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Console Refinish

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  3547fl 
#1 ·
Just refinished my consol on a spur of the moment this week. Wish I would have taken a picture before I started several cracks in the finish and a few in the veneer. Also replaced the broken pin in the rear of it.

Broken bin: Drilled out the location of the original pin back to the wood though the plastic. Cut a wood dowel and used some JB weld to hold it in place. The plastic does give it some shoulder strength. Also made the pin just long enough to hold in place but be able to slip the cover off without removing the mirror switch.

Stripped the old finish with a heat gun and a very clean metal putty knife. Going at a very low angle and heating the finish and heating the putty knife the finish came off in about 15 Min. Glued the veneer back in place, hand sand, shot with Matthews Acrylic Polyurethane which we use all the time, very high UV rating. 8 coats, wet sand 400-600-1500-2000 grit. Buff with 3M finesse-it II and final polish with Zaino 5 polish.

Has a couple of flaws but overall looks good I think. Overall time is about 3 hours work time over 3 days.
 

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#4 ·
Cool, I'm up pretty soon to redo the wood in my car. I only need to do the console and the AC/Heater panel area. Thanks for the post and suggestions on chemicals to use.

How did you reglue the veneer down? Any special glue or is plain wood glue fine?

Good post!
 
#9 ·
Great Job! My old SL doesn't have the wood finish, but my 300D does. May have to refinish it someday soon.

I didn't totally understand the process. You said you removed the finish with a hot gun and scraper. Presumably it was the varnish finish that you were removing from the veneer? Did the veneer separate from the plywood backing in this step, or did you do that in a separate step? How did you remove it?

If I recall correctly, on my 300D the heater control panel is not wood - maybe some sort of Formica? with a wood finish. I have had it off several times because you have to do that to get at the mounting screws. I use a type of contact cement to re-attach it.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Use Titebond II wood glue you can get it at Lowes / HD. Clean both surfaces as good as you can try and get them flat. Paint a coating of the Titebond on both surfaces and let it dry, leave them apart during this. After it's good and dry place them on top of each other, cover with Alum foil and rub a hot iron on top. The Titebond can be heat activated. Sweet little trick, have done allot of veneer this way. Bonds it just like you pressed it with wood glue the normal way.
 
#10 ·
Yes, it was the original finish that I took off with a heat gun and a steel putty knife.
In a couple of spots the veneer was loose and was held on by the original finish only.
In these areas I used the Titebond II to glue the veneer back in place and after it cooled I went back over with the heat gun to remove the finish. The finish comes off at a way lower temp. then what it would take to release the glue.

Should of taken a few photos of the process. Maybe if I find another console needing refinishing, we will document it all the way though.

We have doing woodwork for quite a few years now. Here is our business web page. Freebird, Inc.

Mostly theme park work now.
 
#11 ·
Nice wood work on the webpage. I thought everyone was so enamored with Ikea that they forgot what real furniture looks like. I just sold a very old and heavy dresser and there was virtually no interest in it. This dresser was made of solid walnut or maple and used all wood, nails, and screw construction without any particle board or brads. I swear that most people don't like quality and would rather have modern junk.
 
#13 ·
Nice wood work on the webpage. .
Thanks, I don't do any furniture anymore because the $$ are just not in it. Hard to do an a really handcrafted piece for the price of Rooms to Go.

Yea, Lacquer is a quick way to go, with coating and sanding etc.. But if you have any catalyzed auto top coat available it's the best way to go. Will stand up to the UV allot better. Just have to wait a day to wet sand, etc... Use to paint cars in the parking lot back in the day in Lacquer, just sand and buff and look very nice.
 
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