Making a Wooden Shift Knob

[Carl Beck]

WOW!! Great job!

I found this cheap aluminum knob that has a reasonable facsimilie of the map cut into it.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/180870642618?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

NINE BUCKS!!! Nine Bucks??? How the hell can they make and ship something like that for NINE BUCKS? Maybe we should contact them and see if they can duplicate the OEM 5spd knobs for $90.00.

Gee...

Carl B.

[Wade Nelson]

Personally I would NEVER put my knob in a drill press.

[Captain Obvious]

I'm looking at ebay for Datsun logos that I could use on top of my newest knob, and I'm looking for suggestions as to what would be the best period correct representation for the logo that was in use during the 280Z years.

I've found red-white-blue with no surround:

red-blue-red with no surround:

and red-blue-red with a white surround:

Any input from the collective?

[geezer]

Some of the new keytags that you get for $1.99 on Ebay aren't too bad and the vinyl buttons can be carefully removed with a little heat from a heatgun applied to the backside. You can immediately stick them on a knob and they fit well.

[LeonV]

Some of the new keytags that you get for $1.99 on Ebay aren't too bad and the vinyl buttons can be carefully removed with a little heat from a heatgun applied to the backside. You can immediately stick them on a knob and they fit well.

Wow, that's a cool idea!

[Captain Obvious]

Yeah, those vinyl stick-ons would certainly be easier to move over to the knob top, but for the knob application, I think I want one of the cloisonnes style instead. I think it would be more durable and "classier" looking.

I know it's purely subjective, but any input as to which style above is most appealing?

[Wade Nelson]

"Cloisonne" style? What are you, a girly man? Turned metal! Diamond plate! Wrought Iron! Hell, real men don't even know how to PRONOUNCE "cloisonne" style much less SPELL it!

/snark

[Captain Obvious]

Haha!! Don't blame me!! I never even knew what it was until this other thread started... They started talking all French and stuff about halfway down page one:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread47482.html

I just figured I would just port that over here and pretend like I knew what the heck I was talking about!!

[conedodger]

NINE BUCKS!!! Nine Bucks??? How the hell can they make and ship something like that for NINE BUCKS? Maybe we should contact them and see if they can duplicate the OEM 5spd knobs for $90.00.

Gee...

Carl B.

I think I can. I had Thanksgiving dinner with a guy I have a manufacturing partnership with and we talked about exactly that. Somebody send me their fugly shift knob and we will reproduce them.

[Captain Obvious]

Well I think I'm done with knob number two. First coat of stain was "cherry", but I think it turned out a little too red. So for the next coat of stain I went back to the "Golden Oak" and that toned down the red. Also, I was thinking of getting a "Datsun" logo to put in the center, but I wanted to use the thing and didn't want to wait until I made up my mind on the logo thing, so I put the 5-speed map into this one as well.

This is the final product:

And here's my knob collection:

I'll get one of those Datsun logos and see how it looks, but if it's smaller than the 5-speed map, I'll probably end up making yet another knob. I've still got a lot of bowling pin left!!

[Wade Nelson]

When I was a young man I had a wooden knob. Hardwood. I avoided lacquers and stains although it occasionally did get some lipstick on it.

Edited December 1, 2012 by Wade Nelson

[Mikes Z car]

Captain Obvious,

That looks really good.

Mike