Painting a steering wheel

[Brian1045 28]

Anyone had luck painting a steering wheel?

I figured it would wear off over time especially rattle can paint.

So....

I'm thinking of clear coating it if I do paint it. I'll use a flat black and then shoot it with clear. A good thick clear job is almost like glass. Very durable and it would keep the paint from wearing off into the hands.

Any thoughts?

BTW: I just bought this on ebay

Attached Image

[saguaro 0]

Have you thought about the rattle can paint for plastic. Its use for plastic patio furnature so it has to be pretty durable.

[linen beige 14]

Why not coat it with the liquid rubber made to dip tool grips in?

[Brian1045 28]

Hmm....2 good suggestions...I'll look into the plastic dip and the plastic paint.

:hide:

[jusjeepn 59]

Brian, That wheel is made of bakolite (or however you spell it) and can actually be buffed back to almost new condition as long as it has not weathered to far. If it can not be buffed it's pretty much a lost cause anywho. I have heard Glen Pettit may be able to bring em back from the dead too. He's on here and has been posting. You might give him a P/M and see if he can suggest any help. He goes by GLENJERI.

Pat

[sorekiwi 761]

This is a pic of the wheel on my Ranger. It was in good shape, but really dirty. I scrubbed the thing with a toothbrush and simple green, then buffed it by hand with cutting compound. Its not perfect, but I think I could get it better with more elbow grease.

[joebob 45]

have you check out how they restore old car ones , there painted with automotive paint and fixed with 2 part epoxy putty, you can look at the one on my 551 in work in progress,it was really a ruff one and missing pieces but came out pretty good , that has been done in basecoat clearcoat I will post a photo after I take one of it

[joebob 45]

here is the 551s wheel that has been redone

[wallfish 17,105]

here is the 551s wheel that has been redone

That does look real good!

Do you have any info on the exoxy that was used?

[saguaro 0]

that does look good :hide:

[Brian1045 28]

Great suggestions people!

And the steering wheel looks awesome Joebob!!

My wheel hasn't been delivered yet. When it gets here I'll see if there is any damage besides the fading. I'm getting really good at applying clear heavily and laying it down nicely. I may go that route.

I've even automotive cleared over rustoleum and got good results. :hide:

[linen beige 14]

Bakelit is famous for "flaking" or coming apart in layers. That's why an epoxy or ruber coating is used by most auto restorers. Either one holds the layers of bakelit together. Paint won't stop it from flaking.

The newer epoxys work well but you may want to play with some of the stuff before you try to coat something as large as a steering wheel. The tool grib rubber I mentioned has been in use for decades and can actually be used to build whole sections of badly damaged wheels.

The wheels pictured on here that have been buffed look great! But if yours has started to flake or shows signs of hairline seperation of layers buffing won't hold it together.

[HorseFixer 2,012]

Here is POR-15 Steering wheel kit when ya get one that is really muffed up!

POR-15 Steering Wheel Repair Kit

[joebob 45]

the epoxy is for fixing cracks and missing pieces not to coat the whole wheel, I used the two part nead together stuff dont remember the brand , it was blue and white in a tube, I checked out a few places on the web for kits and they were just about the same stuff and with mine being in the condition it was I had nothing to loose, I just used a file and die grinder to cut out all the bad things and filled it in with the epoxy, sanded it smooth primed and painted, I have about 4 hours and $5.00 in to it so it wasn't going to kill me if it goes bad. there is a site out there that goes though the repair. The stuff that my wheel was made from looked like it was shrinking , it had 1/16"cracks about every 2" and one around most of the outside edge down to the metal ring . the sun does wonders to plastic :hide: