It is generally accepted that a gift made with your own hands will be the most pleasant and desirable. After all, in the process of making a handmade gift, a person puts a piece of his warmth and love into this gift. In addition, such a gift will be unique in every sense; such an item cannot be purchased in a store. A do-it-yourself candy steering wheel made in MK can become a very original and pleasant souvenir for your brother, husband or dad for any celebration. We invite you to find out how easy it is to make such a sweet gift for a loved one with your own hands.
Heated steering wheel designed independently
One of the design options for the steering wheel is its heating. Let's take a closer look at how to make your own heated steering wheel. It is done primarily on mid-segment cars. Some modern premium models have this feature built-in.
But heating can also be done independently with the help of specialists by visiting a car workshop, or you can purchase a ready-made heating system and install it.
There is also the option of heating yourself. To operate, you will need a heating system with automatic heating mode.
The steering wheel must first be removed and then updated. First of all, you need to outline the installation location of the system. Then, in the marked places, recesses are made for the elements.
Experts suggest attaching the elements with glue and sealing them with sealant. Then its surface is puttied and leveled with a knife.
You can connect the system using a cigarette lighter, through special wiring, or use unused wires.
The safest connection option is to connect using special wiring. Using this connection option, you can simply arrange a heated steering wheel.
What is needed to sew a leather steering wheel cover and the manufacturing process
Don't be afraid to sew - it's fun and safe! Sewing does not take much time, and even a child can learn to handle a sharp needle. You can also use a sewing machine, which will definitely help you quickly sew parts of the leather into a case, and this will not require spending a lot of time. In order to sew a high-quality and beautiful steering wheel cover you will need:
As you can see, you will need very little, but the cover can last for an extremely long time and will not spoil its appearance. Leather products, if they are natural, last an extremely long time and have an attractive appearance. In addition, genuine leather is very easy to handle, especially when creating a small cover for a car steering wheel.
You will need to take a piece of genuine leather and cut a line out of it, the width of which will be approximately 15 cm. Then you will need to either sew the edges of the cut piece of genuine leather or glue it into a tube. It is extremely easy to put the resulting cover on the steering wheel. Of course, many articles on the Internet or in books indicate that stitching leather is preferable to gluing it.
But in fact, all such recommendations come from articles that were published five years ago or more, and over these years very high-quality adhesives have entered the markets that can firmly grip any skin, holding it together better than any seam. It is also worth noting that for greater decorative appeal, you can use several types of leather in texture and color - white and black. In this case, you can also simply glue it together with special leather glue or sew it with an even seam.
Braid the steering wheel yourself
Next, we will consider the option of how to braid the steering wheel yourself. There are many materials available for steering wheel trim.
The most relevant of them are braids made of leather materials, fur, silicone, and foam rubber covers. To create a braid yourself, you need to think about what material is best to use for the future cover.
Before you start creating the braid, you need to measure the steering wheel - the length of its circumference, as well as the rim. Cut out the required strips from the required material.
Then you should sew the parts on both sides, leaving a few millimeters from the edges. To refine the knitting needles, you must first make patterns for the future model. Wrap the steering wheel well with stretch film and glue several layers of tape on top.
Carefully winding the knitting needles. In the center you need to draw a line from the inside of the workpiece. This will be the place for the seam. Then you need to divide the steering wheel into fragments along the spokes.
Cut the tape with a knife - this will be the basis for the future braid. Using chalk, you need to transfer all the contours to the material, carefully drawing each resulting bend.
Afterwards, you should cut out the part, stepping back from the edges by a millimeter. This action will further contribute to a greater density of the stretched braid on the steering wheel.
Next, you should either stitch on a typewriter or manually arrange the parts together. The edges of the future cover need to be greased with glue and secured to the steering wheel. The joints should be invisible. Thus, you get a steering wheel cover yourself.
Wood steering wheel trim
The purpose of this project is to improve the steering wheel of my 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser. The original steering wheel is covered with leather and painted with a special gray paint. Unfortunately, after 150,000 km, the paint begins to deteriorate.
The first idea was to replace the entire steering wheel with a custom wood trim steering wheel offered on the markets. But the EU doesn't allow airbags to be removed (and I prefer to leave them in), and custom solutions generally don't provide airbag support. And yet, removing the airbag leads to a constant annoying warning in the cabin.
So I decided to replace the leather and rubber with wood myself and keep my original airbag.
With the right tools this can be an easy job, but I didn't have specialized tools.
I just used a hacksaw, a couple of scrapers, sandpaper, a gauge, a hammer, clamps and a drill.
I won't be able to cut the wood accurately enough, so I won't be able to use thick pads and build a wheel from those pieces.
So I decided to use thin strips of Samba (aka Ayous) wood measuring (5x30x2500 mm) and make trims around the iron steering wheel core.
Patiently, ring by ring, I coated the iron core and sculpted the wood into the original shape.
Step 1: Remove old leather and rubber.
The job begins by removing any covering on the handlebars before reaching the iron rim.
My steering wheel isn't actually in that bad of shape, so I bought another used steering wheel so I could work without the fear of ruining anything.
Step 2: Bend the samba bar.
Let's prepare our raw materials.
Samba is a soft wood without veins. A 250 cm long plank can be easily bent and rolled into a ring using only warm water in the following sequence:
1. Wet the bar 2. Begin to bend it carefully. Start by simply connecting the two ends. 3. Secure the ends with Velcro and leave for a while. 4. Moisten again with warm water and try to close the ring by sliding one end against the other. 5.Repeat until the ring is slightly smaller than the steering wheel.
In order for the bar to keep the shape of the ring close to the desired size, let it dry completely and only then remove the fasteners.
I used 4 strips of 250 cm in length for my work.
Step 3: First rim.
Now you have the material you need to restore your steering wheel.
My rim has some thick parts where the spokes meet. And I decided to make recesses there.
Now it's time to fix the first rim. First we find the approximate length for cutting the curved plank, and then cut it in small pieces, getting closer and closer to the correct size. Don't be afraid if there is a small gap left. This will be fixed in the future.
To make it easier to work, the planks overlap slightly at the connection point. This will be completely scraped off later during the finishing touch.
In the next step we will add another strip to the rim. You can make the connection point be in a different position. This will result in a more reliable connection. But this will be an unsightly connection in some places around the edge. Due to the fact that the wood strip is curved, it will actually be stationary.
So I preferred to have all connections at the same point. At the end of the job, if I don't like the end result, I will cover the connection point with a small wooden ring. I'll clean up this ring at rim level and it will look great and integrate into the overall picture.
Step 4: Add Rings Inside
To avoid breaking the large strip, I cut one into 2 parts and inserted it inside the first ring. Insert 1 half ring on one side. Use clamps to hold the planks together.
If any gap appears after removing the clips, prepare a mixture of sawdust, water and vinyl glue. Use it as putty to close the gap. Or leave it: at the end you can use wood paste to fill that gap.
Step 5: Add a half ring on the other side.
Repeat the same operation with the other half of the plank on the other side.
Step 6: Start stitching.
Let's start grinding now because we have half covered the iron ring.
At this time I can grind the wood as close as possible to the final size and be sure that the iron ring remains perfectly centered in the wood covering.
Another option is to grind after completely covering the iron ring, but this makes it more difficult to keep the iron rim centered.
If desired, you can change the size of the original steering wheel. I prefer to keep it. To leave room for final adjustment, I ground the strips down to the size of the original rubber, plus 1mm in height and width.
Step 7: Add the inner ring.
Add an inner ring to complete the shape. I cut out the places for the spokes and then simply fixed the strip with glue.
Step 8: Adjust the shape between the knitting needles.
Now we are working on an internal profile.
Step 9: Wood covering the spokes.
To cover the metal spokes, you need to glue small pieces of strips.
Of course, the inside of the crown is curved, so some pressure is required. To make this easier, use curved parts of the plank.
After four or five layers, depending on your requirements, you can get the thickness you want and start grinding away the excess wood.
Step 10: Adjusting the wooden spoke.
You can shape your wooden steering wheel according to your preference. So there are no rules at this stage.
I tried to reproduce the original. So, once again I chose to take things step by step and trim the shape while referencing some reference points.
Of course, the first cut is far from the final form: there is still room to correct mistakes.
Step 11: Back of the spoke.
After the first pass, we adjust closer to the final shape. I put the back cover back in place so I could see where to cut and where not to cut.
Step 12: Front side of the spoke.
We do the same on the front side.
To get a perfect surface fit, I installed an airbag pad. This will give me a starting point.
Most of the work was done with sandpaper and some shaped things.
You can see my tools in the photo. For example, to get a nice curve I used a fiberglass stick covered with sandpaper.
Step 13: Finishing touches.
Now we put the airbag and back cover in place to refine the shape.
I cut indentations for the fingers on the back of the rim to ensure perfect grip even on painted wood.
Step 14: Coloring.
Samba wood is almost white.
I prefer my handlebars to be more like oak or walnut.
I used aniline dyes and water-based finishing dyes.
At some point you will see some cracks. This is fine. The wood is still alive and will continue to change slightly depending on humidity and temperature.
Step 15: Installation.
In the first photo you can see the result before and after. I actually bought a used wheel so I could work without fear of my original one. Hope you enjoyed it.
And I also want to note one point, especially for Ukraine, if you need to make a new license plate for a car, then this is not a problem. There is an excellent company that produces rooms, quickly, efficiently and not expensively.
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Option to design a sports steering wheel yourself
We'll look at how to make a sports steering wheel yourself below. For it, you need to take material for the future case - leather is better.
You should measure the exact dimensions of the steering wheel. For more convenient work, it is better to remove it. Wrap with film, then tape. Mark future seams with a pencil. Divide the workpiece into several parts, then label each of them with numbers.
Transfer the dimensions of the blanks onto paper, then onto the material. Sew with thread yourself or using a sewing machine.Then you should pull it onto the steering wheel, it should be pulled tight. The seams that tighten both sides are called sports seams.
The entire steering wheel is tightened using these seams, then the necessary places are glued with glue. Thus, we get a sports steering wheel.
Wooden steering wheel. Wood inserts. Veneering. Moscow. Part 1.
Why is a steering wheel with wood-effect inserts called wooden?
In a modern car (I've never seen one) they rarely make wooden inserts from solid wood - usually it's veneering. The veneer inserts on the steering wheel look like a real wooden steering wheel. Change the standard steering wheel to a steering wheel with tuning (anatomy + leather)
I myself really like all the finishing beauty that brings the mock-up blanks to life.
After all, what is a wooden steering wheel without veneer? It’s scary to pick it up... One car owner, having seen the model of my steering wheel, became so worried that he began to doubt whether he needed a wooden steering wheel. I myself thought that he would refuse the order.) But it was too late - the steering wheel was in operation and he had to worry. The result exceeded, as they say, all his expectations - I was as happy with the wooden steering wheel as a child! And then I rolled up all the inserts in the car’s interior to look like wood.
But now I have to paint the steering wheel with wood-effect inserts with black paint before covering it with leather, so that the customer does not get scared.) But the glue does not stick to this paint, and after showing the wooden steering wheel the owner needs to wash it off.
01.And this is what this piece of driftwood looks like without veneer or leather. Where there should be wood-look inserts on the rim there are monolithic fiberglass inserts. So, now you understand what it really is - a wooden steering wheel... In general, in a modern car interior, all wood-look inserts are made using veneer technology. This is the name for gluing a part with veneer - a thin sheet of natural wood. Let's look at this process using the example of making a wooden steering wheel.
Making wood-look inserts on the steering wheel requires a solid base, since after gluing, during drying, the veneer contracts strongly and tends to deform the part (the effort is colossal). I will tell you about making wood-look inserts from fiberglass later, in another article.
02. I’ll note right away that this one on the Range Rover Sport is far from a gift for veneering. Unlike veneer of any “curly” roots, it does not lie so easily on a curved surface. The master will have to suffer with him.
Wood inserts begin with cutting out veneer sheets to fit the sectors of the upper and lower parts of the wooden steering wheel. And even earlier, the veneer specialist warned me that the size of the upper wood-look insert on the steering wheel should match the width of the veneer strip (veneer is sold in a certain size).
The veneer master cut a piece of veneer in the shape of a trapezoid for the top wood insert.
03. As with any gluing, in veneering both surfaces are coated with glue. We apply a brush to the fiberglass of the upper wood-look insert and the underside of the veneer blank in the area adjacent to the steering wheel.
04. We take aim and apply the steering wheel to the veneer. It is more convenient to place the wood-look insert on the steering wheel on a piece of veneer located on the table - this way you can better see the pattern of the wood relative to the steering wheel.
05. On the wooden steering wheel turned upside down towards us, it is already clear that it is impossible to veneer the wood insert in a circle with one piece of veneer - wood is not rubber and will not stretch over a curved cylinder. Especially a tree with long, hard fibers like ours. Therefore, we will paste over the fiberglass wood-look inserts from the front and back sides in separate pieces and join them along the outer and inner sides of the steering wheel. The photo shows the beginning of the work, when the craftsman cuts the veneer along the fibers to lay them. There are also transverse cuts outside the sticker area - simply to provide greater flexibility to the lower section of the veneer, separating unnecessary fragments.
06. So, cutting the tree lengthwise and crosswise, we gradually wrap the upper half of the wood insert “fiber-wise.” For now, we do not pay attention to the overlaps and discrepancies of the wood fragments. Roughly, with a small allowance, we trim the hanging edges of the veneer outside and inside the wooden steering wheel.
07. Paper masking tape will help you create a precise, even edge on the top of the wood-look veneer insert. We glue the tape onto the edge of the veneer and use a sharp knife to cut off the excess wood sticking out from under the tape.
08. The outer part of the veneer lay with overlaps, but the veneer fibers on the inside of the wood insert separated - wedge-shaped gaps formed. And in the middle there is generally a “hole” in the form of a tick.
09. The problem is solved simply. We cut out a piece of veneer in the shape of a “tick” and glue it into the gap on the wood insert. The professionalism of the master is precisely manifested in the selection of the pattern and color of this piece of veneer for the patch.
10. But the steering wheel will become wooden after we veneer the lower half of the wood insert. The gluing procedure is the same as above, you just need to carefully join the edges of the veneer.
11. This is where skill comes in! Carefully trim the edge of the veneer to align the cut line of the top plate of wood with the bottom.
12. An interesting point of compromise in veneering the inconspicuous side of the wooden steering wheel. The craftsman cut the lower fragment of veneer not along the grain, but across it??? This is so as not to close up the “tick” of the gap between the fibers (see photos No. 08 and 09)... On the steering wheel installed in the car, this place is not visible. This is the compromise.
13. Pasted and dried wood-look inserts on a wooden steering wheel are processed with sandpaper. On a wood-look insert prepared for varnishing, it is very difficult for a person uninitiated in the secrets of veneering to distinguish the glued pieces of veneer, and even more so, then to notice something under the shine of the varnish.
More articles about steering wheel tuning
Tuning Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Sport, Freelander, Discovery 3. Steering wheel tuning. Moscow. Part 1.
Leather steering wheel. Sports steering wheel for Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Freelander, Sport, Discovery 3 tuning. Moscow. Part 2.
Leather steering wheel. Leather steering wheel. Steering wheel alteration. Moscow. Part 3.
Wood steering wheel. Wood inserts. Leather wood. Moscow. Part 2.
More articles about steering wheel tuning:
Steering wheel tuning. Anatomical steering wheel. Part 1.
Steering wheel tuning. Anatomical steering wheel. Part 2.
Articles about tuning with your own hands.
Author: Mikhail Romanov Website:
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Lazy steering wheel made by yourself
We’ll look at how to make a lazy steering wheel yourself below. To mount the lazy bar on the steering wheel, you need to choose a place to mount it.
Then, using a clamp, you should select the diameter of the car's steering wheel. In this case, seals will come to the rescue. Basically, it is installed in places at ten and two o'clock, at eight and four o'clock, and also on top.
If you use it every day, the second option is perfect. It will be more convenient to drive and change gears.
It is important to secure it correctly so that it does not slip. It is also worth choosing the thickness of the seal correctly, then the handle will not have deviations.
What you need to make a wooden steering wheel
For work, you can take a steering wheel from your car, but it is advisable to prepare another one so that in case of failure there is no need to purchase a new steering wheel. Check your local used parts store for the right fit.
Did you know?
For the first 60 years of its introduction on automobiles, the steering wheel was used to turn the car and also provided a surface on which to place the horn.
In addition, you will need:
- a couple of boards of any wood from which the blanks will be made;
- drill;
- glue;
- putty;
- wood saw;
- sandpaper;
- clamps;
Brief summary
Car tuning is unthinkable without proper steering wheel design. There are a large number of design options.
In this article we looked at the most current options. These include options for heating the steering wheel, braiding, and the use of a lazy person. How to transform your steering wheel is up to you.
How to make it yourself
There are not many ways to make a steering wheel.
And you can do it from:
- slats that were glued together;
- whole pieces, also connected with glue;
- replace part of the steering wheel with a wooden insert.
Important!
To make a wheel, it is better to use soft wood, without veins: alder, linden, aspen, pine, larch.
It will bend better and be easier to process. Which method you choose is up to you. You can use a hybrid method, taking the elements that you like. The essence of the first method is to separate the board into thin slats and glue them together. The thickness of an individual strip is 5 mm. Glued together, they should match the diameter of the steering wheel, and the thickness should be comfortable for your hand to grasp.
The second method is to cut out the component parts from a single piece of wood and glue them around a metal rim. You can also glue the pieces together first to form a hexagon. And then cut it into a circle with a saw. The third method is similar to the second, only you will not need to make a whole steering wheel, but only a small part that will be glued instead of the upper half of your steering wheel.
Step-by-step instructions for making a steering wheel using the gluing method consists of the following steps:
- A wooden board is cut into strips 5 mm thick using a circular saw.
- They are planed until smooth. The thickness is reduced to 2–3 mm. This will provide a more reliable gluing.
- Now a circle of the required diameter is drawn on a wooden surface. A piece of metal of the same diameter is selected, and the steering wheel will be assembled around it. You can also drill holes in the wood along the drawn circle and install pins in them, and fasten the strips around them, connecting and sanding.
- Now the strips are glued together and compressed using clamps along the required diameter of the circle.
- In total, the workpiece will require 4 slats. You can make two semicircles. This will make it easier to connect them.
- While the wood dries, the metal rim is prepared. To do this, the factory coating is completely removed from the steering wheel: foam, polyurethane, etc.
- If everything went well, then the prepared semicircles are cleaned and glued around the rim.
- Unnecessary parts are cut out from the resulting glued circle (basic contour). For example, if you want the wood to “lie on the spokes”.
- Take a chisel and make grooves where necessary, i.e. the knitting needles should lie flush with your circle.
- Then the joints are sealed with putty, cleaned again and painted with varnish.
Video: DIY wooden steering wheel
Steering wheel with wooden inserts
To make a steering wheel with wooden inserts, you will need wood, a circular saw and a drill. First, cut out the pieces of the required size. Then a groove is cut out with a milling cutter in order to put them on the rim, and then the parts of the future product themselves are cut out.
Important!
When working with tools on a glued surface, try not to press too hard so as not to split the fragile plates.
The steering wheel itself is prepared by cutting off the coating from it in the required places down to the metal. Elements that will come into contact with the wood are covered with masking tape. Wooden inserts are placed on the metal rim, glued, cleaned, sanded and painted with varnish.
