Rick---I'm not comfortable in working with wood, but had good results
when re-doing the finish on my dash. The clear-like top coat was cracked
from sun and age, so I figured it couldn't look any worse, and a new one
was just a phone call away, if I screwed it up. The dash was out as part
of a new crash pad installation, so....I found a starting spot that
allowed a lifting of this top coat. I popped it off with a 3/4"
Craftsman wood working chisel, and proceeded from there across the rest
of it. (Work with the grain, in case you scratch the wood.) It took at
least two hours, as some places were stuck well. Finally it was all
off, and I sanded some of the raised places left behind. An air hose and
a tack cloth prepped the surface for these two final finishes--BEHR
Super Spar Clear Satin Varnish. This is a sun blocking U.V.I. marine
interior-exterior product. Following the directions on this quart can, I
brushed it on heavily, allowing 24 hours between each of the four coats.
The finish coat(s) was done with an aerosol product, as this will cover
any brush marks left behind. I used a MINIWAX product called HELMSMAN
Spar Urethane, also Clear Satin. Following the direcions on the can
left me with a dash that I think looks better than the original, as the
wood grain now shows thru more than with the factory coating. It has a
medium-honey tone, as even a "clear" coating darkens somewhat when
dried. This is only a personal opinion, of course, but for a
wood-working amateur like me, I am most happy with the results.
Dick T.
'73
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