Weathered Dashboard Renovation
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Charlotte
Weathered Dashboard Renovation
OK, I am using my first project truck (70' F-100) as a learning experience. I am trying to recover the dash, and have picked out some fabric, etc. but cannot get the hardened, cracked dash to flatten out and smooth enough to put on this new cover. I have tried to fill in the cracks with (don't hurt me) epoxy, body filler, etc. and cannot get it to sand down nicely or even stay in the cracks well. The foam seems to have broken down very badly. Is there anything I can buy to fill the cracks, or do I need to break down and buy one of the dash caps I have avoided thus far?
"Speak a little louder next time, I'm a trifle deaf in this ear"
-***** Wonka
"Speak a little louder next time, I'm a trifle deaf in this ear"
-***** Wonka
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 137
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Weathered Dashboard Renovation
>OK, I am using my first project truck (70' F-100) as a
>learning experience. I am trying to recover the dash, and
>have picked out some fabric, etc. but cannot get the
>hardened, cracked dash to flatten out and smooth enough to
>put on this new cover. I have tried to fill in the cracks
>with (don't hurt me) epoxy, body filler, etc. and cannot get
>it to sand down nicely or even stay in the cracks well. The
>foam seems to have broken down very badly. Is there
>anything I can buy to fill the cracks, or do I need to break
>down and buy one of the dash caps I have avoided thus far?
>
I know that they sell at lowes and homedepot vinal repair kits, either epoxy or with a little iron, which in theory is close to an ideal material to fill the cracks and make the approperate repairs. I've enjoyed limited luck with them to be honest, i.e. i've never actually been able to manage a repair that was 100%, but good enough to apply a new skin of vinyl on top.
Though, I have managed to, on my toyota, use a hacksaw / dremmel to cut out the trully damaged portions, and replace with bondo, sand down reasonably smooth, and apply a sheet of thin vinyl across the top. To be honest, I gave up on it being 100% smooth, and just left it as is, kinda dumpy looking, but not spewing foam everywhere.
I plan to do future experiments with fibreglass resin, while it would create some hardspots, it seems to me one of the few materials you can get that will fill cracks, and allow the end user to restore the basic shape of it. The basic technique I plan to employ as an experiment would be opening the cracks to a larger degree, filling the cracks with the fibreglass resin, then a combo of wax paper and masking tape to allow it to set properly in the correct shape, followed by basic sanding. once hardened, then applying a new sheet of vinyl on top, glued with something very very strong, as well as using basic stiching around the underside in order to provide some measure of support for the new skin. When I get to that stage, i'll be sure to share my results.
Now, a glued layer of vinyl on vinyl I have indeed done before with steller results to say the least. This technique i've employed for re-uphostering seats. Even when only using 3m spray glue, and a household iron, i've managed to re-create exact matches of older vinyl seats, seats that have managed to show no wear for roughly 4 years.
>learning experience. I am trying to recover the dash, and
>have picked out some fabric, etc. but cannot get the
>hardened, cracked dash to flatten out and smooth enough to
>put on this new cover. I have tried to fill in the cracks
>with (don't hurt me) epoxy, body filler, etc. and cannot get
>it to sand down nicely or even stay in the cracks well. The
>foam seems to have broken down very badly. Is there
>anything I can buy to fill the cracks, or do I need to break
>down and buy one of the dash caps I have avoided thus far?
>
I know that they sell at lowes and homedepot vinal repair kits, either epoxy or with a little iron, which in theory is close to an ideal material to fill the cracks and make the approperate repairs. I've enjoyed limited luck with them to be honest, i.e. i've never actually been able to manage a repair that was 100%, but good enough to apply a new skin of vinyl on top.
Though, I have managed to, on my toyota, use a hacksaw / dremmel to cut out the trully damaged portions, and replace with bondo, sand down reasonably smooth, and apply a sheet of thin vinyl across the top. To be honest, I gave up on it being 100% smooth, and just left it as is, kinda dumpy looking, but not spewing foam everywhere.
I plan to do future experiments with fibreglass resin, while it would create some hardspots, it seems to me one of the few materials you can get that will fill cracks, and allow the end user to restore the basic shape of it. The basic technique I plan to employ as an experiment would be opening the cracks to a larger degree, filling the cracks with the fibreglass resin, then a combo of wax paper and masking tape to allow it to set properly in the correct shape, followed by basic sanding. once hardened, then applying a new sheet of vinyl on top, glued with something very very strong, as well as using basic stiching around the underside in order to provide some measure of support for the new skin. When I get to that stage, i'll be sure to share my results.
Now, a glued layer of vinyl on vinyl I have indeed done before with steller results to say the least. This technique i've employed for re-uphostering seats. Even when only using 3m spray glue, and a household iron, i've managed to re-create exact matches of older vinyl seats, seats that have managed to show no wear for roughly 4 years.
