Making a Wooden Shift Knob

[olzed]

Captain Obvious. Coming from your area and with your skills, 200 years ago you would have been the village gunsmith.

My choice of wood for shift knobs would be heart walnut or maple. Both traditional Kentucky/Pensylvania muzzle loading rifle stock wood with tight grain and good figure.

[Captain Obvious]

I'm not convinced on the walnut thing... Seems to me that the grain is too pronounced. Here's a good thread that talks about the original knob. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread37451-2.html. From that thread, here's a pic of the original (left) and Nissan's current replacement offering (right):

I would guess that the one on the right is definitely walnut, but the original on the left. I'm not so sure. The grain looks too (don't know what the correct term is, but...) "smooth". When you get your knob back and can take a better look, let me know what you think.

olzed, Tinker or gunsmith is certainly better than the village idiot! I've done a lot work on paintball guns in years gone by. Does that count?

So looking at that good pic of the original knob, can you make a better guess as to what type of wood was used?

[Carl Beck]

Carl, Hate to break it to ya, but that "metal" retainer on the bottom of the OEM knob is actually chrome plated plastic.

PLASTIC! - - - I've been robbed!!! That is a crushing revelation - but given all the other chrome plated plastic in the car - I should have guessed !

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

not to throw a wrench into the conversation.

The steering wheel, is not really wood per say, it is some impregnated thing to look and feel like wood right. I forgot where I read that. Is it possible that the knob is of the same manufacture?

also, I purchased an MSA replacement for my OEM knob and I was not happy with how it looked. It was bigger, and the shift pattern inset on top was not smooth and flush. You could feel a ridge that felt cheap.

I ended up sanding the hell out of my original knob and just applying some RED OAK stain to it I think. Then put on some poly (I like shiny things)

as you can clearly see it is not a direct match to my steering wheel, who soaked up the stain far better than the knob. BUT the knob turned out a lot like the MSA knob.

I know I added absolutely NO value to this thread, but it is hard not to participate when people are talking about ones own knobs.

[conedodger]

I agree. The steering wheel is wood impregnated resin or something like that. When I restored mine, I didn't stain it at all. Just applying varnish brought out the 'wood look.'

If you want them to match though, I suspect you can just go to a paint store and ask them to match it, though different woods take stain differently...

If I were doing it, I would just get some expensive exotic wood and do it. It's worth it. It's a Z!

[72 OJ]

Here is my added no value to this thread, the original steering wheel was made of a composite hard plastic that simulated wood . It did not match the color of the real wood knob.The Z skinny steering wheel had no grip at all, I had them on my former 510 and Z but it was the first mod done along with cutting the truck like stick shift. IMO the wood knob is a nice classy touch on a vintage GT if it matches the steering wheel, Nardi made them and are still around but the "purist''will not touch them. I rather have a nice grip on both and mine are leather cover Momo's.

Edited November 6, 2012 by 72 OJ

[ninjazombiemaster]

Based off the picture of them side by side, you're clearly right Bruce. They must have change sourcing at some point.

[olzed]

I'm not convinced on the walnut thing... Seems to me that the grain is too pronounced. Here's a good thread that talks about the original knob. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread37451-2.html. From that thread, here's a pic of the original (left) and Nissan's current replacement offering (right):

I would guess that the one on the right is definitely walnut, but the original on the left. I'm not so sure. The grain looks too (don't know what the correct term is, but...) "smooth". When you get your knob back and can take a better look, let me know what you think.

olzed, Tinker or gunsmith is certainly better than the village idiot! I've done a lot work on paintball guns in years gone by. Does that count?

So looking at that good pic of the original knob, can you make a better guess as to what type of wood was used?

No sorry, paintball guns don't.

I have worked some, with walnut over the years, and IMHO the first knob could well be sap walnut. I have never seen sap or heart walnut with grain like the second knob. It looks too regular and is very boring looking. But then it could also depend where that tree was grown and what variety of walnut I guess.

[grannyknot]

Capt'n, hope you don't mind but I just finished this modification of MSA's fat shiny knob, at $21.00 I thought it was worth a try. I wish I had a wood lathe so made use of my drill press instead. It's not original looking but feels much better in my hand then the way it was.

Edited November 7, 2012 by grannyknot

[ninjazombiemaster]

Capt'n, hope you don't mind but I just finished this modification of MSA's fat shiny knob, at $21.00 I thought it was worth a try. I wish I had a wood lathe so made use of my drill press instead. It's not original looking but feels much better in my hand then the way it was.

Caught this one in another thread, looks real nice. I'm using MSAs 4 speed version right for now -till I can finish restoring the original- and agree its somewhat odd feeling, though very classy for $20. The top is very flat and wide. The original knob is tall, and egg shaped, and fit perfectly in my hand.

Its interesting that even MSAs stock knob really isnt stock looking. I wonder why they'd use different wood. Cost and availability, I'd guess.

[Captain Obvious]

Thanks olzed. I have no experience in the field, so I'm shooting blanks. Thanks for the ideas.

So I've got one vote for maple, and one vote for sap walnut. Anyone else got a theory they would like to share?

I've got a maple down in the back yard now due to Sandy... How long would I have to wait until I could make a knob out of wood grown on my own property? Might just be me, but I think that would be cool.

grannyknot, I don't mind at all. Bring on the knobs.

[Captain Obvious]

The steering wheel, is not really wood per say, it is some impregnated thing to look and feel like wood right. I forgot where I read that. Is it possible that the knob is of the same manufacture?

Not a chance. I've just reviewed both, and I can tell you that the steering wheel is definitely a man made material, and the original knob is definitely real nature created wood.

Huh huh... Huh huh... You "like wood".