also convenient to cut outer circle on bandsaw  using a circle cutting jig. It will come out perfect that way. 
 One could cover entire steering wheel but for a first one it will be a bit ambitious. They look more elegant with just the outer circle in wood.

 

58 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

Thank you each for the reply.  @formariz I have only worked with Maple a little and can see the wisdom of not using it. Is there any wood you would suggest that would give an attractive look be at least a little easier to work with. 
I was thinking of keeping it simple and leave the spokes steel rod.  Maybe if the 1st one came out good I would venture into doing the spokes on a second one. 
 

  You can use anything you have  even making the pie slices out of different woods for an interesting look. Any wood would really work. Personally I would be partial to walnut. It is easy to work with, will have a classy look, and the dark color will not show dirt or wear the same as a light colored wood. 
 Yes I would leave spokes bare. Just leave a slight return at the junction. They look better that way and provides a comfortable corner to hook your finger on . 

[Handy Don 12,216]

11 hours ago, formariz said:

Ahhh. Spokes! It was late last night . No matter how much I tried I couldn’t come up with that word. Must be getting old.

One can bore the center if desired, however fit may be difficult since there is a lot of extra wood in the middle. If warped it will prevent the outer parts from fitting tight. Center is also convenient to cut outer circle on bandsaw  using a circle cutting jig. It will come out perfect that way. 
 One could cover entire steering wheel but for a first one it will be a bit ambitious. They look more elegant with just the outer circle in wood.

 

  You can use anything you have  even making the pie slices out of different woods for an interesting look. Any wood would really work. Personally I would be partial to walnut. It is easy to work with, will have a classy look, and the dark color will not show dirt or wear the same as a light colored wood. 
 Yes I would leave spokes bare. Just leave a slight return at the junction. They look better that way and provides a comfortable corner to hook your finger on . 

What came to my mind immediately was to use a steam box and bend a bunch thin strips of a wood like birch (thin = ~⅛” thick; close-grained and high lignin content) around a pattern made to match the wheel diameter, etc.

Build it up and offset the trimmed-to-butt ends of each layer. Clamp with a strap until cooled. Disassemble and glue it up, again with a strap for clamping.

You end up with a cylinder-like thing--curved on the inner and outer sides, flat on the top and bottom.

Cut into two cylinders to have the “bread” for sandwichiching the metal within the wood and, as @formariz notied, you’ll have to route out the hollow for the steel. Assemble wood to wheel.

Use a router or spokeshave to bring the desired degree of “roundness” to the glued up wheel (either before final assembly or after, whichever is easier!)
the laminated look will show off the different layers of slightly different colored wood.

I”ve made some very nice bowed and curved bits with the encouragement of (and loan of a steam box from) a good friend and, frankly, I was surprised at how easy it was.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Handy Don

[formariz 11,987]

15 hours ago, Handy Don said:

What came to my mind immediately was to use a steam box and bend a bunch thin strips of a wood like birch (thin = ~⅛” thick; close-grained and high lignin content) around a pattern made to match the wheel diameter, etc.

Build it up and offset the trimmed-to-butt ends of each layer. Clamp with a strap until cooled. Disassemble and glue it up, again with a strap for clamping.

You end up with a cylinder-like thing--curved on the inner and outer sides, flat on the top and bottom.

Cut into two cylinders to have the “bread” for sandwichiching the metal within the wood and, as @formariz notied, you’ll have to route out the hollow for the steel. Assemble wood to wheel.

Use a router or spokeshave to bring the desired degree of “roundness” to the glued up wheel (either before final assembly or after, whichever is easier!)
the laminated look will show off the different layers of slightly different colored wood.

I”ve made some very nice bowed and curved bits with the encouragement of (and loan of a steam box from) a good friend and, frankly, I was surprised at how easy it was.

That is another possibility. Using 1/8” strips it will not be necessary to steam bend them . They will bend easily to that circumference without breaking as long as they do not have any runaway grain. If one is going to steam bend at all then I would just bend it from one single piece using two halves to complete circle.

The many 1/8” layers will require a template in order to be glued and clamped properly. There will have to be a template of the interior and one of the exterior so even pressure can be applied along circumference in order to keep the many glue lines looking good and tight. The template is also off course needed to accurately duplicate the wheels circumference. Full complete dry runs prior to glue up are a must. A slow setting glue is also a must. Regular carpenters glue will  tack within 10 minutes creating difficulties. 
 Extra height on the material will have to be allowed counting then not only on the kerf to split into two parts but also for the inevitable cleanup to provide a good joint. 
 This method will also create a difficult step in machining the concave half rounds for steering, since there aren’t now any real center reference points to attach any jig for a router. One would use two reference guide posts  on a router table with bit in center of them. Accurate setup for this method is a must.This is however a rather precarious operation that requires experience at it and nerves of steel. Core box bit used will have to be solid carbide otherwise it will be dull in seconds from cutting into all the glue lines from the laminations. 
 The other way of cutting flutes would be to attach matching curved guides to router bottom, both sides of circle. Again precision is critical so it will not bind along way and keep circumference correct.

 

 If to be attempted ,regardless of method, the important part is to carefully think of all the steps necessary and how to go about them.  This is a project that most have never attempted and has “hidden” difficulties regardless of method that most will not think about. It’s an ambitious project regardless of how simple it looks ,and the possibility of failure after a substantial amount of work has been done , is rather considerable. Therefore planning is essential. 

Edited June 27, 2023 by formariz

[Handy Don 12,216]

Interesting suggestion for a layup without steaming.

For the projects I’ve done, I built a form/template for bending to which I could clamp the bent piece while still hot. For inside tight bends, there are two parts that clamp the bent piece between. Making the form is actually a large part of the work! In this case a bit easier because a router on a circle guide could do it.

 

If I were doing the wheel, I’d likely make the form sized to the inner circumference allowing, as @formariz notes, for removal of material during finishing, using the wheel as a template so I could have a clear center. 

 

Completely agree on clamping. I’d likely use a 2” ratcheting tie-down strap over waxed paper to get uniform force on the full circumference both at the bending and the glue-up stages.

 

Also in full agreement on “freehand” routing. I never do this on anything that’s important--I ALWAYS have a guide. Here I would route the “groove” into the outside of both sides of the finished layup using a circle jig and the center of the form before cutting the layup apart into the two halves (I”m assuming here the wheel can be made close enough to circular to conform to groove in the wood).

 

Position the two halves with the hollow inside (where the wheel rim will end up), clamp them, and do the roughing to get the exterior shape. This will be tedious no matter what approach you take. I am not a “hand work” guy (sorry, Caz) so I’d consider a bearing-guided rounding bit in the router to get in the ballpark dimensionally. Four passes -- one from each side on the outer and inner surfaces (complicated by having to reposition the clamping to the worktop).

 

Getting down off my soapbox. Enjoy the planning and execution!

[formariz 11,987]

46 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

 

Interesting suggestion for a layup without steaming.

 

1/8” strips will bend easily to that large radius.

On these strips are slightly over that at 11/64”and bent to a much more extreme radius without steaming. 
 

[oliver2-44 9,743]

My oldest son is an expert at CAD, so while he was over for the 4th, he took my hand wheel sketch and put it to CAD. 

I'm going to try making it using a finger jointed Octagon.  The drawing needs the finger joint depth added to know the final cutting length for the pieces. 

I have to make a few test passes with the bit I have to work that out. 

For the first attempt I will be starting with 3/4" thick Walnut.

The drawing shows a final 1-1/4" diameter wheel. Then it will get worked down from there.  

I'm thinking to shoot for a final 1" diameter.

Lots to learn as I attempt this, the challenge is what makes this interesting!

 

Tractor Wooden Steering Wheel Rev 0.pdf

[oliver2-44 9,743]

I need to buy a finger joint bit. These 2 cover the range on Amazon

I'm sure one I have one and learn to use it, I'll find other projects to use it on..

@formariz @Ed Kennell @Handy Don @ri702bill

I guess I'm wondering if there's any difference in the fingers they or other cutters cut

Also is any bit better for moving from cutting one side then moving to the other side?

This is new to new, but I'm looking forward to a new challenge.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Finger-Milling-Bearing-Woodworking-Carpenter/dp/B083ZPJFXL/ref=sr_1_8?crid=CCG5MV0FIZ15&keywords=finger+joint+router+bit&qid=1689527221&sprefix=%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-8

 

https://www.amazon.com/CMT-800-606-11-Professional-Diameter-Carbide-Tipped/dp/B000P4LOJC/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=Y126E&content-id=amzn1.sym.fd890e16-d287-4109-9166-cf98a9958c4e%3Aamzn1.symc.a15e8338-4064-41aa-8e76-3b756cd2dc38&pf_rd_p=fd890e16-d287-4109-9166-cf98a9958c4e&pf_rd_r=P9ZHTMCVA8YCXK0A71SF&pd_rd_wg=TbZya&pd_rd_r=5a8ab93e-f19d-479b-8ce0-109fa0becf33&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m

Edited July 16, 2023 by oliver2-44

[formariz 11,987]

They are easy to use. The initial setup however can be tedious and frustrating. Center of bit has to be perfect centered on material so when one flips material on the second cut everything aligns perfectly when joined. Fingers are angled so that makes it difficult. For that reason I use the one below which has a 90 degree center tooth to make set up easier . The ones you show have replaceable cutters and offer other possibilities particularly dealing with different thickness of material. They are something that you will probably only use a few times any way.

[oliver2-44 9,743]

Thanks for the recommendation. The square center tooth definatly sounds like a helpful feature