Bill:
Your photo was great and gives me a lot of insite on what I'm dealing with. My plan is to do just what you suggested along with some dry ice stuck in the shaft as an assist.
Much thanks.
David

Well, I finally got to see what the inside of one of these looks like. I had one more steering column from a 32 PB that I bought a few years back. the wheel was all gone except for the hub with some of the spokes still attached, so I put it in the vice, heated it up black hot, and knocked it off with a hammer and chisel. I am trying to include a picture, but I'm a better hammer and chisel mechanic than I am a computer operator. The shaft is machined down where the nut threads on, so it is thick enough for the woodruf type key. The shaft is tapered slightly, so I don't know why there so hard to get off. Maybe a coller could be made up to catch the back of the wheel where the metal hub is flush with the bakalite that the wheel is made of, then use your slide puller. There is quite a bit of oil present, so if you heat it up you are going to get some fire and lots of smoke. Hope all this helps, I know I'm learning some stuff. I'm still planing to restore my wheel in place!! Lots of luck, Bill Jame

Dear 31,
  heat does enlarge metals: railroad shops heat their steel tires to shrink them to a very strong fit on the inner wheel while cooling down. So You should not heat the inner tube. Ice lets metals shrink, so try this. Ice may also make some  plastics brittle, so apply carefully! And beware too of using it with unprotected hands! The Ice can "burn" You.
Good luck! Go

John, that's a good idea, dry ice might just do the trick.
Thanks for the thought.

another thought----can u get some liqid nitrogen or dry ice?  cooling the metal would have the same effect as heat, but less damaging

Thanks for the input guys!! I'm down to the nut on the shaft/pipe. Am puzzuled on how the wheel is keyed to that thin light shaft/pipe, it must be thicker below the threaded end to give the key something to slot into. Have applied lots of penetrating oil to no avail. Talked to a guy who restores wheels and he doesn't think heat will affect it if i'm careful to keep it on the steel part of the wheel.
Plan to rig up one more try with a slide hammer first. If I finally figure this out, will pass it along as it seems many others have the same problem.

First, I'm no expert, but I can tell you what I've learned not to do. The rotary light switch at the bottem end of the steering cplumn is held on with a nut, like a compression nut, and a simple bracket. remove the switch and a small collar with a set screw. once that is all lose you can pull the horn butten, and the tube going to the switch back through the column. There is a wire going through the tube to the rotary swich for the horn. the tube is long , so you have to be carefull not to kink it. Now you can see the large nut holding the wheel to the shaft. Remove the nut and you will see a 1/8 inch key. HERE is where I got in trouble!! The shaft the wheel is on is not a shaft, its like a light wall pipe, allowing for the tube for the horn and light switch. The first thing I tried was the hammer on the loosend nut, all I did was mess up the threads. The wall on this shaft/pipe is so light it is very easy to ruin. I finished it off by drilling and tapping holes so I could use a regular two hole steering whell puller, all that did was completly mushroom the end of the shaft. Yep I ruined it, luckily it was a spare piece, not the one in my car. I know I haven't answered  your ?? but I sure would not recommend hammering on the shaft!! I don't know about heat, notice there is a packing of some kind around the switch tube, like a seal or something, so it would have to be removed before you heat it up. I'm still hopeing there is a magic trick someone knows. good luck, Bill James

I looked in the Masterr Parts Book, since service manuals are non existant.  The picture for PA and PB shows a nut under the horn button and lite switch lever and plate.  My problem has been how to get the horn button off. An old time mechanic-my grandfather, when i was a kid and now i am 62 showed me that if u sit in the seat and lock your knees under the wheel to give outward pressure, u can strike the loosened nut with a socket smaller than the nut and a hammer and voila the wheel pops loose.   that worked on my 40 pickup.

sounds like u are one step away from a big problem.  I have eyed the wheel on my PB, wondering how it is attached.when I get to the point of removing it I will call Earl Buton.  845-679-6185  He is a fountain of info on the 4 cylinder cars as well as others.  I think I read somewhere that u have to start at the bottom of the steering column at the electrical switch but check with Earl.

I'm not having any success removing the steering wheel from a 31 roadster. Have tried a slide hammer which expanded the existing cracks, used a punch on the backside againest the inner steel portion of the wheel without success. I'm down to possibly heating the shaft and the inner steel portion but am afraid it will separate the bakealite from the steel or cause the bakealite to simply shatter. Any ideas or suggestions.