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Building custom dash

Actually, the only issue I'd have with a wooden dash is that in an accident it might fragment and potentially cause harm to the vehicle's occupants.

If this is a trail-only rig, then this would likely be a moot point. I honestly am quite interested in how it turns out, and would add my vote for a nice sanded & sealed finish rather than bedliner. I just think it'd look cool & retro; like an old boat!

*subscribed*

:)
 
XJPhoenix said:
Actually, the only issue I'd have with a wooden dash is that in an accident it might fragment and potentially cause harm to the vehicle's occupants.

:)
Click to expand...

I would think MDF, or something along the lines the OP is using would be less hazardous than fibreglass. glass would crack/tear and cause lotsa trauma to the poor bugar that gets it in the face, arms, torso, etc. the wood would split ya, but it should be more of a puncture wound if anything.
granted neither would be good.
 
MDF wouldn't really pose a threat to splintering, although moisture will cause it to warp and rot over time. Paint definitely slows this, but with wood, it's pretty much inevitable. Could take years though...
 
didnt take the time to read much but I vote for getting the shape you want with some wood/metal jigs, covering it with fleece(or similar mat) then doing fiberglass over it. Sand it smooth ad some flames or somethin and do lots of clear. Thats how you pull the honeys ;)
 
Ok let me add this... Do a web search for fiberglass speaker box how to or something that will show you what you have to do. Really I first did some funky fiberglass speaker boxes when I was 18 and man it is so easy its scary. As long as you are making it for looks(not like a bedside that has to be strong) you just follow general rules and learn as you go.
 
Lets see it, i have my doubts, just because i like the look of metal, but im intrigued!
 
Well, I split the Jeep with a buddy of mine as a college project Jeep. So he has a say in whatever is done as well. I think he wants to sand it, and paint it flat black. Which is fine with me. I'll look into all other options as well for sure though! Thanks for the suggestions! They are much appreciated!
 
ok i for one wasnt flaming on you... i personally think it is a great idea and would love to see how it turns out... I was just saying i would do it out of fiberglass. I know how to work with it and how to make it form. I like retro looking stuff and i think if it is done right it will look amazing. Did you ever think about just staining the wood? I dont know if it will work with the treated wood, most likely not, but you could always build the frame and then get a piece of decent grained wood and stain it. Basically like cabinets. They build the frame and then make it pretty with a sheet of plastic that has a nice wood grain on it.... Just an idea
 
see guys this is more like it :yelclap:

alright dude now hurry up and make the damn thing so we can all point out how you screwed it up! :laugh3: i hope you stain it man, this could be epic.

Josh
 
89cherokee89 said:
Ahh, not out to prove any points or anything. Just wanted to document what I was attempting to do and share it with everyone at the same time. I guess we'll see what happens from here...
Click to expand...

if you are building it out of wood you have to prove it to us! most use sheet metal or aluminum, etc but wood is kinda a first - therefore show what you can do! this is more motivation than anything - i have seen sone ghetto dashes - dont be one of those doods.... good luck
 
okay, well we got it all of the holes cut out for the switches, gauges, and LED shift lights. sanded everything, and painted it a textured black. Not a "rhino lining" type of texture, just a little thicker than a flat black. It turned out really nice with a great texture.

We looked into staining the wood, but the cut of wood we bought was just a plain piece of wood with no "pretty grain" showing. Again, if $$ wasn't the main concern, we could have gotten a nice piece of grained wood. Maybe we could get a nice piece of laminate a little later.

Right now, the main objective is to get all switches, gauges, and lights mounted onto the dash, and then get the dash mounted. Since the transmission swap, and all of the other problems we've encountered, we just would like to get the Heep off road again.
 
Pic's of the progress?
 
AJTorris said:
They build the frame and then make it pretty with a sheet of plastic that has a nice wood grain on it.... Just an idea
Click to expand...

your talking about vaneer's, yes it is plastic on stuff like ikea furniture, but if you want it to look GOOD, you want real veneer, which is actual wood, sawed super thin... veneer is good for things like steering wheels.... but in a jeep, its a little bit fragile...


if you do get into fiberglass (doesnt look likely), be advised theres a lot of start up costs, your first stuff will look like crap unless you are very lucky... the health concerns are very serious, wear a resp. at ALL times. youtube has great how-to videos most are very well done! the only thing you should ignore, is when they arent wearing their respirators.

im no expert on fiberglass, but if anyone has questions feel free to pm me.
 
xcm said:
your talking about vaneer's, yes it is plastic on stuff like ikea furniture, but if you want it to look GOOD, you want real veneer, which is actual wood, sawed super thin... veneer is good for things like steering wheels.... but in a jeep, its a little bit fragile...


if you do get into fiberglass (doesnt look likely), be advised theres a lot of start up costs, your first stuff will look like crap unless you are very lucky... the health concerns are very serious, wear a resp. at ALL times. youtube has great how-to videos most are very well done! the only thing you should ignore, is when they arent wearing their respirators.

im no expert on fiberglass, but if anyone has questions feel free to pm me.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer and advice on fiberglass. I've attempted some fiberglass work on a sub enclosure with a friend. He knew what he was doing, I didn't. He let me try a little bit. That's some tough stuff, I wasn't very successful and he did most of the work.
 
here are some early pictures of the dash. just after cutting and drilling some of the holes. Still have one more big hole to drill, but the gauge hasn't come in yet, so we aren't positive on what size to drill just yet. I'll keep everyone updated as the progress continues.

jeepdash2.jpg


jeepdash.jpg
 
the bonus you get with doing it this way, is if you decide to go with some sheet metal down the road and you have a layout you like, it wouldn't be to hard to transfer over to the sheet for teh cut outs n such.

should be an interesting build in the end, good luck.
 
beakie said:
the bonus you get with doing it this way, is if you decide to go with some sheet metal down the road and you have a layout you like, it wouldn't be to hard to transfer over to the sheet for teh cut outs n such.

should be an interesting build in the end, good luck.
Click to expand...


Thanks, and great point, I'm sure if/when the wood fails, we'll go with something like this.

This is definitely not going to be the best fabrication work in the world I can tell you that right now. It's just something that will look decent and hold up to some off road abuse. It's a project jeep after all! :rof:
 
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