Hi Mark
Don and I drove up to Tiny's in his Miata 5.0, had a couple of laughs on the way home when the road was narrowing down to 1 travel lane and the hot LS powered pickup thought he'd get in front to block the view. Don would just press on the loud pedal enough to keep a nose ahead. This went on till he had closed out the pickup. That car would be trouble in my hands. Any how Don had seen the Elan painted after both days, the fist time is was about a 5 footer and after the next coat, I turned it into a 20 footer. Still learning I am. The Tiny's crowd doesn't get too excited until it pulls up to the door, Thats still aways off as you know.
I did a bit more on the dashboards this morning, I thought about routing the bevel on the top backside of the dash but I had the sanding block in my hand with 80 grit and thought I could do less damage with it, at least it would take a while longer to screw up. I marked up the back side so I get the holes the right diameter this time (there is still a chance to screw up, I have to do the counter bores first), when I was doing the last 2 S1 clone dashes I mixed up the key and wiper holes so now one of those has 2 - 7/8 inch holes instead of a 7/8 and a 3/4, oh well both work, one is just a little sloppy. I need to go and find the 1 1/4 inch forstner bit, it should have been in with the 9/16 brad point bit. I looked for the hinges this morning and they are still missing.
Gary
03:40 pm
I finished drilling all of the holes for second dash and and gave them a quick wipe with boiled linseed oil to bring out the color, I hope to give them a coat of varnish tomorrow. I still need to rout out the backs for the lamps on the gas gauge and oil/water gauge but I can do that tomorrow, I should make another template for the router to do those, I suck at doing things free hand...
Saturday August 18th 07:00
I rolled out both my S2 and Tingle's shell and got ready to spray some varnish on the dashes, still dark out and a bit cloudy. I was nearly ready to spray and I heard some drops and thought maybe I ought to hold off but it was just a few sprinkles. I dumped in some varnish (had to break through the 1/8 inch of solid) and this time I used a filter to keep the heavy out and did both dashes. I would like to say they look perfect but thats not the case and they will need to be wet sanded and recoated. I didn't expect much different when you use what you have on hand, I think the can is 10 years old
. I'll get it sanded and decide on the next coat, let see self adhesive veneer, boiled linseed oil, minwax helmsman varnish, and what ever I put on next. Sound like a disaster but I think it will work out ok. I forgot to say I did the lamp pockets yesterday, Drilled a 1 inch hole adjacent to the fuel and oil/water gauges and just free handed the rest out with the router, worker out ok on one and better on the second, I get a picture of the backs later.
Gary
The top one was the learners permit!
Sunday August 19th 07:00am
I thinned up the varnish with about 16% Xylol, it flowed out much nicer on the dashes, the backs of the doors are the first coat and have some bubbles.