Blemishes in dashboard wood grain?

[Rivianitus]

Wondering if these are defects in the wood grain dashboard trim or if this is how they all are/supposed to be? I noticed them upon delivery but they did not bother me enough. They look like small chips or discoloration? Driving it when it is bright in the sun really brings them out I’m noticing now. If they are defects, the only fix is probably for them to replace the whole panel?

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[Mos Eisley]

It's a natural/recycled product with a lot of variegation and variation in it... your pics show several tan strands and specs. That said - that big one in the second photo is a bit glaring. Is it as smooth as the rest of the dash or does it feel like a chip?

 

[iamnid]

The R2 I test drove last weekend had similar colored spots

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Nature is not perfect. You are just used to man-made simulations of nature. What’s Cindy Crawford without her mole? Just another pretty face.

 

[smashweights]

Are they depressed at all? Look like chips to me

 

[jackfu]

Good news is that it’s very easy to color and blend if you know what you’re doing and have the right stains. I’d rather do that than take apart. Taking things apart almost always introduces rattles

 

[Rivianitus]

It's a natural/recycled product with a lot of variegation and variation in it... your pics show several tan strands and specs. That said - that big one in the second photo is a bit glaring. Is it as smooth as the rest of the dash or does it feel like a chip?

They are all pretty smooth when you run a finger over them. The deeper one feels like it slightly dips a bit but they aren't very rough or sharp like damage caused it I guess.

 

[Dasoss]

Wondering if these are defects in the wood grain dashboard trim or if this is how they all are/supposed to be? I noticed them upon delivery but they did not bother me enough. They look like small chips or discoloration? Driving it when it is bright in the sun really brings them out I’m noticing now. If they are defects, the only fix is probably for them to replace the whole panel?

It's a natural product. The slight imperfections denote its authenticity. If you can't embrace that, perhaps an expert French polisher can blend it in.

 

[Rivianitus]

It's a natural product. The slight imperfections denote its authenticity. If you can't embrace that, perhaps an expert French polisher can blend it in.

Nah I can definitely embrace them. Just wanted to make sure they were not defects.

 

[raylepper]

I believe this material is what's sometimes called 'reconstituted veneer.' It's often made by slicing fast growing ('sustainable') softwoods like basswood or poplar into thin sheets, dying the sheets, then gluing them into a thick board. That board is then sliced (at right angles to the original lamination) into new veneer. The benefit is uniformity and consistency. But, because the material is a softwood, you may see occasional areas where the dye did not penetrate as intended or, where a weak area in the grain of the original slice broke free.

I agree with @jackfu that you can touch up these areas. There are furniture touch up pens with hundreds of shades and opacities. If it was me (and it maybe if my wife says yes to the R2) I'd buy a few pens in shades of gray and play in an area that's more or less hidden just to see if I can get the color right. One caveat: if those straw colored spots are 'raw,' meaning there's not finish on top of them, they will take color fast and dark so I'd start by trying to put the thinnest, lightest gray on them.

 

[TechDad]

I bet if you use a soft pencil, rub it lightly on the light part and then rub it with your finger to 'blend' it, you would barely be able to see it anymore. You just need to darken the area a bit and only you will know it's there going forward.

 

[Millbarge]

It's a natural product. The slight imperfections denote its authenticity. If you can't embrace that, perhaps an expert French polisher can blend it in.

unless it's a chip

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