wood graining HELP.

Gerard

Gerard

Well-known member
I have to admit me working with a paintjob like that will end with a disaster.
At a certain moment to have to know your strong and weak points and I know them by now. So here is the question : all my 4 door garnisch moldings have to be newly woodgrained . They are not rusted at al and in a perfect condition although the graining is vague . Is there some one out there who could do the job ??? at a reonaseble price ? I hope I have asked not to much . Thanks for reading,

Gerard
 
Good wood graining is expensive--unless you do it yourself. You just have to practice quite a bit on something besides your car parts. When you get good at it, do your car. It ain't that hard
 
I think that woodgraining is one of those things that when you do it with one of the home-remedies, --and then you see & compare to a pro job and your heart just sinks. I know mine did until I stepped up and bought the plates and all the pro tools. Also it boils down to how accurate you want it to look. If you truly want to fool most people into thinking the mouldings are real Mahogany, you ain't gonna do it with the smear technique or chopped brush bristles because the tight grain uniformity that is seen in the real Mahogany wood is difficult at best for the average non-artisan's hand to replicate.

Also, Woodgraining is expensive because there is a 'helluva' lot of work that goes into it! You can save some expenses by doing much of the prep work yourself such as welding up all the worn aeas on the edge, mediablasting them yourselves, bodyworking them yourselves and having them in sanded primer ready to have the basecoat installed. By "some", that is probably a third to maybe one-half of the expense right there. Then, contrary to what many initially think, applying the ink in a uniform AND realistic manner requires some skilled technique that does not get applied in one quick swoop. Even watching the Pro's at demonstrations & workshops found that it is not uncommon to see them spend from 15-30 minutes on each piece properly applying the pattern and detailing all the corners & edges. This is prior to applying the clear-coat over the ink. So add up how many pieces you have and then put a 'time count' on the set and you can see how it takes alot of time. Then comes the clear that encapsulates the ink. It is really difficult to lay the ink and then keep it debris-free until it has the first coat of clear sprayed. Any spec of dirt or debris that lands causes the piece to be wiped off and re-done in that area, --or the entire piece re-done because when you try to wipe the debris off it smears the ink. One other point, the first coat of clear is usually applied very dry (little solvents) to keep from running the undried woodgrain ink. After it has flashed, the next coats are applied wetter however painting them to flow out slick is very difficult at best. Even with a nice flow-out, most people want to see a finish equal to real varnished Mahogany, ...which comes from carefully wetsanding the clear and hand buffing each piece to a lustre. I trust you can see how labor intensive the entire process can be from A to Z.


Gerard, specifically about your garnish pieces. If they are perfect yet just have faded, is it possible you can take some lacquer clear in a spray can and apply overtop of the garnishes to bring out the lustre again? While it won't be perfect, if it is factory graining it will come close to matching the factory graining already on the window moulding. If the window mouldings have been re-done in the past, matching the artist's pattern & colors may be a real headache for you. Good luck!!

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Gerard, Brent really hit the nail on the head!! A few years ago, I did a "home job" on mine, Clue is to get a family member that is artistically gifted, show him or her what you're striving for in a few good photo's, have the right paint products for them---Came out reall good, but my heart also sank a bit when I saw pics in the Model A News a few issues back of a man's 400-A garnish mouldings---WOW!! I guess it's like the meat dept at the supermarket, You get what you pay for!
 
Thank you all very much for the reply's and especially to Brent who went all the way in explaining the procedure. I think I'll go for " pay for what you get " Grin Grin.
 
Gerard said:
Thank you all very much for the reply's and especially to Brent who went all the way in explaining the procedure. I think I'll go for " pay for what you get " Grin Grin.
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I think this is the stuff Brent is referring to. LINK Spectacular. So is the price of the 'stuff' needed to do it. Take a look and you won't feel so bad when you get a quote for a pro job. Brent says he has the proper plates, why don't you ask him via PM for a quote?
 
If you are financialy challenged like me there is a great instruction on the Minnwax website. www.minnwax.com. It is not for a fine point car but looks very good on my car. On the website click on gelstain. It takes a little practice to get what you want but relatively easy.
 
I'm very disappointed in Brent's comments. Not all Model "A"rs are fine pointers with unlimited budgets busting down shop doors like his to get work done. The vast majority of us are regular guys and gals with a deep desire to own and restore the Model A Ford to it's "original Likeness". Part of what he says bears truth but this is another ploy for free advertising for his business. I have spent countless hours coaching folks on the phone from all over the country on my technique. I have given several workshops with hands on training with usually twenty to thirty in attendance. Out of that size of a group 85% of the participants have gained a wonderful mastery within a two hour window. For those that are interested please pick up a copy of last summers edition of MODEL A TIMES. There is much to be gained for the average restorer by doing things for and by ones self. After all isn't that what this forum is all about. Respectfully...............Tacoma Bob
 
Tacoma Bob said:
I'm very disappointed in Brent's comments. Not all Model "A"rs are fine pointers with unlimited budgets busting down shop doors like his to get work done. The vast majority of us are regular guys and gals with a deep desire to own and restore the Model A Ford to it's "original Likeness". Part of what he says bears truth but this is another ploy for free advertising for his business. I have spent countless hours coaching folks on the phone from all over the country on my technique. I have given several workshops with hands on training with usually twenty to thirty in attendance. Out of that size of a group 85% of the participants have gained a wonderful mastery within a two hour window. For those that are interested please pick up a copy of last summers edition of MODEL A TIMES. There is much to be gained for the average restorer by doing things for and by ones self. After all isn't that what this forum is all about. Respectfully...............Tacoma Bob
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I apologize for offending you Bob. That really was not my intention! I just posted my opinion or perception, ...and my personal experiences regarding this topic.

With regard to "advertising", I didn't realize that I said anything publicly (--or privately) to anyone suggesting that me or my shop would be interested in doing the job. If you or anyone would kindly (-and discreetly please) point it out to me, I will gladly edit my post to remove that verbiage. Thanks, and please forgive me for offending you.

BT

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Brent. many thanks and much appreciated. I will say publicly that there is plenty of chatter concerning your motives and I have been told by more than a few they just don't want to duel with you. I'm the first to back the independent business man. It's tough and I have been there and frankly I found it was more of a yoke than I wanted to wear. That's one reason I don't do anything for hire these days. Lord knows your a wealth of good solid Model "A" info and I'm still a fan. Concerning this topic you are correct in the fact it is time consuming. In this day and age with finances tanking, time is one commodity we still have left to put to good use. I busted my can with a glad heart to develop a system that the average
Joe could do and save a ton of money in the process and have a fun time not to mention bragging rights. And as I have said for 45 years most Model "A'rs could make the Indian ride the buffalo LOL. The way I read your post came off as a put down to anyone or any system that was less than a top drawer kit. I feel it really was belittling to so many dreamers out there and it dashes creativity. I still love ya Buddy and Warm regards and thank you. TB
 
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So, for people like me who are interested in trying to do their own woodgraining, what technique (or system) do you recommend?

Doug
 
I can recommend Grain-It Technology system. I bought a used kit from a restorer and used it to do Mahogany straight grain on the moldings on a 1930 Cabriolet. There is a learning curve to it, and I would not advise anyone who is not already pretty good at paint and bodywork to attempt woodgraining, as preparation is everything, and if not done very well the results will not be very good. I think it is probably best for most average restorers to pay the price for a pro to do the job, less than the cost of a set of good whitewalls probably. That said, the actual wood-grain application requires some practice to do well even with the roller and plate technique. I did my first 1930 Coupe with a bristle brush, and while it is acceptable there is no comparison to how the original looked or to a well-done roller-plate applied grain. After woodgrain is applied, clear-coat has to be applied (3 coats usually) then color sanded and hand-buffed for correct look and to remove any orange peel and dust mites.
I will probably be offering my Grain-It kit on ebay after the new year, I don't think I want to be in the business!
http://www.woodgraining.com/
 
mass A man said:
Gerard, Brent really hit the nail on the head!! A few years ago, I did a "home job" on mine, Clue is to get a family member that is artistically gifted, show him or her what you're striving for in a few good photo's, have the right paint products for them---Came out reall good, but my heart also sank a bit when I saw pics in the Model A News a few issues back of a man's 400-A garnish mouldings---WOW!! I guess it's like the meat dept at the supermarket, You get what you pay for!
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That was Bill Edstrom's car (won a Henry) he did the woodgraining himself!
 
f you are financialy challenged like me there is a great instruction on the Minnwax website. www.minnwax.com. It is not for a fine point car but looks very good on my car. On the website click on gelstain. It takes a little practice to get what you want but relatively easy.

I clicked on it but there was nothing there but a white window!?
 
We ran an article on DIY woodgraining by Tacoma Bob in the Summer 2009 issue of the Model A Times. Check around somebody may have a copy laying around you could look at.
 
RichardW said:
If you are financialy challenged like me there is a great instruction on the Minnwax website. www.minnwax.com. It is not for a fine point car but looks very good on my car. On the website click on gelstain. It takes a little practice to get what you want but relatively easy.

I clicked on it but there was nothing there but a white window!?
Click to expand...


Umm Richard, that just means the clear paint over the graining ink is still wet and

needs to dry more before it is visible. Maybe you might try blowing on the 'puter screen to help it dry faster!!
ROFL.gif


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I saw a demo at woodgraining.com's booth at Hershey the year before last, and they sure made it look easy. :) Of course, they did not demo all the prep work, clearcoating, etc...

Doug
 
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