2005 F150 Custom Console Dilemma

treetop777 · 04-29-2009, 08:38 PM

I been hacking and chopping at this thing for a couple months but now I'm getting to the point where i have to decide how to finish it.

I'm undecided if to use:

Paint: I first built it with that in mind and therefore built it with as precise measurements as i could to minimize gaps and such. The problem with paint is that there is a lot of surface and i don't trust myself to get it right. Also not sure what color to paint it - black? Gray (to match the gray accent from the dash), brown (to match the wood-grain accent) or beige (to match the interior)?
Carpet: Too thick; i wouldn't be able to negotiate the many peaks and curves smoothly - it would be bunched-up in places.
Speaker grill cloth: - That's an idea.
Stain: I would love to carry that wood-grain accent from the dash to at least the face of the console but have no experience with stain.

In any case, any comments and suggestions are welcomed - go easy on me.

P.S. i can't figure out for the life of me how to separate the pictures with a space or words

skusa93 · 04-29-2009, 09:05 PM

If it were me, I'd staple some relatively thin cotton material to it, and then soak it in some resin.

Then after you have a base, add some more cloth, as adding it to the original will be much easier. As you mentioned, if you start with a thicker base, it will be quite difficult to fit into the angles you have.

If you do go with resin it will get rid of all the gaps between your wood, as well as be very easy to smooth and paint.

As far as a reluctance to staining, just make sure you test on some scrap material beforehand. After you have the gist of it, staining is quite simple.

treetop777 · 04-29-2009, 09:55 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by skusa93

If it were me, I'd staple some relatively thin cotton material to it, and then soak it in some resin.

Then after you have a base, add some more cloth, as adding it to the original will be much easier. As you mentioned, if you start with a thicker base, it will be quite difficult to fit into the angles you have.

If you do go with resin it will get rid of all the gaps between your wood, as well as be very easy to smooth and paint.

As far as a reluctance to staining, just make sure you test on some scrap material beforehand. After you have the gist of it, staining is quite simple.

Yeah, as in making a kick-panel speaker pod. Let me elaborate a bit more; I plan to move the Panasonic HU into the console and then install the computer monitor where the HU was. In order for me to install the HU into the console, i need to be able to remove the console's front panel; so is it still feasable to do resin or does it then become more complicated?

Thanks for your response.

skusa93 · 04-30-2009, 03:19 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by treetop777

Yeah, as in making a kick-panel speaker pod. Let me elaborate a bit more; I plan to move the Panasonic HU into the console and then install the computer monitor where the HU was. In order for me to install the HU into the console, i need to be able to remove the console's front panel; so is it still feasable to do resin or does it then become more complicated?

Thanks for your response.

Any reason why you can't do the 'glass work while the head unit is installed?

One thing to consider, if you stick with the current method of affixing the front panel to the console, and you stain it, you will see the screws holding it together. Aside from wrapping every individual panel in fabric (which will ruin the fit of all your pieces, causing them to need trimming) you're going to have to find some way to work from the backside of the console to mount everything.

If it's really not an option to do the 'glass work with the head unit in, you should be able to find a way to make this work. Your major obstacle being that you must try to make the head unit's bracket mountable from the backside of the console. I've been wracking my brain for a way to mount it, with no success, but I'll keep thinking on it.

And now I've got a question for you

What wood did you use to construct the console? Is it relatively firm? It seems, in the pictures, to be quite thin, and possibly prone to breaking. So I'm curious as to why you went with such thin wood?

djmickyg · 04-30-2009, 05:17 AM

if you want to carry the wood down why dont you use some wood vanir for the front so the wood matches your origianl then on the sides cut out some thin wood the same size as ur box already, wrap em in grey vynal or leather and attach them to the sides..

rdholtz · 04-30-2009, 07:02 AM

The glossy woodgrain is going to be very difficult to match well. Because you have several colors in the cabin -- woodgrain, silver and beige on the dash, plus carpet -- you could carry those colors on. Have you considered carpeting the sides and using vinyl on the faces? Or simply using vinyl on all of it?

The vinyl would be my recommendation. If you use vinyl, you'll want to round the console corners a bit with a file or a router so they don't cut into your vinyl. You can get thin foam at Joanne Fabrics to cushion the vinyl and give it the soft appearance that OEM vinyl has; 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch should be fine, and even 1/8" might work if your corners are nicely rounded. The foam is there to give shape and protect the vinyl, which has a cloth backing as well.

You don't have to have fasteners showing; you can use Velcro to hold that face on (don't use it all the way around, or it will be hard to get off -- a little Velcro will go a long way there). The Velcro will hold it well and give you access as needed.

If you change things, you can simply re-cover the changed area, or you could build for the change and leave a covered access panel until you make the change.

treetop777 · 04-30-2009, 04:49 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by skusa93

Any reason why you can't do the 'glass work while the head unit is installed?

One thing to consider, if you stick with the current method of affixing the front panel to the console, and you stain it, you will see the screws holding it together. Aside from wrapping every individual panel in fabric (which will ruin the fit of all your pieces, causing them to need trimming) you're going to have to find some way to work from the backside of the console to mount everything.

If it's really not an option to do the 'glass work with the head unit in, you should be able to find a way to make this work. Your major obstacle being that you must try to make the head unit's bracket mountable from the backside of the console. I've been wracking my brain for a way to mount it, with no success, but I'll keep thinking on it.

And now I've got a question for you

What wood did you use to construct the console? Is it relatively firm? It seems, in the pictures, to be quite thin, and possibly prone to breaking. So I'm curious as to why you went with such thin wood?

Don't loose any sleep thinking about how to mount the HU from the back; i spend enough sleepless night for both of us!

I'll give the resin idea some serious thought; i've worked with it before (with the old t-shirt) but i just can't picture how to do this one.

Ah, the wood is plywood with a birch veneer, paint grade they say. I did try a thicker wood but could never get it to sit flush because of the curved dash.
This wood although thin, is sturdy enough for this job at lest.

Thanks

treetop777 · 04-30-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by rdholtz

The glossy woodgrain is going to be very difficult to match well. Because you have several colors in the cabin -- woodgrain, silver and beige on the dash, plus carpet -- you could carry those colors on. Have you considered carpeting the sides and using vinyl on the faces? Or simply using vinyl on all of it?

The vinyl would be my recommendation. If you use vinyl, you'll want to round the console corners a bit with a file or a router so they don't cut into your vinyl. You can get thin foam at Joanne Fabrics to cushion the vinyl and give it the soft appearance that OEM vinyl has; 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch should be fine, and even 1/8" might work if your corners are nicely rounded. The foam is there to give shape and protect the vinyl, which has a cloth backing as well.

You don't have to have fasteners showing; you can use Velcro to hold that face on (don't use it all the way around, or it will be hard to get off -- a little Velcro will go a long way there). The Velcro will hold it well and give you access as needed.

If you change things, you can simply re-cover the changed area, or you could build for the change and leave a covered access panel until you make the change.

Umm, Vinyl, didn't think of that! good idea. Let me go to my local "Hobby Lobby" and see what they have; or i may just take it to the upholstery place down the road and see what they say.

Thanks

treetop777 · 04-30-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by djmickyg

if you want to carry the wood down why dont you use some wood vanir for the front so the wood matches your origianl then on the sides cut out some thin wood the same size as ur box already, wrap em in grey vynal or leather and attach them to the sides..

There go that vinyl again, i'm going to have to look into that.

Thanks.

skusa93 · 05-01-2009, 04:39 PM

I've got it!

I thought this one up while driving home from school yesterday. First, take the entire head unit assembly, as well as the blocks of wood it's mounted to, out of the console. Then glass in the front of the console, being careful not to let too much run onto the sides of the console. After you've got a good enough shape on the front panel, Then you can remount the head unit, because the blocks mount from the sides on the console, and don't need access to the front. After you've done that, you can continue to glass the rest of the console same as you did the front.

djmickyg · 05-03-2009, 03:48 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by treetop777

There go that vinyl again, i'm going to have to look into that.

Thanks.

vinal is very easy to work with as "rdholtz" said make sure it prety smoth to start with, you dont have to goto the truble of glassing it if your going to cover it, you can use some bondo and sand it back for ease.
Then you can lay down some really thin foam. I use the foam they use under floating floor board for houses that you can get at hardware stores, it's about 2mm thick and covers all the imperfections and gives it a nicer plush finish, use a spray on tack glue to stick it down. 3M is the best i have found.
for the vinal use the same glue, if you have any tight corners you can use a hair dryer to heat it up a little to make it more plyable.
also be sure to secure the ends down with staples around the back when your done, you don't want the edges pealing up.

have fun

treetop777 · 05-16-2009, 03:49 PM

After considering all your suggestions, i decided to wimp-out and use paint and stain; i figure i can recover from that if i screw-up to bad.

Did the face with stain and 3 coats of polyurethane, came out pretty close to the faux wood on the dash - well, at least close enough for me!

Next come the sides with a texture paint that closely match the leather on the seats. More to come..

I got to remember to remove that zoom lens next time i take picture