'69 through '73 Steering Wheels - Wood, or Plastic?

[bartsscooterservice]

On 8/9/2022 at 8:10 PM, HS30-H said:

 

 

The material is incredibly tough. It was hard to remove from the steel rim (although it was not adhered to it) and difficult to split the material into smaller pieces. 

 

     

Makes sense since it was forged with composites. Like you said the centerline could be from the mold. ( 2 pieces) . The steel base is layed into the mold before compressed together. How that exactly goes..i can't tell.  I have a friend who works in the plastic industry. I have seen a lot of injection molding machines. But I don't think it goes exactly like that with wood fibres 

[bartsscooterservice]

 

[heyitsrama]

How did you guys thing they made the wood composite? They don't grow trees like that right? 😉

 

Get the wood wet, bend into a mold?

 

EDIT* post 1: "Izumi used a patented high-pressure heat moulding process."

interesting.

Edited December 24, 2022 by heyitsrama

[HS30-H]

1 hour ago, heyitsrama said:

How did you guys thing they made the wood composite? They don't grow trees like that right? 😉

 

Get the wood wet, bend into a mold?

 

EDIT* post 1: "Izumi used a patented high-pressure heat moulding process."

interesting.

The raw wood was first processed into wood fibre (so, the grain was preserved) which could then be impregnated with the bonding agent and laid into the two halves of the former in continuous rings.

 

There's a surprising amount of push-back on all this. It's a known and understood process, but the whole "they are plastic!" thing is ingrained and deep rooted in a particular branch of the community...

[bartsscooterservice]

Because it doesn't feel like traditional wood. Because the composites mixed into it, you get the plastic look and feel 🥸

[RIP260Z]

On my usual Yahoo auctions search, I came across this;

A unused S30 wooden steering wheel, showing the original yellow brown colour as it would be from new.  It seems the Japanese company had this as a sample, as it looks like (from what I can gather from clicking on the internal link) is the company restores these types of steering wheels, the S30, P510. @kats anything you heard about this from fellow Japanese S30 owners?

https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1041624080

[HS30-H]

On 12/24/2022 at 1:48 PM, bartsscooterservice said:

Because it doesn't feel like traditional wood. Because the composites mixed into it, you get the plastic look and feel 🥸

Ironically enough, with a couple of coats of 'restoration' varnish/gloss coat on top of the wood composite of an original wheel, 'plastic' is pretty much what you *are* touching and feeling...

[HS30-H]

On 12/24/2022 at 9:14 AM, HS30-H said:

...but the whole "they are plastic!" thing is ingrained and deep rooted in a particular branch of the community...

I'm here all week, by the way.  

[zKars]

So: If I may be so bold as to offer a final summation:

Made of wood? No.

Made with wood? Yes

Looks like wood? Yes to most, no for some, but it is one of the basic design design objectives of this damn thing, so Yes is reasonably correct. Which wood? Who cares. As long as it makes most drivers think “wood”.

Feels like wood? Doesn’t matter. Original question is “wood yes or no”. See above. 

Made of plastic? No

Made with plastic? Yes

Feels like plastic? See above.

[psdenno]

1 hour ago, zKars said:

So: If I may be so bold as to offer a final summation:

Made of wood? No.

Made with wood? Yes

Looks like wood? Yes to most, no for some, but it is one of the basic design design objectives of this damn thing, so Yes is reasonably correct. Which wood? Who cares. As long as it makes most drivers think “wood”.

Feels like wood? Doesn’t matter. Original question is “wood yes or no”. See above. 

Made of plastic? No

Made with plastic? Yes

Feels like plastic? See above.

Allow me to add one more point to the summation....

Guaranteed to generate endless debate and confusion 50 years after being introduced?:  Yes

Edited December 29, 2022 by psdenno

[Johnny280]

1 hour ago, psdenno said:

Allow me to add one more point to the summation....

Guaranteed to generate endless debate and confusion 50 years after being introduced?:  Yes

But Goertz still designed our car - yes? 

[Zed Head]

On 8/6/2022 at 7:10 AM, HS30-H said:

Real wood fibres, impregnated with resin,

Just a nomenclature thing here - "resin" would be considered plastic.  It is most likely a petroleum derived material, similar to what surfboards and boats are made from.  Ultimately, the goal was to produce a product better than either wood or "plastic" alone.  Wood feel, but with the dimensional stability and moisture resistance of synthetic polymers.  It is wood AND plastic and better than either alone.