Wood Veneer over old Plastic in 72 Tradewind

[RichHog]

So I've almost finished the woodwork on my Tradewind using Red Oak Veneer and some 1/4" Oak panels. Stained with Minwax Provential 215. I started in the front and it looked so good I had to do the bedroom. So finally here's some pics of the interior for you people that have the 70's plastic laminate but really wished you had the 60's wood. Also JPA did the drapes with our fabric and gaucho redone with Naugahide. Redid the Tambour over the fridge and under sink

[StingrayL82]

Wow, great job! Would you mind describing the process? Did you take the plastic laminate panels out and replace them with the red oak veneer and 1/4 oak panels?
Thanks.

[RichHog]

The front panels were completely replaced with 1/4 thick Red Oak. I wanted to change the curve of the panel near the door so a new one was cut and then stained. I had replaced the fridge so that section needed to be cut down and while it was apart it was easy to replace. All of the back sections were RedOak Veneer. The hard part is creating a template to match the curve and overhead bin angles so the veneer is cut around the metal trim with a razor knife before glueing with contact cement. I lightly sanded the old plastic laminate to help the veneer to adhere to it. The stuff really glues it tight and you got one shot to line it up. The Minwax Provential 215 is a very close match to the original color and just rubs on. Each veneer panel cost $55 and is enough to cover one panel, a door and some other edging, like the face of the gaucho or the edges of the bed. I'm not one of those super Airstream carpenter types, I just took it slow and started with the small panels and worked my way up to the larger panels around the beds and kitchen. Each time I replaced a section it looked so good I had to continue.

[Kevin245]

Really adds a warmth to the interior. Very nicely done.

Kevin

[WILDRTEXAS]

Thank You for posting your photos. I have a 70 International that Im in the process of doing the exact same thing. Not a fan of the plastic veneer. Im more inspired by your wonderful job. Cant say enough about your project...Looks Fantastic! Thanks again!

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by RichHog

I had replaced the fridge so that section needed to be cut down and while it was apart it was easy to replace.

The new fridge looks a little taller than OEM. What make and model is it?

[RichHog]

It's a Dometic 2451. It's what started me on this road as the old one had to replaced and the new Dometic is the same height but was a 1/2" wider. We had to cut the pantry down that half inch as the end panel bulged outward. Ended up cutting a new end panel from the 1/4" Oak and redoing that orange Formica.

[Don Landis]

Where does one buy such veneer? It looks great. I was thinking of doing that on the side walls.

don

[happypill]

I found this great place for veneer. Go to woodcraft.com and check out the vast array of available veneers.

[RichHog]

I started out trying to match the look of the existing 70's plastic woodgrain. The Red Oak was cheap $55/sheet and when stained with the Minwax Provential 215 was a close match. But as I started replacing panels and covering existing one, I was hooked and moved on to redo all of the trailer.
If you are planning on doing the while thing then you could choose from many veneers and stains. I also redid the Tambour under the sink and over the Fridge and stained to match. If you aren't going to redo every thing such as the Tambour in all the overhead bins and the existing plastic trim and there is an awful lot of it then the direction I took to create a close match was a good one.

[webspinner]

How did you replace the tambours? Is there pre-made tambour material available or did you have to make that from scratch?

The tambours in the kitchen part of our '71 Trade Wind are very much the worse for wear - bent, frayed, chipped. I'd like to replace them with real wood ones. That would look nicer and wear better. Now with this veneer idea, I can not worry about matching the existing plastic walls.

[Birdwell57]

Try this for tambour.
Products - Omega National Products

[RichHog]

When you buy it it comes in a roll that was enough to do the panel under my sink, and the towel rack over the fridge. If you want a close match to the original look of the old Tambour use a Minwax Provential 215 stain. Just rub it on then after drying or in my case after installation coat with Helmsman Spar Eurathane. Either the spray on of brush from a can. It will give it protection and a light shine.

If you are replacing the vertical tambour then you may want to create two sections, as pulling that tambour all the way across makes it bind up and break down. I cut about a foot long section for the right side that is fixed. It doesn't need to travel but can slide in the track if needed. Also they sell the wood handle to screw on the tambour for pulling. In the photo you can see the original overhead plastic tambour and the new wood below it.

[holder310]

Richhog, Nice job with the wood! Did you ever find a fix for the trim on the refrig wall you made? I have the same problem with the bronze trim and wondered what you ended up doing so I could try and follow your lead!?

[RichHog]

Haven't yet fixed that yet. A few people have some trim they have offered to send but it is already bent. My other option is to use a black rubber trim. It would be easier to shape than metal, just glue and bend. Or may try the bronze trim first and see if it can be reshaped and make the plastic/rubber plan B.


There's a Vintage rally in Texas in a few weeks I'm going to so I'm hoping to find someone wiser than me there with some options to get it done. Will post the results.