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things you need *:
* You can get every single bit of this at a good hardware store
Remove door paneling:
Remove dash paneling: Note: I've been told that you can get at these screws. On my 79 528i, however, the edge of the door frame is just enough in the way from getting a screwdriver to them. If you can get to them, then you will probably be able to remove the wood without removing the dash (lucky you). Removal of wood paneling from the dash is pretty much the same as with the doors. Bend back the retaining clips holding the wood in place, and gently pull from dash. For those of you who can remove the wood without removing the dash, I'm told you can access the retaining clips from underneath and through the glovebox.
Removing the old polyurethane and finish: The FAQ from firstfives.org says to "chip away" at the old poly with a razor blade without the use of any remover. This may work okay if the poly is totally cracked all over, but a much simpler and easier way is to use the paint/finish remover. Even though the directions on the can tell you to scrape away the
old finish while the remover is still wet, I found this didn't do
a darn thing. Better to let the remover almost DRY, then use the razor
blade to start working away at the poly and finish. You will need
good gloves. And even with good gloves, if the remover is still wet,
it will happily try to get through the gloves (another reason to wait
til it's dry). Try to get the razor blade at a good angle when removing the old
poly. Get it under the old poly, but don't cut away at the wood! When you have removed all of the old polyurethane, your wood will not look good. Don't worry, after you sand and especially after you refish/condition the wood, it will look beautiful.
Refinishing / Staining / Sealing: Simply follow all directions on products you get *. * See tips below
Tips: 1. DO NOT USE FOAM BRUSHES! Foam brushes are okay for the stain itself, but when you try to use them to put on Tung Oil or Polyurethane, the foam brushes will just deposit themselves all over your wood plus at the very least generate lots and lots of air bubbles that are impossible to control. Use any natural bristle brush for the sealing. 2. Tung Oil is supposed to be applied on bare wood, not necessarily over a stain. Especially if that stain has a sealant already in it. I found a couple small splotches when I tried to apply Tung Oil over the stain. 3. Directions on the sealant can (Tung Oil or Poly) tell you to use a non-fluffy cloth to remove the excess. Um, being that either of these sealants are very very sticky while drying, you're going to be very hard pressed to find a cloth that won't become fluffy as you use it. I finally grabbed an old black t-shirt and wet it down before wiping away the excess (let wood dry for a good time before wiping). Worked great! Then follow up with a paper towel to dry. 4. The wood refinisher/conditioner is a VERY important component to a successful job.
Order of operations:
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