07-11-2007, 11:10 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 1,361
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by 180OUT
The mystery thickens. 2 liter cars, as I recall, were in fact different from earlier cars, having a darker somewhat more rose colored veneer. Here is a bad photo of the veneer on my '70 GTV. Black Walnut?
For those of us who might want to know (everyone's waiting on this, right?)  "French Polishing" is a fascinating process. It's also deceptively simple. It consists of hand applying a mixture of shellac much diluted with grain alcohol to a wood surface. Sounds easy, right? It isn't. Apply too much and it won't dry. Too little and it won't stick. Just enough and you get an absolutely georgeous finish. Since the French Polish is so fragile, I assume, Threealfas, that your friend finished your wheel with eurethane, right? Even French Polishers cross over to the dark side every now and again. When my guitar maker buddies do this they have to go through a purification rite to rebalance the cosmos. |
Spot on 180.
French polisher is a deceptive term for someone in this trade, technically he is a French Polisher, but restores furniture and uses whatever process people request ie French polish, Spray finish or natural wax and Shellac.
French polishing is great for a William IV Library table however you would never use a shellac/french polish on a steering wheel, it would last 10 minutes in the QLD sun, so yeah we did use a two pack eurethane.
I stripped the wheel using thinners, sanded the rim and feathered the odd gap (feathering for those who are unaware is when you use a sliver of timber and glue to fill a crack or a split in timber or in this case the laminate), and then the boys did the rest.
Took them a while to get back to me and I was going nuts as I had a nasty black plastic 1750 Berlina wheel, that I had for years on it is place and that was uncomfortable to use as it did not have the girth of a GTV wooden wheel. Well worth it in the end as it is now perfect, especially when I recall what it used to be like, all flaky and nasty. Cost me 20 bucks for the Eurethane and a carton of beer, you can't beat that.
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Phil
1961 MGA 1600 Roadster, British Racing Green
1966 Giulia Sprint GT ,Argento
1970 1750 GTV s2, Verde Olivo Metallica (AR213)
2005 Holden Rodeo LT Crew Cab, Fox Fire Red
{Oo==V==oO}
Previously owned
1983 Ford Laser KB, Beige
1985 Volvo 360 GLT Dark Mettalic Blue
1970 GT Junior stepnose Resprayed Red, Giallo Ochre
1923 Amilcar Sports, rusty
I may only own two ALFAs now, but the handle stays as I am always chasing another one. 
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