Interiors

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Photofinish table repairs.
I was recently asked to replace the working surface of a photofinish table in a Sable that was showing signs of wear.  The request included replacing the surface of the shelf  between the front windows and the chest of drawers.  This had begun to delaminate.  The final effect needed to reflect the nice condition of the rest of the van.

The table has two folding sections hinged to the chest top. As it was quite sound I chose to refinish it, using a 1mm thick light oak wood veneer finished laminate.  Being much thinner than oak faced plywood I was able it apply it directly on top of the old surface.  There was enough slack in the folding parts to accommodate the extra thickness but I did have to adjust the height of the hinges on the chest and reprofile the facing edge of the chest.  Here the extra thickness reduced the clearance on folding only.  Using the router, I cut away the old edge, and after gluing in new one, shaped the new edge shape to suit the movement.

Resurfacing the table was the same as fitting formica to a kitchen surface.  l stripped off the edges, ironed on new ones, contact glued the laminate sheet to the surface and finished its edges with a laminate trimmer, again in the router.

For the shelf, after stripping off the old beading and corner moulding, I glued new laminate over the old surface and replaced the edgings with new white oak mouldings, to avoid future unsightly stains from rusting nails, I glued and  /or brass screwed everything back in place.

Several coats of matt  Ronseal finished the job nicely.  It looks very good and the colour match is excellent.  Hopefully it will give another thirty years use. 

I have noticed that Cheltenham interiors are like old houses - you can’t expect everything to be square, level or sound.  Certainly not after more than thirty years of age and wear.  The approach I find works is to make everything to measure and expect to repair or replace everything I touch.    

 Roger Sutton.

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A strange omission in most Cheltenhams is a light in the toilet compartment. This can be resolved by fitting a white plastic Britax awning light with integral switch, on the side of the compartment, so that the screws and wires run into the rear upper locker above the cooker.
Being designed for exterior use this unit is waterproof, if you are one of the fortunate few with a shower.

You can also try a battery cupboard light, there is a wide range readily available, search the web to see choice and prices.

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Lifting Veneers - If the oak veneer starts to lift and you don't want to replace the whole panel it is worth trying to spray gently between the 2 panels with “Bostik Fast Tak” spray adhesive, letting dry for a few minutes and pressing together with a wallpaper seam roller.This adhesive is available from branches of Wilko.
White patches - If you have white patches on the wood in a Cheltenham with medium oak veneer (usually where the wood has got wet & then dried out) try Pledge Extra Care scratch & colour restorer Light/ Medium wood, this brings the colour back to the wood. This is available from branches of Wilko.
Dry Wood - The interior wood in a Cheltenham dries with age, life can be bought back to the wood with Danish oil, this is readily available, try Wilko or Toolstation.
Worktops - Stains & marks can be removed from the Formica worktops in the kitchen area using Autosol metal polish (the same is recommend for aluminium window frames), readily available from a range of stores including wilko and motor stores .