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Cymber
United Kingdom
966 Posts |
 Posted - 12/06/2017 : 20:35:09
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All I have to go by to make a new dashboard is one I obtained a few years ago which has oversize instrument holes which appear to be in the correct positions and the hole for the centre rhombic panel appears to be correct.
I believe it should be veneered in burr walnut and has chrome strip around the edge but how wide should the strip be?
Does anyone supply replacement ones?
Any help/advice will be appreciated.
Maurice.
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g waiting
United Kingdom
731 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2017 : 20:41:19
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Hi Maurice,
S&V do the chrome strips. The dash boards are commonly veneered in burr walnut, but I believe they should be Sapele, others will confirm or deny.
Regards,
Garry |
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DickMorbey
United Kingdom
3683 Posts |
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Brian Watson
United Kingdom
189 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2017 : 21:59:51
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Maurice,
I believe the first P-type dashboards were in burr sequoia. At some stage this may have switched to burr walnut: Blower lists the PA Facia as "Sequoia" and the PB Facia as "Burr Walnut" but I'm not convinced. I have a 1936 PA with a dashboard tastefully wrapped in Fablon (think Blue Peter) but underneath the dashboard is still burr sequoia. I can't imagine that the two models had different dashboards as a point of differentiation.
I once heard that the switch to burr walnut - if and when it took place - was about the sustainability of sequoia veneer but when I needed some burr sequoia a few years ago a friendly shopfitter just ordered it in for me. Perhaps the change was less about sustainability and more about availability.
Who knows... What I do know is that the colour of the instruments (milk chocolate colour not the repro dark chocolate colour) does look odd against the burr sequoia.
Anyway, if it would help, I have some paper templates for the PA dashboard which I believe are accurate. Let me know if they would be useful to you.
Brian |
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sullivan
USA
423 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2017 : 01:42:45
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Maurice & Brian,
Sequoia lumber sales were stopped from the United States in 1935 or 1936. The result of this was that MG could no long procure supplies of the figured "Redwood Burr" The original material used on our cars came from burls growing on the sides of the tree as they do. The current Sequoia Burr material being used is from The Coast Redwood, Not the Giant Sequoia also a redwood tree. The current material is generally harvested from the stump of the tree. I recently had a visit with one of those who harvest the material for sale. The stump is cut off from it's roots and pulled out of the ground with heavy equipment. The roots are washed clean and then a stump grinder is used to grind out a flat section on the underside of the stump. After this the stump is loaded onto a large saw and slabs cut off from the underside of the tree. The wood cut away has fantastic swirling grain. This technology was not available in the 1930's when our cars were being made.
The original burl was probably a mixture of both Giant and Coastal Redwood trees as the burl stock was always premium.
Kindly,
Brian W Sullivan |
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Andrew Fock
Australia
382 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2017 : 05:06:45
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Hi all,
If my N type dash, the sequoia was not burr it was only the later Walnut dashes that were burr. The grain on the NA (which is the original material) is quite straight as seen in the period photos.
This is my NA but the colour has faded. It is quite red under the instrument bezels.
I used an Australian redwood on my P type (Jarrah) that was very similar in colour to the unexposed areas on the NA dash and is weather resilient.
Andrew
NA 0279
PA 1294 |
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Brian Watson
United Kingdom
189 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2017 : 11:51:46
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Andrew,
Definitely burr sequoia on my 1936 PA.
Maurice,
One thing I forgot to mention is that on the P-type the veneer is always book-matched on the centre line of the dashboard. On the PA this means the join is mostly behind the rhombic panel with only about 3/8" visible top and bottom - unlike the N type where there is much more veneer on show as you can see in Andrew's photo. If that black & white photo is of an original N type dashboard it looks like one piece with no join in the centre and no chrome trim. Unfortunately, the factory chose the more complicated option on the P-type.
Brian |
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Andrew Fock
Australia
382 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2017 : 13:43:29
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The photo is of the prototype NA 0251 so there are a few discrepancies between that and the final cars but on my NA (0279) a 1934 car, there are chrome strips and the veneer is one piece. Interestingly, Blower specifically states the later cars as having Burr but the early cars are just stated as Sequoia.
Andrew
NA 0279
PA 1294 |
Edited by - Andrew Fock on 13/06/2017 13:46:05 |
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sullivan
USA
423 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2017 : 19:09:38
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Hi Andrew,
Very interesting different grain used on NA. This would be described as "Figured" Grain.
Of course as PA owners know, the more ornate car got the better Burr Grain.... :)
Kindly,
Brian W Sullivan |
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DDMDSN
New Zealand
329 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2017 : 21:29:12
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Really interesting background on the selection of timbers for the facia.
I wonder also why MG selected Sequoia for the early dashboards, being an 'ancient' wood from California? Possibly it was the strong 'MG' red colour (color), or other qualities of the wood. Burr Walnut has been favoured for top end furniture and car interiors in the UK for many years, finally making it on to the PB and NB models (if not others).
My PB has a straight grain walnut veneer currently, when fitted was unable to get hold of burr walnut.
Thinking about this further, I think Jarrah would be the perfect wood for the job next time. I heard about it more from a forum member who lives in the area of south Western Australia called the Jarrah Forrest. Jarrah is one of the oldest species of tree on earth, and I read, from a species of the largest flowering trees. The wood is a dark red-brown coloured hardwood, with natural resistance to rot and pests.
That is if I can't get a piece of New Zealand burr Totara, exquisite.
Donald
PB0759
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panderson
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2017 : 00:19:11
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When I acquired PA1212 in1972 it had the original straight-grained sequoia. It was beyond refurbishment, so now has a match-grained burled sequoia made by Craig Seabrook in Ohio, USA.
Phil Anderson
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Andrew Fock
Australia
382 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2017 : 01:15:24
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Hi Donald,
Here is my PA with a solid Jarrah dash (no need to veneer!). As the wood is weather proof it is just polished and oiled. The colour is almost exactly the same as the colour of the NA dash under the instrument bezels where it has not been exposed to light.
regards,
Andrew
NA 0279
PA 1294 |
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DDMDSN
New Zealand
329 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2017 : 02:39:38
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Thanks Phil, and Andrew.
Both look superb (so do the cars!).
I think the dash wood is a good opportunity to use the best of local woods or veneers. Back to finding that elusive burr Totara. Totara by the way looks more like the burr Sequoia, and has a reddy tinge.
Donald
PB0759
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Cymber
United Kingdom
966 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2017 : 20:56:54
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Another question on dashboards. What is the preferred finish these days? it really needs to be something more weather resistant than what was available in the 1930s.
Maurice |
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sullivan
USA
423 Posts |
Posted - 30/06/2017 : 00:21:51
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Hi Maurice,
What was available in the 1930's was varnish.
And what was used then was Spar Varnish.
The best outdoor finish available today for our cars dash board is in my opinion Spar Varnish.
The best spar varnish by far is, Epifanes marine spar varnish.
I have no connection to Epifanes, but use this product on exterior doors etc. for the very best outcome.
Kindly,
Brian W Sullivan |
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