Dash Woodgraining

[Marcel Backs]

I had my dash and window trim woodgrained using hydrographics. The results are nothing short of epic! I will provide pictures as soon as I can but my PC is dead and am using a little apple tablet and cannot figure out how to post pictures with it yet.  Check out www.sketchsink.com or look up Sketchs Ink on you tube and they had some pix of my dash and trim posted. They positively nailed the grain pattern and have a slew of different grain patterns. The young people working there are nothing short of artists. The job turns out like a perfectly executed period woodgrain and would appeal greatly to restoration and hot rod enthusiasts alike. They are located in the Great White North's capital aka Ottawa. In their projects section look up " Restoring 80 Year Old Trim Using Hydrographics". (just keep going back to older projects till you reach the aforementioned title) All the Best M

[sidevalvepete]

Is this your project Marcel? If so it looks great. Look forward to seeing it in your vehicle. Had a similar job done for mine. Yours is very slick ?

[Marcel Backs]

yeah! That' s it Pete. Thanks for posting. The work they do on bike parts is mindblowng.

my best regards M

[Andydodge]

Thats beautiful..............more pics please........lol........andyd.

[knuckleharley]

Other than "magic",I have no freaking idea how people do that.

[T120]

The dash and interior window trim on my 1936 DeSoto was finished using the same method, (hydrographics)...

 

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by T120

[Marcel Backs]

That de Soto dash is beautiful  T 120! The hydrographic process leads to some pretty awesome results. I love the instrument layout on your car. Cost is pretty reasonable for this process.

The steps leading to these results are quite unique and go as follows:

1. surface is prepped and painted with base colour of the wood being reproduced.

2. film with woodgrain is "floated" in a big tub of water

3. a spray activator is applied to the floating film

4. the part is immersed in the tub of water passing through the activated film.

5. the part is given a shake to break off the excess film.

6. the part is then removed with the film adhered to the surface.

7. later on the whole works is sealed with clear.

It is quite the process knuck! The results are akin to an expensive wood part found on the more expensive marques of the time. It's good to know that this woodgraining technique is available. I do not know how many people that use the old wax roller method are still around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marcel Backs]

BTW thanks my friend from OZ! I will send pictures when parts are installed.

[Go Fleiter]

this is my approach: selfmade woodgraining 1997:

 

 

before: heavily worn

 

 

  a tan groundlayer, absorbent,

 

 

 + kind of secret indian ink, very volatile. Set is no longer available..

Result was a Mercedes- Benz- like real-wood-appearance - too beautiful for my Plymouth. (lower= MB- like, upper= first red overspray)

 

 

 

Disappointed, I wanted to bring all to simple solid red color.

Beginning to overspray with red, accidentally I realised that the light red overspray (lower) gave a result very close to the original (upper).

Remember, the original wood graining was Briggs´, not Plymouth´s, and seemed to have been printed, not painted. it was VERY uniform and remembered a child´s reproduction of sea waves.

 

 

a couple of clear UV- safe laquer layers still protects the light sensitive ink. The real thing is red, not as brown as in the fotos.

 

I let the two windshield glass mouldings untouched as reference: the right one California sun burnt, the left seems to have always had shadow.

 

 

Greetings from Düsseldorf

Go

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by Go Fleiter
addition

[Frank Elder]

When I saw your dash pictures I thought maybe I grabbed W.T. this morning instead of coffee....lol....well done by the dipping crew!

[Eneto-55]

Could you give us a round figure of what that runs?  Did you do the base coat, or do they do the whole works, maybe after you prepped & primed?

 

That certainly DOES look like real wood.  I had read about this method some time back, and always wondered if they submerged the part in the tank and lifted it up through the film, or, as you stated, lowered it down through.  (My children did something similar to this with oil paint dropped on top of water, then stirred it around just a bit, before dropping a sheet of heavy paper on top.)

 

Anyway, also wondered if they have the Sapele wood grain pattern which was used on the P15s.  (Anyways it was on both of mine.)

[Stargrinder]

Looks beautiful.  I would be interested in the cost also.

[casper50]

I did my own.  Total cost was around $100 for the film and activator spray.  Made my dipping station out of 2x12's and a tarp.

[Marcel Backs]

I brought the parts to the shop totally unfinished and stripped of the trim ( except the glovebox door which had the trim riveted to it). Brandon who did the job found some of the original woodgraining and matched things from there with spectacular results. The whole works cost me 1200 canadian $ which was more than reasonable for the quality of the work ( 9 pieces).Kudos to a job well done Casper and GO Fleiter and thanks Mr Elder for your good words! Had I attempted this I would have probably ended up woodgrained myself since my painting skills are not too up to par. Nice to see the engenious ways you guys have shown me on your projects. M

 

 

[Marcel Backs]

Hey Frank a little wild turkey in the coffee chases off the cold. Works great up here since it's yarble freezing season! Have one for me cause i'm out and may have to visit the in and out store!

[Frank Elder]

4 hours ago, casper50 said:

I did my own.  Total cost was around $100 for the film and activator spray.  Made my dipping station out of 2x12's and a tarp.

Holy am radio Batman!!!!

That is the first correct curved radio face plate I have seen in at least ten years, so jealous.....been looking for years and years for a decent one. Most didn't buy that option and ended up with a sunken in radio that looks terrible.

[Marcel Backs]

That dash would make anyone jealous! I think the Chrysler Corp cars had the most attractive dash set ups for cars of the era!

 

[DadRchmnd]

Its amazing what they can do with that process. I had some football helmets dipped a few years back and turned out awesome. Never thought about redoing the wood grain that way. Turned out beautifully!

[Marcel Backs]

These guys started doing skateboards guitar bodies and high profile goalie masks. They are getting a real good rep built up since the work does not leave until it is perfect and I will vouch for that. M

[Eneto-55]

Regarding the Sapele wood grain pattern on the P15s, I found this website, which sells wood veneer.  (Not thinking of trying to fit actual wood veneer on the parts, just interesting to see the grain patterns.)

https://www.veneersupplies.com/species/Sapele.html

 

Anyway, I have a couple of pieces of Sapele wood, and they don't really look much like what I see on my trim pieces at all.  I always figured that the trim grain pattern was probably quarter-sawn, but this site has lots of different gran patters shown.  Wondering what you all think is the closest to our cars.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Eneto-55