Gloss or Satin for Dashboard refinish

[Nitrate]

Is there a preference as to Gloss or Satin finish on the face of the dashboard? My concern is glare when driving. RB

[RRoller123]

Glare is not actually a real problem, so go with whatever suits you!

[Frog2Spider]

Clear gloss wood finishes absorb ultraviolet light much faster than does a satin finish. Therefore, the gloss finish will crack, chack and fade much faster than a satin finish will. Ask any owner of a wooden boat!

Dave.

[So Cal Mark]

also, the high gloss dashes reflect sunlight and can be challenging to deal with on a sunny day

[Funcar]

I have used the satin finish on my plastic interior parts like the map holders and rear side panels and stering column covers. I really like them. Someone told me gloss would make them look cheap. Along with this and the other respones it's your car and therefore your call.

[Mick124]

Gloss looks fantastic. Here a few photos of mine finished last week

[TStark]

Not a gloss fan here personally. Consider one can get a deep look from satin without the reflection from gloss.

Sand lightly between coats, then after curing well, rub with 0000 steel wool, then apply some bowling alley wax and rub till dissipated, the affect is quite dramatic.

[davery]

When I veneered my dash wood I tried a gloss finish but couldn't get the smooth finish I wanted. I eventually went with a clear flat final coat. I can say this, a flat finish is much easier to make repairs to than a gloss finish.

[grasshopper]

The finish on my wooden panels is quite rough and cracked. Is it possible to just sand off old varnish and re finish it or am I better off getting some good used ones somewhere ?

[spidernut]

I layered about 10 coats of gloss Spar Varnish (sprayed) on my dash. It was absolutely gorgeous. So much so, I kept staring at the dash instead of looking at the road. The reflection of the sun was never a problem, but being distracted by the dash was.

[RRoller123]

Since our eyes are positioned higher than the dash when seated, so that we can see out through the windshield, the sun would have to be below the horizon to reflect upwards off of the dash and cause any visibility problems. Dash reflection is a red herring, but it sure gets a lot of attention in the forums! So the answer is that generally most just pick whichever suits their preference.

[Jrscobra]

I've noticed a question was asked, but no response. Can the original wood be sanded and refinished?

[RRoller123]

Not really, it is actually a plastic, Formica type material. But it can be sanded and veneer applied.

[azruss]

I used wood from an 1890s english piano. I sanded the original 125 year finish off being very careful not to go thru the veneer. I then sprayed on thick coats of Urethane spar varnish and sanded between coats until all the imperfections in the wood were filled. I did a final finish gloss coat. The gloss really brings out the wood grain and I don't notice any glare. As far as durability, it's now 8 years later and I only notice one slight imperfection where a old crack in the wood grain is starting to rise. You have to catch the light just right to see it. Will probably need to refinish it 10 years or so.
Formica is a very solvent resistant material. I used to use it for a mold to lay fiberglass panels. The only way you will get a clear coat to stick to it would be to sand the formica. I'm sure the "grain" is only surface, so there is a good chance you will ruin it with sanding.

[Sparky]

You can always rough sand your existing dash parts and glue on a wood veneer of your choice and finish it however you'd like.