Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Roger-hatchy]

Hi

I am trying to wood veneer my dashboard on the DLM

I have a few packs of veneers, white oak, I think,
They were being thrown out a few years ago at the time I was doing a lot of woodworking hobby, so I saved them

I have about 10 @ 6" x 4' sheets.
And about the same of what looks like mahogany

The dash panel is a sheet of aluminium just short of 6 inch deep and just over 35 inches long

Is evostick contact adhesive the best thing to use.
I presume it would have to be a contact adhesive, or is there a better way.

Thanks Roger

BTW. have posted my effort so far on my rebuild thread.

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=54237#54237

[Jim.Walker]

I cannot suggest an answer to your question, but possibly a caution.

I fixed veneer to a plywood dash on an open car many years ago using Evostick because I thought it might be more durable if I was caught with the hood down. It lasted a few years before the edges started to lift. Whether any other adhesive would have been better I have no way of knowing.

Mind you,that was done 25 years ago and maybe contact adhesives have evolved since then.

Jim.
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[victor 101]

Are you putting the veneer straight onto metal, is so, maybe it needs a thin bit of ply between, I guess the the change in temperature causes the dash to expand and shrink very slightly. Might need to fit the whole lot with some nice chrome screws and countersunk washers as RR do.

[Roger-hatchy]

[ukdave2002]

Some TVR's have wood veneer on a metal dash, might be worth searching thier forums.

Dave

[Roger-hatchy]

Thanks Dave
will do that

[Phil - Nottingham]

P4's have there dash endcaps veneered over aluminium which stays on as well as the rest of the wood backed dash some are 60 years old now.
Perhaps expoxy resin (Araldite) will hold permanently
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[Roger-hatchy]

Found a piece of 1.5mm marine ply witha good grain.
And what I thought was another 1.5mm with nice dark grain.

The dark piece is not play but 1.5mm veneer,
I put a mike over the cut off from the piece on the dash, it's 0.32mm, this could be the problem, too thin for the job

I'll have a better look at them in the daylight to decide which to use.

The following picture shows a couple of the cracks



This one shows the cracks between the dial holes



And this shows the ?Mahogany?? vaneer with the ply sheet below it.

Looking at the present effort I'll persavere.



Roger

[Roger-hatchy]

Sorry if I keep repeating on this thread but



I will keep trying till it's correct.

I have a feeling it was my problem of not being patient and waiting for the thinned down varnish to dry in it's own time.

I took it out of the garage and into a centrally heated environment, I should have known better, having played at cabinet maker and wood turner as a hobby.
Central heating is a wood/cabinet workers nightmare.

The first one I did I did indoors, and took out to the garage with, hindsight, obvious results.

Second attempt the other way round with the opposite results.

Also the veneer I had used is only 0.32mm, paper thin,

I Also notice the thinned varnish had penetrated through and softened the adhesive,
that would have been OK if I had not tried to rush things and let it dry in it's own time

Got another six or seven sheets of the first veneer left, also a pack of mahogany veneer, about 10 sheets.
And that 1.5mm marine ply, and that 1.5mm veneer, and the weather has improved, and the

This time I'll fix a piece of the 1.5mm ply to the metal, there are some nice wood grain sections.
If it looks good after a coat of varnish, left to dry in it's own time this time, all well and good, if not at least I have the mahogany veneer to apply to the ply.

I'll also leave the cutting out till after I have almost got the finish I want, a couple of coats around the end grain should seal the holes.

Another week behind. then I think only finished the garage and got the car under cover last October.

[StoneRoad]

I have a feeling that the dark wood is actually sapele.
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Saluton. mi estas fervojistino, kaj vi?
visit http://www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/album
to see what has been done! Perhaps we can do something for you?

[Roger-hatchy]

StoneRoad
You might be right, had it for a good few years, was my father before, and he passed away in 73.

I had had another think about the dash as it is at the moment
.
The cracks are only visible if you know were to look, and the cracks between the gauges? by the time the gauges are fitted about 1/8" will be showing.

So I am going to carry on and varnish with a rubdown almost to bare wood between coats, with this cold weather 6hr drying is taking about 24
I have a feeling as the varnish is about the same colour as the light wood I might be able to build up the cracks to level with the surface.
I'll try that first, if it's still bad I can re-do it again.

Roger

[StoneRoad]

Hi Roger,
I have been looking more closely at the images, the cracks seem to be following the general lay of the grain, which also has markedly lighter/darker areas in the pattern. These cracks may well be 'shakes' and some of them may well vary in width with the relative humidity! So if you are intent on filling them you need to pick a flexible filler which matches colour(s) - not easy! but there are several tricks available if you need them. Assuming that your varnish is not acting as a filler!
I have never had do a large area of veneering, just minor repairs, but I do recall that getting the air out, and the veneer flat and even, required a lot of practice and correctly applied pressure (read weight!)
Stoneroad
_________________
Saluton. mi estas fervojistino, kaj vi?
visit http://www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/album
to see what has been done! Perhaps we can do something for you?

[Roger-hatchy]

Hi Stoneguard

This is the first time I have veneered a metal panel, and in a cold and humid environment, 5c had been the warmest so far and 80-90% humidity.

Also I should have left it in the one environment to fix, paint and dry, and not try to rush the job.

Most times I have done my veneering at a warmer time of year, and indoors as well.

As to the cracks, as you say they follow the grain.
So far the varnish looks like it is doing the job, I have been using an artists fine brush and layering / filling the cracks.

With the cold weather it takes a bit longer to dry before I can rub down level.

I now have about 1 to 2 inches, in small patches, left to fill.
I now have to hold it up to the light to see any indentations.
One more rub down should see it all level and ready to start the finnish.

Roger