How to Treat a Dry Wooden Steering Wheel

The traditional wooden ship's wheel, almost always made of teak, is still seen on the bridges and in the cockpits of recreational boats both old and new. Unless the oil that keeps the wood in these wheels viable is trapped or replenished, a wooden wheel will dry out. If the wheel remains untreated, it is likely to crack or perhaps collapse under the stress of boat handling. Rejuvenating the wheel's dried wood takes an eye for detail, proper preparation and the right emollients.

Things You'll Need

  • Latex gloves
  • Safety glasses
  • 1 cup powdered laundry detergent
  • 1/4 cup chlorine bleach
  • 1 quart of water
  • Clean shop cloths
  • Small, stiff-bristled scrub brush
  • 1/2 cup linseed or teak oil
  • Small, flat pan
  • Soft, clean lint-free cloth
  • Liquid brass polish
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Instructions

  1. Clean and Oil

    • 1

      Put on latex gloves and safety glasses. Mix 1 cup of powdered laundry detergent and 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach into 1 quart of water. Stir the solution in a figure-eight motion briskly, with a gloved hand, until the detergent is thoroughly dispersed.

    • 2

      Apply the detergent-and-bleach solution to all surfaces of the steering wheel, using a clean shop cloth. Scrub the wheel vigorously with a small, stiff-bristled scrub brush, scrubbing in the direction of the wood's grain. Be sure that you scrub all surfaces of the spokes of the wheel, as well as the front and back of the wheel.

    • 3

      Allow this paste to remain on the wood for 10 minutes. Rinse the detergent and the dirt lifted from the wheel with clear, fresh water. Scrub with the grain to ensure that all of the detergent and any dirt suspended in it are rinsed away. Repeat the rinse and freshwater scrub.

    • 4

      Pour 1/2 cup of linseed or teak oil into a small, flat pan. Dip a soft, clean, lint-free cloth into the pan to absorb the oil. Wipe the oil onto every surface of the wheel, including the front, back and spokes, replenishing the oil in the pan as necessary.

    • 5

      Wipe the oil from the brass escutcheon in the center of the wheel with a clean cloth. Apply a small amount of liquid brass polish to the escutcheon with a soft, clean shop cloth, rubbing in circular, overlapping motions to strip the tarnish from the brass. As the shine returns, wipe the polish and tarnish away with another soft, clean cloth.