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Hello,

I'm trying to finalize..

After taking a look at one of the demonstrators in Germany, the glossy obeche looked more like plastic to me. A friend told me that real wood was out of the question for cars because of the possible splintering in a crash. Much safer this plastic. But I don't like the idea of looking at something fake in my car. Makes me wonder about the cf too.

Anyone?
 
The wood trims are real wood, not plastic.

I personally think looking at wood in a car is weird. I went with the piano black and really like it. I really like the carbon fiber also, but I am an avid road cyclist.

Lots of cars have wood trim in them. They aren't going to be significantly less/more safe than plastic and aluminum. Both of which could bend/break/shatter in different manners. If you have a crash where your dash bits are getting folded you have other serious problems to worry about than some splinters and whatnot. The underlying structure is surely going to be more of a safety hazard.

So just get what you think looks nice.
 
This thread: Does the MS dashboard use real wood? | Forums | Tesla Motors

claims the lacewood is solid wood and the obeche is an engineered veneer. I have lacewood and concur. I also share the impression that the glossy obeche reminds me of plastic (so even if there is real wood in there, would you want to be reminded of plastic when you saw it each day?). I can also tell you the lacewood looks much better in person than in pictures, as flash photography makes it look overly mottled, which it is not.
 
:tongue:

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A whole lot of hard work goes in to the making of a nice coloured veneer. A friend of mine has an atelier where he restores old furniture. Seeing him work, I would have hated it, the glossy obeche being a good fake.

Good to know. Thank you..
 
A friend told me that real wood was out of the question for cars because of the possible splintering in a crash. Much safer this plastic.

Your friend is incorrect: many current cars use real wood. In most cars the wood veneers are paper-thin and thus splintering isn't an issue. When you see a partially-wood steering wheel, for instance, the obvious thought is that the wood section is solid, but it's almost always a very thin veneer wrapped around a plastic or metal core.

Look at this YouTube video about how Lexus makes their wood steering wheels. Starting at about the 3 minute mark, you'll see the paper thin wood sheets they use.

 
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I have the Obeche Matte wood and it looks great. No reflections and no fingerprints. I spend enough time cleaning the touchscreen.

I'm trying to figure out how fingerprints get all over the gloss surfaces. Do people say "oooh, shiny" and, zombie-like, touch the finish? Other than the first few times in the car, I can't remember the last time I touched the trim.
 
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Look at this YouTube video about how Lexus makes their wood steering wheels. Starting at about the 3 minute mark, you'll see the paper thin wood sheets they use....


Designers must get frustrated.
You look at the pencil paper designs at the beginning of teh video and they as smooth interiors with lines that flow into another. But the last frames that show the completed dash and center and it has all peppered with gearshift, phone, buttons knobs and all sorts of protrusions to ruin the flow. The Model S clearly tried to keep that "show car" look. (which explains the lack of storage and cupholders.)
 
I'm trying to figure out how fingerprints get all over the gloss surfaces. Do people say "oooh, shiny" and, zombie-like, touch the finish? Other than the first few times in the car, I can't remember the last time I touched the trim.

Yeah, I think you're right. People do a lot of oohhing and touching at the Tesla galleries, smudging the trim all up and that leads people to say "oh, that finish really shows fingerprints, I should go with another." But in real life no one ever touches the dash trim, so it's a non issue.
 
I have it on excellent authority. The interior trim is all veneer including the carbon fiber, it is laid on what they call substrate. I don't know what the substrate is made of but in due course I hope to find out. I have been promised a set so I can craft my own trim. Being right hand drive, it will take some time before I receive it.
 
Has anyone crafty attempted to source Obeche wood veneer and match the stain color? I am looking at the matte initially. It looks like a quartersawn veneer, with some dye stain, and a simple open-pore finish look with satin poly. Googling obeche veneer shows that this is kind of a trash wood.... used in plywood cores and to pretend to be other woods. Send me a PM and we can talk geeky woodworking stuff.