J

JDanno

Well Known Member
Anybody know a source for a small amount of faux dashboard wood. Like what you see in the very high end cars such as Astin Martin and Lambos? I've looked all over and can't locate any. :( Thanks!! Dan
 
Formica

Formica and other brands of countertop laminates have a wide variety of simulated wood surfaces. Elaborate burls, straight grain, all kinds of choices.

It is, of course, very thin and you would bond it or screw it to your aluminum panel. Might add a pound or a fraction thereof.
 
Google "Wood Veneer" and you will find lots of place that sell what you are looking for.

Here is just one link.
 
I think the term you are looking for is "veneer", which is really just a very thin cut of real wood, like 1/32nd of an inch. I recall a TV show where modern day treasure-hunting loggers pull giant logs up from the bottom of rivers which sank over 100 years ago during the great river logging runs. Some logs were so dense that they just sank after the bark got wet enough. These well-preserved logs are typically much larger than what one finds in the forests of today, and veneers from these logs, being the product that brings the most money, makes these logs often worth many thousands of dollars!
 
I've owned two airplanes with wood and faux-wood instrument panels; one was a Pazmany and the other an Aeronca Chief. I thought both were visually distracting, and both aged poorly and looked tacky. Of course, I'm sure it can be done so that it looks and works well, but in general I much prefer a nice flat gray or black.

If you want some wood in the cockpit (no, this is not a Viagra ad), I'd suggest you look for less central opportunities for wooden trim that look more authentic. Like maybe the stick grips or some edge accents along the bottom of the panel or on the fuselage formers.

Thanks, Bob K.
 
Yeah, and it won't crack...

....like the bird's-eye maple did on my old -6A. The veneer has a different coefficient of expansion than the aluminum dash and within a year, it started cracking.

The coating that this guy provides is really outstanding,

Best,
 
my veneer has held up fine

When Ralph Koger built what is now my -6A in the early 1990s, he used wood veneer on the panel and on the fuel valve selector mount bracket. After all the intervening years, it's still in perfect condition.
 
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