I was looking for a knob to place on my new JWest Shifter (1983 911SC). I really like the striped 917 Shift Knobs. I saw some scary priced knobs (Poland) like I wanted, but why not make my own, for free! Yah-right…
Fixture-Tooling:
About 10-15 hours work I built a jig/fixture to use with my metal lathe. I planned on a couple of rejects, but hit one on the first try.
Machine Knob:
Plane/Laminate Mahogany and Maple together and saw/sand into a rough cylinder shape.
Drill and tap a 5/8-11 tpi and thread in a insert 3/8-24 to 5/8-11.
Use 3/8-24 stud to join in a three-jaw chuck.
Plunge using the new shop tool every 1-10 degrees.
Sand smooth using 36, 80, 120, 220, 320 sand paper.
Finish:
Apply thin film of “Super-Glue” using a paper towel while slowly spinning on lathe. Continue until dry to touch. Use a good organic breathing mask and a face shield. Repeat untill the pores of the wood are filled. I think I have 4-5 coats on it.
Polish using a wheel polisher and blue compound.
So all in all, I have about $65 in and a lot of hours. I pay myself next to nothing. So why didn’t I buy the $100 one??? Because I can say I made it…
Here is a closer look at the tool/fixture I made.
