old unwanted dash panel
Discussion
I'm in a similar quandry at the moment ...
My dash panels have taken a massive hit this autum as the weather as changed - over half the veneer is broken off my radio panel and the rusty backplate is showing and although the main dials panel isn't so much "broken off" as "badly cracked" they look awful!
I'd like to get them reveneered but the thought of having to send them away to be done isn't that appealing given the old girl's a daily driver. (Plus - TBH - £240 is really rather painful!)
I was thinking of getting a sheet of this as I reckon I could get the two panels out on a Saturday morning, get them stripped, wire brused to remove rust and give them a key, maybe put in a couple of extra holes to add additional repeaters for main beam and indicators up between the rev counter and speedo, get the panels trimmed and sanded and then whack 'em back in on the Sunday.
Just not sure whether I would like that "look"...
Phil
My dash panels have taken a massive hit this autum as the weather as changed - over half the veneer is broken off my radio panel and the rusty backplate is showing and although the main dials panel isn't so much "broken off" as "badly cracked" they look awful!
I'd like to get them reveneered but the thought of having to send them away to be done isn't that appealing given the old girl's a daily driver. (Plus - TBH - £240 is really rather painful!)
I was thinking of getting a sheet of this as I reckon I could get the two panels out on a Saturday morning, get them stripped, wire brused to remove rust and give them a key, maybe put in a couple of extra holes to add additional repeaters for main beam and indicators up between the rev counter and speedo, get the panels trimmed and sanded and then whack 'em back in on the Sunday.
Just not sure whether I would like that "look"...
Phil
Edited by Bassfiend on Saturday 26th November 00:02
Badmutha said:
I'm currently re-veneering mine with walnut burr veneer and have the radio panel finished which looks good. Once I've finished the dash I'll post some pics and if anyone wants theirs done I'll work out the costs; it won't be £240 though!! 
Would be interesting - I did look at doing a wood veneer myself but...1) I couldn't find supplies of suitable veneers in long enough sections - the "burr" veneers all seemed to be about 20 - 23 inches long which was too short for the main panel and you need a burr veneer rather than just a plain veneer otherwise the small panels just look like wooden planks rather than things of beauty.
2) I couldn't help thinking that there had to be something that I was missing in the process. Seems simple enough, get a good key on the backing plate, contact adhesive on both surfaces, bring together avoiding any air bubbles and trim/finish with the dremmel, then spend a while getting high on varnish fumes ... but there has to be more to it than that, no?
Phil
J400GED said:
Look you two, stop dithering, what could look better than this?
3M vynil £20.
Ged
LOL - It's a sensible and practical choice I know ... and it would be the obvious easy solution given that I keep saying that I'm not "precious" about my Chim and that it's "just a car" but at the end of the day I do like that wood finish on the dash! (Just got lots of other things that "need" doing on the old girl too that a couple of hundred quid would be better spent on... 3M vynil £20.
Ged
)Phil
will not approve of it though.Bassfiend said:
Would be interesting - I did look at doing a wood veneer myself but...
1) I couldn't find supplies of suitable veneers in long enough sections - the "burr" veneers all seemed to be about 20 - 23 inches long which was too short for the main panel and you need a burr veneer rather than just a plain veneer otherwise the small panels just look like wooden planks rather than things of beauty.
2) I couldn't help thinking that there had to be something that I was missing in the process. Seems simple enough, get a good key on the backing plate, contact adhesive on both surfaces, bring together avoiding any air bubbles and trim/finish with the dremmel, then spend a while getting high on varnish fumes ... but there has to be more to it than that, no?
Phil
I found a supplier who had some offcuts lying around just the size for a dash and radio panel, otherwise you're looking at £120+ for a full sheet of walnut burr (ok if you're doing several)
Your process is the same as mine but the problem with burr veneers is that where the burrs occur there is often a lumpy surface to the veneer which won't flatten with glueing and can't be sanded out as you'll just go through to the metal before the bulge has gone.I'm on my second attempt; the first looked the dogs until sunlight caught it at a certain angle which showed up these bulges so I scraped it off and started again. This one is looking good though.
Stuart
1) I couldn't find supplies of suitable veneers in long enough sections - the "burr" veneers all seemed to be about 20 - 23 inches long which was too short for the main panel and you need a burr veneer rather than just a plain veneer otherwise the small panels just look like wooden planks rather than things of beauty.
2) I couldn't help thinking that there had to be something that I was missing in the process. Seems simple enough, get a good key on the backing plate, contact adhesive on both surfaces, bring together avoiding any air bubbles and trim/finish with the dremmel, then spend a while getting high on varnish fumes ... but there has to be more to it than that, no?
Phil
I found a supplier who had some offcuts lying around just the size for a dash and radio panel, otherwise you're looking at £120+ for a full sheet of walnut burr (ok if you're doing several)
Your process is the same as mine but the problem with burr veneers is that where the burrs occur there is often a lumpy surface to the veneer which won't flatten with glueing and can't be sanded out as you'll just go through to the metal before the bulge has gone.I'm on my second attempt; the first looked the dogs until sunlight caught it at a certain angle which showed up these bulges so I scraped it off and started again. This one is looking good though.
Stuart
Badmutha said:
I found a supplier who had some offcuts lying around just the size for a dash and radio panel, otherwise you're looking at £120+ for a full sheet of walnut burr (ok if you're doing several)
Your process is the same as mine but the problem with burr veneers is that where the burrs occur there is often a lumpy surface to the veneer which won't flatten with glueing and can't be sanded out as you'll just go through to the metal before the bulge has gone.I'm on my second attempt; the first looked the dogs until sunlight caught it at a certain angle which showed up these bulges so I scraped it off and started again. This one is looking good though.
Stuart
Not quite sure how wide the main dash panel is offhand but I found somewhere this morning that does a 31" by 18" burr walnut sheet for a smidgin over £50 inc the dreaded here...Your process is the same as mine but the problem with burr veneers is that where the burrs occur there is often a lumpy surface to the veneer which won't flatten with glueing and can't be sanded out as you'll just go through to the metal before the bulge has gone.I'm on my second attempt; the first looked the dogs until sunlight caught it at a certain angle which showed up these bulges so I scraped it off and started again. This one is looking good though.
Stuart
Phil
Bassfiend said:
Not quite sure how wide the main dash panel is but I found somewhere this morning that does a 31" by 18" burr walnut sheet for a smidgin over £50 inc the dreaded here...
Phil
It's 31 1/2" X 6 1/4".Phil
That piece looks very heavily burred so could be quite 'lumpy'; probably best to hand pick veneer anyway.
If you can wait for a week or so, I'm going back to where I got mine and could have a look for you.
Pm me if you want more info.
Stuart
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