2KHarrier

We'll see how the weather looks for tomorrow morning. I may brave the cold and go out into the garage and see if I can accomplish anything.

jayclapp

The alcohol problem had nothing to do with the Tung oil application. It happened years ago while I was completing an extensive detail of the interior while using a Q-tip and alcohol on the upper console. That's why I forgot to mention it in my first suggestion.

valex

How did the refinishing go?

2KHarrier

Sad to say, I haven't done ANYTHING with it. I bought the Tung Oil, and the steel wool and just haven't been motivated to actually go out and do anything.

I don't make a very good example here....

It's been cold out and I've been working on projects in the house. Not to mention the ever-growing "Honey Do" list... I'm off work this Sunday, and it's reportedly going to be in the 40's, so maybe Sunday morning I'll get motivated and see what I can accomplish.
I will take photos of the process, rest assured...

2KHarrier

So, I got out of work a little early today, made the trek back home and decided to put a little time into the steering wheel.

Here it is with the cracks in the finish, although they are hard to see, I can feel them with every turn of the wheel...


In this next photo, I circled the cracks as best I could, and there are more that you can't see, but these were the worst of them.



I taped off the leather and used steel wool, #0000 Super Fine and Tung Oil



After going over the wheel a few times, I was able to get it smooth enough to where I didn't feel the cracks any more, but I could still see them slightly.



So, next is to clean it up and add a couple coats of the Tung Oil.

We'll see how it looks tomorrow after the first coat.

jayclapp

I see you have lapped the tape over the leather at the ends. I suggest you don't apply Tung oil over this area, as it may leave a circular "step" at the point. If you don't want to reapply the tape, then I suggest that you stop application an inch or so before the tape which would allow you to feather that area and avoid any feel in difference.

I actually didn't even tape my wheel when I did this process. I just used a gauze pad as an applicator and was able to apply right up to the leather without getting any on the leather.

DavidinCT

So far so good, looking forward to more pics. If a few applications can almost make the cracks disapear, it might be something to try...

My wheel is bad, tons of cracks in it, as I said it's got over 240K on it and I've put most of those miles in heavy traffic. If I can make it look almost like new for a VERY resonable price, this no question will be a spring time project...

I also wonder how well this process will work, in the center console, the ashtray cover cracked by the sun beeting on it, wonder if this will cure this as well.

Johnhav430

Having removed those pieces to replace my cupholder, I wouldn't think so? It truly feels like plastic, even if it's technically wood, and as such, seems very durable. My opinion is something is different on the steering wheel. Maybe the process was different, flawed, or because of the curvature it cracked? None of my pieces on the dash or doors seem to have any cracks/scratches, they really feel like plastic that you'd find in an American car.....looks better, but feels the same. My uncle said you're not driving a Rolls Royce, as he works in a shop that CNC's wood pieces and said everything is possible but at a cost....

jayclapp

The wood in the LS430 is actual wood, not plastic or synthetic. It is a very thin veneer and is finished with clear coat, just as the exterior of the car. This information was given to me when I first purchased my car and I phoned Lexus and asked the question of how do I care for the interior wood. The ashtray cover should be a very easy job with the procedure using Tung oil.

DavidinCT

Would love to see if it removes the cracks (or really hides them really well)....

Thanks !

jayclapp

Depends on the depth of the crack and whether you can steel wool, removing the adjacent finish, to a depth that the crack doesn't visable show, i.e, you have removed the crack by smoothing adjacent surfaces until they are at the same level as the crack. The only problem is if you steel wool (or sand) through the clear coat in order to remove the visible crack, you might remove any stain that was put on the wood when manufactured. If that happens, then you would have to restrain that spot before finnishing it. But, the original wood may not have been stained a color. By slowly applying /steel cooling several coats of Tung oil you can fill the crack area and never know the difference in feel the wheel. You might or might not be able to see the crack (depending if you are able to totally remove it visually during steel wooling).

Slowly removing the crack and watching how much is being removed is the secret to prevent a disaster. But this is just typical in woodworking. Even if you ruined the ashtray lid for instance, you could probably find a replacement from a wrecked car. I replaced my ashtray with the interchangeable Lexus storage compartment. It has the same lid. I could not tell the difference in matching my car, even though I did change out my ashtray lid and put it on the storage compartment. Really couldn't even tell a difference in wood pattern.

Johnhav430

I think it's one of those things, like when a food co. puts a heart healthy symbol on a product. Who said it's good for your heart? Or, when a tire co. puts a treadwear rating on a tire--it is absolutely of no use when comparing across brands. So, what is real wood? Well, plastic wood is plastic, and according to my uncle, who as I said is a woodworker, he said your lexus is going to have something similar to balsa wood put into the pieces, so if you want to call that real wood, you can. But we can get a little carried away if we don't appreciate that a Rolls Royce is truly crafted wood, or in a Sea Ray, etc. I thought that when I got my LS430, it really looked good. When I disassembled the center to do the cupholder, I felt what my eyes saw, and what my hands felt, were two different things. I don't own a Sea Ray but I've been on them, and you can really appreciate some of the wood that is installed on such craft...

2KHarrier

After a couple of coats of tung oil, I feel like I got the wheel back to a decent finish. I can see the cracks, but I don't feel them any more, which was the point of the exercise.

Here's the wheel after I finished:



And an upclose shot of the area that was refinished;




The finish is decent, and the gloss will suffice. I'm sure it'll need redoing in a year or so.

2KHarrier

One thing to remember about tung oil, is the smell and residue that it will leave.

Make sure to leave the windows open between coats and follow the instructions on the can. It's going to leave a pungent odor in the car for a few days and you'll have a slight odor on your hands after touching the wheel. It should diminish after a few days, or at least I hope so...

Jayclapp steered (no pun..) me into this procedure so I thank him for the suggestion of the tung oil.

jayclapp

I am glad that you are pleased with your steering wheel finish. You will have to redo it again as the Tung oil will wear down. The frequency will depend on how many coats you have applied. I did about 3 coats and it lasted well over a year. The next time will become almost as easy as applying a few coats of wax.