jerry
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Posts: 14 
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Post by jerry on Sept 4, 2018 16:06:36 GMT -5
Searched but not asking the right question I guess. I have to make a small dam on a curved surface to repair my steering wheel. The dam will have to be hand formed. What is the best material to make the dam out of?
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Post by Brian on Sept 4, 2018 18:08:06 GMT -5
.....I would use something along the lines of modeling clay, Play-Doh, Silly Putty .....stay away from anything that is a 2 part mix....i.e JB Weld...you want to be able to clean the steering wheel up at some point.
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jerry
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Posts: 14
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Post by jerry on Sept 4, 2018 18:41:29 GMT -5
Thanks Brian, part of the problem I'm having is because of Play-Doh. When casting the center hub I used Play-Doh to prevent resin from seeping down the spokes but seems there is moisture in the Doh which introduced bubbles in the hub casting. Had to dig out the porous resin which left a cavity around the spokes. Tried to use Play-Doh as a dam and let it dry overnight. It hardened but leaked and was very difficult to get off. What about hot glue?
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Post by Brian on Sept 4, 2018 23:14:43 GMT -5
Hot glue would work as well.....do you think that you could use a RTV silicone sealant like Permatex and then be able to peel it off with no issues once your done? ....run a bead around the area that you want to pour and let it cure, pour the resin, let it cure and then remove the silicone bead once your done. You may want to test this first in an inconspicuous place on the wheel to see if the RTV silicone can be removed without causing any further damage.
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Post by notoes on Sept 5, 2018 5:43:39 GMT -5
Hot glue would work as long as you have enough to cover. Also if you have regular old silicone caulk laying around you could squirt it into a bowl of COLD soapy water, squish it and fold it (like you'd condition clay or mix Amazing Putty) for about 2 minutes and it'll cure in 10-20 minutes. But you need to use Silicone 1 (or Silicone I as the tube says) caulk, Silicone II will not work at all. I usually have Tub & Tile caulk laying around and know it can do in a pinch like that.
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jerry
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Posts: 14
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Post by jerry on Sept 5, 2018 10:13:02 GMT -5
Yes I have made Proto-Putty with the 100 percent silicone and it works well. Would have to let it cure until all the water is out but this is a good idea. Will try a dab to make a dam, pour a little resin and see what the results are.
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jerry
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Posts: 14
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Post by jerry on Sept 7, 2018 20:28:07 GMT -5
Made a dam out of the 100 percent silicone (Proto-Putty) and it worked like a charm. didn't get a water reaction (bubbles)no leakage and it peeled off easy. Got a little smoothing to do and I'll post a picture or two of the steering wheel.
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Post by Brian on Sept 8, 2018 12:15:51 GMT -5
...How old of a steering wheel is this? Reason I ask is this sounds like a recommended procedure for antiques and classic vehicles. I've got a '76 Ford Gran Torino that, when I can get my butt out of the hobby room, would like to dive head long back into the resto-mod portion of involving Alumilite products.
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jerry
New Member
Posts: 14
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Post by jerry on Sept 9, 2018 14:19:35 GMT -5
Actually I'm building the wheel from scratch. Wanted a wheel that looks like the real thing on a '39 Chevy but smaller in diameter because I have power steering and an OEM wheel, if I could find one, goes for around $900. Elsewhere on this site I did a thread on making the mold with pictures.
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