Early wooden shift knob restoration

[AZ-240z]

Has anyone had any experience in restoring an early series 1 shift knob? Specifically, the knob is in excellent condition except for the chrome mounting ring at it's base where some chrome has pealed off. I would like to remove this chrome ring and have it re-chromed without damaging the wood part. It appears that the chrome ring is glued to the wood mounting hole with some sort of epoxy.

I hate to just go in and try to drill out the epoxy without knowing exactly how it interfaces with the wood.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Dan

[Arne]

Good question, Dan. Knowing how to safely disassemble these would be extremely helpful during refurbishing them.

I'll tag on to this thread with a related question - has anyone successfully repaired or hidden hairline cracks in the original plastic shift pattern emblem?

[Oiluj]

- has anyone successfully repaired or hidden hairline cracks in the original plastic shift pattern emblem?

Arne,

I have a cracked one and tried using a marine product, "creeping crack cure". While it did very slightly help minimize the cracks, it didn't work.

I'm thinking this is a good candidate for a quality replacement insert piece. I don't have the means to make one, but maybe Dave can eventually reproduce a good copy.

The plastic insert in the replica knob I have definitely does not look as good as my cracked original.

[AZ-240z]

Arne,

Although my shift pattern emblem is free of cracks, I had, also, thought how to approach this kind of repair. In the past, I have had good success repairing scratches and chips in the plastic tail light lens using clear paint as used in two stage finishes. It adheres to plastic well and can be buffed to a high gloss. My thinking is that, if the cracks could be enlarged with a fine exacto knife or similar tool, it would allow the clear paint to penetrate the crack which it may, or may not otherwise do. Then, successive coats could build up, and then be smoothed to an even finish.

Just a thought

Dan

[geezer]

I had one with a shift pattern button that was not worth saving. The plastic base ring was split with no chrome left on it. The wood is in good condition and can be refinished. I used a heat gun to reconstitute the glue that was used when these were assembled. In these two pics, you can see what it looks like with the shift pattern button removed and the 1 piece plastic plug that was held in place with the same glue. After applying heat. I used an appropriately sized rod and tapped it out with a small ball pean hammer. I did use too much heat and the button didn't fair well. The glue is fairly brittle with age.

[psdenno]

Has anyone tried to recast the shift pattern insert? I would think there would be a market for good reproductions.

Dennis

[pwd]

For those so inclined, making a reproduction knob cap would be possible using this technique:

http://www.alumilite.com/HowTos/TailLightMoldingNoEquipment.cfm

I'm also in the process of restoring one right now. The glue appears to be the "hide glue", so geezer's application of heat was spot on. I'll dig out my heat gun and follow his lead.

For the base part, I've found companies advertising a "spray on chrome", which appears to give results close to the aluminum deposition method used by OEMs. I've not called about costs, minimums, turn times, etc., but for this part it might be worth sending it to one of the plastic chromers and letting them do it.

[AZ-240z]

I had one with a shift pattern button that was not worth saving. The plastic base ring was split with no chrome left on it. I used a heat gun to reconstitute the glue that was used when these were assembled. In these two pics, you can see what it looks like with the shift pattern button removed and the 1 piece plastic plug that was held in place with the same glue. After applying heat. I used an appropriately sized rod and tapped it out with a small ball pean hammer. I did use too much heat and the button didn't fair well. The glue is fairly brittle with age.

Ron,

From what you describe, and the attached picture, it looks like the chrome ring and plug that is glued inside the wood knob is one molded piece. So, if I used a heat gun from the shift pattern end, after removing the shift pattern button, to soften the glue, I may destroy the plastic ring/plug part.

All great information, but maybe some adhesive clean/remover may soften the glue if allow to soak from the button side.

Thanks, Ron, and I'll post any successes once I decide a good approach.

Dan

Edited February 17, 2010 by AZ-240z

[Mike B]

I just left the plastic base and shift pattern on, since I was afraid I would do more damage trying to remove them. I taped the wood and shift pattern with several layers of blue painters masking tape, and stripped the remaining chrome off with muriatic acid. You have to find a place that can chrome plastic. The guy that did mine is no longer in business. After it came back from being chromed, I had to use a tap to clean out the plating that got attached to the threads inside the knob. I re-stained the knob and put a clear polyurethane coating on it. Here are some pictures before (first three pics) and after.

-Mike

[geezer]

Yes, it is one piece. Here is another view of it. You can see how the glue was liberally applied. I used more heat than nessesary to soften the glue, but not enough to melt the plastic. The piece was not deformed or damaged at all from heating and removing it. It was in poor condition and split to start with. The shift pattern insert couldn't take the heat at all before it was damaged from the heat. Be careful with it.

Edit: Great results Mike. It's too bad your plastic chrome guy went out of business.

Edited February 17, 2010 by geezer

[AZ-240z]

Yes, it is one piece. Here is another view of it. You can see how the glue was liberally applied. I used more heat than nessesary to soften the glue, but not enough to melt the plastic. The piece was not deformed or damaged at all from heating and removing it. It was in poor condition and split to start with. The shift pattern insert couldn't take the heat at all before it was damaged from the heat. Be careful with it.

Edit: Great results Mike. It's too bad your plastic chrome guy went out of business.

Thanks, Ron.

Did you use the heat gun mainly on the threaded hole end, or the shift button end? I was able to gently coax the shift button off with no harm so the plug end is accessable for heat, also. I guess I'll try the heat gun to slowly soften the glue. It would be much easier to chrome, I think.

Mike,

Thanks for the pictures of your restoration. Very nice job, but all of your restoration projects turn out exceptionally great. I also have a place that used to do plastic re-chroming, and just hope he is still in business.

Dan

[geezer]

Dan, if you enlarge the pic in post #5 you may see the glue on the button end that has formed sort of a mushroom shape. This is where I concentrated the heat. Once that was softened, it tapped out fairly easy. I did apply heat on the other end also, but I'm not sure if it was effective or even nessesary.

I don't know if you happened to see the thread where I chucked a shifter knob in my electric drill to turn down and refinish. I was thinking it would be easier to do this first, before removing the plug. Just a thought.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showpost.php?p=313403&postcount=24

Edited February 17, 2010 by geezer