Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it on a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

In article ,
"Ivan Vegvary" wrote:

Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it on a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

No, that will just get you diagonal stripes. For approximation of a helix (3-D
spiral), glue up some striped strips, saw into squares, and glue up the squares
with each one rotated a bit from the one below. For the shape you describe, you
might want to use smaller/thinner strips on the part that will be turned
smaller.

This type of common wind-dangly-thing should give the idea - you have to
envision each strip of this being expanded to a full striped layer.

http://crafttimes.extremelynice.net/...ying-Helix.JPG

http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.124436564.jpg

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

"Ecnerwal" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Ivan Vegvary" wrote:

Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind
of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from
about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark
woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the
finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it
on a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank
prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

No, that will just get you diagonal stripes. For approximation of a helix
(3-D
spiral), glue up some striped strips, saw into squares, and glue up the
squares
with each one rotated a bit from the one below. For the shape you
describe, you
might want to use smaller/thinner strips on the part that will be turned
smaller.

This type of common wind-dangly-thing should give the idea - you have to
envision each strip of this being expanded to a full striped layer.

http://crafttimes.extremelynice.net/...ying-Helix.JPG

http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.124436564.jpg

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

Thanks Ecnerwal,
That explains it. I will do as you suggest.

Ivan Vegvary

I did that with some oak and purple heart - turned a handle for a big file.
Big handle big file. It looks great, handles great and is slanted slices.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
"Our Republic and the Press will Rise or Fall Together": Joseph Pulitzer
TSRA: Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member. http://lufkinced.com/

On 5/18/2010 9:22 AM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it
on a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

1. I have a pile of squares of diamondwood that are predrilled to make shift
knobs - these are probably not right for you (think near spherical shift
knobs like on my 38 Plymouth or 36 Cadillac) but if anyone else would like
one or more, drop me a note - not free, but not too dear (get my email from
my web page at www.wbnoble.com)

2. I think to make a truly spiral pattern I would not do it via glue up -
for several reasons, one is that it won't look right, but an even better
reason is that a car is a really really tough environment on wood and it is
very likely to come apart. So, here are some other ideas

1. you can turn aluminum like wood, so make the shape out of aluminum (turn
a little slower than wood), polish it, and then use "standard techniques" to
cut a spiral groove into the AL and press a strip of wood into the groove -
glue it in with epoxy

2. you can still buy bakelite if you wanted an original handle - it turns
like a really hard brittle wood - dust, not shavings, but it can be turned
on a wood lathe (as can FRP and Phenolic and nylon)

3. do as in #1, but make the handle out of one piece of hard maple, then do
the grooving.

4. cut a maple dowel so it is 3/8 at one end, 1" at the other end. Steam
1/4 inch square strips (e.g. 1/4 X 1/4 X 24 inches) of your selected woods
for a while, until they are soft and wrap them around the shaped dowel and
glue in place - use clamps to hold the whole thing tight while the glue
hardens - you can make a shallow spiral or a really twisty one like threads,
your choice - the shallow spiral will be easier and use shorter strips of
wood-

5. use veneer laid onto the shaped dowel

6. for something completely different, make up a shaped dowel exactly as you
want the outside and use that to make a mold using silicone mold compound -
then fill the mold with interesting stuff like bugs, or flowers, or chips of
wood and broken screws and then pour in casting resin - after it hardens,
polish on the lathe and drill/tap as required.



"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...
Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark
woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it on
a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank
prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

Hi Bill,
I always read you posts in the rec.crafts.metalworking group.

Now you have me confused. All of your ideas are great! Don't know which
one to choose. BTW, many years ago I did do a glue-up knob and it lasted
only a few hours before splitting. At the time, I blamed on on the threaded
hole, thinking maybe I stressed the part. Obviously, glue-up is not the
strongest way to go.

Thanks again,

Ivan Vegvary


"Bill Noble" wrote in message
...
1. I have a pile of squares of diamondwood that are predrilled to make
shift knobs - these are probably not right for you (think near spherical
shift knobs like on my 38 Plymouth or 36 Cadillac) but if anyone else
would like one or more, drop me a note - not free, but not too dear (get
my email from my web page at www.wbnoble.com)

2. I think to make a truly spiral pattern I would not do it via glue up -
for several reasons, one is that it won't look right, but an even better
reason is that a car is a really really tough environment on wood and it
is very likely to come apart. So, here are some other ideas

1. you can turn aluminum like wood, so make the shape out of aluminum
(turn a little slower than wood), polish it, and then use "standard
techniques" to cut a spiral groove into the AL and press a strip of wood
into the groove - glue it in with epoxy

2. you can still buy bakelite if you wanted an original handle - it turns
like a really hard brittle wood - dust, not shavings, but it can be turned
on a wood lathe (as can FRP and Phenolic and nylon)

3. do as in #1, but make the handle out of one piece of hard maple, then
do the grooving.

4. cut a maple dowel so it is 3/8 at one end, 1" at the other end. Steam
1/4 inch square strips (e.g. 1/4 X 1/4 X 24 inches) of your selected woods
for a while, until they are soft and wrap them around the shaped dowel and
glue in place - use clamps to hold the whole thing tight while the glue
hardens - you can make a shallow spiral or a really twisty one like
threads, your choice - the shallow spiral will be easier and use shorter
strips of wood-

5. use veneer laid onto the shaped dowel

6. for something completely different, make up a shaped dowel exactly as
you want the outside and use that to make a mold using silicone mold
compound - then fill the mold with interesting stuff like bugs, or
flowers, or chips of wood and broken screws and then pour in casting
resin - after it hardens, polish on the lathe and drill/tap as required.



"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...
Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind
of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from
about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark
woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the
finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it
on a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank
prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote: (clip) All of your ideas are great! Don't know
which
one to choose. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Since you are dealing with a classic car restoration, I would save all of
Bill N's ideas for something else, and make a knob that duplicates the
original.

On Wed, 19 May 2010 13:52:27 -0500, Ivan Vegvary wrote
(in message ):

Hi Bill,
I always read you posts in the rec.crafts.metalworking group.

Now you have me confused. All of your ideas are great! Don't know which
one to choose. BTW, many years ago I did do a glue-up knob and it lasted
only a few hours before splitting. At the time, I blamed on on the threaded
hole, thinking maybe I stressed the part. Obviously, glue-up is not the
strongest way to go.

Thanks again,

Ivan Vegvary



I will risk telling you something you may already know, in the belief that
maybe someone else might pick up a little nugget on gluing. It is not my
intention to cause anyone any insult.

The glued surfaces need a little truing up with a pass on a good flat sander
- but not too smooth. A "virgin" surface straight from the lumberyard planer
may look nice, but it may be *too* smooth, it may have a very slight surface
wax or other "protective" coating, or it may just have some schmutz that will
interfere with the glue.

for the white or yellow woodworking glue...
The glue needs to sorta soak in for a minute or two before clamping, as the
naked surface will tend to absorb some of the moisture in the glue. If the
work is clamped immediately after applying the glue, the wood will absorb
some of the moisture anyway, and the joint will be starved.

When the work is clamped, expect some squeeze-out, but don't deliberately
keep on tightening the clamps too much and squeeze out all the glue. The
joint will be starved. Leave the squeeze-out alone. Clean it off after the
glue has set up.

If using Gorilla (tm) glue or one of its cheaper (but equally good) clones,
the gluing action depends upon a bit of moisture in the work, to activate the
chemistry of the glue. A quick pass with a damp sponge on the candidate glued
surface is useful. Do not clamp this job too severely, or the joint will be
starved. The glue will foam a bit as it goes to work - just let it go and
dry. Clean it off after it has set.

Epoxies are excellent, but again the wood has to be very clean and dry, and
lightly sanded to insure removal of the oxidized and too-slick surface. The
epoxy has to be throughly mixed for a minimum of a minute and two minutes is
better. Clamp securely, but again, do not starve the joint.

Respectfully submitted,
tom koehler


--
I will find a way or make one.

leo - I restore cars, as you know from my web page, but clearly Ivan is
looking for a "custom" look rather than a "new from the factory" look. We
all know that reproductions of many of these handles are widely available
(of course for MY pink Cadillac, almost nothing in that color is available,
but then again, what would you expect....).

Also, as something of a restoration purist - putting on an incorrect gear
shift knob is harmless, you can always remove it and put a stock knob back
on - on the other hand, taking a nice condition cream puff and doing a
chop/channel job turns a collector car into a custom rod with no path of
return. So, my bias is, customize the unrestorable and restore the good
ones.

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote: (clip) All of your ideas are great! Don't know
which
one to choose. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Since you are dealing with a classic car restoration, I would save all of
Bill N's ideas for something else, and make a knob that duplicates the
original.

"Bill Noble" wrote in message
...
leo - I restore cars, as you know from my web page, but clearly Ivan is
looking for a "custom" look rather than a "new from the factory" look. We
all know that reproductions of many of these handles are widely available
(of course for MY pink Cadillac, almost nothing in that color is
available, but then again, what would you expect....).

Also, as something of a restoration purist - putting on an incorrect gear
shift knob is harmless, you can always remove it and put a stock knob back
on - on the other hand, taking a nice condition cream puff and doing a
chop/channel job turns a collector car into a custom rod with no path of
return. (clip) So, my bias is, customize the unrestorable and restore the
good ones.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bill. I fully understand and agree with your "bias." However, my suggestion
was based on the OP's original question, which seemed to indicate that he
was hoping for a simple way of producing an attractive spiral patterned
knob, i.e., layering and turning on the bias. Since that isn't going to
work, it seems to me that a knob turned out of a single piece would solve
the problem most directly. A knob turned out of wood with an attractive
grain would add a little sparkle without being "over the top."

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Wishing to turn a gear shift knob for my 1948 Pontiac. Automatic
transmission with lever on the steering column. Original was some kind of
plastic/Bakelite that has broken to pieces.

Final product would be about 3 inches long and vary in diameter from about
5/8 inches to 1-1/4 inches. Would like to glue-up some light and dark
woods
for the turning, BUT, wish for the alternate colored woods in the finished
product to look more like a spiral.

Do I simply glue up a block, say W/D/W/D/W (W=white, D=dark) and saw it
on a
diagonal before turning? I can't quite picture how to make the blank prior
to turning.

All help, advice etc. appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary


How about a bunch of small white and black cubes to form a checkered
flag pattern?