Ally or veneer?
Discussion
Time has come to sort the 400's dash. At least before BBWF.
The veneer around the rpm counter and speedo is fine. The main dash centre veneer is split and cracked, the glove box is faded.
I planned on calling the LCC and having the wood replaced...but, have recently been thinking of the brushed ally look..which maybe even I could do??
Whats the consensus on the brushed look, to modern for a wedge? If i fitted Leven polished clock surrounds as well, would it all look a bit too 'bling'.
I'm quite keen on originality as well...does that b****r the ally choice?
The veneer around the rpm counter and speedo is fine. The main dash centre veneer is split and cracked, the glove box is faded.
I planned on calling the LCC and having the wood replaced...but, have recently been thinking of the brushed ally look..which maybe even I could do??
Whats the consensus on the brushed look, to modern for a wedge? If i fitted Leven polished clock surrounds as well, would it all look a bit too 'bling'.
I'm quite keen on originality as well...does that b****r the ally choice?
Well, as you have seen, ive done something different with mine with the silver finish all over.
I havent got the wood on the glove box either, as i have a strip the same colour as the car on there which in my opinion looks great.
I did take the steel parts of the dash out and took them to a metal workers to see how much it would be to create the same piece but in turned aluminium of something similar, as i think to do this yourself would be very hard to make it look anything like respectable!
The answer i got was that 'its £180 for one and £200 for 8'....seem kinda backwards!
Its because it would take him 2 hours, he reconed, to set the cad machine up and get it ready to cut. The metal is basically no cost to them,it just the work!
I did put a post on here as a group of us would make a cheap dash! No takers
I havent got the wood on the glove box either, as i have a strip the same colour as the car on there which in my opinion looks great.
I did take the steel parts of the dash out and took them to a metal workers to see how much it would be to create the same piece but in turned aluminium of something similar, as i think to do this yourself would be very hard to make it look anything like respectable!
The answer i got was that 'its £180 for one and £200 for 8'....seem kinda backwards!
Its because it would take him 2 hours, he reconed, to set the cad machine up and get it ready to cut. The metal is basically no cost to them,it just the work!
I did put a post on here as a group of us would make a cheap dash! No takers
The only problem with carbon fibre on the dash on the wedge, is that it sits in front of the dials so you see the thickness and edging to the material...
When dials are sunk in then it looks great but on top i think it looks a bit 'Home made'...
Once again, personal opinion!...but i think im right!!
When dials are sunk in then it looks great but on top i think it looks a bit 'Home made'...
Once again, personal opinion!...but i think im right!!
I have just torn the interior out of my 350. Thought i'd have a clean, ended up attempting a re-trim!
I was thinking CF, I was going to buy some pre-preg stuff and have a go at properly vacuum moulding it, which I think should solve the edges being visible around the cutouts - its about a 0.2mm sheet and apparently forms very well. If it works I may attempt door pulls and handles.
I will keep it posted over the next few weeks.
I was thinking CF, I was going to buy some pre-preg stuff and have a go at properly vacuum moulding it, which I think should solve the edges being visible around the cutouts - its about a 0.2mm sheet and apparently forms very well. If it works I may attempt door pulls and handles.
I will keep it posted over the next few weeks.
matt-man said:
The only problem with carbon fibre on the dash on the wedge, is that it sits in front of the dials so you see the thickness and edging to the material...
That was a concern. Although I'm wondering how the likes of LCC finish the edges - surely you can't veneer the inner edges of all those cut-outs? They must be lacquered?
7.
No, you couldnt get in there but the laquer would cover up the steel...
I like the carbon idea, i guess i had a 'wonder what i can do with this for as little money as possible....and there came my idea!
I eas tempted to have it painted the same colour as the car, that would be nice...didnt know if it would be a bit 'TOO MUCH'.....i do love the colour tho...
I like the carbon idea, i guess i had a 'wonder what i can do with this for as little money as possible....and there came my idea!
I eas tempted to have it painted the same colour as the car, that would be nice...didnt know if it would be a bit 'TOO MUCH'.....i do love the colour tho...
number 7 said:At BBWF05 I asked the chap from LCC how they do the aperture edges. Apparently they don't try to roll the veneer around the edges they just trim it flush and then paint the edge black. Though I dare say you could have the edge painted any colour you like.
The only problem with carbon fibre on the dash on the wedge, is that it sits in front of the dials so you see the thickness and edging to the material...
That was a concern. Although I'm wondering how the likes of LCC finish the edges - surely you can't veneer the inner edges of all those cut-outs? They must be lacquered?
7.
The samples they had on display looked very nice indeed but the prices were out of my league. I can see the justification in the price when it is veneering a complex 3D surface, you certainly can't DIY that, but when it's a flat panel with cutouts and the edges are trimmed and painted, where's the added value? I can see why so many people have done their own veneering. I also wonder how durable the veneer is when its bonded to such a thin/flexible surface and subjected to the vibration, humidity and temperature extremes of an open top/leaky vehicle?
leorest said:
I also wonder how durable the veneer is when its bonded to such a thin/flexible surface and subjected to the vibration, humidity and temperature extremes of an open top/leaky vehicle?
Neil (Dexy) re-veneered his with American burr walnut, several coats of lacquer etc... and a fortnight later it cracked again...
wedg1e said:The LCC stuff is done properly under pressure (or vacuum) so I'm sure it gets the best bond possible and I'm sure it works well on more rigid dashboards, but there is a fundamental design flaw in trying to bond a thin layer of wood onto a thin layer of steel. It's going to fail when it bends. It would probably be better to replace the metal with a thin sheet of plywood or, as I have done, move away from wood altogether. Some of the veneer effect sticky back plastic actually looks very good IMHO and this would stretch when the metal bends and not be affected by humidity, so this would be a better design solution, though the purists would scoff at "plastic wood".
I also wonder how durable the veneer is when its bonded to such a thin/flexible surface and subjected to the vibration, humidity and temperature extremes of an open top/leaky vehicle?
Neil (Dexy) re-veneered his with American burr walnut, several coats of lacquer etc... and a fortnight later it cracked again...
matt-man said:
The only problem with carbon fibre on the dash on the wedge, is that it sits in front of the dials so you see the thickness and edging to the material...
When dials are sunk in then it looks great but on top i think it looks a bit 'Home made'...
Once again, personal opinion!...but i think im right!!
When I was working in Croydon I used to make a detour walking back to my digs, especially so that I could have a good look at a Wedge parked up outside some flats. Would be about 2002.
It was a late model 390SE with wrap around dash like 400SE. Champagne colour body IIRC.
There was no wood in this one, but finished in look-a-like carbon fibre and I have to say it looked really good and I wouldnt be surprised if it wasnt a one off special by the factory.
Perhaps if the current owner sees this - could maybe comment on the detail at the dials recess.
Anyone see it at the BBWF?
I wasn't in a position to buy my own Wedge for another 2 years and it was allways fingers crossed that the Wedge would be fired up just as I happened to be walking past - but alas no!
Cheers
I am concerned as my 350's centre console is steel but my glove box is Ply and my Dash, well it is like MDF. The Veneer is not cracked on either but the lacquer is peeling. prehaps someone has done a DIY in the past???
My intention was to polish all the steel and lacquer it but now I am gonna have to have it re-veneered or have new ones made.
My intention was to polish all the steel and lacquer it but now I am gonna have to have it re-veneered or have new ones made.
leorest said:
Some of the veneer effect sticky back plastic actually looks very good IMHO and this would stretch when the metal bends and not be affected by humidity, so this would be a better design solution, though the purists would scoff at "plastic wood".
From what I've seen and heard, TVR used 'plastic wood' anyway on later cars. Incidentally the really deep lustrous lacquer finish is best obtained with traditional shellac-type products rather than modern polyurethane-based, or so I'm told...
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