Make Your Own Shift Knob

In this instructable, I will show you how to make your own shift knob. I made this one for a Honda Integra, but you can make them for any manual transmission car as long as you have the right thread on the nut. I chose to make this shift knob a ball, but you can use any shape that you would like.

Step 1: Find Your Wood

I chose a nice piece of redwood, measuring 3.5" x 3.5" x 24".

Step 2: Measure Your Chosen Wood

I marked my piece of wood at about 5", always leave more than you think you will need, as most of it will be cut/ shaved away.

Step 3: Cut Wood

For this step, I used a 10" miter saw, but a hand saw will work perfectly fine.

Step 4: Find Your Thread Size, Get Matching Bolts

To find the measurement of my threads, I simply looked up the thread size and pitch for the year, make and model.

Step 5: Measure Cuts for Wood

I measured a circle that was a bit bigger than I had anticipated the final size to be, then used a bandsaw and lots of sanding to get the piece down to the desired size and shape. I don't have too many pictures for this step, but it is a lot of work!

Step 6: Drill Hole, Secure the Nuts

For this step, I used a half inch drill bit to the drill the hole. To secure the nuts, I glued them in and then put how glue around the seam to seal it.

Step 7: Fine Sand for a Smooth Finish

To get a smooth, paintable finish, I used 220 grit sandpaper.

Step 8: Finishing Touches

I had planned on using a clear varnish to bring out the wood grain but didn't have any on hand. Instead, I chose to use a light mint/eggshell green color.

Step 9: Tools

Here are some of the tools I used. As you can see, I secured the wood in the drill and spun it while sanding to get a nice even finish.