• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

TR4/4A How to finish dashboard?

shoopal

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Many years ago (maybe 15-18) I bought a Moss mahogany veneer matte finish dashboard and it's been in the basement collecting dust. Finally I've gotten down to restoring the car and I'm wondering how to finish the dashboard out. Shellac, polyurethane (oil or water) or Varnish seem to be the choices.
Opinions or experience anyone?
Al Shoop
 

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
I used marine grade polyurethane. I gave it many coats with steel wool polish in between.
Also, don't rush it. I let the coats of polyurethane dry for many days before polishing and I made sure all traces of steel wool were cleaned off before re-coating.
 

Sarastro

Obi Wan
Silver
Country flag
Offline
For my MGTD, I used several coats of polyurethane varnish with sanding between coats, progressively finer sandpaper after each coat. Anything like that will give you a really nice finish.

https://www.nonlintec.com/mgtd/interior/#dash

dash_complete_4831.jpg

For my TR4A, I plan to use a thick clear epoxy coating, similar to what they originally had.
 

charleyf

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
On my TR4 I used polyurethane with the satin (not clear) finish. Love the result.
Charley
 

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
One thing I forgot to mention....
After the last coat of polyurethane I used Rottenstone (a very fine polishing compound)
and the final finish came out like "glass".
 

Rhodyspit75

Jedi Knight
Silver
Country flag
Online
You mentioned matte finish. Unless you intend on taking all the original finish off , which I would recommend, make sure whatever you put on is compatible.
 
OP
S

shoopal

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Yes. I haven't looked at it lately with the refinish in mind as it is currently sitting at the body shop where I thought it would be better to take advantage of their spray booth. As I remember, it didn't appear that there was any finish on it at all, but that was the reason I asked on this thread if anyone had experience with the Moss product. By the way this was discontinued many years ago.
 

TexasKnucklehead

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Just as an alternate view, my TR6 had an aftermarket wood dash tho I'm not certain what type of wood it was. It was not finished. I used regular lemon oil on it regularly and it looked fantastic. I never worried about the finish cracking or coming off because there was no finish no crack or come off.
 

Sarastro

Obi Wan
Silver
Country flag
Offline
That's interesting. I've never seen anyone use an oiled finish on a wood dash. From my experience with oiled furniture, I'd expect you'd have to re-oil it every six months or so for a few years, then maybe every year. But I'm sure it looks nice.
 

thechileman

Jedi Hopeful
Offline
I have a Moss dashboard, it cam prefinished. Mine was ordered only 5 or 6 ears ago, so it may be different than yours. It is also high gloss.
 
OP
S

shoopal

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Thanks for your reply. Apparently Moss sold the version that I have which is mahogany and did not have a high gloss finish. If it had any finish on it at all is what I am trying to ascertain which I have a call into Moss Tech Ken Martin tomorrow to see if he can provide this information. They discontinued this item in 2006 and now sell a walnut high gloss finished dashboard which is what I think you have. I will post the results of my research in the next few days if any one is interested.
Update: No help from Moss.I am going to proceed with alternate sanding and high gloss marine polyurethane. I like what I am reading about the rottenstone stuff so I will probably finish it off with that.
OK I guess we have beaten this to death so that's all folks
Al Shoop
 
Last edited:

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
I completely stripped my old delaminating dash and bought a piece of Walnut veneer to re-cover it.
It came out beautiful.
 

Merlin63Tr4

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline

Attachments

  • 63 TR4 interior.jpg
    63 TR4 interior.jpg
    65 KB · Views: 127
OP
S

shoopal

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
I have that tung oil from realmilkpaint which I use on my mahogany decking cut 50/50 with mineral spirits. I don't get that glossy finish like you have, Whats the trick? multiple applications with sanding increasingly fine grits?
 

Merlin63Tr4

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Shoopal,

Actually the dash is more of a semigloss, guess the light caught it just right.

The whole point of an oil finish on wood is not to build up a surface coat, but to allow the oil to penetrate the wood grains. The gloss or lack thereof comes from the rub down of the wood between the oil applications/cure cycles.

The trick is the 50/50 initial applications (so the Tung oil penetrates deeper), with wipe downs after 1 hour or so, (so you don’t build up a surface layer, a big no-no), followed with 24 hour or so cure in between applications.
In between applications the wood is rubbed down to remove the wood “whiskers” using either increasingly finer grits of abrasive paper or my preferred method 0000 steel wool or equivalent.
The final applications are with 100% Tung oil with a 0000 steel wool rub down and a final rag wipe.

Here’s an abbreviated version of the process I use on wood gunstocks.


The raw Tung oil may be applied as-is or you may want to thin the first two coats using 50% oil and 50% Mineral spirits or Turpentine.
Thinning the first two coats of oil helps the oil penetrate deeper into the wood.
Saturate a small piece of lint free cloth with the oil and apply liberally to the wood. Completely saturate the wood with the oil. Be sure to oil the entire dash, including the interior surfaces. Hang the dash from a wire to allow excess oil to drip from it.
Let the oil saturated dash sit for 1 hour. After an hour use a rag to wipe down the entire dash. Any oil left on the surface should be wiped away. Any areas of the wood that are glossy should be wiped down again. Any glossy areas that develop in the next 24 hours should be wiped down. The dash should never feel tacky or sticky.
Allow the dash to sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours rub down the dash using 0000 steel wool. This step helps assure a smooth finish and removes any raised grain that might have occurred.
Apply 2 additional coats of the oil over the next two days. Each time wiping off the dash after an hour and rubbing with 0000 steel wool after 24 hours.
Switch to 100% oil now If you had been using a thinned oil in the previous coats. If you’ve been using 100% oil continue to do so.
Apply the oil to the dash in the same manner as before. After 1 hour use a rag to wipe off any excess oil. Allow the dash to sit for 24 hours.
Give the dash a rag wipe followed by a 0000 steel wool rub and finish with a clean lint free cloth polish.

The dash should not feel tacky or sticky after the last application and cure.

Be sure to use ONLY pure Tung oil and NOT Tung oil finish which is more like a rubbing varnish.


M.
 
OP
S

shoopal

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Disaster.When I picked up the dashboard from the body shop, it was broken across the right air duct hole. It takes a bit of force to get the broken pieces to line up so it seems like it shrank up and twisted. Solid mahogany by the way not veneer. I'm going to gorilla glue and clamp it to try to get it together, but I'm really heart broken.
If I have success hiding the split, then I guess I'll finish it otherwise I'll just finish it off (should be good firewood)
20170613_175054[1].jpg
 
Last edited:

Merlin63Tr4

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Shoopal,
That's too bad.
If things don't work out you might want to give this guy a try. https://www.prestigeautowood.com/dash_info.htm
I got my solid wood dash (the one in the picture above) from him some 30 years years ago and as you can see it is still in great shape.
He is a local (to me) craftsman that has been doing this for some 47 years.
I just called him about 10 minutes ago and he is still in business making dashboards, solid, veneer, fancy wood, etc.

M.
 
OP
S

shoopal

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
I just came back from a cabinet/furniture restorer who will try to glue it back together. They gave me a rundown on finishing options and basically it ran like this:
If you have a dashboard which is a veneer on top of some good plywood backing, then the polyurethane is best for you. My dash is solid mahogany for which the oil treatment is best. The reason is that it will shrink and expand with temperature and humidity and a hard finish will develop cracks.
They advised a 100% tung oil, let it dry, and then a light coat of oil rubbed in with 600 grit. However, I like Merlin's method better.
When I pick it up,I'll go over the routine with him and it varies from what I just said, I will revise the post.
 

Merlin63Tr4

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
Shoopal,

100% Tung oil is also what Prestige Auto Wood recommended when I purchased my solid black walnut dash from them.
They also advise to lightly reapply the Tung oil, to the exterior surfaces, periodically (once a year or more often as the wood requires).

M.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Sarastro TR4/4A What kind of wood and finish for the dashboard? Triumph 20
W TR6 Dashboard Recommended finish Triumph 5
K TR4/4A Wood Finish on 4A Dashboard Triumph 9
TR4 Dashboard Finish Triumph 4
NutmegCT Exterior wood finish Restoration & Tools 21
B For Sale 57TR3 Small Mouth with OD Project. 12 yeqrs running. I'm not going to finish Triumph Classifieds 14
Rob Glasgow Boot Liner Edge Finish Austin Healey 11
R Ceramic Finish Austin Healey 3
S TR2/3/3A Cutting the finish end on the windshield top rubber Triumph 4
AH67 Heat Shield finish 66 Type Jaguar 5
R TR2/3/3A Crinkle/Wrinkle Finish Triumph 4
Sopwith_Camel dead at the finish line Spridgets 10
D coil spring finish Austin Healey 5
L GT6 correct finish Triumph 5
Rut TR4/4A Defrost vent finish Triumph 3
RJS TR4/4A Exhaust Manifold - Most Durable Finish? Triumph 4
Csarneson Exhaust Manifold finish? Austin Healey 18
D TR2/3/3A Wheel Finish Triumph 26
M What is the finish Jaguar Uses on Veneered Trim Pieces? Jaguar 4
Rut TR4/4A TR4a dash finish Triumph 8
Rut TR4/4A Color/finish Triumph 11
TulsaFred Bugeye garage paint job - start to finish [almost] with lessons along the way Spridgets 28
Got_All_4 General TR How can I remove the finish on this center console for my 7 Triumph 9
B BN4 Dash Face Finish Question Austin Healey 15
chicken So i have the bits of the Jigsaw - How do i finish the car ? Austin Healey 15
Jim_Gruber Not LBC but British Car Related - Bathhurst 1000 finish- worth a look Spridgets 3
S BJ8 Air Cleaners - correct finish? Austin Healey 21
R TR4/4A Finish the Interior Triumph 6
B TR6 Correct finish for door striker plate Triumph 2
HealeyDave 100 Grill - Correct Finish? Austin Healey 3
B TR2/3/3A Anybody finish their car in laquer? Triumph 18
R BN1 & BN2 Engine # Plate Finish Austin Healey 25
5 sidescreen aluminum finish Austin Healey 8
Jim_Gruber Spring is getting closer - What Spridget Winter projects do you still need to finish Spridgets 13
aeronca65t Four Wide finish. Racing 3
B TR6 How restore the "gold" finish of TR6 door latch? Triumph 4
brgrmyster Proper finish on luggage floor angle assembly? Triumph 0
L BE hood strut finish Spridgets 22
Rut Aluminum Finish Spridgets 23
I T-Series WTD: lucas 54382845 fuse box cover [smooth finish] MG 0
I WTD: lucas 54382845 fuse box cover [smooth finish] Austin Healey 2
Got_All_4 TR2/3/3A Finish on a 1960 TR3A Fluid reservoir? Triumph 6
N BJ8 Seat Rails Finish Austin Healey 2
wingsandwheels TR6 TR6 water pump finish Triumph 0
M_Pied_Lourd TR2/3/3A TR3 Heater Finish Triumph 8
tahoe healey Grill finish Austin Healey 22
Moseso The "proper" finish for a vintage Triumph Triumph 5
angelfj1 Finish - reinforement plate/wing attachment bolts Triumph 5
T Wedge Rich - did you finish up your TR8 engine build? Triumph 1
davidb garage floor finish Austin Healey 20

Similar threads

Top