I found some nice mahogany veneer at the local Home Depot for about $30.00.
There was enough material for a competent person to do 4 dashes (I managed
to get two out of it.).
Re-veneering isn't difficult, but it is time consuming.
First step is to assess whether the dash can be saved. The state of the
veneer is immaterial, but if the dash is too warped, you may not be able to
get the veneer to adhere.
The Steps I followed:
-remove the varnish material. I used a sharp putty knife, then chemical
stripper, then sandpaper. You'll probably find that some of the existing
veneer is removed in this process, but don't be concerned as long as it can
be levelled with sanding.
-lay out the dash face up and then down (all three pieces) on the veneer,
and satisfy yourself with the way the grain is flowing and the orientation.
Mahogany is very brittle, mine had one or two cracks in it. I made sure that
no breaks or cracks were on the dash.
-I placed a piece of plywood under the veneer, with the dash pieces on top
of it, then used an Xacto or similar knife, to trim the edges.
-I used wood glue but some people on the list have had great results with
contact cement (Joe C, was that you?).
-this is a critical stage. Make sure that every part of the veneer is
adhering to the dash, and clamp the pieces to a another piece of wood. I
used some pine that was sitting around. Its a good idea to cut out holes in
the other piece of wood to match where the Speedo and Tach appear, and cut
the piece to roughly match the dash. This makes it easier to clamp all
around the outside, and around the Speedo and Tach holes.
-Wait till its dry.
-a grinding stone on a Dremel tool worked well to open and trim out the
excess veneer where holes for gauges etc. appear
-finish the dash with urethane or varnish. I used urethane, with a sponge
brush, and lots of coats.
In hindsight, I may have been better to use a satin finish rather than
clear, just because the brilliance of the shine may be a problem in certain
lights.
YMMV.
Nick Moseley
Manager, Training and Development
Community Savings
|