My first suggestion has nothing to do with the task of refurbishing the dash itself. Consider finding a scrap dash to either swap out first, or refinish offline then swap with your original - this will reduce your time unable to drive, and you’ll be less tempted to rush the job.
If it needs Reveneering:
- Source your veneer before you even start removing the dash.
- If you’re not familiar with veneer work do some test pieces with ply or MDF to get familiar with the process, and to see if your glues and finishes are compatible (any old veneer will do for practice with bookmatching, glueing, sanding, finishing.
- A vacuum press isn’t absolutely necessary for a flat surface, but it does do a better job than a clamp arrangement.
Use the search here on JL for “veneer” or “dash refinish”, you’ll find hits like this:
A friend just bought a TR6. The PO tried to refinish it in place(!). It only takes about 3h to remove a TR6 dash, and take all the gauges and switches out… the car now needs new switches, new instrument trim rings, and the plastic dash surrounding the veneered bit itself. Fixing the runny, drippy, crap finish on the wood is no harder than a flaked OEM finish, and it’s flat so the Reveneering isn’t particularly hard, but the collateral damage from doing it wrong will take more time and money than need be - some jobs aren’t worth doing if you don’t take the time to do them properly.
Also, since the instruments/switches will be out and the wiring exposed, consider recalibrating, or just taking the bezels and glass off and cleaning the glass inside and out (first brasso, then windex), as well as adding/fixing any issues you might have behind the dash while it is easy.