That looks sensational mate, have you also done the upper dash pieces?
I am about to embark on this job too, although I am not looking forward to it at all.
I am about to embark on this job too, although I am not looking forward to it at all.
New Veneer for a 1750
It seems one of the many debates of the Alfa world has to do with the correct color of the veneer. Well I am joining in full force! My veneer has succumbed to 30+ years of fading into the all too familiar light blonde. I had an extra sheet of flatcut mahoggany veneer that looked like a great match. I wanted to reach a happy medium between red and brown and I think I got it. I cut new console pieces using the old pieces as templates. I glued two pieces of veneer together to match the thickness of the originals.
I used a dye called TransTint that I got from my neighborhood Rockler Woodworking store. The color is #6003 Reddish Brown. I added only ten or so drops of the dye into about a jigger and a half of denatured alcohol. Two coats of the dye is all it took. Then I topcoated it with four coats of satin McCloskey's Man O' War Marine spar varnish. The finish is a bit shinier that I expected, I may cut it with some 0000 steel wool once all the veneer is done.
The thing is I bought a 2 oz. bottle of the dye(all it comes in) and once I am done with all the veneer, I'll have enough dye left over to re-finish every dash in the world! If you are close to me(Beverly Hills, MI) I'll be glad to share. If you can think of a way to send 10 drops of dye through the mail, I'm all ears. Just PM me if you're interested.
P.S. I know I don't have the trim edges on, I was just seeing how it would look...see my next post!
I used a dye called TransTint that I got from my neighborhood Rockler Woodworking store. The color is #6003 Reddish Brown. I added only ten or so drops of the dye into about a jigger and a half of denatured alcohol. Two coats of the dye is all it took. Then I topcoated it with four coats of satin McCloskey's Man O' War Marine spar varnish. The finish is a bit shinier that I expected, I may cut it with some 0000 steel wool once all the veneer is done.
The thing is I bought a 2 oz. bottle of the dye(all it comes in) and once I am done with all the veneer, I'll have enough dye left over to re-finish every dash in the world! If you are close to me(Beverly Hills, MI) I'll be glad to share. If you can think of a way to send 10 drops of dye through the mail, I'm all ears. Just PM me if you're interested.
P.S. I know I don't have the trim edges on, I was just seeing how it would look...see my next post!
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I got my instruction from watching concert guitar makers work. They get incredibly beautiful finishes just from "French polish" (a little e shellac mixed with grain alcohol) which is applied by hand. French polish is too fragile for cars (although you can mix shellac mixing lacquer for a more sturdy finish---something I may try on my car), but the rub out is essentially the same. The thinner the finish and the more careful sanding/flattening and compounding you can do, the better the final result.
There's another thread from a few months back were we discussed just this topic. Do a search and you'll find it.
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