Hello Gavin,
You mentioned spraying polyurethane on the dash and putting the letters on.
Many, many years ago, I decided to replace the original dashboard on my 1969
S4 Elan. The dash had the usual cracks and crazing. A friend who owned a
furniture shop cut the dash for me, using the old dash as a template, and
then sprayed the front with a plastic-like finish. Polyurethane, I recall.
He was using the finish to put a flat, clear, durable finish on tables with
ornate. deeply carved tops. The plastic would fill the voids, some carved
more than two inches deep into the wood, and then dry, leaving a perfectly
flat top.
This left a not too shiny finish with orange peel on my dash, which I then
sanded with an orbital sander and then buffed with rubbing compound. This
left a very smooth, flat, and glossy finish, actually very close to the
original finish in appearance. Then I simply used Letraset of the correct
font and size for the letters. I had a very steady hand and eye then, so
the letters came out straight, evenly spaced, and correctly positioned.
I was worried that the Letraset letters would rub off in time, but that
dashboard was finished and installed in 1981, and it did not crack and the
letters stayed on. Of course, I was careful never to wipe the dash hard
over the letters. If not for the race accident last March, which cracked a
corner, this dash would still be on my car.
As it is, I simply decided to order a dash from a California company
recommended by someone from Dave Bean. This looks really good and (since
modern materials were used) is supposed to last a long time. Will let you
know in a couple of years.
Regards,
Andres
Manila
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