Dash paint

[Robertcat]

Has anyone painted the dash with it still in the car? Is it a headache to leave I. Or is it better just to pull the entire thing? Also I assume it’s metal under the original paint, has anyone experimented with using a polished or brushed look no paint.  Show me some pics give me some ideas.   Thanks guys. 

[woodrow]

I would NOT paint that dash!  what I wouldn't give to have the original wood grain.  it is beautiful even tho I respect your choice.

[9 foot box]

   Nice try, yea, paint it flat black. Good looking dash. The floor pan looks good too. 

[Robertcat]

It’s not a great pic.  Once I start cleaning most of the paint will flake off and be done.  I’m like you Woodrow I don’t touch or change he anything, I like the originality.  I will only get seat covers because I love the original. The headliner I will try to clean but I almost feel bad because the stains I’m sure have stories.  The dash tho I feel is too far gone for for a preservation that’s the only reason I ask. 

[Reg Evans]

WAIT !!!

  I was able to bring the dry, chalky wood grain back to life on my 35 Dodges dash.  You can see the difference in this photo what some #0000 steel wool and hot soapy water did for the wood grain. After cleaning the glove box door and coating it with clearcoat the wood graining came back to life.

[NickPickToo]

My paint couldn't be saved so we used a local powder coating shop.   I did like the original pattern on my dash and wish we could have saved it, but person before me painted the dash while in the car with gray.  

[Eneto-55]

If at all possible, I would try to save it as it is, because mine was also painted over - with a brush - before I got the car back in 1980.  In the few spots where they didn't get it painted (like the center bar on the windshield) it is much worse than yours, and my car has been garaged since I bought it.  The original wood grain pattern on the P15's is said to have been patterned after a wood from Africa called Sapele.  I have a few pieces of that species of wood, and have studied both the few places where I can find some paint they didn't cover up (like under moldings), and the grain pattern of the real wood, and I will try to reduplicate it as much as possible.  If I cannot manage to make it look pretty close, I will either paint it a solid color that matches with the highlights of the interior color, or perhaps try to cover it in a natural grain leather, probably the color of the leather on the arm rests.

But as to your question regarding what is under the paint - yes, it is steel.  If you DO go that route, what would you do with the chrome pieces?  (I don't think they would look very good together, but that's just me.)

I can't really tell from your photo, but while it does look much better than mine must have been when a previous owner painted it long ago, I imagine the window moldings are worn through where people hung their arm out the window, and the top of the dash might be pretty faded from exposure to the sun.  Maybe try to keep at least some of the front of the dash as original, and just paint the top of the dash?

[SteveR]

Have you thought of Hydro Dipping. I do like the look of the original dash , But that's only my opinion and there pretty much like belly buttons. Here is a picture of my 37 Plymouth dash in burr walnut. It was Hydro Dipped along with the window surrounds by the previous owned.

 

[SteveR]

Reg Evans,

That looks great! When you get the rest of the dash done send in a pic, I'm sure we all would love to see the transformation.

[The Oil Soup]

Here is a link to the site with the correct tools, patterns and colors to redo your dash to its original finish. http://woodgraining.com/

[John Reddie]

1 hour ago, SteveR said:

Have you thought of Hydro Dipping. I do like the look of the original dash , But that's only my opinion and there pretty much like belly buttons. Here is a picture of my 37 Plymouth dash in burr walnut. It was Hydro Dipped along with the window surrounds by the previous owned.

 

Nice dash. I have always loved the unique windshield opening styled crank that was used only on the '37 Chrysler produced cars. Earlier models featured a crank handle similar to a window type in a house.  I seem to recall reading once that Chrysler was focusing on a safer dashboard with recessed knobs etc. Thanks for posting.

John R

[woodrow]

8 hours ago, Reg Evans said:

WAIT !!!

  I was able to bring the dry, chalky wood grain back to life on my 35 Dodges dash.  You can see the difference in this photo what some #0000 steel wool and hot soapy water did for the wood grain. After cleaning the glove box door and coating it with clearcoat the wood graining came back to life.

that is absolutely worth going through the time and effort required.  its beautiful.

[woodrow]

1 hour ago, The Oil Soup said:

Here is a link to the site with the correct tools, patterns and colors to redo your dash to its original finish. http://woodgraining.com/

 Nice.  I have to have a look at this tonight.  just a thought as well; I believe Fantomworks did an episode a couple of seasons ago where they had a guy come in to the shop and duplicate a woodgrain by using paints and other means.  when I find it I'll post a link or episode and season number.  next winter I have a few things planned for my car and this is one of em.  

Edited March 23, 2019 by woodrow
spelling like a 2nd grader lol

[desoto1939]

I purchased the homeowners kit from Grainit several years ago. They also did a lecture session at the AACA annual Meeting and I was able to try their kits at the meeting. It is very simple to use. Go to their webpage a view their powerpoint show.  It just takes time and remember that you are trying to duplicate a wood pattern and as they say wood grain is not perfect. take a look at some wood graining on your own furniture the graining does not always meet all the lines so you can make mistakes and the eye will let you have the small imprefections.

 

callme and I will explain how the process is done. I live near Phialdelphia PA  I will send you a Private message with my phone number

 

Rich Hartung   Desoto1939@aol.com

[woodrow]

1 hour ago, desoto1939 said:

I purchased the homeowners kit from Grainit several years ago. They also did a lecture session at the AACA annual Meeting and I was able to try their kits at the meeting. It is very simple to use. Go to their webpage a view their powerpoint show.  It just takes time and remember that you are trying to duplicate a wood pattern and as they say wood grain is not perfect. take a look at some wood graining on your own furniture the graining does not always meet all the lines so you can make mistakes and the eye will let you have the small imprefections.

 

callme and I will explain how the process is done. I live near Phialdelphia PA  I will send you a Private message with my phone number

 

Rich Hartung   Desoto1939@aol.com

Rich

I believe you have the key to success.  Imperfections are the key to making it look real.  

[Dan Hiebert]

I would strongly recommend removing the dash from the car and disassembling it.  Yes, it is a quasi-PIA to do, but you'll be much happier with the effort (vs. trying to paint it in the car) and most of all the results.  You can also take the opportunity to address any behind-the-dash and firewall issues you care to once it's out, to include perhaps painting the back of the dash if needed - which you can't do if it's still in the car without making a complete mess.  I painted the dash and inside window moldings on our D24 almost 20 years ago using plain old Rustoleum "Leather Brown".  The original wood graining was far too gone to restore, and I wanted something I could easily touch-up, or redo relatively quickly.  It looks good, and the dash is holding up extremely well, although the window moldings are taking a bit of a beating since the grandkids started riding in the car a few years ago.  Alas, no photos I can get to in short order, they're on a messed up MSD that I don't feel like paying $500 to restore just yet. 

[DrDoctor]

Taking out the dash is definitely the way to go. As mentioned – once the all of the chrome’s removed, then you can polish it, and do the dash as you wish, with no tap lines. If you do decide to paint the back of the dash, think about painting it white – it makes working under it much better, as the light you use will be much brighter underneath there. I redid our dash in dark grey to go with the interior (it had been stripped, and was black like the car, and I don’t like dashes the color of the car vs the car’s interior, but that’s me . . .). I also painted the back side of the dash in light grey, but I wish I’d used white. Good luck.

[woodrow]

So I spent some time tonight trying to educate myself on the art of graining.  The link to the video above was informational but when you really break it down it's not difficult at all.  in fact in  the video they make it a point to over complicate the whole thing.  and I respect that; they are trying to protect their market.  but really all you need are a few basic items.  I am going to have a go at it myself and just use what I have around to see if  I can in fact produce any kind of desirable results.  never know til you try I guess.  I do know that if I can create a woodgrain finish on my dash instead of the solid paint on there now then I will be definitely doing so.

[Eneto-55]

I think that the grain pattern sheet & the large rubber roller are essential items for the method they show.  The method we attempted to use years ago involved smearing/streaking the darker graining paint with a rag or crumpled newspaper.

There have been various discussions about how this was done originally, and some have said that they think the graining was done on the steel before shaping, and others think it was done by printing some sort of sheet that was then floated on water, and the part listed up, transferring the paint to the already formed piece.  (I think that some modern processes are done that way, like some images put on the skirting on four-wheelers, etc.  (This is all from reading, I don't know for sure).  (When our kids were in elementary school, they did some 'art work' that was similar to this - they had a pan of water, and poured small bits of different colors of oil-base paint on to the surface of the water, then stirred it a bit to make swirls, etc, then dropped their paper onto the surface, which transferred the paint to the paper.  

I have not had the opportunity to collect a great number of original examples (photographs), but it would be interesting to know how similar the grain patterns were from one car to the next.  And if the patterns were noticeably similar (or even identical) coming out of a given factory, how would the results compare from one factory to the others? 

All that said, I think that a person with artistic abilities could do the whole thing with just a paint brush, and LOTS of time.  I think that a graining pattern sheet could be made by sand-blasting or wire-wheeling an actual piece of wood, then getting a reverse casting of that in rubber.  I wish I'd have an opportunity to see one of their grain patters up close; for instance, does it have grain patterns built into it that duplicate the look of actual wood planking that is made up of more than one single piece of wood, or is that produced on the painted piece by multiple passes (side by side). 

Edited March 24, 2019 by Eneto-55
slight grammar error

[desoto1939]

Eneto-55.  The guy that has make the kits GrainIt has all of the metal plates with the various wood grain patterns. The grain is etched into the plate and is the real image of the various graning patterns.  There are several different patterns based on the various styles and patterns that were used by each car manufacturer.  So you do need to know what pattern you want to duplicate.  Purchase the appropriate plate and the rollers it will same you a lot of aggravation and wasted time.  His home owners kits is very good and the process is simple. I have done several of my window garnish moldings and was asked by a major restoration shop when I showed the owner an example of what I did if I would do the wood graining for a 1936 Essex that they had in the shop.  I turned down the opportunity because I personally  felt that I could do the job but my personal quality of workmanship would not be up to their standard because the shop has a very good quality reputation show this shows how easy the finished product can turn out with some time and practice on your part.  Also you can sell the kits to another car owner that is looking to do the same. Granted the finished product will not be as perfect as you see when you go to Hershey and on the Very High priced cars that have been totally restored but at least you can say with pride that you did the work at a fraction of the cost and if your car is a driver then we do need it to be perfect in every way.

 

Call me and I can explain the total system and process

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Eneto-55]

33 minutes ago, desoto1939 said:

Eneto-55.  The guy that has make the kits GrainIt has all of the metal plates with the various wood grain patterns. The grain is etched into the plate and is the real image of the various graning patterns.  There are several different patterns based on the various styles and patterns that were used by each car manufacturer.  So you do need to know what pattern you want to duplicate.  Purchase the appropriate plate and the rollers it will same you a lot of aggravation and wasted time.  His home owners kits is very good and the process is simple. I have done several of my window garnish moldings and was asked by a major restoration shop when I showed the owner an example of what I did if I would do the wood graining for a 1936 Essex that they had in the shop.  I turned down the opportunity because I personally  felt that I could do the job but my personal quality of workmanship would not be up to their standard because the shop has a very good quality reputation show this shows how easy the finished product can turn out with some time and practice on your part.  Also you can sell the kits to another car owner that is looking to do the same. Granted the finished product will not be as perfect as you see when you go to Hershey and on the Very High priced cars that have been totally restored but at least you can say with pride that you did the work at a fraction of the cost and if your car is a driver then we do need it to be perfect in every way.

 

Call me and I can explain the total system and process

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

Thanks for your reply, and the helpful information.  I watched the video yesterday, and had seen some things from them some years ago as well.  I didn't realize, however, that the plates are made of metal.  I did also see that they do offer a plate for the Sepele wood grain pattern, which is what I would want to use.  It IS a chunk of money, but if a person counts his time as of value, it would probably be "cheaper" in the long run, and also be a better job.  From having looked at the image they have of their Sepele plate & results, and also having examined (with a magnifying glass - my eyesight is too poor otherwise) some original Plymouth woodgraining as well as actual Sepele wood, I have to say that their pattern looks authentic.  

I do plan to use the car, at least seasonally, and it's not perfect otherwise anyway, as I have a 230 in it out of a 55, and I don't think I'm going to spring for real mohair, either.  But I also have to watch the dollars, and I know it would be cheaper if I just paint it a solid color, or just do a home-made woodgrain job.  But it's also not the kind of thing that can be easily be done later, because the car is all dismantled now, and I wouldn't pull the dash & other moldings back out again after it was all assembled.