Page 65 - Des Pawson "Des Pawson's Knot Craft" 2 edit.

KNOTCRAFT 2009:Layout 1 23/10/09 12:17 Page 64

Covering a Wheel

ODAY’S STAINLESS STEEL STEERING wheels are all very fine and
Tstrong, but they cry out for some sort of rope covering. Not
just for appearance – a well covered wheel can look very hand-
some indeed – but also for grip and comfort. As one of my cus-
tomers said ‘When it’s cold out on the North Sea that’s when I
feel the benefit of the rope-covered wheel. It’s so much friendlier
and does not freeze the hands in quite the way an uncovered
wheel will’. To do this job properly there are a number of things
to be done correctly. The first is the choice of material. Much as
you may like the idea and feel of natural cordage, it is not really
the right thing to use unless you then heavily varnish the wheel,
which in some ways defeats the purpose. I always use a synthetic
material, which will not change its tension when wet; I use nylon,
polyester or a good quality multifilament polypropylene. Do not
use too thick a material, 3mm diameter is ideal.
The next decision is the actual method of covering the rim. You
can use French whipping (page 61), or Moku hitching (page 61).
Whichever rim covering method you use, at each spoke you will
get a gap. It is here that the 4 lead 5 bight Turk’s head made up
as a 3 legged covering will make all the difference. This is the
detail that gives a proper neat finish, covering that unsightly gap.
If when the rudder is square your centre point on the wheel is also
a king spoke, make a 4 lead 5 bight Turk’s head out of perhaps a
different colour and larger (4mm) material, so you can find it by

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