What...the...____????!!
Guys - skip it. Good luck with your projects I guess.
That is...except for the sensible people who have posted calm
"I'm interested - let us know when it's done" responses, or PMd me.
To those who just want too have their own talk about how they "have no idea what is going on here..." Umm – oooookay.
HERE:
(THIS IS NOT WHERE I GET MY STUFFF...MINE'S FOR A BUSINESS VENTURE SO OBVIOUSLY I BUY IT WHOLESALE, TO DO ALL THE WORK AND STILL BE ABLE TO KEEP THE PRICE ***WAY*** UNDER $1000.).
(Closer to $725. WILL BE THE PRICE WHEN READY!.
SO (most of you know)…try it yourself…retail it’s not cheap, and don’t mess up routing the 30th line! =XX$$!
Retail sources FOR THE PLAIN, UNGROOVED RAW MATERIAL…
Battleship Linoleum. Most people already know that, and want to buy a ready – made one because no one’s ever done it, and it’s easier (and cheaper than screwing up your own $500. piece trying to rout it!).
THAT’S what we are talking about (to the oddballs who insist on posting over and over, not even knowing what it is, or wanting any).
SO -
If you want to do one yourself…(why?):
~Tony Lauria will sell you just the raw material for about SEVEN OR EIGHT dollars a square foot, last I knew.
Battleship Linoleum has been around in basically the same form for nearly 100 years, as I have researched. Architectural uses, then in the 1940s, used in the utilitarian station wagons and Carryalls.
It is a natural material that is ridiculously durable.
As it ages, it seems to get more solid.
When you see pics of original ones that have had moisture in them, the linoleum will be broke up and brittle, yes –
But here in the SWest, if the car has had all the glass in it all its “life”, then the stuff can be found remarkably intact, solid as a rock, and still holding its own!
Kind of interesting.
I have samples I have pulled when making templates from original cargo area wood from
1949-57 wagons…that look NEW when washed and “waxed”.
Cray material.
I can tell you – samples from a 1951 Suburban, 1959 Suburban, 1952-54 Ford Wagon, 1955-57 Chevy wagon, etc. etc. that I have have the same thickness,
The same “look” (if from similar weather conditions),
The same backing…so I know the big car manufacturers must have all sourced it from the same manufacturer.
The difference (in the years it was being used, anyway) was the design/depth/”profile” of the grooves…oh, and the spacing between.
I Am not doing something you’re going to duplicate with no effort or extra $ spent, but you can come close to the original with stuff that’s available (router bits that are on the market will make something “kind of” close, if you look long enough For them.
***I actually had bits made to match the profile of the grooves.
Order some at retail and try it. Those who had the sense to be respectful, and are interested…I can get ahold of you.
Re – Mr. Lauria - He is a nice guy, and will send the piece you order a little bigger, even.
He is not a "car guy"...he is a linoleum guy.
He has been given info. by customers on how to try to route it for cars. He sends samples that a customer did, yes.
They are free. They have a big square groove in it. I do not know if the customer used that design in his car as a replacement, or just did it with that "profile" to show it can be routed.
But he no longer sells (or a year ago was selling through his remaining) 3.2 mm.
3.2 mm is still MADE, he told me at THAT time he no longer was going to get it.
I only asked him what HE can supply to know who would be a good backup supplier
For us in an “emergency”.
If I run out and have orders to do, etc..
When I get supply from the mfr., itr takes 2-3 weeks each time.
I checked on what Mr. Lauria still sells when I started getting things set up, in case I needed an interim amount - I could buy it retail, and just get the customer's order "done". Tried to plan this whole thing out and plan for all eventualities.
Last edited by BURBflooring; 08/16/2010 7:40 PM.
