Dashboard veneer query

I was just quoted £900.00 *thud* to reveneer my dash.

The restorer noted that part of the dash is burr walnut and part straight grain. I have been trying to peer at the images people have posted of their dashes to see whether this was always the case or whether it was once all burr walnut.

Can anyone advise?

Btw I am not going to take the restorer up on his kind estimate!

Try Here - they should be able to provide an accurate quote as I believe they've done a few elfs before:::

http://www.chapmanandcliff.co.uk/

Good Luck

I now have a much more reasonable quote from Chapman & Cliff. I am still wondering what I should be asking them to do - but if, as you say, they've done plenty before, perhaps they already know what it ought to be. I think I will give them a ring.

Glove box doors and centre binnacle segment are indeed different grain originally.

Some more obviously than others.

My dash was knackered on 'Rupert' so I cheated and bought a roll of of sticky back walnut effect plastic from ebay at £1.99 a roll! left the glovebox doors as they were okay to give the different grain effect.

Worked so well, the Practical Classics photographer didn't even notice!!!!

Thanks very much. That's what I thought!

If I showed you pics of mine, do you think you would be able to tell if it were as manufactured?

Like your Blue Peter style trick

You can also get a roll of burr walnut effect sheet off e bay!

IMHO opinion (same as ELFie's !!!!), the left and right hand sides should be mirror images of each other ...using the adjacent slices of veneer...one of which (obviously) is reversed. The centre portion should be split in the middle so there are left and (reversed) pieces about the centreline...you should see the "handed" effect about my hazard warning switch.. It should be of a similar "Hue" to the side panels.

The doors should also be separate left and right( reversed) slices so they mirror each other ..... not necessarily from the nearby slices of the side pieces (mine aren't) but should be of a similar hue.

Below is a piccy of my centre console but there is enough showing of the side and centre pieces to show what I mean (hopefully!!!!)





The problems with actually buying a piece of veneer (or sticky back fablon type stuff) are:

1) you will doubtfully be able to get the mirror image effect for the side panels

2) you will be hard pressed (!!!) to get the veneer to follow the curved shape of the inner edge of the side panels unless you have vacuum bagging facilities.

Thank you very much - I will have a closer look at mine tomorrow and see if it tallies with what you have said. Will let you know!