Woodgrain repair kit [for ideas only]

Plasma vapor deposition makes it even more *electrically* conductive than the actual carbon.

It reflects heat better and acts as a Faraday cage for sensitive electronics.

BTDT

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Plasma vapor deposition makes it even more conductive than the actual carbon.

It reflects heat better and acts as a Faraday cage for sensitive electronics.

BTDT

Huh?  

<tangent>. Dave spoke of the silver look weave he applied to his dash.

I explained what it was, how it's made and it's original purpose.

Ray,

I wanted to ask if you have any experience with DIY Hydrodipping?

Years ago I did a bunch of 'marbelizing' on an interior project. (same idea, just using paint drops floating on the water)
We didn't have printers or dissolving substrate back then.  *caveman emoji

Jim, no sir. Ive seen plenty of parts that are hydro dipped, and seen plenty of how to videos. Never attempted it though.

Sorry for delay...on the tail end of a big move and have a lot of sorting and organizing to do.  Very hectic here for next several months...   Here's a few comments after looking over the radio bezel part that I have in hand, and a little digging into restoration surfaces.

The most difficult part of a vinyl application on this part is going to be the short sharp curve that the surface makes at it reaches the large openings.  Curves 90 degrees so to speak and into a wall a few mm's thick.   I'll have the printer give it a try with some dummy material, maybe with some heat, like from a hair dryer, that could help to cover smoothly....but it's a watch out.  Might have to settle for something that comes very close to the edge but not quite?

I was wondering if the group would strongly prefer the exact original wood grain pattern, or ok with something that is close to original pattern and color, etc, but not exact?   Then after looking at pictures of several bezels online, I realized that I had collected pictures of 6 pieces and none of them are the same!  You guys probably knew that already....makes my job a ton easier, though I still haven't found a perfect candidate.   Most Rosewood patterns are more uniform with long smoother lines, where each of the samples I collected have a bit more wiggle here and there and would like to capture that.   Attaching a picture to illustrate.   This is kind of a nice design feature actually; the '70s cars I'm used to dealing with all had exactly the same thing car to car.

Also attaching some pictures of a brushed aluminum (appearance) material that was also mentioned, with various lighting.  Does this look like a close match?  

Anyone willing to send me a core drivers instrument cover piece?  I can use the radio bezel I have to create the shape as well as select the material, but need a drivers dash piece in hand to create those pieces.  I'll send it back with a set of decals installed.  

Also if someone has a nice sample of the burled pattern, would really be nice to have something here in hand.   If someone has a burled pattern drivers dash to offer, that would kill two birds for us.  

The steering wheel kits will be no worries, have that shape design already.    Once we get the woodgrain and aluminum pieces sorted for the dash and radio bezels, will move on to the door panels also.

Thanks again for comments, opinions, ideas, assistance, enthusiasm - Perry

Perry,
Thank you so much for your feedback and reaching out for patterns related to these trucks.

That brushed aluminum material looks promising!  
Maybe someone has a NOS XLS piece they can send you, so you can put them side by side?

I'm sure one of us has a cluster bezel that would be more than happy to loan as a pattern, in exchange for refurbishment.

By the way, I'm going to edit the title of my response back to that of the thread.
I went "off topic" when I asked a question unrelated to your services.

Thanks for understanding.


*** good luck settling in!  

Hello, sorry I am quite late to the party. This is a great thread and exciting possibility for our trucks. I have been interested in hydro dip for reproducing the aluminum XLS but never found a film that I was satisfied with. It is a very “white” silver, and the brush marks are subtle. The only one that came close was slightly yellow and antique looking. Nice but not a match.

There are a couple NOS non-cruise control horn pads running around on eBay, but the amount of trim is small, and to my eye looks a little different since it is applied to actual metal, not a plastic base. As far as I know, I’m the only one who has a NOS bezel. I am a little reluctant to mail it around, as it is fragile. I also own a NOS F600 door panel speaker cover that has essentially the same finish. I would be more inclined to lend that out if needed to make a match. The films in your pictures don’t look quite right to me, but it’s hard to tell with it on a roll like that. See what you think:

I think the 'torn' effect in the striations may be an artefact of the camera or jpeg compression.

Even with the penny for scale it's hard to tell.

Maybe Perry could send YOU a small sample, if you are remiss to part with your parts.  

Ford F834 wrote

There are a couple NOS non-cruise control horn pads running around on eBay, but the amount of trim is small, and to my eye looks a little different since it is applied to actual metal, not a plastic base.

it might not even be applied, but actual brushed metal.....

Gary Lewis wrote

Weave: Doubt you'll be able to do this one as there is a significant texture to it.  And it changed from black to gray to medium gray during the 7-year era.

I wasn't paying attention to this thread, but I should have been!

I was wondering about replicating the weave pattern, even if it wasn't textured. I have two sets of the 85-86 Burlwood bezels...one in nice condition, and the other set pretty much junk, but good for testing. I also have a spare '85 grey weave radio bezel. I like the look of the Burlwood bezels, but I don't think they will look right in my bare bones truck. I was wanting to convert the nice Burlwood bezel set to either an aluminum-look XLS copy, or a grey print that might match the plain weave pattern.

I'll be following along with interest here...

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Ford F834 wrote

There are a couple NOS non-cruise control horn pads running around on eBay, but the amount of trim is small, and to my eye looks a little different since it is applied to actual metal, not a plastic base.

it might not even be applied, but actual brushed metal.....

I have a used one, and I believe it is a film like the woodgrain over the metal. That is just my impression from the wear and staining. It also seems to have visual brush texture but no physical texture that I can see.

If I had sample pieces of the wrap I could photograph them next to the original. From what I see the stuff on the roll is not a match, but might be close enough if you were not mixing original pieces with wrapped ones.

I'd bet we are never going to get a perfect match and the only way to do that is to have all of the parts covered with the same stuff.  But that's just my guess.

Gary, I think that you are right as far as off-the-shelf offerings. Whoever did the Dennis Carpenter repro must have photographed an original and used that image to generate an applied finish. Sadly they used the wrong one... the replicated the “brushed grey” of the later medium duty trucks, not the brushed aluminum. Unless someone can scan and clone a film based off of the original I don’t think there is any perfect match out there either. This is the hydro dip that I wanted to try... albeit not as white and clean as the original it has very subtle brush marks:

Ahhh, I get the difference now.  (I'm no XLS pro, nor have a NOS part to look at)

But, would the hydrodip be any closer? Ford certainly didn't have the technology back in the '80's.

I wonder what the original process was if not water transfer? Modern hydro dip seems more durable, but the print is definitely a film that cracks and peels off after years in the sun. It is also trimmed with black paint in difficult areas. If you use rubbing alcohol you can see that there is woodgrain under the black in the nameplate area around the HVAC control area etc.,

Gary Lewis wrote

I'd bet we are never going to get a perfect match and the only way to do that is to have all of the parts covered with the same stuff.  But that's just my guess.

That is what I was thinking, all or nothing or have a mismatched set.
Being I dont have the door panels parts I  would be looking at the dash bezel parts & wheel so they all matched.
Other than a Ford truck pro who would know the grain is not factory is they all match.
And I am thinking only a pro would know of the door panel parts also if I do the dash & wheel.

Now I do have sort of a question.
I am thinking you could not apply this over a black weave bezel as there would not be enough "meat" for the over lay to stick to and the weave may show up from under it.
What you think?
Dave ----

Hi Folks - quick check-in...   I've eliminated a couple options for the Rosewood pattern.  color, texture, or gloss were wrong.   Still looking and have asked my printer to help with his suppliers, can send out pictures of the NOS piece we have.

I agree completely about a vinyl overlay not looking exactly like the original part, but we can get pretty close and especially when parts are not immediately next to each other....some mixing might be tolerated?  

I understand the suggestion to send samples to those who have the parts but i just can't comfortably do this work without having the parts here in hand.  I also understand risk and cost, etc with shipping stuff so I just bought a steering wheel assembly on ebay that appears to have a very nice example of the aluminum finish trimmed horn pad.    I'll keep the wheel to upgrade one of my Lincolns that used the exact same form but with the typical '70s skinny steering wheel rim.   I can put all the horn and cruise guts in this one and have a factory looking padded "leather" wheel.  Sweet.   I'll sell the horn pad when finished.   It's on the way and I'll post pictures with the samples as soon as I can afterward.

The surface under these decals has to be smooth, really smooth.  The vinyl is thin and will show even tiny scratches underneath, so no way to cover a mesh surface...it just isn't stiff enough for that.

More once I have the parts here.  Looking for a good sample of the burled pattern also.   Were they all the same color, for all model years?   Seems online like I see quite a range of colors from light to dark.  Is that just fading or were there any real differences?

Perry

Thanks for the update.  You appear to be making good progress, so keep on keeping on.  

On the burled wood, it was only used in '85 and '85.  And it didn't weather well, turning pink or purple with UV exposure.  I don't know that I have a good sample of it as mine are faded and purpleish.

Personally the burled wood is my least favorite trim.  Perhaps because most of what I've seen has been purple?  Perhaps.  But I plan to convert Big Blue to one of the mesh weaves.

Well, hell.  What I thought was my nice brushed aluminum sample, is not.  Arrived today and it's actually painted silver over a damaged cruise bezel.  My fault, didn't look at pictures closely enough, didn't ask questions.  Oh well, the steering wheel is beautiful.

Got a couple more samples on their way for the Rosewood.

Looks like I'll be able to find a burled sample on ebay, have an offer submitted for a nice used cluster cover.   there's also an NOS example but at $350 have to keep looking.  

Does anyone know what the actual "official" Ford name is for this pattern?   I see lots of burled vinyl samples online but none really look right so far.  

The pictures posted here of the brush aluminum are great but need a sample in hand and I don't see any at all on ebay.   Can anyone point me to a piece that's for sale?   Or Ford F864 (or others)  I'll buy yours then sell it back to you when finished?  Borrow yours and return it with free decals when we get there?  I'm open to all options, thanks for any help with this one!