Automotive Wood Restoration and Accessories

The Art of The Wheel

	A steering wheel to an enthusiast is one of the more personal elements of an automobile's interior. Whether a luxury car or a racing machine the tactile and visual qualities of the wheel help to define and enhance the driving experience. Historically, even better wheels have offered no avenue for personal choice of material or color.
A splayed bundle of flitch walnut burl, displaying its potential for stunning book-matches.	However, through our work, steering wheels have now become fully customizable accessories. We build one of a kind steering wheels based on the original wheel of your make. From traditional burls with inlays to flamboyant reds to carbon fiber; nothing separates or distinguishes an automobile from the pack, like a unique wood interior. A case in point is the Mercedes Benz wheel and interior that were color-matched to that cars custom paint job. This included a subtle addition of metallic powders borrowed from the cosmetic industry, which were applied directly to the veneer. For particular wheels and interior projects, we can color-match as closely as possible to avoid the patchwork look found in so many after market attempts. The majority of the wheels we enhance are airbag wheels for new models. However, we do make one of a kind wheels for cars from the pre-airbag era e.g. Volante. The Bentley non airbag wheel is an example of not just a beautiful book-matched burl, but the horn button which was also veneered, included a graphic with the owner's initials.

Ebony - resawn and stacked for use in steering wheels.	Some wheels are notorious for their small diameter grip. On this Bentley wheel we changed the grip - making the wood profile larger than the factory and then had the new leather built to match the size of the wood. Definitely custom. Our designs follow the factory shape of the cross-sectional profile, producing a clean interface between the leather and the wood. If the wheel has finger reliefs on the backside, we duplicate them in our woodwork at the same spacing as the original. Careful selection of the finest veneers and exotic lumber allows us to produce these unrivaled hand-crafted steering wheels. (For an online sample of some of the woods, see the palette page). In an era of imitation carbon fiber, peel & stick laminates and fake wood grain, we offer real materials expertly crafted. Only the most cost conscious would consider the alternative.