DIY wheel cover options?

[Tim Good]

The leather in my wheel has lasted very well but coming to the end of its life. The leather kits you can buy are extortionate and I'm unsure why. Is the leather some special marine treated type or could I just buy a sheet of leather, cut strips and punch the holes?

What other solutions out there have people tried that look good and last? Leather handlebar wrap? Synthetic handlebar wrap?

 

[pvb]

I did the wheel on my old HR with a kit from Boat Leather in the USA, which included closed-cell foam padding. It was beautiful leather, accurately sized and punched, and provided with excellent stitching instructions. The end result was gratifying, and lasted many years. You could do it yourself, but it would take a long time and I'm not sure you'd end up with a professional-looking result. This is what mine ended up like...

 

[neil1967]

Can't help with the DIY, but the kit I got from:

https://www.boatleather.co.uk/buy-online

was excellent

Neil

 

[alteredoutlook]

I was less than impressed with http://www.clydemarineleather.co.uk/products/wheel-covers/

 

[dom]

I did the wheel on my old HR with a kit from Boat Leather in the USA, which included closed-cell foam padding. It was beautiful leather, accurately sized and punched, and provided with excellent stitching instructions. The end result was gratifying, and lasted many years. You could do it yourself, but it would take a long time and I'm not sure you'd end up with a professional-looking result. This is what mine ended up like...

View attachment 69363

I’m guessing you had that sewn professionally, or did you do that? If you did, not bad!!

 

[Steve The Seagull]

Leather isn't cheap and accurately punching that many holes is a time consuming process!

If you really don't want to invest in a kit you can wrap your wheel in thin line. If you take the core out of some 5 or 6mm line and use the sheath it can work quite well.

I recently re-leathered some wheels for a customer and came to the conclusion it was more cost effective to buy a kit and do it rather than cutting and prepping myself.

 

[prv]

I’m guessing you had that sewn professionally, or did you do that? If you did, not bad!!

I did mine myself from the same kit and it looks much like that, though I didn’t opt for the spoke covers as well. The kit comes with the thread and needles, and there’s a video showing what to do. It’s not particularly hard but it does take a long time, I did mine over three evenings or so.

Pete

 

[pvb]

I’m guessing you had that sewn professionally, or did you do that? If you did, not bad!!

Thanks! Yes, I did it myself. As I said, the kit came with excellent stitching instructions.

 

[lw395]

I have used bicycle handlebar tape.
If you don't do the whole rim, people get cold fingers when they sail with too much weather helm.....

 

[colind3782]

I bought a kit do redo mine but, after I'd stripped off the old stuff and polished it up with Autosol, it looked so nice I left it as it was. We're in Spain so cold hands aren't an issue.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Mines not leather but alternating white and blue rope just wrapped round the wheel. It was on the boat when I bought it. I thought it was just dirty white rope until I pressure washed it and it was blue & white! Now has a wheel cover so should not need washing again for some time.

 

[Rafiki]

My kit came with instructions for a two-needle stitch, needles included! However research on You Tube came up with some different and more attractive stitches which I used. Not too difficult but took all afternoon!