MilesA Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 I recently inherited a battle scarred, wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel of the late '60s / early '70s from my late brother in law, an amateur racing enthusiast. His wife would be thrilled if I could recover some of its original sparkle without losing the patina. So seeking some guidance... What is the best way to clean the aluminium? Autosol aluminium polish does a good job on the untarnished areas but I need a cleaner to deal with the stubborn spots / areas of tarnish and oxidation. Any tried and tested products? What is the best way to treat the lamented wooded rim? Virtually all the varnish has gone and the wood is quite dry. I will carefully sand the wood with very fine paper (wet and dry?) but should I do anything else before varnishing? Interestingly, the wood laminate has a very strong smell - very like the incense used in church when I was a child! Is this completely random? Thanks as ever in advance. Miles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 Cedar wood? Autosol is 'just' a very fine abrasive paste, so if you have areas that it won't polish up, then you need to use more agressive materials such as fine sandpaper. Rub down the wood parts, consider if you want to use a wood dye before varnishing - a light colour can be recoated to make it darker. This video is a slide show of the techniaues used by a pro restorer: But look at the finish those techniques give. If you want to retain any 'patina', then much less radical work will be needed, else it could look brand new! It may be that just a light, Autosol polish and a coat of varnish, retaining all the dings and scratches will delight SiL, and look good on your car, if that is the plan. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fireman049 Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 Hi Miles ~ When I refurbished the wood rim on my 'E'-type I rubbed it down with fine sandpaper then applied an American product sold by gunsmiths called 'Tru Oil' I forget the makers name. This was far superior to varnish which used to become very sticky. I used this 'Tru Oil' when I refurbished all my gun stocks. I used Solvol Autosol on the aluminium frame. Tom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=tru+oil&_sop=15 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MilesA Posted January 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 John Cedar wood could be the answer. Of course I should have though of YouTube as a (additional) source of guidance. Some interesting ideas there. I see that Autosol do an aluminium polish so will give that a go. Don't want to lose the 'dings'; just the oxidation spots. Tom and Bob Didn't think of 'Tru Oil' as an option although I have used it in the past. wIl have to see if I can find it in the depths of the cellar. Many thanks - Miles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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