EW350 Wooden Gear Knob

[SteveTea]

I am looking to clean up the gear change mechanism on the bike and want to remove the wooden gear knob from the gear change lever.  Can anyone tell me if the knob screws on to the lever or is it a push fit and is it also glued into position?

As I'm heading more towards the oily rag route for restoration I would like to remove the knob in one piece and replace it once the lever has been de-rusted and finished so can anyone tell me how to remove the knob without too much damage?

Many thanks, Steve

[Alan]

From memory of TS and similar bikes, a very hard wood was used with the wood itself threaded. The main problem is that the wood will be very dry after all these decades and will tend to split before the threaded parts seperate.

[Doug]

It is threaded. There is a bit of a flat either side where the width of the shift lever is not thick enough for a complete thread. The thickness is about the same as the minor diameter of the thread. If the knob material has swelled or deformed into those flats, it could be virtually locked into place.

-Doug

[EW-Ron]

Clamp a radiator clamp around it when you try to undo it.
That should give it half a chance of surviving ?

[cardan]

Going the oily rag route, I'd just give it a rub with linseed oil and steel wool - both the wood and the steel. Sure not to break...

Leon

[EW-Ron]

A wipeover with phosphoric acid before the linseed oil removes that rusty look.
And much enhances the oily rag condition...

And (more dilute) phosphoric acid is an ingredient in coca cola, so is not exactly a danger to life and limb.
Although keep well away from eyes and clothes...

[EW-Ron]

btw, the original gear lever knob appears to be bakelite, to my eyes anyway.
And seems perfectly round.
It looks to be threaded almost the entire way through.

You could test that by polishing it, with metal polish perhaps - or toothpaste.
If it shines up, its bakelite...

[Ken Rogers]

On my 1926 the original is black bakerlite.