Need a dimension on BJ8 dash glove box .

[John_Progess]

I am making a new wood dash for my BJ8. I have all the parts cut out and before I veneer, I was wondering about the clearance of the glove box door to dash. My clearance is approx. 3/64" (.043") all around. Do you think this too tight for paint and final clear coating (pour on self leveling product). If I need more clearance this is the time to do it. Thanks for your help.

John

 

[GregW]

Hi John,
The finished gap on my glove box is 1/16”, a full 64th bigger than what you have now. I would suggest making the gap a little bigger to compensate for the resin thickness x2. When I made my dash, I beveled the top of the door slightly so it wouldn’t bind when opening (see photo).
I had problems with the self-leveling resin on non-flat surfaces. It would side off until it was too thin to harden. I had to strip it off then re-apply with more catalyst (that was a lesson I learned on my steering wheel).
The resin I used was sandable, so I could get rid of any drips and then used a plastic polish on a buffing wheel. As an aside, the door edge and box opening were originally painted brown.

 

[John_Progess]

GregW,
Thanks for the info and I will go with 1/16" clearance. What is the self leveling product you used? I got an article about dash rebuilding and the author used a product called envirotex. Thanks again and have a good day!

John

 

[GregW]

Hi John,
I’m bettin’ you got that “how-to” from Jim Werner’s site. I read it after I did my dash. I haven’t heard anything bad about the envirotex, but that’s not saying much. The stuff I used was SURFACE COATING RESIN, Hapol 1300-5 from Hastings Plastics, a little more than half way down the webpage. The main reason I used it was the store is 6 blocks from my house.

 

[John_Progess]

GregW,
You are correct about the article. How did you like your hapol 1300-5 product? Was it fairly easy to use and are you happy with the result? I am not sure about how much I should worry about UV protection on the dash as it is not going to see that much sun. Thanks again and have a good day!

John

 

[GregW]

Hi John,
It is hard for me to give an opinion on ease not having used other products. The instrument cluster was a cake walk compared to the glove box since it was only a flat surface. I used masking tape on the gauge holes and outer perimeter as a dam to keep the resin from dripping. For the edges of the glove box, I would stand it on edge and only apply resin to the top. Then rotate 90 ° and repeat three more times. The problem I came across was the resin trying to level itself on a curved surface. It would creep down, thinning the top area to where it wouldn’t harden. That’s where I found I had to add more catalyst. You also have to keep an eye on gas bubbles forming. I used a toothpick to work them out before everything started to set.

 

[John Loftus]

Hey guys,

Por-15 makes a product call Pelucid that might work for this application. I have no experience with it but they sell small amounts so it wouldn't be too costly to experiment or maybe someone else has used it and can comment.

Por-15 Pelucid

Cheers,
John

 

[tahoe healey]

Will por-15 go over existing finish? It says it will go over paint. I would guess it would have to be done on a horizantal surface as appose to installed dash.

 

[Keoke]

Hi all, These methods and materials are not what fine furniture re finishers or those of Browns Lane used. Their initial wood sealer is French Lacquer. This is followed by a high quality varnish applied using a technique called "Palming". The final layers of finish are applied using this technique. Palming balls are available from their supply sources. Consequently, there is no dripping or running of the material using this technique. Drying is required to be on a perfectly level surface so the Palmed on layers of finish self level. However, this is a labor intensive method that requires about 3 days for each layer of finish applied. If you want the hardest finish in the world you can use a varnish called "Bar Top".---Fwiw--Keoke

 

[Keoke]

Will por-15 go over existing finish? It says it will go over paint. I would guess it would have to be done on a horizantal surface as appose to installed dash.

Yep TH, you guessed correct! The dash must be removed and in most cases there is no finish I know of that can be applied over the old one. That finish must be meticulously removed to avoid damaging the underlying veneer. However in most cases the veneer is defective anyway and either has to be repaired or replaced. When replacing the veneer if you use a burl it must be purchased in complimentary pieces. This is to say the grain patterns on both pieces must match. When they are installed they are "Book Matched" and "Mirrored". this causes the grain patterns to be the same on both sides of the dash.---Keoke

 

[John_Progess]

I got my walnut burl veneer and glue from veneersupplies.com. I got two pieces 15" x 19.75" and it was mirrored. This will do both sides of both dash sections as I was told to definately veneer both sides to avoid warping. This is my first veneer job so it should be interesting? Thanks for the responses and have a good day!

John

 

[GregW]

Hi John,
I didn’t veneer the backside of my dash, nor was my original. I haven’t had any warping on it. I used Baltic Birch plywood which is a very rigid 9 layer piece of ½” ply. The door was a solid plank of Mahogany that was veneered on both sides and that did warp a little. It was a choice I have to live with because I didn’t like the look of a plywood edge when the door was open.