1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Gurney Nutty

 

We are going to start this section with a famous quote:

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin

 

 

So that being said - In the pictures below, you will see why

it is

Very Very IMPORTANT to have Madera Concepts restore your woodwork for you.

 

In these 2 pictures (above & below), you see woodwork that "at first glance", appears to look pretty good.

 

The finish was clear and shiney and the veneer looked fresh and new....

In fact, From a Distance all of the woodwork appeared as if it had been recently restored. 

 

It turned out that the set had been Reveneered and Refinished a couple years earlier -

but Unfortunately for our customer - the previous owner tried to save a few dollars -

Read On......

We must admit that, whomever did the veneer work, did a fantastic job..!! 

The veneer was expertly "bookmatched" where it should have been and the inlay and the crossbanding were done with meticulous care..

We wish everyone could have seen this set -From a Distance....everything looked Great.....

Who could complain !!??

BUT upon closer examination, you can see why our customer sent their woodwork to us. 

In the picture above, you can see cracks in the clear finish.  They appear as white lines - at the centerline and in the crossbanding.
Now scroll back up to the top two pictures.  Look closely at the top edges and you will see slight waves in the edge line, some hairline cracks and those yellowish reflections are where the veneer and clear finish is lifting bulging upward.  This is an indication something is really wrong.

Here you can see more of that same problem.  It was happening in small places everywhere.

Before you read further, look at the veneer, inlay and crossbanding workmanship - it is done very nicely !!

Here you can see more cracking and lifting.  And, in the reflection on the right, you can see how the clear finish is having trouble.
Yes, more cracking....AND look carefully at the yellow reflections...you will see that the finish is all wrinkled and wavy like the ocean.
More cracks...and look at the edge of the veneer lifting, right were it meets the Inlay.

Now we are getting to the nitty gritty..... 

What looked like a pretty decent set of woodwork.....wasn't.  It was failing fast !! 

The cracks, the lifting, the bulging and the finish problems you saw in the previous pictures....were all because the person that previously restored it - had no business trying to restore automotive woodwork.

If you look at the picture above and the picture below....you can see that we were able to peel off all of the veneer and the crossbanding - finish and all.

When it comes to restoring automotive woodwork.....Everything is very Specialized. 

Each of the materials used are very Specialized and Important,

The methods required for a proper restoration are very Specialized and Important,

Each of the dozens of processes are very Specialized and Important. 

ALL of these are very very different than those used in common woodworking. 

Don't make the mistake of trying to save money by having some one who "claims" they can restore your vehicle's woodwork for you...when it is not their specialty.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do....

....is to Choose to have Madera Concepts restore your woodwork for you !!!!