That's what I thought... I might give it a try... I will look at the other steering wheel and see if I have any larger areas to replace.

 

In the vintage phone collecting hobby, Bakelite restoration is pretty thoroughly covered. I believe most have used JB Weld epoxy to repair broken corners on Bakelite housings, but I don't know about long-term wear and tear. It was long thought that there was no way to restore the finish without paint once the sawdust fillers are exposed, and the gloss disappears. I have recently found that using 180 grit sandpaper, followed by 400, 800, and 1500 or 2000, then using a buffing wheel attachment on a stationary grinder will make the finish perfectly glossy again. It all depends on how bad the surface is; if it still retains a little of its original gloss, it can be restored very easily with 0000 fine steel wool and a buffing wheel. If the gloss is gone and the surface is very pitted, you will need to use the sanding methods described above. It's very thorough and time-consuming, but it might be helpful for someone who doesn't want to paint their steering wheel.

Then again, painting may be a better option for steering wheels exclusively, as the Bakelite surface reacts poorly over long exposure to human skin oils, contributing to the pitting seen on heavily worn Bakelite.

Here's the link to the Bakelite restoration section of the Classic Rotary Phone Forum, in case anyone is interested. We are a pretty small group, so there isn't as much content as there is here, but there are interesting methods anyway!

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?board=21.0

 

Christian's 1988Ford,


Excellent information about Bakelite...Thanks


CharlieLed,


Awesome stuff! I tried to give you some reps but I guess I have to spread it around a bit more first. The silicon putty is a great idea.


FTE is a great place. I learn something every time I log on (now if I could just remember any of this stuff I'd be in great shape)


Bobby

 

Charlie,
I am now so paranoid about anything silicon that I try not to even use the word in my shop much less bring it into the shop.
You must have had acceptable results and not gotten into a paint problem down the line. I went thru a living HXXX with a DOT 5 paint contamination several years ago.

 

Has anyone cut a stock wheel down to 15" and then restored one.I picked up an old stock wheel and would like to cut it down I don't want to butcher up the newer one that is on the truck now. I have seen an ad for cutting one down in Hemmings the guy lives in Phoenix area.

 

I used PC 7 and I undercut the break to give the epoxy more hold.

Later!
Mr. Ed