To add comfort to driving, many motorists buy special steering wheel covers. This refinement not only improves comfort, but also reduces fatigue in the hands of the driver. The interior, thanks to this innovation, is also changing for the better.
To date, the automotive market is simply littered with similar products. But why pay more if you can create an original designer case in half a day? The best material for the steering wheel will, of course, be genuine leather. It is not recommended to take dermantin or other artificial substitutes, because. they wear out quickly and do not have the necessary elasticity.
Steering wheel upholstery - tools and materials
Hauling the steering wheel on its own involves the use of the following tools and materials:
- Masking tape or cling film is perfect for making a pattern (template);
- Cardboard or thick paper.
- Pencil / marker, sharp knife (it is desirable that it be a clerical one).
- Reliable and durable thread - kapron is the best choice.
- Don't forget your finger thimbles - safety first.
- Sewing needles made of hardened steel.
- A set of screwdrivers and wrenches that you will need to install and remove the steering wheel.
- And most importantly - soft genuine leather.
For manual stitching, it is recommended to take two types of material: smooth and perforated leather. This combination will provide comfort while driving and give the cabin an aesthetic look. Perforated leather has high elasticity. Smooth leather is known for its resistance to wear and tear. Therefore, if you combine these two layers, you get a strong, soft, elastic material. Numerous experiments have shown that the best choice would be leather with a thickness of 1.2-1.4 millimeters. Black is considered the most popular color, but you can choose another gamut - a matter of taste.
Create a template
In order for the steering wheel to be covered with leather with your own hands to turn out to be of high quality, you need to start work with making a pattern. The template can be created from tape and film. We remove the steering wheel (do not forget to dismantle the signal cover), then unscrew the fastening nut connecting the steering device to the shaft. When removing the steering wheel, you need to swing it in different directions. Next, we make a steering wheel layout from masking tape and cling film, and then a template. It is done like this:
- The steering wheel is wrapped in foil.
- Masking tape is glued on top.
- The places where there will be seams are marked with a pencil or marker.
- Cut out the tape carefully along the lines. As a result, you should have four elements in front of you: three cruciform and one rectangular.
- We unfold all the parts for the workpiece and number them.
- Next, lay them out on thick paper (cardboard) and make patterns of the same shape that will be used in the pattern.
Steering wheel leather pattern
Now you need to decide in what style you want to drag the steering wheel. To do this, you can get acquainted with various sketches. But from the four elements, many solutions are unlikely to be obtained. But you can always make each sector of several elements by arranging different shades of the material. Of course, it will take more time, and effort too. But the result will be a designer work of art. The best place to look for ideas is the Internet: there are a huge number of variations with a case. When we figured out the design, you can lay out the skin on the work surface and start the pattern.
You will come across a huge number of seams. But among motorists, the following styles are more popular: pigtail, macrame and sports. They form the most durable connection and also look great on the steering wheel.
When doing this procedure, do not miss an important point: each sector of the template is transferred to the skin with a small margin. That is, you lay out the template and cut out 1-1.5 centimeters more from the edges. This stock is needed for increased strength of the seams. If the skin is butt, then there is a high probability that the seams will disperse. Therefore, it is worth dragging the steering wheel well the first time, so as not to redo it later.
Once you've cut out the pieces you need, check the dimensions for the stock: just place the leather on the steering wheel. Do not worry if you overdid it with a margin - you can always remove the excess with scissors.
After all the procedures are completed, you can start sewing.
We make a case
Work loves order - we lay out materials and tools on the table in accordance with how they will be located in the case. We sew the elements in the given order. It is necessary to overcast the edges of each sector so that in the future there is no tightening of the skin. For stitching, strong nylon threads would be the best choice - at least 3 millimeters must be retreated from the edge . All parts, except for the marked seams, must be sewn in the form of a ring.
After you have overcast all the edges, and the workpiece is completely sewn, start pulling a brand new cover on the steering wheel so that the joints of the seams are in the places of the cuts. After we eliminate sagging and smooth the skin. You can put the skin on epoxy or glue - but this is everyone's choice.
Steering wheel - the final stage
The steering wheel has not been completed yet, the last stage remains. We need to pull the edges of the cover so that it is tightly fixed on the steering wheel. We warn you that this procedure is quite laborious and can take a long time. First of all, decide where the seam will start from. It is necessary to fix the thread, and then sew the cover with careful and clear movements. In the place where the edge tie hits the signal cover, you need to thoroughly coat the edges of the skin with glue - preferably if it is rubber glue.
When the work on the cover is completed, you can safely put the steering wheel on the car. You can see slight wrinkles on the cover - it's not scary. If you took natural high-quality leather, all minor defects will eventually disappear due to increased elasticity. As you can see, do-it-yourself steering wheel wrapping is available not only to craftsmen, the main thing is patience and minimal sewing skills.
