I have an early (2/2013) Model S and have been wanting to do something with the open console. I ordered my S85 with what turned out to be the rare Lacewood wood trim. Lacewood was probably discontinued partially due to the expense of the lacewood, and also that many people were unfamiliar with it. Tesla consoles for early models are hard to come by, so when I saw the console insert from Taptes, I thought I would order one and use as a starting point.
Fast forward to earlier this year. I received my Taptes console insert, but there were some quality control issues. I contacted Demi at Taptes, and they sent replacement side panels to correct the issue. Next, I disassembled the console to get to the individual sliding covers. At the same time, I ordered Lacewood veneer sheets, and started working on different stains trying to best match the Model S Lacewood. Once I got something as close as possible, next it was on to applying the lacewood to the individual covers on the console. I removed the faux-leather covering on the covers, and used it to measure pieces of the Lacewood. After cutting out the individual covers, the Lacewood veneers were glued to the plastic covers with Gorilla Clear epoxy resin, using compression to bond the wood to the plastic. The rear piano black flap cover was sanded using 60 grit sandpaper, and Lacewood veneer was bonded to that also. Once the epoxy set, I carefully trimmed the Lacewood, and finished the edges with black satin enamel. Next came several steps of sanding and applying satin clear Minwax Polyurethane.
After everything was completed, I reassembled everything and placed the console in the car. The only thing I have left to do is to dye the white stitching black to match the rest of the stitching in the Model S interior.
Here is a picture of the completed console:
Fast forward to earlier this year. I received my Taptes console insert, but there were some quality control issues. I contacted Demi at Taptes, and they sent replacement side panels to correct the issue. Next, I disassembled the console to get to the individual sliding covers. At the same time, I ordered Lacewood veneer sheets, and started working on different stains trying to best match the Model S Lacewood. Once I got something as close as possible, next it was on to applying the lacewood to the individual covers on the console. I removed the faux-leather covering on the covers, and used it to measure pieces of the Lacewood. After cutting out the individual covers, the Lacewood veneers were glued to the plastic covers with Gorilla Clear epoxy resin, using compression to bond the wood to the plastic. The rear piano black flap cover was sanded using 60 grit sandpaper, and Lacewood veneer was bonded to that also. Once the epoxy set, I carefully trimmed the Lacewood, and finished the edges with black satin enamel. Next came several steps of sanding and applying satin clear Minwax Polyurethane.
After everything was completed, I reassembled everything and placed the console in the car. The only thing I have left to do is to dye the white stitching black to match the rest of the stitching in the Model S interior.
Here is a picture of the completed console:
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