1. Clean steering wheel completely with Marine Clean. Spray it on, rub it in, then rinse it away with plain water. This is the best cleaner and degreaser available today. It has no petroleum additives and is environmentally safe to use and discard with your waste water.
2. All cracks in your wheel must be sawed out and filled with POR-15 Putty. Saw out the cracks all the way to the metal core. This will allow the putty to completely fill the space voids and make the wheel solid. Bevel or "V" cut each crack a little. Don't over-cut. Use the file provided in your kit to make the bevels.
3. File or break off any hard rubber, bakelite, or plastic which has separated and curled away from the metal core. This happens quite often when the outer surface of the wheel is 1/16" or less from the metal core.
4. If a large section of the wheel is missing, drill several 1/8" holes approximately 1/8" deep into the wheel on both sides of the void. Use the file board with 100 grit to sand the edges. This procedure will allow the POR-15 putty to form a strong bond with the wheel.
5. Wheel must be clean and free of dust. You are now ready to use the POR-15 Putty. Cut equal parts of bar A and bar B. Easiest method: place both bars side by side on your workbench with the ends lined up perfectly. Make a common cut through both bars. This will ensure you have equal amounts of each bar. Failure to mix equal parts of each bar will result in a mixture that does not harden completely. Now mix both parts together in your hands very thoroughly. Knead the putty and make sure it is totally blended; failure to do this may result in soft spots in the finished job. Keep a dish of water nearby when using the putty. Dampen hands before kneading parts A and B together. If hands or fingers begin to feel "sticky" while mixing, dip fingers in water again. Repeat if necessary until putty is thoroughly mixed.
6. Roll out a 1/4" rope-like section of putty and squeeze the bottom portion to form a wedge which can be forced into each crack. Use your thumbs to force the putty into the cracks. Use water on your fingers to feather and smooth the putty. You have plenty of time since the putty sets slowly, so don't rush! Rub your moist finger across the crack to feather the edge. Remember, the smoother you make this job, the lesser time you will spend sanding later. If the putty is not filling and feathering, use more water.
7. If sections of the finger-grips are broken off the wheel, these can be molded and formed with the putty. Once again, try to form them as fully as possible, because it's a lot easier to do this with moist putty than it is to sand a crudely-formed grip to the right shape later.
8. POR-15 Epoxy Putty will cure in 60 minutes at 76 degrees farenheight. Reducing the temperature by 5 degrees will double the cure time. We recommend you allow several days for curing if time is not important. After the putty is cured, you are ready to sand and shape the wheel.
9. Put a strip of 100 grit paper on the sanding board. Sand all filled areas with the sanding board except for the finger grips. Wrap 100 grit paper on the contoured (soft) sanding block; then squeeze this to the shape of the existing finger grips and sand your new grips to match them. Fill any low spots with POR-15 Putty, then feather. Allow the putty to cure, then re-sand with 100 grit.
10. Gradually reduce the sandpaper grit to a finer grade (100 grit to 220-240 grit to 320 grit). The rim must be smooth before priming. Use the red scruff pad (360-400 grit) and go over the entire wheel just prior to priming.
11. Mask off any areas that are not to be painted.
12. Now you must improvise and make a device on which to rotate the wheel. Use a pipe or dowel which will fit into the nailed-down block on the sawhorse or bench with either end. Push the pipe or dowel through the steering-wheel hub and wrap duct tape on both sides of the hub, or drill two holes in the pipe for pins.
13. Mount wheel in block and wipe clean with the tack cloth. Now read Primer Instructions sheet carefully and prime.
14. Sand the wheel with 320 grit until all the deep scratches and orange peel texture have disappeared. If you accidentally sand through the prime coat, re-spray with two more coats and allow to dry hard. Now water sand with 400 grit wet sandpaper until all sanding marks are gone. The wheel must be smooth, with no scratch marks visible. Dry with a soft rag.
15. Wipe wheel again with a tack cloth. You are now ready to apply several coats of your final color. Do not touch the prepared surface with your hands, as that would leave an oily residue on the wheel, preventing the best possible bonding between the paint and the wheel. Spray several coats of your topcoat, allowing flash-off between coats. Do not spray too heavily too fast, or it will take many days to dry. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly, then sand lightly using 600 grit sandpaper. Then use the gray scuff pad (1000 grit) over the entire wheel.
16. Wipe the wheel again with the tack cloth. Spray on the final coat or two. Allow approximately three days for drying. The final step is to buff the surface with POR-15 high gloss rubbing compound, using a soft cotton cloth. Wipe dry with a cotton terry towel.