Bob,
I'm not sure what the DHC original look was, but I'll share what I did just
last week to my 1956 +4 mohogany dash in some detail as follows:
1) I sought out and found a clear finish coat for exterior applications;
Minwax Outdoor Clear Shield (Satin). A quart-sized can was $11.95. The front
label says "weather resistant coating for wood", "tough, hard protection from
sun, rain, dirt, scratches", and "advanced ultraviolet absorber formula". The
fine print says "three coats are recommended for exterior use" and "exterior
surfaces coated with Clear Shield should be maintained by lightly sanding and
adding additional coat(s) as required". I would guess that lawn furniture,
wooden doors, etc., in the sun continuously year-in, year-out would need
refinishing more frequently than a Morgan dash, which hopefully may last
quite a while without maintenance with such a product (time will tell).
2) The Clear Shield above is recommended for use with Minwax Gel Stain, that
comes in several colors. At $3.95 for an 8 oz. can, I tried 5 colors on the
back of the dash before settling on Honey Maple 604 (an 8 oz. can was enough
for the job).
3) I sanded the mohogany down completely to bare wood with 220 grit sandpaper
and applied the gel stain per the instructions. When dry, I applied a liberal
coat of Clear Shield per the instructions, did light sanding with 320 grit
paper, and applied another liberal coat of Clear Shield. After the second
coat of Clear Shield I sanded it smooth as silk with 320 paper, being careful
to remove all depressions in the Clear Shield coat. The Clear Shield by now
had filled all the wood grain "pores", if this is the correct term, and this
sanding step put the Clear Shield coat completely flat and smooth. I then
applied the final clear shield coat liberally, but then I went back over and
over the final Clear Shield coat (while wet) with dry sponge brushes so as to
remove any embeded dust particles and eliminate the need for sanding the
final finish when dry. I brushed only enough to get the dust particles out,
using several sponge brushes on this last step. I left it in the somewhat
"wet" state to dry overnight.
The next morning the results were far beyond my expectations, and better than
what I thought myself capable of achieving. The satin finish has no "glare",
and the color is absolutely rich.
You may find that these products meet your requirements.
Best regards,
Jack Claxton
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