Can cracked steering wheels be repair/refurbished? Also, does anyone have a technique to take out dings and dents in trim pieces or is this best left to metal refinishers..
As always Thanks......jeff
Jeff, window trim, hub caps and other thin metal trim pieces are all something you can repair yourself if you don't mind the time and patience it will take. Skill is helpful, if you already have it...great, if not, practice on something similar or on a piece you don't mind sacrificing.
I spent 2 days getting out all of the nicks, dents, scratches and creases that my 6 cylinder valve cover suffered over the years. An old pushrod came in handy for round areas as did a piece of Oak; it's a hardwood and helped with larger dents without it damaging any surrounding metal. A small hammer or better yet, a Trim Hammer that I purchased from Eastwood came in handy. I also used files, wet & dry sandpaper and a bright light to help see contrast. The biggest secret is to make small changes using light hammer taps and checking your work often to prevent overworking the area.
Stainless Steel Trim, Hub Caps, etc. take a little more finesse, (since you can't use primers and paint to hide little scratches) and ultimately polishing as the final step; also something you can do yourself if you don't mind the time and learning curve and can be done by hand if you don't have or want to spend the money for power equipment; it is definitely more time consuming.
I don't know how good some reproductions are as I either repair my original pieces or purchase NOS if the part is too far gone or just plain missing.
All the best.
Ray
