Plywood
Like many, my original Europa wood dash was in bad shape. The varnish was cracking, and the veneer was peeling. The previous owner had enlarged the radio opening with a saw, and I wanted to restore the opening to its original dimensions. Thus a completely new dash was in order. This article details making a new dash.
The Europa dash is a stressed member, it holds the steering column in place. My understanding is the original dash was made from marine plywood because this is the strongest wood available. I have seen examples of those who have made dashes from wood not as strong as marine plywood, such as solid walnut. The wood will eventually fracture in the area between the steering column bolt holes and the instrument binnacle. Given the amount of time it takes to remove, fabricate, and replace the dash, you do not want to repeat this effort. So copy what the factory did; use the strongest wood you can find topped with a veneer.
My original dash was 3/8" plywood. The rocker switches were shimmed with wood behind the dash. Using 1/2" plywood eliminates the need for shims, and results in a stronger dash. I bought a 2'x4' piece of 1/2" thick marine plywood, 9 ply, Baltic birch, from totalwood.com (Capital City Lumber) for about $45.
To cut the dash you will need a router and 3 router bits. The first bit is called a pattern bit. It has a bearing at one end and cutting teeth next to the bearing. The bearing slides along the edge of a pattern and the cutting teeth will cut the exact shape of the pattern. So clamp your original dash to the new marine plywood and use a pattern bit to cut it.
I used a hand router which slides on a surface. But the original dash surface is very narrow in certain areas, such as around the instrument binnacle and glove compartment. Thus it is possible for the hand router to become cocked off vertical resulting in an angled cut when sliding on such a narrow surface. To prevent this you will need to build a jig, or additional surface area next to the original dash for the router to slide on.
Building these jigs greatly increases the amount of time required to cut the dash. In a table router the bit will always be vertical and the wood slides on a horizontal surface. Thus, using a table router will eliminate the need for building jigs and reduce the time needed to cut the dash. So if you have access to a table router, use it.
The second bit is called a rabbit bit. Like a pattern bit, it has a bearing at one end and cutting teeth next to the bearing. But the cutting teeth are larger than the bearing so the bit will cut an indentation. This bit will cut the indentation on the back of the dash around the air vents.
The last bit is a straight cut bit. Use this to cut the indentation at the back of the dash for the hazard switch.
Use a rectangular file to square the corners for the rocker switches. Use a drill for all holes 1/2" diameter or less. The result is shown in photo 1.
Veneer
My goal was to match the original dash. So I decided to use a veneer with a similar grain pattern and stain to match. I bought some mahogany veneer from the local Woodcraft store for about $25 (Item #131443, thanks to Steve Veris for this tip). Even though the factory did it, it is not necessary to veneer the area behind the console as it cannot be seen. The mahogany veneer sheets measured 6.5"x4', more than enough to cover the dash visible area (photo 2).
I used Titebond original wood glue to bond the veneer to the plywood. Use a small foam roller to spread the glue evenly on the plywood and the veneer. Before applying glue to the veneer, lay it on a sheet of cardboard and tape the veneer edges to the cardboard. This will prevent glue from seeping to the other side of the veneer.
I called Titebond and spoke to one of their tech reps, and the following instructions are from that conversation. Wait at least 1-2 hours for the glue to dry, up to a max of 5-6 hours. After drying, position the veneer on the plywood. Now using a household iron, press and heat the veneer to 250-300 degrees. The heat from the iron will reactivate the glue and the veneer will bond to the plywood.
I used a non-contact infrared thermometer to check the temperature of the veneer. Use a thin cotton cloth between the veneer and the iron and put the iron on steam setting. This will help prevent scorching of the veneer. Iron from the center and work to the outside.
The iron-on method is preferred over contact cement. The chances of air bubbles in the veneer or the veneer being placed incorrectly on the plywood are greatly reduced.
The Titebond rep also told me that Titebond original and Titebond extend have better heat resistance than Titebond II or III. Thus, they are better suited for a car dash because of the heat in the summer. Titebond also has a youtube video about iron-on veneering.
Once the veneer is glued cut it to fit the dash openings using an X-acto knife and a small file (I used a chain saw file). Cut/file from the back of the dash.
Varnish
Paint along the edges of the instrument binnacle, glove compartment, and rocker switches. I also painted the back of the dash and console area to keep out moisture and preserve the dash for the long term.
I selected a 2 part polyurethane varnish for my dash (thanks to Gavin Taylor for this tip), Interlux Perfection Plus Varnish. This is a marine spar varnish, thus very resistive to sunlight and heat. It also is expensive at $100/quart.
I put on 6 coats. Apply using a set of cheap foam brushes, throw them away after using as they are too difficult to clean. Sand wet between each coat using wet or dry sandpaper. Use around 800 grit. This will remove any dust from the surface and help adhesion of the next coat.
After the final coat, sand wet 500, then 800, 1000, 1200 grit. Sand until smooth, then buff/polish. I used a small buffing wheel attached to hand drill. The 2 part polyurethane varnish is quite hard, so you will have to use rubbing compound intended for use on fiberglass boats. I used 3M marine rubbing compound, part #09004. I followed this with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, then Meguiar's Ultimate Polish.
A coat of wax will bring out that last bit of luster. I bought a lettering kit from RD Enterprises (peel off/stick on template letters). The lettering will not stick to the wax, so the lettering has to go on first. Be careful not to tear the lettering when the wax is applied.
The finial product is shown in photo 3.
Ron Dawson
