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RE: Spark plugs and dash refinishing

To: "Banbury, Terrence" <Terrence.Banbury@dnr.state.oh.us>,
Subject: RE: Spark plugs and dash refinishing
From: "Banbury, Terrence" <Terrence.Banbury@dnr.state.oh.us>
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 09:51:00 -0400
I knew I'd forget something.

> ----------
> From:         Craig Smith[SMTP:CraigS@iewc.com]
> Sent:         Tuesday, April 04, 2000 9:49 AM
> To:   'Banbury, Terrence'; Kevin Rhodes; 'Bill Kelly'
> Cc:   Spitfire List
> Subject:      RE: Spark plugs and dash refinishing
> 
> After the stain you need apply and Sanding Sealer. This will hold down the
> grain in the wood so it won't "POP" up  after all your fine sanding.
> The sealer gives you a good base to sand to a fine state. Then apply your
> poly or other finish.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Banbury, Terrence [mailto:Terrence.Banbury@dnr.state.oh.us]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2000 8:28 AM
> To: Kevin Rhodes; 'Bill Kelly'
> Cc: Spitfire List
> Subject: RE: Spark plugs and dash refinishing
> 
> 
> 
> For 'sparking' plugs I like Champion (don't recall the gap but whatever
> the
> manual sez is what I use).
> 
> For the dash refinish I'll give you my .02:
> Staining is an art.  The best thing to do is experiment on a spare piece
> of
> wood.  Maybe you have some leftover veneer.  The final 'look' will depend
> on
> how finely you sand it, if you use a colored filler, the color of the
> stain
> and finally, what the 'varnish' makes all that look like over top of it. 
> Fine sanding is critical to a great finish.  Use the finest grade sanding
> 'paper' you can get, maybe finish up with 000 steel wool or a 3M  very
> fine
> sanding pad.  
> 
>  I think using a contrasting grain filler looks nice (black for a light
> wood
> and tan for a dark wood).  It really pops out the grain and makes it come
> alive.
> 
> The final stain color (darkness) will depend on how many coats you put on,
> to a degree.  There is a big difference between the first and second coat,
> diminishing returns thereafter.  It also depends on how the wood absorbs
> the
> stain and what color the stain is , of course.  Like I said, trial and
> error
> is the best indicator.
> 
> The finish coat could be glossy polyurethane.  I might try a tung oil
> finish, though.  It is easy to apply and dries fairly quickly.  To have a
> thick finish though, you need to reapply several coats.  I apply this with
> my fingers, (no brush marks).  I have used tung oil on several walnut
> shift
> knobs with no problems, it seems to be durable enough for an auto
> interior.
> (I never understood why the shift knobs weren't designed to match the dash
> color/finish, or vice versa.)
> 
> One of the most important things you can do to end up with a great finish,
> is to make sure you don't get dust, dirt, etc. on the dash while it is
> drying.  Try to put it someplace, under a cover if possible, to avoid
> airborne particles.
> 
> Spark plugs are so much easier....but they don't look as good.
> 
> Terrence Banbury
> 
> 
> 
> > ----------
> > From:       Bill Kelly[SMTP:bk54@erols.com]
> > Reply To:   Bill Kelly
> > Sent:       Tuesday, April 04, 2000 1:01 AM
> > To:         Kevin Rhodes
> > Cc:         Spitfire List
> > Subject:    Re: Spark plugs and dash refinishing
> > 
> > 
> > Kevin,
> > 
> > Um, if it's too light for your liking, stain it! 
> > 
> > Start with something light - Minwax Ipswitch Pine looks great on maple
> > in my Herald. Err on the side of yellow - every replacement dash I've
> > ever seen except mine :> is too brown. 
> > 
> > Give it a couple days to air our, then apply 6 coats of water-based
> > polyurethane, with a satin finish, such as Benjamin Moore "Stays Clear"
> > in the Low Lustre flavour. Use foam brushes. The water-based stuff won't
> > yellow or crack like standard polyurethane. Hand sand after coat 3
> > dries, with 150 grit paper. It's going to take 3 coats to seal the
> > grain. Allow at least half an hour between the first 3 coats, and an
> > hour for coat 3 to dry before sanding.
> > 
> > Hand sand again after coat 5 dries, with a very fine grit paper. Give
> > coats 4 and 5 an hour each to dry.
> > 
> > After coat 6, wait 24 hours before you put it in the car, to let the
> > finish fully harden.
> > 
> > If you choose standard polyurethane, recognize that it will add a yellow
> > hue to the finish. Also, change all references to 'hours' to 'days'.
> > 
> 

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