After checking the FAQs, I'm wondering if there might be a different way to refinish the dash wood trim.
Could I just sand down the finish, stain and reapply the clear topcoat? I already have the chrome trim removed (which was surprisingly easy, btw) so I have direct access to the veneer.
I'll have to figure out how to post pictures - the difference in colour between the exposed trim and the perimeter covered by chrome is incredible. I almost considered leaving the chrome off to highlight the two-tone wood!
Cheers,
Craig
If it floats, flies, or giggles in bed, it's cheaper to rent than to own.
No, sanding it down will take much longer than paint remover and you'll probably go thru the veneer at some point. Even with paint remover it's time consuming, but worth it. I did the wood in my first E12 and it looked great.
Mike W.
02 525ita. Wife's, aka grocery getter
02 530i. New to the fleet, 3 pedals.
03 QX4, AKA the Datsun. Finally got the 4WD vacationmoble to stop smoking.
07 Xterra. Still on the DL, a purchase from hell.
For what it's worth, I used a heat gun. The coating had cleanly popped away from some places, so I tried the heat to see if it would continue the process.
Maybe sneak up on it with a hair dryer first. The heat gun is somewhat of a high wire act. Using a hard plastic scraper or dull rounded steel to avoid skinning the wood. The strip has to be held down with a pad and a C clamp. After that it's about heating the wood just enough to soften, release the old finish without toasting it.
Paint remover of the EPA safe kind is just about worthless. The industrial kind must work if Mike used it, but it scared me for de-laminating possibilities. Sanding looked to take years, being difficult to see the line between finish and wood.
Yeah, it's polyurethane and tough stuff. I had to use paint and epoxy remover, not just regular paint remover. But it did come out nice. I only wish I'd taken pictures, it was back around '93 well before digicams and taking thousands of pictures of virtually everything.
Mike W.
02 525ita. Wife's, aka grocery getter
02 530i. New to the fleet, 3 pedals.
03 QX4, AKA the Datsun. Finally got the 4WD vacationmoble to stop smoking.
07 Xterra. Still on the DL, a purchase from hell.
Well, I was adventurous and re-veneered, stained and finished the four doors and the dash trim. The original finish was cracked, in terrible shape and now I can't remember why I decided to just remove the veneer and go from there. Maybe the veneer was peeling on one or more pieces, I forget.
Anyway, I should put together a group of pics I took during the procedure, I must say the end result was very rewarding. By far the worst looking piece of the door panel was the wood. Reinvigorating them upgraded the whole panel as the vinyl was/is still in great shape. I looked around and found cedar veneer to be the closest to the original grain although at that point I could have used anything I wanted. Actually, the dash pieces were an afterthought, the door pieces came out so nice, I wanted them to match. I still look at the wood almost ten years later and smile. They look great in the sunlight.
I located veneer at a local lumber supply house that stocked esoteric items, it was a treat just to walk around and look at the stuff you never knew existed regarding lumber products. I have to say that there were many beautiful exotic veneers, the types you see on modern cars, but I elected to stay faithful to the stock look.
I love to see good woodwork and Lenny yours look great! I would like to add a comment, not as a criticism, but as a WOODWORKER/FINISHER. To bring out the wood beauty and wood grain, the first top coat should be a high gloss and then tone done the gloss with a satin coat.
