To: Triumph List, Inet
On Wed, 11/15 Trent H. Hubbar asked:
Has anyone on the list had any experience with
re-veneering a TR-6 dash. I decided to try this after looking
through a friends woodworking supply cataloge and finding that
the veneer necesary costs about $20. Compared to the $180 some
odd dollars that TRF wants for a replacement doing it myself
seemed to make pretty good economic sense.
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Trent - that depends on the surface form of the dash. If it is
anything other than perfectly flat in order to do a "proper"
veneer job you need a vacuum suction pump and a heavy duty plastic
bag large enough to cover the entire piece. You then glue the
veneer down, place it in the bag and suck out all the air which
forces the veneer around all of the bends, curves, etc. on the
dash panel.
However, if it is perfectly flat, then it is a relatively simple
matter of utilizing the proper glue (I suggest Titebond or Excel's
Polyurethane Wood Glue - it's used in boat building), making sure
that you cover virtually every inch of the surface of the wood.
Otherwise you will end up with bubbles. Then, you must find a
suitable "press" that is large enough, flat enough and heavy
enough to effectuate a proper mating of the glued surfaces. I
suggest placing a piece of wax paper or oil cloth between the
press and the dashboard in order to prevent them from sticking
together around the edges. BTW, the glues referenced above are
also available from Constantines or any other good wordworking
supplier. When you place the press on the dashboard make sure
that you then use a warm, damp rag to wipe away all of the
squeezed out glue before it dries. Otherwise it can ruin the
veneer.
Are you going to cut the holes for the gauges first? I would
suggest that you consider gluing down a full piece of veneer, then
using a VERY sharp razor knife to cut through from the backside,
leaving a small bit of overage for you to carefully sand off with
a piece of 400 grit paper around a large dowel.
Finally, let it dry for the full period specified in the glue
manufacturer's directions. Trust me, I've screwed up enough
veneer jobs now to know it take a long time for the glue to fully
dry and it is pretty easy to knock the veneer out of alignment.
Good luck.
Ross D. Vincenti
64 Spitfire Mk. I, (sold the Datsun Roadster) and a cat named
Flounder
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