Steering Wheel Restoration

[Dan in Pasadena]

I decided to take on my 46's cracked and dog-chewed (yes, really) steering wheel this weekend. I had seen great reviews for using JB Stick Weld to repair the cracks, so I bought some to try. I "V-ed" out the cracks with a file and using the Stick Weld - which has different colored inner and outer components - you slice off a chunk and knead it by hand til it's one color. Then quickly jam it into the cracks because you only have about 2-3 minutes working time. It says it is water-based so I tried using a bit of water on my fingers to help smooth it out before the "scab" hardens. It didn't help much frankly.

I did this in a couple steps and used rat tail and flat bastard files to finalize the contours. Then I fully sanded the steering wheel with 150 grit, blew it clean and primed the whole thing with Rustoleum sandable primer.

Once it is primed the places you've missed or mis-shaped become very clear. I plan to now go back, fix the remainder and re-file, sand and prime. My final coat (or 3) will be gloss black and I may clear it too. I have no idea how it will wear but since the truck is not a daily driver I'm not all that worried about it.

Feel free to offer opinions. I probably would not have taken this on until I went to the Pomona Auto Swap meet and saw 40's era Chevy car steering wheels going for $400 to $1200