woodgrain redo

check with a window manufacturer in your area. I really was looking over the samples of woodgrain options for my new windows in the house, but no mahogany was available.
 
I know that this will probably get some boos and hisses, but is there a "stick on" product that looks good and would go around the contours of a dash?

I'm thinking a high-tech, high-quality version of the contact paper your mom and dad probably used to make things look like wood back in the 1970's.

Steve

Steve, Here's some vinyl that can be applied to contours with a heat gun.

http://www.rvinyl.com/woodgrain.htm

My brother did a bunch of trim in a '73 Olds 98 with vinyl woodgrain + topcoat and had a problem. It will not last for years because the adhesive on the back of the vinyl eventually turns hard and cracks off the substrate, just like an old piece of scotch tape lets go. It was NOT a substrate bond problem, it went down on PPG DP50 epoxy primer about 12 hours old. Looked good the first year, though. It was overcoated with a cheap (not PPG!) 2K urethane clearcoat, 2000 sanded and buffed. The adhesive stayed with the primer, released clean from the back of the vinyl that had lost its plasticizer and hardened.
 
Yes that's what the blending paper is for"320 grit wet dry sanding paper". We don't usally cut the paper up though only on some odd patterns it helps.
The main thing is to wipe away from the paper or the ink will dam up and leave a line, that makes the blending more work.
Frog juice is used over vinyl
for UV protection in place of the clear laminate.

I have woodgrained 3M controltac vinyl before and it worked fine.
I think putting the Gloss laminate over the print would be nice, no clear coat needed. have not got the laminate in to try yet though.

Jdee
 
The way I done it over the years is with Basecoat clearcoat. I use a base that I had matched at the Automotive jobber. Then I use two topcoats one a darker brown the other black. I reduce these 200% and use a brush or a piece of "T-Shirt" material (Cotton) to wipe the grain. Then I use the black and flick it off of the brush with my finger. Then to finish the Basecoat I spray on 3 coats of clearcoat and let it dry for 3 days. The next step is to watersand the clear with 600, 1000, 1200 and 1500 paper and then I polish the surface. The sanding and polishing makes the difference. The job goes from Ok Woodgraining to WOW is that real wood.

Give it a try!!

The Old Tinbasher
 
On two of my cars I've used the Bill Reeder method from How to Restore Your Model A, vol. 2. This method produces results that look good and is inexpensive. It's time consuming but worth the effort.
 
Last edited:
You can go really cheap for A driver . I know a guy that found a dirty diaper in a land fill and smeared it on his dash it looked great! You just need lots of clear coat to keep the stink down. when cost is you main thing you can do lots of cool work a rounds.:D:D
Jdee
I have seen art guys do super work without our tools
 
Last edited:
is there a "stick on" product that looks good and would go around the contours of a dash?

Go to a sign shop and ask. If you procuse even a picture of wood they can print it, gloss laminate it and is can be applied like the car wraps you see driving around.
 
I really do think the large format printers could do a good job.
Not sure why I don't see more of that?
Those new big printers have good pigmented ink in them that should last.
The new vinyl really goes around corners well.
Jdee
 
T-Bob,

I tried re- clear coating my original '34 Ford Deluxe Dash.
Though better, not great.
I'm going to sand blast and try to do it myself.
The original pattern appears to be Burl Mahogany or Walnut.
Do you have any tips on how to get a Burl effect?
What is the best tool/medium?

Cheers!!
 
If you want the grain to look like mahagony use method A of Bill Reeder's article in "How to Restore Your Model A" Volume #2. I've done this on two coupes and it looks good.
 
The How To Restore Model A Vol 2 arrived today......
I suppose the woodgraing technique described works great with straight graining.....

I would like to regrain using a Burl pattern (that's how Henry made it).

Any suggestions on how to do that?

Cheers!
 
LOL...

I don't have a Model A, I have a '34 Fordor Deluxe, but instead of starting a new thread, I thought I would ask my question on an established one.

Is that ok?
Cheers!!
 
I got free vids here.
http://www.woodgraining.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=11
wfair.jpg
 
LOL...

I don't have a Model A, I have a '34 Fordor Deluxe, but instead of starting a new thread, I thought I would ask my question on an established one.

Is that ok?
Cheers!!

No problem, I did not think an A had burl and since this is the A side of the house not the early V8 I did not even think about any other years.
 
Back
Top