Steering Wheel Cover

[terrypen]

Anyone here ever create a leather steering wheel wrap? Are there any patterns or examples of them? Any ideas or direction would be appreciated.

[Wild Bill46]

I would also be interested in an answer to this question,

I have wrestled with my own ideas, still, I too, have wondered if anyone else has any ideas ?. --- Wild Bill46

[dirkba]

I started researching the making of a steering wheel cover and after speaking to our local leather merchants abandoned the project!

The cover needs to fit snug around the wheel and it requires thin leather.

Thin leather don't stretch too much without tearing....so a specific kind of thin leather is required.

The leather recommended by the dealer had a special feature - it almost works like heat shrink tape. Once wrapped around the steering wheel and hand sewn together you need to heat the leather with a heat gun.

This special leather does not come CHEAP and the chance of messing the project up was to high!!

Acquiring a good 2nd hand leather covered steering wheel became a cheaper alternative.

[chancey77]

Heat with a heat gun?? that actually doesn't sound good for the leather.

You just need a 2-2.5" belt strip and to wet form it. wrap it up with plastic wrap tight until it dries then sew it together. I would use 4-5 oz leather. thats my 2cents:) good luck with the project.

[terrypen]

Heat with a heat gun?? that actually doesn't sound good for the leather.

You just need a 2-2.5" belt strip and to wet form it. wrap it up with plastic wrap tight until it dries then sew it together. I would use 4-5 oz leather. thats my 2cents:) good luck with the project.

I might have to give that a try and see what happens. I even have the plastic wrap in the 4" version!

Thanks,

[verus22]

Here's a video on the subject I stumbled across a couple weeks back. Hope it helps!

[terrypen]

I saw that video too, very informative but I have a hard time swallowing the arrogance of WCC. I find it very annoying.

[verus22]

Agreed!

Great callsign btw!

73, AE7TX

[terrypen]

Agreed!

Great callsign btw!

73, AE7TX

You too!

Did you used to live in Phx? I used to live in Queen Creek, stone's throw from TuckSon...

I'm not extremely active, never have enough money for stuff... So what do I do? Get into leatherwork... geez this might be a bigger money pit than Ham Radio... haha One of these days I'll be able to find full time employment so I can pay for some stuff!!!

[verus22]

Lived in Phoenix maybe 10-12 years ago. I went and got my Extra ticket so I can listen on the 2 meter bands down here...barely ever get on!! :D

[terrypen]

Lived in Phoenix maybe 10-12 years ago. I went and got my Extra ticket so I can listen on the 2 meter bands down here...barely ever get on!! :D

I lived in Mesa and then Queen Creek, between 1996 and 2010. I also lived in Sierra Vista when I was at Ft Huachuca but that was 93-94 or so...

I listen to police freq's more than anything... I have an Icom 7000 in the vehicle that is really a police scanner... haha

[verus22]

Police freq's are one of the things I miss...could pick up TPD on my mobile 2m..was great entertainment...until they switched to a trunking system. Now it's just the local repeaters every now and again. I'm still trying to get my Dad back on..he still has a valid Advanced ticket.

[terrypen]

We are still old school up here in podunk county Oregon... OK Columbia county... but still old school... I do want to get a trunk-tracking scanner.. but need more leather first.

I'm one of those no-code extras.... I want to learn it but never make the time to do it...

73, must get to bed... haha

[verus22]

I know maybe 4 or 5 letters in code...so as long as someone only uses those to communicate with me, I'm ok! 73

[DrmCa]

Did you guys get anywhere with the steering wheel wrap?

I have leftover upholstery leather in the matching color with the interior and wanted to try.

My steering wheel is not the easiest to start learning with - it's a 4-spoke like this one.

I was thinking of creating a pattern out of modelling foam first.

[25b]

I bought my leather cover back in 2008, but it's held up well. I used "baseball" stitching to do mine. The leather appears to be chrome tanned with the edges turned unerring and glued there...then pierced holes on both sides, all the way around at the same stitch length.

Where there's a "spoke" on your wheel, you run the lace (mine came with artificial sinew) under the edge of the leather until you can run it out of the next holes at the next opening in the wheel, if that makes sense.

[Nuttish]

I made a friend some bike grips out of chrome tanned and learned that it stretches too much to be useful. I ended up paring and rolling the stitched edges over a piece of pared veg tan.