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A Sentimental Seminar On Real Simulated Wood - Homegrown GrainFrom the April, 2012 issue of Rod & Custom By Rotten Rodney Bauman Photography by Strube Family Scrapbook
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First we’ll check stock on... First we’ll check stock on our “old-school” graining staples, such as 1 Shot lettering enamel, mineral spirits for reduction, and Penetrol as an optional hot-weather retarder. The grain I have in mind will likely be created with cheesecloth, but we’ll take along other graining tools like an assortment of sponges, fan brushes, cotton swabs, and a fallen feather just in case. Let’s see, should we stay home, take care of business and maybe pay the bills, or load some supplies and cross the state to volunteer our time in a friend’s residential garage? This “no-brainer” began with one of them new-fangled electronic letters. The message came out of Livermore, California, from my friend, Sam Strube. Sam and his brothers, John and Matt, are all avid hot rodders and each of them have built a good handful of cars over the years. Like many of us, their interest was sparked by their father’s influence. In Sam’s own words, the aforementioned electronic letter went on to say, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about an idea I have. See, back around 1973, my parents were putting our Model A coupe together—it’s the one that I have now. There was a local hotshot woodgrain guy in town, but Mom and Dad were budget-builders and they enjoyed doing their own work. They knew they wanted wood-grained garnish moldings, so Mom got some sponges and an antiquing kit and did the job herself.” Sam continues, “Dad sold the coupe in 1990, and died in 1995. Fifteen years after Dad sold it, I found it on eBay! I brought it back home, untouched, almost like it was when he sold it—except the garnish moldings had been painted right over Mom’s woodgrain. So, I had this idea to ask Mom if she would redo them for me. Since the car is a keeper, I’d love to have her redo them. But, she would need some guidance. Do you ever do seminars on that sort of thing? I think it would make a good story.” Now here’s an actual store-bought... Now here’s an actual store-bought graining tool that we will not need on this particular job. This “rocker” is a good tool, which works well to produce a heart-grain effect, but only on flat enough surfaces. For a Model A dash rail and garnish moldings, this is not the hot tip. Well, being the sentimental sucker that I tend to be, I thought it would make a good story too. And in a previous life, I actually had thrown a seminar on the subject. It was more like a party at the paint store where I worked at the time, but we did demonstrate an easy graining technique, along with a hands-on how-to on flame jobs (and even “van craze” Saran Wrap murals in the warehouse that night), but back to woodgraining. In our area during the ’70s it was considered to be a “lost art” and there were only a few guys to go to for it. Since then, however, a whole new crop of graining gurus have emerged, and with the added benefit of today’s modern automotive paint materials, such as PPG’s Envirobase, the new kids have elevated the once-lost art form to a higher-than-ever level—while pretty much leaving yours truly in the overspray. It had been a while since anyone had asked for a woodgrain job, or even a few tips on the subject like what we’re just about to share. Now realizing that we’re not all experienced in the ways of auto refinishing with state-of-the-art waterborne technology, let’s for the sake of simplicity revert back to the ol’ standby ’70s method, which I learned during my apprenticeship at McPeak Painting & Pinstriping in Riverside, California. Over his 56 years in the sign painting, pinstriping, and custom painting trades, Richard McPeak has mentored many an up-and-coming artist—a good number of whom have gone on to use and share the techniques that he pioneered. McPeak has since developed a new approach to woodgraining, which so far he’s reluctant to divulge, so once again we’ll go with what we know.  Some of the materials in this...  Some of the materials in this box are pushing 30 years of age, and they don’t get out much, as of late. But, we’ll still make a house call from time to time—as long as it’s for the right reasons. From San Diego’s Gopher Grove to Casa De Strube in Livermore, my sidekick, Mrs. Rotten and I are now taking this show on the road.  Prior to our arrival, the...  Prior to our arrival, the dash rail and garnish moldings were primed and prepped before a light brown, acrylic lacquer base color was applied. Those steps provided Sam the opportunity to try out a new Central Pneumatic HVLP (high volume, low pressure) spray gun—currently on sale for only $9.99 at Harbor Freight.  For the hobbyist in California,...  For the hobbyist in California, the use of non-compliant coatings, such as small amounts of acrylic lacquer, are still within the law, but these products are not generally available in automotive paint stores today. Sam was able to source his antiquated primer and base color through a pair of his old painterly pals.  Once reduced (we’ll use mineral...  Once reduced (we’ll use mineral spirits), a blend of 1 Shot 114-L Brown and 199-L Black will provide the contrasting color for graining. The applicator in this instance is indeed a small, folded section of cheesecloth. The 1 Shot dries slowly, so if a second try should be necessary, the grain can be easily wiped away with a few drops of mineral spirits on clean cheesecloth, paper toweling, etc.  After a short refresher from...  After a short refresher from yours truly, Mom begins graining on a quarter window garnish molding. It didn’t take her long to notice that different effects can be achieved depending upon pressure applied, and also the length of time that 1 Shot is allowed to dry before smearing—a minute or two can make a big difference in the appearance of the grain.  The last time Mom wood-grained...  The last time Mom wood-grained these very same pieces, Sam was only 3 years old. This time (especially since Sam is now the proud owner of the Strube family coupe) Mom will have to let her son participate, to some degree.  Rather than dragging a straight,...  Rather than dragging a straight, unexciting grain pattern, a pleasing effect can be produced by causing your fingertips to sort of tremble as you go. Also, a slight side-to-side twist of the wrist here ’n’ there will create realistic waves in the grain.  “Push down harder! Push down...  “Push down harder! Push down harder!” After the third molding was successfully grained to their liking, the mother ’n’ son tag-team seemed less open for suggestions. What’s important, however, is that they’re pleased with their results so far.  Now that she’s all warmed...  Now that she’s all warmed up with four of the easier-to-grain pieces out of the way, Mom begins to tackle the rear window garnish. This one’s tougher with four corners and gussets to work into the pattern.  Using the same 1 Shot-dampened...  Using the same 1 Shot-dampened cheesecloth, Mom is reaching deep into the corners, which darken up just like a small shadow would appear in a wooden joint. She’s also paying equal attention to the underside edge that might show from the outside through the glass later on.  Roughly two hours into this,...  Roughly two hours into this, Mom is now down to the short strokes on the piece we’ve saved for last. Will the contours of this dash rail present a challenge? This is perhaps the most difficult piece to grain, but she’s handling it like an old pro.  Mom’s work is finished. The...  Mom’s work is finished. The next step for Sam will be the application of urethane clear. There was a time when 1 Shot was dangerously sensitive to the harsher solvents used in urethane clear—especially if drying time was rushed. Today, 1 Shot offers an optional solution, which is available through Eastwood.  If you must finish a job like...  If you must finish a job like this quickly, 1 Shot’s modern 4007 hardener could help ensure against lifting. But, because it accelerates drying time, it may also shorten your working time in warm weather. Graining takes time, and it’s hot where we are, so we opted to run sans hardener—like we did in the ’70s.  Sam Strube can’t leave anything...  Sam Strube can’t leave anything alone, and since he’s deep into other time-consuming upgrades, he can take advantage of available drying time. In this instance the freshly grained garnish moldings will be allowed a month or more to toughen up before clearcoating.  When the time is right, Sam...  When the time is right, Sam will reload the same Central Pneumatic HVLP spray gun—perhaps with the very last available drops of lacquer-compatible DAU 75 urethane clear. As instructed, he’ll apply two coats—first a very light coat, followed by a medium-wet coat with ample flash-time in-between.  Here we’ve demonstrated just...  Here we’ve demonstrated just one simplified approach to the once-lost art of woodgraining, which can be used at home with success by the hobbyist. There are, however, other schools on the subject. If you’re a professional painter, and you’re up-to-speed with waterborne technology, you may be desirous of more.
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