Hey guys

I've recently traded in my Rx300 for a pre-owned 2008 Rx400h, and felt it was time to make it "mine".

One of the things i greatly missed about the Rx300 was the custom wood work i had added, along with dyeing of the wood trim to a more "red mahogany" color which i thought looked better than the stock brown.

The Rx400h interior trim uses the same wood and stain used in the 01-03 Rx300's. Although the shape of the steering wheel, shifter knob etc. are of different shapes, the wood type (walnut) and color are the same.

Before i started the re-dyeing process, i looked at the stock wood of the Rx400h, and noticed that the wood seemed somewhat mis-matched. All of the wood pieces on the console, door panels etc. are accented in a walnut "burl" veneer (identified by a series of rings and unique patterns, called knots) while the wood that makes up the steering wheel and shifter knob is of a straighter grain (grain is very straight without the irregularities and knots present in burl). This was going to bother me...

Although this mis-matched combination was also present on the Rx300, i wanted the wood in the Rx400h to match.

I began looking for steering wheels and shifter knobs that had more of a burl pattern to match the surrounding pieces. I found a steering wheel on ebay from a 2007 Gs350, that would also fit the Rx330/350/400h. The airbags+switches of the GS are different than the Rx's, but the frames are identical. The only difference is the wood pattern. The wood pattern of the GS wheels is of a cherry burl, which is a better match to the rest of the Rx's trim.

I also found a shift knob from an Rx350 pebble beach edition which has the walnut burl wood.

So now i was ready to begin! I didn't take pictures to show the steps it took to re-dye all of the pieces on the Rx400h, but there's a tutorial in my signature i put together to show how i completed the project on an Rx300 steering wheel. The hardest part of this retro was the removal of all the 400h interior pieces. I had to remove the interior door panels to gain access to the screws on the back. And the center console had to be taken apart, inside-out to gain access to the screws holding the wood pieces in place. It took me about a whole day to remove all of the wood trim pieces, and another to get them back on.

The process for dyeing all of the trim pieces (minus the steering wheel and shifter knob) is the same. I recently found a new way to stain, that allows me to keep the factory clear coating on the wood. I lightly sand the acrylic coating with 800 grit sandpaper, and apply a thin coat of krylon's red "stained glass paint". I then apply several coats of two-part epoxy clearcoat and let bake at 140 degrees for a half hour or so. Then i wetsand with 2000 grit sandpaper and polish with 3M's scratch remover to remove any imperfections and get that factory shine.

The process for the steering wheel and shifter knob is different because the factory acrylic coating must be stripped and wood sanded before the dye be used. This is to remove any "ring marks" that may be present in the wood.

So here's the results on the Rx400h. I took these pictures a few weeks ago and am just putting them up now. The wood in some of the images appears to be very "bright" but that's only due to the camera. All of the interior wood trim pieces are now the same color as the wood used in the 02-04 ES models. I really like the dark maroon color compared to the factory light brown.

Enjoy and please comment!

In this picture you may notice drops of the red dye on my shoes... yes this was a messy project!

Wow very nice job !! btw how did you dye the front cup holder pieces and rear center piece ? did you take them apart or cover black part with tape ?

hey thanks!

I had to remove all of those pieces as well... It took about a hour to disassemble the center console (and get it back together) with all of the springs etc. that make up the cup-holder. ALL of the wood pieces are held on by screws from the inside. A BIG mess-up on Lexus' part... Not fun to have to replace! They should have just used clips like in the Rx300.

If i ever had to do it again, i'd spend the extra time to just mask off the black areas. I had no idea what i was getting into until i had everything apart

Man, oh man, cduluk, you are building the ultimate BabeMobile. Fill it with some girlfriends and post pics.

I wish I had your time and energy.

Tom

Wow ... really sharp!! It looks like your hard (and messy) work really paid off.

In case we'd want to do the same thing ... did you take any shots of work in progress? ... eg; sanding out the original clear & stain? ... showing the wood's color unstained? ... stained look, prior to clear coating? etc. Also, can you post the brand of stain? ... color tint code etc.

Unfortunately i didn't take any pictures before or during the process of doing mine =/ It was such a pain in the butt to remove the pieces, i was in a bad mood the whole time and didn't even think about taking pictures

The process of sanding/staining/clearing is the easy part. As soon as you have the pieces out of the car and in your hand, from start to finish, it can be completed in maybe 8 hours or so, barring any unforeseen incidents... It's just like painting a car part; just instead of using a metallic base coat, you use stain followed by the clear.

I sanded the factory clear with (i think?) 800 or so grit sandpaper, maybe 1000. Then sprayed "Krylon's red stain glass paint" through a straw and into an airbrush bottle. I created a nice sol'n, half the stain and half reducer (to thin it out) then sprayed (using an airbrush) a thin coat right on the factory clear, to give it the red effect. Let flash for 5 minutes or so, then baked in the oven at 140 degrees (actually 170 the lowest setting, but kept the door open) for maybe a half hour or so. Then took out, let cool then sprayed a couple coats of Dupont's two-part spot panel clearcoat. Then baked at the same temp for 45 minutes, then let cool for about an hour or so. Then wetsanded with 1500-2000 grit to remove any dust etc, then machine polished with 3M's scratch remover, then installed back into the car.

The clear dries very quickly when baked. Baking the paint is the key to getting it to stick and dry hard enough to resist scratches etc.

The steering wheel and shifter were the only pieces i needed to strip the wood before staining and completing the steps above. Since the steering wheel and shifter are rounded, just sanding the factory clear and applying coats of the stain will yield uneven results. It's better to get it down to bare wood so the stain soaks into the wood so you can get an even coat all around.

I swear, the hardest part is getting the pieces out. The hardest pieces to remove were the ones from the center console and from the rear armrest due to all the pulley and spring mechanisms built in. And not to mention the pieces on the door panels which need to be removed from the inside, requiring you to remove the door panels... The two pieces around the shifter knob come off in about 10 seconds as they're just held on by clips.

If i were to ever do this again, i would just remove the console from the car (6 bolts, takes a few minutes), pop off the rear armrest piece (two screws) and mask off everything but the wood and proceed from there. I didn't know how hard it was going to be to remove the pieces until i actually took it apart...

I did buy a spare console (from an rx330's tan interior with light maple wood) to play with before i took mine apart, which was helpful to refer to when putting everything back together on mine.

I do have to say that the pain and agony was worth it though!

I'll take some pictures of the stain and other materials later tonight or tomorrow (i have class in a few hours UGH).

I'll do the staining/clearing process on one of the spare pieces (from the rx330 console i bought) and take pics so everyone can see how i did it.

that's awesome cduluk! I plan on keeping my eyes open for this project as I think you really added a lot of character to your ride with this project.

Hey all,

New here and new to the Lexus RX400h. I must admit I have never been a fan of too much wood trim but seeing your darker pieces with that dark interior makes me jealous!!!! WOW EXCELLENT job ! Keep up the great work.

Chris
06 RX400h
Bamboo Pearl

That is the best looking wood trim I have ever seen! I wish I had gone with the black interior after seeing your car.

I just had one question. How do you get the trim panels off around the shift knob? I'm scared I'm going to break them.

thanks.

Hey thanks for the compliments guys

The pieces around the shifter knob are REALLY simple to remove. They're only held on by clips. Using a flat head screwdriver, pry up the bottom side of the shifter surround piece. It'll pop off.

When this piece is removed, the vertical piece you can get your finger under and pull towards you, it's held on with clips too.

Thanks that was super easy. I didn't even need to use a screwdriver. Now if I could just get the guts to paint/stain those panels. I hate the light wood.

I was thinking of painting them black and putting on quite a few coats of clearcoat to get it real glossy. I'm a little worried it will look cheap though.

Any ideas?

Awesome!

Hmmm, i wouldn't paint them black, but it's just me. I assume your interior is the tan (as opposed to black or gray?). I feel the same way about the light birds eye maple wood that comes with the tan interior.

I REALLY like the deep maroon wood, the same shade in the 02-04 ES's.

If you tamper with those two pieces, it might look odd since the other wood panels would still be... well, wood.

Would you rather the trim be silver? (like on the 06 hybrid rx's) ? You could mask off the center console pieces along with the door pieces, and just prime and paint them silver. I think silver would look better than black...

Dude you are so helpful. Silver is a really good idea. The reason I was thinking black was because I already bought a black shifter knob. I couldn't stand the (orange) light wood knob that didn't even match the other wood in the car or the tan interior. I have little to no experience painting something like this so I am worried about the staining. I was just going to paint the trim around the shifter knob black and do the rest of the wood later, but the silver may be better. Either way there is both silver and black around the stereo so it shouldn't look too bad. Removing the factory clearcoat looks awful to do, so the steering wheel is probably just getting a cover. Maybe I should get a piece of trim to practice on.

Any idea what kind of paint or clearcoat to use? Thanks.

God, I'm jealous of your car.....

When you say you bought a black shifter knob, did you buy a black 'leather' one or one of the black 'wood' knobs?

Some of the 04-09 Rx's came with this blackish-gray wood trim vs the brown or orange as you have now. If you got the black 'wood' type knob, you could try spraying the surrounding wood pieces with some tail light tinting paint (VHT makes one). It's basically tinting in a paint form, translucent gray (as opposed to the red translucent paint i used). This might give the wood that gray look to match. I think it would look pretty cool!

If you don't have a lot of experience with painting, do a few tests. Get things around the house you don't care about and practice. As soon as you get the hang of it, it's not that bad.

You could mask all the interior panels off (leaving only the wood pieces exposed) and spray a coat of the tinting paint, let try and coat with a few coats of clearcoat. I think it would look really cool!

I use a two part clear, the same type used on car finishes. It's by Nason Dupont, 486-00 and a mid temp activator. A qt of the clear and pint of the activator comes to about $60 dollars or so. Then you'd need an airbrush and a compressor...

If i were you, i'd just get one of the clearcoats in a regular spray can, you can find them at autozone or another car place like that.

I wish i was around your location i would help you out! I would say remove the pieces and send them to me, but they're a pain in the butt to remove. The only easy ones are the ones surrounding the shifter.

If you hate the color of the light wood that much...why'd you buy the vehicle?

I wouldn't base my purchase just because of wood color, it can always be changed! I think Lexus would have been better off with the walnut trim in the tan interior vs the light birdseye maple...

The 08-09 Rx350 pebble beach editions have the tan interior with the darker walnut trim, beautiful if you ask me!

I actually prefer the light wood I think...its different...

I got a great deal on the car!

It was from a Lexus dealer nearby that was planning on detailing it and selling it for a lot more than the price I paid for it. They already had it listed online for $2500 more, but since I had already been out to look at it they negotiated from the cheaper price (without detailing) and I got them to take another $600 off. It was much cheaper ($1000) than any other other RX from the same year with similar mileage that I could find online.

The shifter knob is from a RX330 Thundercloud Edition. The color is black birdeye and its all wood. I guess it's slightly grey, I think it looks pretty black though. I wish I could post a picture.

I do like that walnut wood a lot. I think black will look fine though and it will be very unique.

By the way, would I have to sand the panels before applying the tinting paint (or at any other time)?

Thanks again for all the help. Most forums are usually full of people telling you that you're retarded for asking anything.

Ah yes, the thundercloud editions had that dark wood as well.

I would definitely then suggest you use the tinting paint on all the other panels so they all match. It's exactly what lexus does...

You don't "need to" sand before the tinting paint, but i would suggest it. Sanding allows the paint to stick better in case of an impact. It's more important on car exteriors because the elements can cause the paint to lift etc, but on the interior, the only enemy is keys falling on them, oils from your hands or rings etc... Just go over each panel with 800-1000 grit sandpaper (wet sand).

A while ago i bought a center console from an rx330/350 that was in the tan color, just to experiment taking it apart. I have some of the yellow/orange birds eye maple wood trim from it (same as you do). I've got some of the tinting paint as well, i'll do a test piece and post pics, see what you think

Here's a little tutorial i whipped up this afternoon The piece is drying in the oven now, but tonight i'll finish it up and post the results.

A great deal is only a great deal if its the vehicle you really want...

SW stop being such a debbie downer! So you're telling me if the wood in your Es300 wasn't "exactly" what you liked, you wouldn't have bought the car? I don't think muffalones has a HUGE problem with the wood, he would just like to change it now that he knows it's possible I've never heard of the color of wood trim being the limiting factor on a car purchase...

Wow, that looks amazing. I can't believe you did that. Thanks!

Of course I have some questions:
Do you think it would still look that good if I just leave the panels in the car and use the use the clearcoat in a spray can?
Do I need to use a machine polisher?
Any tips on masking off the car interior? My wife will kill me if I get any paint anywhere else.

Can't thank you enough!

Hmm, i think if you mask off everything, it should come out exactly the same as if you were to remove the pieces. It will just take time to mask everything off, and i mean a LOT of time... I'd recommend taking the center console out (the one between the front seats). It doesn't take a lot of time, and is kind of a necessity since it would be easier to mask off JUST the center console than to mask off EVERYTHING else in the car as well lol... And the rear seat center armrest piece can be removed with two screws, not that hard at all.

For the doors, do one at a time like this: Open the door to be painted, use a rather large dropcloth to cover the opening into the cabin (so no overspray gets in the car). Then cover the outside of the car with another, so no overspray gets on the paint or glass. Then roll down the window (to prevent overspray on the glass) and mask off the interior door panel with tape and newspaper, leaving only the wood piece showing. Trust me, cover everything, as the paint travels with the wind etc; will get on anything not covered... Be especially careful with the clear... You can wetsand (being careful to prevent water from making a mess, getting in the gaps between the wood and surrounding door panel) the pieces, then let them dry before applying the tinting paint followed by the clear.

You'd probably be best to start this process in the morning when you know it's gonna be nice and sunny (so it can air dry all day). You don't need to bake the paint on; it just accelerates the process. Air drying in 75 degree weather, might take 12hrs to be dry to the touch, 24 hrs fully cured.

When the paint's all dry, there'll be a few dust particles in the clear (can't really prevent it, especially with extended drying time). First you need to wetsand them out with 1500-2000 grit sandpaper. The polishing step will be tricky however... I like to machine polish because it's fast. Trying to hand polish will take you FOREVER, especially when the clear is fully cured. My best suggestion is to leave the masking tape and newspaper on the door, then carefully machine polish, letting the polish overspray (from the compound) go all over the paper instead of all over the interior panels.

You can use one of the clearcoats in a spray-can, but the finish will be much softer (will scratch easily) and the finish won't be as smooth. You'll also need a few coats of it whereas maybe only one coat of the two part clear. But it will work, just take some extra time and effort. Will also be easier to wetsand and polish after cured since it's a bit softer.

It's really hard to explain what to do, it's one of those things you'll just 'know' once you're in the middle of it.

I'd practice on one of the wood pieces surrounding the shifter, learning how thick to spray it on etc, before you move to the wood pieces on the door and center console. The pieces on the door are a HUGE pain in the butt to remove, so make sure not to ruin them

If you complete the process and think, "Oh crap, it looks aweful, what have i done!?" you can remove the paint and clear with paint stripper. Just make sure not to leave it on too-too long or it'll eat away at the factory coating.

Actually, if i were you, i wouldn't wetsand the factory coating on any of the door panels before stain or paint, only because if you do, and decide to remove the paint, you'll end up having to see the wetsanded pieces. Just clean the pieces with rubbing alcohol and let dry before stain/paint... Just be careful not to hit the pieces once done or they 'might' chip or bubble.

Darn, i wish i was with you, i could do it for you I LOVE this stuff! Like i said before, it's hard to explain how to do it, but you'll get the hang of it after practicing on the pieces around the shifter.

If you are on the VHT tinting-paint step, and accidentally apply it too thick or something (which i've done a few times) you can remove it quickly an easily using acetone on a cotton rag. Acetone won't remove or damage the factory clear one bit, but will remove the tinting paint as long as it's not totally dried.

If there's anything else, please ask! I can't wait to see your results

The piece i worked on today isn't totally cured (mom turned the oven off after only 20 mins GRR!!) but i'll be able to wetsand and polish the dust out and have pics tomorrow... It looks great though, i think it's a beautiful look, definitely better than the original orange birds eye maple!

I'm going to try and find some of that tinting paint tomorrow and try and start the shifter pieces. It may be a while before I have time to do the doors. School starts up again soon and I'm heading back to work in a week . I'm going to have to go with the spray-can clearcoat and hope it works since I don't have an airbrush (or much money). I don't have a machine polisher either, maybe I can rent one somewhere. Thanks for all the help.

Well, if you use the clear in a spraycan, you can get away with hand polishing. It's pretty soft, and shouldn't be that hard to do...

But definitely experiment on the shifter surround pieces. Remember, if you make a mistake, just acetone it off

I found the tinter and everything at a local superstore. I still need to get some acetone and I guess you use 3M scratch remover to polish. Thank god I didn't buy everything from autozone because I went there later and everything was about double the price. The clearcoat I got was Dupli-Color Truck, Van and SUV clear top coat. The guy I talked to at autozone said it should be good and liked the idea of the tinter but said to only be really careful to not use too much and it can be messy as hell.

My last questions before starting:

When putting on the clear I obviously will need to put on a few coats. Any idea of how many coats, how long to let it dry in between, and do I actually wetsand it in between coats?
The can says to apply 2 light coats and then a medium coat all 10 minutes apart, but thats obviously for a car's exterior.

Do I need to use the oven to force dry the clear since I'm using the spray-can or maybe I could blow dry it? Would I do this for each coat?

Obviously I don't know crap about doing this . I was a painter for a couple of years so you'd think I'd know more, but this is pretty different I guess. I took my car to the mechanic this afternoon to get a little work done and I should have it back in the afternoon tomorrow to start painting. Thanks for all the help. I'll try to take pictures.

yeah, the guy at autozone is right, the tinting paint can be tricky. You need to start right off with a rather thick coat- you can't start with a "mist" because you'll see spots since it's a tint, gotta put it on totally evenly without dripping- there's a fine line but with practice you should be ok

Don't sand the tinting paint before the clear, because then you'll see the scratches since it'll remove some of the tint.

The clear you got is perfectly fine, i used it all the time before i discovered the two part one. Just follow the directions on the can for that one, and finish with a thicker last coat. And no need to bake the paint, that stuff'll dry to the touch after 12hrs or so. Only drawback is that it never dries hard. And you can't use it on the steering wheel wood, as it gets "icky" after a while of use (tried it before on my first ever wood transformation back in '07, that's when i discovered the two part clear which dries 100% hard and resists... everything when dried).

If you want, and if you can find a temporary one, you can send me your wheel and i'll do that with the hard clear?

If it was something that I disliked so much that I considered spray painting over it and buying a cheap auto parts store wheel cover to hide then I absolutely would not purchase the car.

Of course its a factor. A Lexus is not an economy purchase and its a luxury item, I would no sooner buy one that had something that disgusted me so than I would buy furniture that I didn't like or buy a shirt in a color I hated just because it was on sale...

These cars are everywhere pre-owned, and you have to live with the purchase for a long time. I simply do not understand why you would buy something you hated...instead of saying "I love my Lexus" every morning when you get into it you immediately say "I hate that wood..." Not me...

Dude I'm sorry if I offended you or something. Since you seem so interested in my reasoning I'll explain: Before I bought this car I had bought an 07 camry (new) and loved it. Everything about that car was perfect. About 8 months ago I hurt my back pretty badly and I haven't been able to work since. I still was able to go to school and I commute almost an hour each way to get there. The camry was way too uncomfortable after my injury and even my physical therapist and doctor recommended I get a more comfortable car (SUV) since I can't move closer to school as my wife has a good job nearby. I test drove about 15 different SUVs (and sat in many more) and the RX was the best by far. Only thing is that not all used RXs have good seats for me. Some are worn in certain places, some are too firm, some are not firm enough. I sat in I don't know how many RXs and this one was the best. There is no way I could have bought this model (year) if I didn't get the deal I did. I still took a beating having to sell my camry and get this, but I think I can afford $50-$100 to make the car more to my liking.

So I don't like the wood and want to paint it. Who cares. I do love my Lexus (I'm posting on the lexus owners club forums for god's sake) and I was exaggerating when I said I "hate" the light wood color. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I won't stop talking about how great this car is and it has definitely helped my back and pelvis get a little better. In fact I'm starting back at work next week. I don't think I'll ever buy a different brand!

And did you even look at the wood piece cduluk painted black with the tint? It looks awesome!

SW, where did Muffalones state he HATED the car? Hating a car is a lot different than hating some detail in the interior. Ugh, you REALLY have a way of making people feel like crap, just being honest with you here. You're not even stating that to ME, and i feel bad. You might want to sit back and think about just leaving out the negative (and un-asked for) comments in the future. If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. Even if you choose to neglect this common rule of courtesy, at least have something productive to say. Telling this stuff to someone after they've purchased the car is not being productive- not only that, but your opinion of his car buying processes was not even asked for, OR brought up in the first place. I don't believe anyone asked if you "understood why he purchased it". It doesn't relate to the topic at all.

For example: personally, i don't understand why you got your car in that shade of purple. I don't understand it. But i don't HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT, it's your car, and you can like and dislike anything you want about it, buy it for any reason you want, and feel any way you want about it. I'm not gonna just start taking comments you make about your car out of context and state to you that you must hate your car just because you might state you "hate" some detail about it, ESPECIALLY when my opinions about your buying process were never asked in the topic.

Sorry, but you really need to take a chill pill, and stop picking arguments where you could just not respond, no? I created this thread in hopes it would turn into something PRODUCTIVE and POSITIVE, since we could all use a bit of that lately. I don't appreciate it when you start making negative comments, questioning people's buying processes or writing anything else that adds a negative attitude to the thread, ESPECIALLY when the comments don't even relate or add to the topic in question!

I'm 20 years old. I'm not perfect and i do not "know it all". But i do know one thing, and that's that you're being incredibly negative and unproductive, especially in this thread. I've always respected your insight when you respond to questions that you know a little about, but i lose that respect for you when you start being unproductive and make comments that can do nothing but make people feel bad. I don't know what it is with you lately, but you gotta see where i'm coming from.

I wasn't offended muffalones, nor was my intention to offend you or anybody else nor was it my intention to imply that you somehow weren't a true "Lexus-owner" (whatever that means). Any frustration you sense from me (and there isn't any...) isn't directed at you. I simply asked you a question that you answered...and that was that. Everything you said makes sense...I was simply curious.

I'm not the one driving this discussion cduluk, you are. I asked a very simple question, if there was something about the car he disliked that much then why did he buy it? If he had just responded with exactly what he responded with the discussion would have been over and everybody would be happy. You were the one that responded to a question that wasn't directed to you at all and started the discussion that led us to this point.

He responded to my question and I posted my viewpoint, I think its a shame when people compromise when they buy things and are dissapointed down the line. Again...nothing negative...nothing hurtful...just a discussion...then you come on and call me a "debbie downer" and say that you didn't think that a trim issue should keep someone from buying something they want...so I responded TO YOU and further clarified my viewpoint. Again...nothing rude or unfriendly, I just answered your question.

In each instance, the discussion would be over if you had not responded for me further discussing my viewpoint, and continually getting more aggressive towards me in trying to tell me I'm wrong for believing as I do. So don't try and blame me for whatever issue you think that we're having here.



I didn't post a statement saying that I really dislike the color of my car and was wondering how to paint it. If I had then a very reasonable question for someone to ask would be "Why did you buy the car if you really dislike the color?" Thats not a hurtful or denigrating question...its just a question.

Stop putting words in my mouth and implying that I have said and done things that I have not.



God...what a drama queen...

Get over yourself kiddo, all I did was ask a simple question, next time don't respond to questions that aren't asked of you and this won't happen. I spend a great deal of time posting in here and helping to grow the forum and have been doing so for many years, if you don't want to post here...then leave. Unfortunately you burned your bridges at the other Lexus forum too as we both know.

Sheesh you remind me of some pharmacist named LexKid630 that used to post here...

I don't burn my bridges, i'd just rather not be a part of something when there's so much negativity and aggression. When i think someone is crossing the line, i point it out. Don't criticize me when all i'm trying to do is point out when someone's crossed a line.

I'm not the one criticizing...you are. I was perfectly happy to have a discussion with a fellow member of the forum. If you have a problem with that...then thats your problem. In the future when I ask other members questions...keep your thoughts to yourself. If I ask you a question then feel free to respond, if you can't handle a back and forth discussion.

The only negativity or aggression here is yours. I simply asked him why he bought the car if he felt that strongly about the wood color, he said why he did, that it was a good deal and the car was in great shape and it was the only way to get into the year he wanted which makes sense. I was in no way denigrating him, or making any judgements about his car. In fact...I like that interior and that wood so I don't know where you think my "hostility" is or how I'm "making people feel bad".

Concentrate your judgements on yourself. In the future when you see someone "crossing the line", contact the site's management team. You aren't a moderator on this site, so leave the value judgements and posting guidelines to us, huh? Got a problem with me? PM me about it.

You jump to these conclusions. I remember after they banned you at CL, you totally brought that on yourself because you simply couldn't understand why they didn't want you selling wood refinishing to the members there. All you had to say was "Ah okay, I understand" and you would still be a member there today. Instead you flew off the handle and started accusing the management there of saying and doing and meaning all these things they just didn't say, do, or mean. Learn to lighten up and go with the flow a little.

This has all gotten a bit personal and we're way off topic now. Cduluk I would definitely pay you to help me refinish the wood in my car if I lived anywhere near you. You do really nice work and I'm sure plenty of people would love for you to refinish the wood in their lexus too. I really do appreciate all the (free) help though. If I can ever figure something out maybe I would take you up on refinishing the steering wheel in my car (if I have enough money... ).

Back on topic, I'm praying it doesn't rain all day tomorrow like it did today so the humidity will go down and I can start the painting.

Oh yeah, the humidity will kill you lol. If it's really humid out, the paint will orange peel and take a longer time to dry

Not raining, humidity: 91%. Supposed to rain the next 3 days. wtf.

Just to make sure: put 2 light coats of clear 10 minutes apart then 1 medium wet coat 10 minutes later, let dry, THEN wetsand w/ 1500 grit paper and repeat? Can says "Dries to touch in 30 min, can be handled in 1 hour". Should I wetsand then or wait longer?

thanks, I'm sure I'm starting to get on your nerves with all these questions.

Not at all

With the clear, you only need to wetsand and polish after the last coat. no need to wetsand between coats.

Try these steps after you've masked off the panels:

1. Clean the factory clear on each wood panel with rubbing alcohol. Let dry. (wetsanding is optional, just know it's irreversible if you change your mind).
2. Apply one single coat of the VHT tinting paint, making sure not to "mist" or apply too heavily (there's a fine line).
3. Let the VHT paint flash for maybe 10 mins (differs based on temp and humidity). You can decrease drying time using a blow-dryer).
4. Now apply the clear. The first coat you can "mist", let flash a minute, then apply a medium-thicker coat.
5. Let flash maybe 10 mins then apply one final medium-thick coat of the clear.
6. Let dry in the sun/heat.

You won't be able to wetsand and polish any dust particles out until.... well i guess wait as long as you can. At least 3-5 hours in the sun/heat. I'm only saying this because the clear 'shrinks' when it's fully cured, and you might notice more defects later as it dries.

I would definitely try this on one of the shifter surround pieces to make sure you do indeed like the finish, before moving onto the other pieces. It's not likely you'll be able to get that factory smooth finish with that clear... Might need to apply more coats of clear, then wetsand and polish the entire thing.

Here are some pictures of the wood pieces around the shifter knob I painted. I'm extremely happy with how it turned out, but now I really need to paint the rest of the trim to match. I think the wood on the steering wheel looks awful in comparison.

Looks good.

Can you see the grain of the wood through that like the darker trim some of the models come with?

Thanks.

I wanted the grain to show through, but after putting one coat of the tint on I didn't like how it looked so I put another on to cover it up. I'm surprised it still looks as good as it does.

looks good- i knew the tinting paint would work

Very interesting project, I'm planning my own for a RX400h.
I have viewed some very interesting impressions made for Japans Harrier.
There is a designing company which has made some interesting designs at:
http://www.grazio-co.com/30harrier/30harrier_5th.html they call it the BLACK ONIX Design.

It want to do similiar in airbrushing the parts black with a polished clearcoat surface.
I'm hoping to get a similiar look as the BLACK ONIX.
My question there is, have you diluted the clearcoat before applying it with the airbrush pistol.
In some airbrush examples they always told that the airbrush color should have a milky consistence.
Which nozzle size have you used for the Airbrush. A 3mm Nozzle or has yours a bigger size.

brgds from

sdohn

My question there is, have you diluted the clearcoat before applying it with the airbrush pistol.

Uhh....i'm not sure what you mean dilute the clear with the pistol. I mixed the clear to the manufacturers specs and sprayed it

In some airbrush examples they always told that the airbrush color should have a milky consistence.
I guess it depends on the paint used? The hard clear i use is perfectly clear throughout the process. The clear leather dye i use however is milky when we but clear when dry.

Which nozzle size have you used for the Airbrush. A 3mm Nozzle or has yours a bigger size.
Honestly, not really sure. When i got the airbrush, there were three sizes avail- small, medium and large. I've got the medium.

If you're gonna paint the wood pieces black, i'd prep with an etching primer, then use krylon'e flat black, followed by the hard two part clearcoat. It'll be shiny and protective.

I may try this on the rest of the trim. So the etching primer works over the factory clear? I guess you still have to wetsand first?

The hard clear (with activator) has to be heated to fully cure right, so should I just use a hair dryer since I wasn't going to take the pieces off of the door panels?

I know I ask so many questions....sorry