DIY Dash Veneer

[blaze_away]

I want to re-veneer my dashboard and I'd like to do it myself.

Has anyone got any good advice.

........and with all due respect I don't want to go Stainless, Carbon, Ally or anything else, just good old traditional wood veneer. My Chims Racing Green, Cream Leather and so it HAS to be wood veneer

Cheers guys n gals

[pies]

What advice are you after,removing the dash or reveneering

some info here

Remove dash www.chimaerapages.com/resources_dash.php

Re-veneer www.pixeltechnology.co.uk/wedge/maint_veneering.html

I've reveneed a few dashes now and the best thing to do is to put a ply backing on before you put the veneer on.This will help prevent cracking due to different expansion rates of wood/metal.You can buy this from any craft shop i use stuff about 1.8mm thick

I dont use a blade to cut the veneer as i found sometimes the grain would just open up .All i use is a cheap dremmal type thing fitted with a rotary sanding tip (set to a slowish speed)it cost £15 from B&Q with bits

Im not a fan of contact glues as once its down thats it i use two different glues
I use gorrila glue to stick the ply down,this is excellent for metal to wood,its an expanding glue so a little goes along way i doubt you need 2oz.I use Extramite glue to stick the veneer down,dont be tempted to use the gorilla glue as when it expands it will come through your veneer.Both glues need weight to hold them whilst they cure,no need to clamp i just use a couple of 110 transformers

simple really,only thing with the dash is the lugs might need heavy sanding down to get them back in the slots,this might end up going through the veneer but as its just the lugs its not a problem

Hope that helps

Edited by pies on Monday 12th March 18:14

[blaze_away]

Hi Pies,
I've got the dash out without too much trouble and was after advice about the veneering process, so your reply was spot on.

Any advice on any particular wood veneer to use and sourcing ?
I've heard that American Black Burr Walnut is particularly good, but can you get a bit big enough. (the min needs to be 31 x 6.5 inches)

Cheers

[pies]

Loads on ebay, trust me that size is not big i did an S dash that needed 48"

I use these
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/bargain-vene

This looks nice,but your choice obviously

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WALNUT-BURR-VEN

P.S if the veneer comes rolled up follow this http://members.aol.com/woodinfo1/flat

Edited by pies on Monday 12th March 18:47

[SwanJack]

When I was looking it was quite hard to find a piece of veneer big enough. 'Books' of veneer are cheaper, but you will have a join in the veneer, although it might not be very noticeable as you have left and right 'pages', so there'll be a mirror image at the join. As for finishing the veneer, i used Fiddes clear glaze www.fiddes.co.uk. I used a brush to apply it, if you warm up the glaze, brush marks should be eliminated. A friend who did up an old Jag used an airbrush though. It is vitally important to have a clean surface before applying the finish, as any dust will show up like a beacon, Tack rags help to get over this. I think i did about eight coats, keying the glaze with fine sandpaper between coats. Another possible way to do it ,apparently, is to dip cotton wool in 'Shellac', wrap the cotton wool in a rag and apply to the veneer in a circular motion. The more applications the better the finish, essentially a Frech Polish. I didn't try this way as the neighbour who told me about this was too late. Small sheets of veneer are quite cheap if you want to practice first.

Edited by SwanJack on Monday 12th March 19:34

[pies]

Wouldn't use Shellac on a dash far too much heat when the sun is on it

[SwanJack]

Stroke of luck there then . Out of curiosity, how did you finish the veneer off?

[pies]

Acrylic lacquer

[andy graham]

Try vale veneers, got a sheet of walnut big enough for the main section and 3 attempts at the smaller radio section for about £20. One bit of advice....apply your chosen stain and laquer on a scrap of veneer to see what results you can get, nothing more frustrating than spending a week laquering and polishing back, but when in place in the car finish/depth of colour looks disapointing....guess what I'm doing this week

[blaze_away]

Just bought a large piece of Walnut, 48 x 12 inches as recommeneded by 'pies' (Cheers Colin good call on e-bay item (URL: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl

Also 'pies' you mention that using a backing ply is what you've done, but I guess thats on your V8S ?... which is pretty flat, relative to the Chim which curves quite a lot from left to right.
I think doing that might be a bit troublesome as it will add thickness and stiffness and make it difficult to get the small triangular heater lights to poke thru far enough. I'm gonna risk doing the veneer straight onto the metal and see how I get on. I'll document the whole process so I can hopefully help others as you've both done.

Will contact Humbrol direct to get advice about a metal to veneer adhesive.

Good tip about experimenting with stain & lacquer, I'll definately do that, hard lesson to learn Paul, glad I can benefit from it. What did you do that didn't work, so I can avoid that too...

Cheers agian guys.

[pies]

Put the backing on,you will regret not doing so later !!!!!

Ive done more dashes than just my S,im doing a chim at the mo its almost done just needs a lacquer

Edit the ply is only 0.8mm thick

Edited by pies on Wednesday 14th March 20:30

[blaze_away]

0.8 vs 1.8 makes a big differnece, I'll get a sheet and use it.

Thanks again.

[BenBlackwood]

Was thinking of laser cutting some veneers to see what they would look like. It cuts very cleenly but leaves a black cut edge - not sure how this would look. May have to go with stainless - but I have a BRG Chim also and stainless might look a bit out of place.

Used your instructions on how to find the bolts - excellent - found them all straight away. Drivers side came out easy. The other two erm seems impossible. Im accessing them from the flap in the passengers footwell and I can see the bottom of the Rivnuts just fine but there is only a tiny hole for me to get my socket or ratchet spanner through and its not working. Is there a better way of doing it? Anyone know what spanner size it is - I cant even feel if its right - the heater control cables are in the way. Please help Im going mad.

[pies]

To get rid of the black edges where you cut,just sand the black off.Place the dash face side down on some flat newspaper and spray from the back this will coat the cut parts in whatever colour you chose.I used a brown

[brianmillar]

You should not be removing the bolts that are in the rivnuts.

You should find two longish bolts with nuts on them (they should also have large penny washers behind the nuts) one is further forward of the rivnuts but on the vertical part of the fibre glass slightly closer to the nearside of the car. The other nut is about 75mm to the left of where the radio facia finishes quite close to the face of the dash.
Both are accessible through the flap you describe.
A 10mm spanner should fit all the nuts.

I have just spent the afternoon removing and refitting my dash to get at the wiring.