Anyone here ever done this successfully? One of us needs to get into the biz of re-finishing the wood in these. I'm not the one, but someone here HAS to be good at woodwork and re-finishing?

Anyone??? I have a job for you (actually 1/2 dozen or so!)

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1984 300D Turbo - 4-speed manual conversion, mid-level resto

1983 300D - parts car

1979 300TD Auto - Parts car.

1985 300D Auto - Wrecked/Parts.


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"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Lewis Carrol

used the search refinishing as the key word. it takes to to several threads on the subject of Zebrano refinishing and this link out:
http://207.210.95.34/~boostd/Wood/
I had a fellow refinish a console wood for me. I had to raise the ante to $100 after he pleaded with me for more but it turned out very fine, all new wood, too!
He even covered the stupid speaker fader rheostat opening (Modern aftermarket radios don't use those power wasting noisy things any more!)

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Thanks for the link, I remember seeing it at some point. Thing is I really don't want to do this. I've stripped tables, chairs, other wood before. Not for me. Just thinking someone here might make some $'s doing this for other members.

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1984 300D Turbo - 4-speed manual conversion, mid-level resto

1983 300D - parts car

1979 300TD Auto - Parts car.

1985 300D Auto - Wrecked/Parts.


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"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Lewis Carrol

This is a lot harder than it seems. Firstly, on my console, the wood, as well as the coating was split. I did some research - got into a few veneering forums constructed like this one - into what it takes to successfully re-veneer something. It is tricky - and zebra wood and walnut burl are among the TOUGHEST veneers to work with. Walnut burl veneer is VERY lumpy, has a lot of density variation, and requires a "softener" to even work with, period - I have some and I can put up a picture. It has to be pressed in a vacuum press while the glue dries, or the lumps will pop back up, either in a week or a year. Zebra wood (zebrano) is very coarse for a hardwood, and has a natural tendancy to shrink and split in the grain. The interior of a car is just about the worst place imaginable for these types of veneers.

Seemd like the older M-B's uses solid pieces of wood. I remember reading somewhere that the use of veneer was not a cost reduction - it was a safety improvement (splintered hardwoods skewering people, etc).

In the meantime, faux finishes and "artificial wood" are getting better and better. Attached is an instrument cluster I did in photorealization (three-dimensional printing). Upon very close inspection, the grain isn't "quite right" - but it fools the eye, just like faux marble finishes, etc. And it won't warp, dry out, etc. Also, keep in mind that the modern two-part clear coatings are far beyond what was available to MB 20 years ago.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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86 560SL
With homebrew first gear start!
85 380SL
Daily Driver Project

http://juliepalooza.8m.com/sl/mercedes.htm

theres a member here, ptoro or ptoro1 that oes them. Look him up.

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