wood steering wheels

Making a Wood Steering Wheel, Easy Right?

Does your car have a wood steering wheel?

ALYTUS, LITHUANIA, September 30, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — As a car guy and a person that spends a lot of time on the road, I find the interior to be as important as the exterior.

So, have you ever thought (even a little bit) about your cars interior? Have you every wondered “What are they thinking?” or “who designed this?” If so, you should’ve likely stopped and thought about the steering wheel. That thing you touch more than yourself if you commute to work. In modern cars, the steering wheel is the main control panel. Besides being just the tool that points the car in the right direction (most of the time), the modern-day steering wheel is the shortcut to the dash. It is full of buttons and other tools that help control pretty much every aspect of the vehicle.

If we go back in time and look at a more classy and elegant option – the wooden steering wheel for car and see how it is made, those buttons are just a simple add on. It doesn’t matter for what kind of car you drive, the question is, do you need a wooden steering wheel? Luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Jaguar offer wood options. Wood gives the interior that level of elegance a leather wrapped wheel can’t match.

Building Wood Wheels.

The wood based steering wheel begins with the production or the selection of a right metal frame. The metal core core is the base element of every steering wheel, whether it be wooden, plastic, vinyl or leather wrapped. Wood is the decorative and elegant, it is that magical surface element. If you want to try and make your own, you can either order a steering wheel metal carcass or take an old steering wheel and strip it. We call this exposing the core. ‘

When we are talking about the manufacture of new wooden steering wheels, the producer takes a custom-made metal carcass and begins working on it. Think of that metal carcass like the skeleton of the steering wheel

Modern manufacturers take a large wooden panel and cut out a circle with the exact same measurements as the steering wheel skeleton. The outer diameter is cut with the inclusion for additional elements like spokes or anything else. 

Wood Steering Wheel Finishing

After the circle (outer and others) are cut, the craftsman move on to applying ornaments. Those details and accents that make the steering wheel unique to your marque. In this phase, the steering wheel is shaped, smoothened out (by sanding) and rounded to conform to a drivers hands. Most modern wooden wheels are aimed at classic cars and rarely come with any electrical outlets, especially in the outer parts of the wooden rim. 

Now that the metal rim and the wood based wrapper are finished, both ready to become one. The manufacturer clamps them together. After attaching the wood to the skeleton, they are glued together and become almost inseparable. Once cooled, the extremely-sturdy and strong steering wheel can be labelled as ‘produced’. 

The final phase is what makes the wheel a work of art. The craftsman rounds and polishes the wood and adds any inlays to make it unique. Everything in this phase depends on the choices a customer or the factory decides to make. While the possibilities are almost limitless, there are some things to consider. While many customers want high-quality wooden steering wheels with unique, personalized trim, that is sometimes difficult.

The best pros in the business

If you want to try and do this on your own, we wish you the best of luck. The best craftsmen in the industry spend years in the woodshop before they get the first steering wheel into a car. The work of these craftsman also considers your safety and comfort. Something that won’t get built into the first wheel you make. Experienced professionals can make even your wildest fantasies come true. They are not limited by a lack of experience, low-grade tools or a shortage of crafting materials. Gold inlays, your initials and multiple colors are possible with experience.

If you have a car that needs a new custom wood steering wheel, check out  woodensteeringwheels.com.

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