TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:08 pm

Can anyone help on this? My particle board with that Westy veneer finish needs replacing. The T-strip around the little doors and corners is also pretty well shot - it has crumpled up in places so the doors do not close properly. I am not aware of places like J-Bugs or Wolfsburg West selling this. Has anyone replaced their veneer-finished wood and if so with what? And this T-stripping? Would appreciate the advice. Otherwise she is driving like a beauty and its almost time to head up north with her on her first fly-fishig trip.

Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:26 pm

I think the T moldings been covered here so if you do a search you would probably come up with something.

Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:34 pm

Birch panel plywood, 5' by 5' for overhead, you will need 2 of them. The rest can be bought from your local hardware store. I forgot the thickness, someone clue me in on this.

To do it yourself, you can buy the 5' x 5' from here:

www.badgerwood.com

They're from Wisconsin. Give them a call, and they will ship it to you. Not too exepnsive, especially you're in Michigan. They shipped from their warehouse to me on the coast in CA and that was tolerable I remembered, just not how much.

To buy it pre-made, talk to Clara.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/index.php?alert+200309291004284795

She's shipping a complete set of panels to me through GreyHound so I believe she can do the same for you if shipping arrangement is made.

For T moldings, go to Type2.com,

www.type2.com

and click on library, then M alphabet, and there is the link, moldings.

Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:50 pm

Thanks Roamingwesty - the T-molding info was great, I'll give them a call. As far as the veneer is concerned, I have the birch which is one issue but then there are some surfaces that are covered with what appears to be a "false" wood veneer. Its a light brown plastic material for lack of a better description with a imitatation wood grain. I see this material in a lot of campers on this site and thus assume it is the original stuff. It is not used on the ceiling but rather it is used for the ice-box, the little cupboard under the back seat and the side cupboard on the right hand side of the camper.
I'll continue looking, thanks.

Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:50 pm

You will find info on this in old threads but here is the Readers Digest version.

The veneer is either birch or laminate depending on what you are talking about. There should not be any particle board in your camper. It is furniture grade plywood. If you are talking about the real wood veneer, you can strip the old off with mechanical means (a bitch), sand the surface smooth, and apply new veneer. Veneer work takes special glue without water in it, and some sort of roller to press the air out. Look in specialty woodworking shops for the veneer. They also have peel N stick birch but it is really expensive and may not be as moisture resistant as the glue-down type. Do not ignore my advice on the special veneer glue.

When you put everything back together, coat both sides of everything with two coats of satin polyurethane. That will prevent the panels from absorbing moisture from the back and failing again.

If you are talking about the wall and ceiling paneling, it is 1/8" baltic birch. it comes in 5X5 sheets at any specialty woodworking shop in a major city. I get it at Woodcrafters here in Portland, OR. Not expensive. Be sure to coat all the sides with two coats of polyurethane as noted above. It is interior glue, intended for cabinets, unless you get it from an aircraft supply place. Aircraft places sell marine grade baltic birch but that stuff is EXPENSIVE. Are you REALLY going to let your vintage interior get wet? Of course not, so just get the interior stuff and coat it really well on all sides.

All the plastic molding in your westy interior is probably shrunken or puckered. Carefully pry it out, clean the slot it sits in, and immerse it in a big vat of boiling water for about 30 sec. All the puckers will magically come out and it will be pliable like a big hot noodle. Put it back in with polyurethane woodworkers' glue and clamp it in place. Be sure to get the polyurethane type as it is somewhat flexible, expands, and adheres anything. It is sold as "Gorilla Glue" and under other trade names as well. Work fast, as the molding will get firm as it gets cold--imperfections will be magnified. I learned to keep an rolling pin (for baking) handy to press out bumps as I reinserted it into its slot. Small adjustments can be made by heating it back up with a hairdryer. If it is just a little shrunken in length but not puckered, you can leave it mostly in the slot and just warm it up and stretch it with a hairdryer, then glue it as you put it back so it doesn't shrink up again. Once it is back in place, you can take out any age related discoloration with 409 and then, if necessary, a mild solvent. I used a couple swipes with lacquer thinner. Any more than that and the lacquer thinner starts to attack the molding.

If your T-molding is really hammered or missing, a close replacement can be ordered from T-Molding.com. It is "putty" colored(excellent match) and comes in 25' rolls but it is 3/4" wide which is wider than what you have on the bus. That means it will stick out past the edge. It would be better to try and scrounge some up out of a junked late split or early bay westy and boil it than to buy the 3/4 stuff, in my opinion.

Good luck.

Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:54 pm

As long as you're not missing chunks of the T rubber, it's easy to fix.
Boil it in water for a few minutes with a few drops of dish soap.
this will take the wrinkles out and clean it nice.
When you pull it out of the boiling water, give it a slight stretch.
Now, when you go to put it back in, start at a hinge. Then work your way around using a hair dryer.
It's pretty pliable as long as it is warm.
I did my westy about 3 years ago and it turned out perfect.
If you see some separation in a few years, just take the hair dryer and warm it up again.

Wed Mar 31, 2004 6:10 pm

MajorWoody - I found your post about replacing the veneer and your problems with the glue. Good to know these things. The T-rubber is there so I'll give it a boil and try it. This is great news.

Wed Mar 31, 2004 6:38 pm

To clarify, there is the birch for the side panels and the front kick and the ceiling panels.

Then there is the Laminate, the correct term I suppose for the second type I have in my Westy. It is an imitation material and I see many campers in pictures with this stuff - is this the original material for parts of the interior such as the fridge/ice-box? Or was the original Baltic Birch throughout the vehicle?

Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:54 pm

SO42's had the laminate on the fridge/closet/bed base/jump seat base/spice rack/ small storage cabinet opposite the closet. Al

Thu Apr 01, 2004 10:26 am

For crumpled T-molding use a hair dryer to warm it up before removing it. Then you can pull it out without tearing the slot in the wood. I'd clean it up, and putting it back in, using a hair dryer again to make it warm and flexible when you do. You can get new T molding if yours is discoloured or thrashed or missing.

Ya, westys didn't use particle board, but laminate veneer over plywood. I've been looking for a perfect match in new laminate, but haven't found it so far. Plus I think they changed the colour in 66 or early 67, though the pattern was the same. Found a great colour match for the 67-72, but the pattern isn't quite right.