I'm wanting to skin the top and bottom of a steering wheel in carbon fiber. I'm thinking about where I'll join the carbon fiber and whether I want to use the ProFinish carbon fiber or the regular stuff. I'd really like a neat cut line and joint. Also, it sounds like I might be able to get the weave alignment perfect more easily with the ProFinish. However, I'm wondering whether the ProFinish stuff is stiffer and less suited to wrapping around the rim of a steering wheel than the standard carbon fiber. 

Also, will the resin bond properly to the foam of a steering wheel core?
Would you recommend more than one layer of carbon fiber? My concern would be that one layer might crack if gripped too tightly. For what it's worth, the foam is fairly dense.
Any other tips or advice would also be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrew

I can only give advice from an upholstery stand point. But when wrapping a steering wheel with material we cut a small channel in the foam., wrap the wheel and then use that channel to tuck the edge of material into so it lays smooth. Don’t know if this would work for something like this?

If you can "dismantle" the wheel rim then an easy solution would be the use of Carbon Fibre Braided sleeve.


Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

So, I have done a couple wheels. 
one layer is more than enough, you will be putting on 2-3 layers of epoxy and sanding between coats. its tough with a wheel because it is rounded, you can try getting creative with release tape. to hold it all sort of in place. 
Some wheels you can take apart where it breaks up into a few pieces and you can fit a sleeve over it and bag the whole thing. Other wheels like most of the ones I have done cannot be taken apart so you will need to skin it like you would with vinyl or leather. using glue to hold it in place as you are wrapping will help you tons. you want to make sure when you reach the center that the fabric aligns perfectly. generally you want to have it close at the back where you wont see it. 

I wrapped over the rubber/foam with pre preg on this Subaru wheel. I think it was just 1 layer.

Thanks! I'm going to be skinning an OEM steering wheel for my S2000, so it's going to be very similar to the Subaru steering wheel. It isn't possible to put a carbon fiber tube around the wheel without cutting it, and I'm not willing to do that out of a concern for safety.
It's a bit out of the scope of this website, but if I were to want to thicken the steering wheel and modify only the foam (without cutting the metal core) to make it slightly flat-bottomed, how would you go about that without a mold and expanding foam? I imagine changing the shape may not be feasible, but it would be neat if possible.
I'm essentially trying to make my own version of this steering wheel by EuroBotique without their modified thumb grips. In the S2ki forums, they claim they have not cut the metal core of the steering wheel. I suspect they have molds and use a two part expanding foam. Theirs looks beautiful, but it's $1500 plus a $150 core charge. I also think it would be satisfying to do it myself.

Usually it’s a close cell foam that’s glued on and sanded to shape.

Just carve the bumps off, shave and shape etc.
This Subaru one was also modified. The bottom was cut flat and the top had the cavity added in for the led lights.

Could check out Revotech Motorsports for some steering wheel Ideas. but this is a wheel made for a customer

edit, Wont let me attach a photo

I'd also be fairly certain they have done that with 2 part expanding foam and a mould. Which wouldn't actually be that difficult to do.

To do a one off, you wouldn't actually need a mould. Just strip back the steering wheel to the core, make a temporary enclosure and fill it with foam (use a structural density). Then just shape it by hand to your desired shape before sealing it with resin and wrapping with carbon.