The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Yes I did hesitate before I posted this topic again. I know it's been covered before and everybody's probably sick of it.
Anyway, has anybody done their flaking woodwork recently? Did it go all right?
I took my door cappings off the other day, put them to one side and practiced on an old capping out of the loft, using the product that Steve described in a recent Dolly Mixture magazine. A bit messy with paste and tracing paper etc but I waited the 24 hours, unwrapped it and ...disaster. Where the original finish had already peeled off, the veneer had turned to a dark mush. Where it hadn't previously flaked off, the chemical hadn't touched it. So glad I practiced on an old one first. You live and learn.
So I had a look in the club archive on this site. The topic is covered - all the way back from 2005 - but all I could see was computer hieroglyphics, so mainly unintelligible. There's probably a way to re-translate it but I don't know it.
Next I looked at the Club's technical articles on DVD. Again these were quite old - one contributor had finished his with a spray gun - which I haven't got - and another recommended the product I failed so badly with yesterday. Others used a product called Nitromors, and I'm sure that over the years - if I remember correctly - others on this forum have urged away from this product.
Well I still have a few old scrap cappings to practice on if anyone can give me some fresh ideas. I know the veneer is so thin that sanding is a no-no.
If I can't get a decent practice finish, the options left are to replace the original woodwork back on the car as it is, or pay the arm and a leg the professionals require. Thing is, this is now the only item between what was once a wreck and is now an A1 mint car! So I really would welcome some advice and reassurance from someone who's had some success.
Alan.

Use a heat gun and a shave hook, definitely practice on old cappings first.
You have to be very careful not to scorch the wood, and obviously not to damage the veneer with the scraper.
Once the varnish is off use very fine cabinet paper on the veneer.
Then use different varnishes on parts of the old capping to see what finish you would like.

Well that's helpful; I'd never heard of a heat gun so looked them up on the web & decided I must be leading a sheltered life. All I could remember was my dad's paraffin blowlamp!
I found good reviews of a screwfix heatgun which is only £10.99. I didn't even know what a shave hook was till I googled that too, and found that it's a triangular scraper - of which I have many. Durr!

I haven't done door cappings for many years but Nitromors always used to do the job without damage to the veneer. Nowadays, I would say take a look at a website called www.strippers.co.uk Not as dodgy as it sounds, they do lots of paint strippers and you can put in what you want to strip off of what material and it will recommend a product. Be very careful using a scraper on the veneer.

You will struggle to find a chemical stripper for the polyester coating that was so popular post the 60s, it's effectively a UV hardened plastic coating. Try Googling guitar or piano polyester stripping and you will see that gentle heat and a scraper is all that really works to remove the plastic. You don't want to heat the coating until it bubbles, just gently until it become soft, and then put a scraper under a section between the coating and the veneer and gently lift it away.

I followed your advice, googled the sites advised, bought a heat gun this afternoon and did some practicing tonight on an old capping. I got better as I went on. You're right about shifting it when its soft and not when it's bubbled, and it's easy to scorch the wood. I'm reasonably confident about doing the actual items now. I think for anyone else doing this at home, a heat gun is the way forward now. No messing about with corrosive gels, pastes or liquids (some of which don't work like they used to according to internet reviews). I even managed to lightly sand the veneers afterwards (horrors!) with no damage but with visible improvement.
Along with the heat gun, one needs plenty of time and patience - it's not a job that can be rushed, and if you haven't got the time it's probably best to wait till you have. In all probability - like me - you'll likely only be doing the job once.

Just one final thing - the veneer is thinner than a sheet of cheap paper, so make sure you use cabinet paper to 'sand' down.

There is a water based paint & varnish stripper called RemovAll which I have used on a fibreglass car with great success. It's pricey but works well. It takes several hours to achieve good results. It can be left munching away for a couple of days without harming the substrate. Here's the link http://cirrus-systems.orderfullfillment ... 5-removall

Mike

Sorry to bump this one again, but what's the best thing to use to refinish the stripped cappings?
I got a set of scrap cappings to practise on - the lacquer was badly flaked on two and the veneer is lifting off the other two. Have successfully removed the flaky lacquer with a hot air gun on medium-high and an old chisel. Stop heating when you get the first whiff of hot plastic and start scraping seemed to work as a good system.
I now have two very nicely stripped cappings so would like to finish the job successfully. Am considering using a 2K satin lacquer, but will this put the neccessary depth of colour back into the cappings?
Am also going to get some walnut veneer and practise my veneering skills on the other two more knackered cappings. It seems that Triumph only veneered the vertical face of the cappings leaving the top and angled edge in the base hardwood. I may experiment with veneering these surfaces as well. As the veneer is only 0.6mm thick I don't think it's going to effect the fit of anything. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

I have to do mine as well,

Got some burr brown, but will get another veneer to practise on the spare set first.
Also looking at some of the spray varnishes available and may test them, but
can't move onto this until other works are finished.

Please do post pics,

Another option...
I stripped mine with the hot air gun, sanded with "flour paper", probably the same as cabinet paper, very fine grade. Then gave them to my dad who French polished them with a clear stain.
They came up a treat, ( not covered in chocolate).

markas wrote:Sorry to bump this one again, but what's the best thing to use to refinish the stripped cappings?
I got a set of scrap cappings to practise on - the lacquer was badly flaked on two and the veneer is lifting off the other two. Have successfully removed the flaky lacquer with a hot air gun on medium-high and an old chisel. Stop heating when you get the first whiff of hot plastic and start scraping seemed to work as a good system.
I now have two very nicely stripped cappings so would like to finish the job successfully. Am considering using a 2K satin lacquer, but will this put the neccessary depth of colour back into the cappings?
Am also going to get some walnut veneer and practise my veneering skills on the other two more knackered cappings. It seems that Triumph only veneered the vertical face of the cappings leaving the top and angled edge in the base hardwood. I may experiment with veneering these surfaces as well. As the veneer is only 0.6mm thick I don't think it's going to effect the fit of anything. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

Rustins Plastic Coating. Very durable and gives a lovely finish if flatted between coats.

Mahesh wrote: Please do post pics,

Sorry, but you asked for them!

Before, as bought from an online auction site:



The two in the middle of the previous pic after hot air gun & scraping, with a small area of loose veneer stuck down with PVA glue. Also gave them a very light sanding with 400 grit followed by 1200 grit wet or dry:


The dark spots are drizzle which started as soon as I began to take the photo, quickly dried off once back inside though.

Am now awaiting deliveries of wood bleacher (to get rid of dark water stains), iron-on veneer (to have a go at the other two cappings) and spray lacquer.
Will post more pics as work progresses.

Who say's you cant turn lead into gold or water into wine.

May have to send you mine

Good work! Can't wait to see the finished articles.