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Old 02-12-2016, 12:06 PM   #1
larrys40
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Default woodgrain - original process & appearance

I know there's a couple of threads out there asking who's got the best kit and all right now.. so I didn't want to hijack those threads but thought I'd focus on the original look and process.

Below is a photo of an original dash on a low mileage coupe I worked on a couple of years ago... It is a shorter finer grain than most of what you see. baring they didn't have/use clear coat in the day and the dashes seemed a lot duller look woodgrained what process today gives this look. This is one area I'm not as schooled at so thought I'd poll on other knowledge here. Looking for the process and authentic look as shown in the photo. Thoughts and input appreciated.

Larry Shepard
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Old 02-12-2016, 10:58 PM   #2
H. L. Chauvin
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Default Re: woodgrain - original process & appearance

Hi Larry,

Just one (1) opinion.

First, thanks for this unique photo of vintage art work.

Second, Faux Bois was very popular in the 1800's, through times of vintage cars produced in the 1920's/1930's ...... many such artists were available back then.

Wood on original vintage residential exposed wood beams, wood bases, wood doors and wood frames, and original wood mantles, etc., were always painted in a solid color or in Faux Bois, as opposed to being stained and varnish which always beaded up and turned very dark brown to black.

As far as thoughts and input you requested, because of the nature of providing a wood grain finish, it being as much of an art as a science, I think it may be very possible
that the original, painted Model A wood grain effect and appearance back then could
possibly vary in appearance as substantially as it could today.

For example, one may experience different wood grain effects:

1. Between each of all of the different locations of Model A Ford Plants; and,

2. Between all of the different Model A Ford wood grain painter employees in one (1) single Model A Ford plant; and,

3. Between individual painters who thought differently what their wood grain should really look like; and,

4. Between even the paint application of a single Model A Ford employee ...... depending whether or not he had a hangover from the night before .....
while drinking some of that strong clear, liver scorching mason jar hooch made during prohibition.

Maybe if several would have vintage photos like yours, one may see that like today's painted Model A dash boards, the wood grain effect could vary quite a bit.
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Old 02-13-2016, 12:31 AM   #3
Mike V. Florida
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Default Re: woodgrain - original process & appearance

Quote:
Originally Posted by larrys40 View Post
I know there's a couple of threads out there asking who's got the best kit and all right now.. so I didn't want to hijack those threads but thought I'd focus on the original look and process.

Below is a photo of an original dash on a low mileage coupe I worked on a couple of years ago... It is a shorter finer grain than most of what you see. baring they didn't have/use clear coat in the day and the dashes seemed a lot duller look woodgrained what process today gives this look. This is one area I'm not as schooled at so thought I'd poll on other knowledge here. Looking for the process and authentic look as shown in the photo. Thoughts and input appreciated.

Larry Shepard
They did use a clear coat, a clear pyroxylin that provided a moderate gloss.

Here is some additional info for all;

http://www.abarnyard.com/fordor/dash.htm
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Old 02-13-2016, 10:30 AM   #4
BILL WILLIAMSON
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Default Re: woodgrain - original process & appearance

H.L,
It makes sense that Ford used a clear coating, I've read that much of the woodgrain was made with INK which would weather away QUICKLY!
I saw a '32 dash, with wood grain created with a soot trail from a mal-adjusted Jewelers' Torch, then sealed it in with a clear coating. The "artist" even made KNOTS in the "wood"!
I owned a '48 Chev & the clear on the dash wood was weathered away, I CAREFULLY cleaned it, clear coated it, and the wood grain looked FACTORY NEW !
The cars' BABY BLUE paint was PERFECT, although oxidized badly, scrubbed it with 000 Steel Wool & T.S.P, sprayed the whole car with CLEAR LACQUER, & it looked like NEW!
Bill W.
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Old 02-13-2016, 03:29 PM   #5
H. L. Chauvin
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Default Re: woodgrain - original process & appearance

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Hi Bill,

I saw my uncle paint his entire car, out-of-doors, on a calm day with several coats of lacquer ...... like yours, it was beautiful.

I think most very early dash boards on expensive cars were beautifully lacquered hard wood. E. g., I saw a beautiful original 1925 Pierce Arrow with a lacquer clear coated Honduras Mahogany dash ..... also, I have part of a 1925 or so lacquered walnut Nash dash with a Waltham watch in it.

I guess when they started making dash boards with metal, painting wood grain on metal became popular and the hard lacquer provided protection.

In his first post Larry is thinking that because he sees no shiny clear coat on his dash that he is assuming that perhaps clear coat was not available back then.

However, Marco Polo not only discovered pasta for spaghetti in China ...... he noted that China had also been using beautiful clear coat lacquer on wood for thousands of years.

No doubt all professional painters in the 1920's- 1930's were very familiar with extremely fast drying hard lacquer clear coat used a lot on furniture ..... but ..... on a second note ...... I really have no idea if Henry Ford liked to eat spaghetti?
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