Rosewood Trim Panel Restoration Idea

[fiftyfordfloored]

After reading through Jonathon Donald's impressive guide to salvaging rosewood, I had an idea. Is it possible to take clean cores (un-cracked/unscratched), have the Rosewood pattern film recreated, and use them for water transfer printing and hydrographic film like this:

?

[Gary Lewis]

I think that's an excellent idea! Please, please go for it!

And, while you are at it, if you run across a brushed-aluminum they can do please check it out as well. Several, myself included, are considering doing the XLS treatment.

[Ford F834]

I think hydro dip is a great idea if you can find a print similar to the original. I believe this is what Dennis Carpenter did with their repro. Notice that the wood grain wraps around the inset of the HVAC controls and covers the nameplate and mask behind the radio knobs that are black on the original.

I would of course apply black paint over those areas after dipping. The instrument bezel would have to be masked to keep the dip off of the indicator lights and wiper/headlight illuminated icons.

As Gary mentioned, we have kicked this idea around as a way to clone the very rare XLS trim. I like the idea because of how durable the hydro dip finishes are. My first attempts at cloning the brushed aluminum look have not yielded very good results and seem pretty fragile. The main problem I see with hydro dip is finding a suitable print. The XLS has a very unique "white" silver color with subtle brush marks that is hard to duplicate. Finding a similar rosewood grain might be easier.

[grumpin]

I think hydro dip is a great idea if you can find a print similar to the original. I believe this is what Dennis Carpenter did with their repro. Notice that the wood grain wraps around the inset of the HVAC controls and covers the nameplate and mask behind the radio knobs that are black on the original.

I would of course apply black paint over those areas after dipping. The instrument bezel would have to be masked to keep the dip off of the indicator lights and wiper/headlight illuminated icons.

As Gary mentioned, we have kicked this idea around as a way to clone the very rare XLS trim. I like the idea because of how durable the hydro dip finishes are. My first attempts at cloning the brushed aluminum look have not yielded very good results and seem pretty fragile. The main problem I see with hydro dip is finding a suitable print. The XLS has a very unique "white" silver color with subtle brush marks that is hard to duplicate. Finding a similar rosewood grain might be easier.

I watched an episode of B*tchin Rides where Dave Kindig made a wood looking instrument panel with paint and a paper towel, dabbed it after he applied the paint, on a metal panel. Turned out really cool.

I think dipping "wood" be better though.

[fiftyfordfloored]

I watched an episode of B*tchin Rides where Dave Kindig made a wood looking instrument panel with paint and a paper towel, dabbed it after he applied the paint, on a metal panel. Turned out really cool.

I think dipping "wood" be better though.

The XLS trim is something I've never had in my hands or come through my stash. From what I can see from pictures, it looks almost like a brushed aluminum finish with an interesting sheen. I think next time I'm at the salvage yard I'm going to pick up some core bezels to send out and test a few finishes.

The rosewood in the link looks like a really nice pattern. Not correct, but nice.

Wood Films

Brushed steel finish they have looks like it could be somewhat close, but hard to tell.

Metal Films

[Gary Lewis]

The XLS trim is something I've never had in my hands or come through my stash. From what I can see from pictures, it looks almost like a brushed aluminum finish with an interesting sheen. I think next time I'm at the salvage yard I'm going to pick up some core bezels to send out and test a few finishes.

The rosewood in the link looks like a really nice pattern. Not correct, but nice.

Wood Films

Brushed steel finish they have looks like it could be somewhat close, but hard to tell.

Metal Films

None of the finishes would have to be exact if we could cover all of the trim in the truck with the same thing. And that has an advantage because some of the trim is really hard to find, or never was made. For instance, the door panel trim is hard to find for certain applications, like power windows with/without door locks. But by using hydrodipping we could use a panel of aluminum or plastic and coat it to look like the radio and instrument bezels.

[Ford F834]

None of the finishes would have to be exact if we could cover all of the trim in the truck with the same thing. And that has an advantage because some of the trim is really hard to find, or never was made. For instance, the door panel trim is hard to find for certain applications, like power windows with/without door locks. But by using hydrodipping we could use a panel of aluminum or plastic and coat it to look like the radio and instrument bezels.

Gary has a good point about everything matching. Even if you do find it all, the variation in condition and just different runs of print can make for a motley cobbled mess that looks more wrong than print that might not quite match the original. My rosewood pieces are slightly that way and it bothers me. I don't think it will show when they are installed, but sitting next to each other on the bench I see it.

Gary, the power window switch holes are pretty easy to make by enlarging the crank window hole on the door panels, but you can't go the other way. The main problem is crank window panels tend to be warped and bowed inward and commonly have circular scratches. However if you were cloning/hydro dipping I would think you could use crank window panels as cores for power window ones. I don't think there were ever power window medium duty brushed aluminum door panels, but I don't think we are going to find nice crank window ones either. They will have to be cloned to match the bezels.

Maybe I am just too picky, but I have not yet seen a hydro dip or vinyl wrap pattern that comes anywhere close to the look of the XLS bezels. If I had only ever seen old dull ones I would probably be happy with silver spray paint. But after getting the NOS piece I have seen just how stunning the original finish was. I want to create exactly that, and so far the commercial print patterns aren't doing it for me.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Gary has a good point about everything matching. Even if you do find it all, the variation in condition and just different runs of print can make for a motley cobbled mess that looks more wrong than print that might not quite match the original. My rosewood pieces are slightly that way and it bothers me. I don't think it will show when they are installed, but sitting next to each other on the bench I see it.

Gary, the power window switch holes are pretty easy to make by enlarging the crank window hole on the door panels, but you can't go the other way. The main problem is crank window panels tend to be warped and bowed inward and commonly have circular scratches. However if you were cloning/hydro dipping I would think you could use crank window panels as cores for power window ones. I don't think there were ever power window medium duty brushed aluminum door panels, but I don't think we are going to find nice crank window ones either. They will have to be cloned to match the bezels.

Maybe I am just too picky, but I have not yet seen a hydro dip or vinyl wrap pattern that comes anywhere close to the look of the XLS bezels. If I had only ever seen old dull ones I would probably be happy with silver spray paint. But after getting the NOS piece I have seen just how stunning the original finish was. I want to create exactly that, and so far the commercial print patterns aren't doing it for me.

Having held that piece I can agree - it is stunning! And a whole interior of that would be awesome.

And I agree about the door panels - we aren’t likely to find good Rosewood ones, and they didn’t make XLS ones. So, we will have to make our own, which is why I like the hydrodipping idea. I can see making new door panels out of aluminum and dipping them to match the bezels. 👍

But, until we can find the right stuff, I’ll keep working on the other bits for Dad’s truck and hope someone finds the holy grail.

[Ford F834]

Having held that piece I can agree - it is stunning! And a whole interior of that would be awesome.

And I agree about the door panels - we aren’t likely to find good Rosewood ones, and they didn’t make XLS ones. So, we will have to make our own, which is why I like the hydrodipping idea. I can see making new door panels out of aluminum and dipping them to match the bezels. 👍

But, until we can find the right stuff, I’ll keep working on the other bits for Dad’s truck and hope someone finds the holy grail.

Gary, NOS medium duty door trims would be the ticket. But I don't know if the brushed aluminum panel was a separate part number from the door card or if NumberDummy could check for them. That would be the ultimate, but I imagine service parts inventory on F600-F800 was never very much.

I do have some okay rosewood door trims to use as clones, and I am itching to try it. Unfortunately there are these nasty little things in life called "priorities" that take away the fun. But it will happen, as I am sure you have noticed by now I have quite the stubborn streak and I won't stop until I have a convincing substitute for the unobtanium trim parts. I think hydro dip is a great idea, but I still have not seen a pattern yet that grabs my interest.

For those of you that may not know what Gary and I are referring to, the medium heavy trucks with the Custom Cab trim level had brushed aluminum bezels and matching speaker cover door trims that the XLS never got. We want to reproduce them and add it to the XLS interior trim theme:

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, NOS medium duty door trims would be the ticket. But I don't know if the brushed aluminum panel was a separate part number from the door card or if NumberDummy could check for them. That would be the ultimate, but I imagine service parts inventory on F600-F800 was never very much.

I do have some okay rosewood door trims to use as clones, and I am itching to try it. Unfortunately there are these nasty little things in life called "priorities" that take away the fun. But it will happen, as I am sure you have noticed by now I have quite the stubborn streak and I won't stop until I have a convincing substitute for the unobtanium trim parts. I think hydro dip is a great idea, but I still have not seen a pattern yet that grabs my interest.

For those of you that may not know what Gary and I are referring to, the medium heavy trucks with the Custom Cab trim level had brushed aluminum bezels and matching speaker cover door trims that the XLS never got. We want to reproduce them and add it to the XLS interior trim theme:

I seem to have some medium-duty microfiche, a viewer or two, and maybe a file or two. 😎 Let me check this afternoon after church.