Veneering dashboard

Re: Veneering dashboard

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

Issue will likely be heat causing the glue to fail.

If he tries it, make sure he uses the solvent based stuff rather than the waterbased cr*p and let it sit for a week before installing in the car to let the solvents evaporate

Re: Veneering dashboard

Dick Coers

I don’t even recommend contact cement for something in the house. I consider it poor technique. Maybe it works for someone for a while, but I don’t make things so they work for a while. He doesn’t need a vacuum press, easy to clamp with cawls and clamps.

Re: Veneering dashboard

Don Stephan

A few hours in the sun may soften the contact adhesive. The thinner in solvent sprays can migrate through the veneer and soften the contact adhesive.

Re: Veneering dashboard *LINK*

John McGaw

If your buddy is serious about doing a proper job of the restoration talk him into doing it right. Bodging something so visible as the dash will inevitably come back to bite him (or the next owner) on the arse. If he is unwilling to learn the right way and use the correct materials, there are companies out there that can do the job, the price is not too frightening -- a quick search turns up several options.

Oh, and remind him that if he is applying Bondo, anything over 1mm thick is a bodge too and does not do the car justice.


Triumph Dash Restorer

Re: Veneering dashboard

Howard in Toronto

The Roar Rocket is a great device for veneering and is really handy for irregular shapes - no need to worry about not having a veneer press. Simple concept but it really does work. As for glue, I'd think white glue is worth investigating.

peel & stick ?

Yonak

I didn't even know there was a thing such as peel and stick veneer. How would that work for a car dashboard project ? It sounds to me like a contact cement-type product which has already been roundly rejected.

Re: peel & stick ?

Dick Coers

It's just heavy duty double back tape. Not a good adhesive for sitting in the sun in July!

Re: Veneering dashboard

Yonak

Ralph, my friend's expertise is in automotive restoration not woodworking. I'm sure his plan is to remove and replace the dash. I also believe that he wants to do it himself to save money rather than to have it made professionally.

While he is in Colorado and I am in Georgia and while I had offered to make a replacement dash for him in the past, unfortunately, now that he is ready to begin this project, I'm not disposed to work on it. My woodworking plate is full at the moment as I have been persuaded to interrupt my retirement and do some production work for my customer. I'm only saying this in response to anyone wondering why I don't just do it myself.

Re: Veneering dashboard *LINK*

Norman (Ottawa, Ont.)

This goes back 10 yrs. and I blogged about it. I restored the veneered dash of my brother's TR-6 in 2008. It is holding up well to this day. I don't recall all the details but the following link has 2 posts (June 19 & 24) I did on this. Comments shed more light on this. As far as I can recall, I used a Titebond glue and pressed the veneers on using a large caul, probably thick Baltic birch sized to the dash dimensions. The actual dash was delaminating and I had to fix it all first with filler, sanding, etc. until it was smooth and strong. Back was also veneered with regular veneer. Front was a Bird's Eye Maple veneer. It's holding up to this day. Car has been entered in Classic Car shows for 9 years now. Brother still likes to tell people I did his dash!

Norman


Refined Edge Blog

Thanks for the article, Norman.