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Grainit woodgraining
#1
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Fish'n Jim
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I thought I had this all figured out two years ago, but the base color("dk walnut") the grainit guy said matched my '49 23 series trim code(65) does not appear to be the original.
I had some time to get back on the Pack while I wait on my Cad motor*. I got a deal on a new blast cabinet and tried it out on the window trim. Since it was fresh surface and thin sheet metal it needed to be painted right away. I bought the $245 quart of DuPont base paint they called for and sprayed it this weekend. It dried an ochre/sepia brown compared to the factory which looks alot like plain old red oxide primer. The paint guy found the paint formula code I was given, so unless he mixed it wrong, it should be what they recommended. Couldn't tell much looking at the computer color chip other than it looked brown.
I can't tell if the factory maybe just repaints the face for graining or used the same color as the back, which is what it looks like. The trim color matches the red primer on the back of the rear seat supports, so that's what got me thinking.
Anyone have any more info/experience on matching Pack woodgraining?
This can get real expensive if I have to do it over several times...I was going to just wing it and air brush it, but I try to stay original on the interior.
* - if this spare tripower motor proves out, I might use it for the Pack.

Posted on: 2015/12/13 19:19
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Re: Grainit woodgraining
#2
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HH56
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I used GrainIt for the 47 dash. Pattern was Carpathian Elm which is a light to medium yellowish base with the dark overlay.

The dash primer was originally red on the 47 and I made the mistake of doing that again. The red is too dark for the extremely thin almost transparent GrainIt base and required many coats to cover and get it to the proper yellowish color. When I had to have more of the base made locally the mix formula info the store used said the recommended primer for that color was light gray. That particular paint is illegal in bulk out here because of the solvents so all I can get is 2 spray cans made at a time. Decided it was too late to start over and lived with the mistake.

The one "problem" I was not happy with is the overlay pattern tended to fade as it dried. After many attempts getting the technique down I had what I considered a decent result -- until it dried and colors sort of faded and blended together. Started over again and it did the same. After checking, GrainIt said this was normal and all would be good again once the clear was applied. It did improve but IMO, the pattern was not nearly as distinct or pleasing as I had without the fading.

The person who has the technique down and does beautiful work is David Grubbs. I'm not going to do mine over but maybe he would have a suggestion on yours before you get in too deep. At the least I would ask the paint store what the recommended primer color would be for your base color.

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Posted on: 2015/12/13 20:54
Howard
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Re: Grainit woodgraining
#3
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Fish'n Jim
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Your dash looks good. If you wanted to accent the grain, you could've air brushed in some contrast.
What you're saying is the red oxide was probably just primer.
One would need alot of special equipment to test the remaining grain for paint layers. I have one patch left that's untouched.

When you're trying to match something, it comes down to degrees of closeness. My office was nearby the color matchers when we made paint. They always had a sample to start from. When you're not sure what your match is though, it's a complete crap shoot. You can match the color(absorption) and still blow it on surface appearance so it's a complex art.
Plus we're using modern materials for a what was just a lacquer and probably ink job and different pigments today. From what I've researched, the gloss was spray out and not as shiny as these parts weren't rubbed out. I was planning to use a semigloss clear.
I'm most worried about it clashing with the interiors colors; ivory, grey, and blue. One thing I considered but rejected was maybe a neutral matching single color like a blue grey but that won't have that art deco look the chrome trim imparts to wood grain.
ps: it's supposed to look like dark walnut.

Posted on: 2015/12/14 9:23
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Re: Grainit woodgraining
#4
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HH56
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I don't know how far you took your dash down but on mine some pristine examples of the original lower burl finish was under the chrome. Straight grain on the top was not as easy to find as there was nothing hidden. With what was left of the original finish plus some sales brochures and photos on site and ebay I was able to get a fairly good feel for what should be there. One thing I am not really sure about was the finish gloss. Some dashes look like glass and others are more semi gloss like I decided mine would be. That was one thing I couldn't tell by looking at what was left of the original pattern.

The fact books aren't much help since they are sort of a monotone but some of the 22-23 sales brochures can help give an approximation if you can't find any good photos or something left of the original under some piece of trim. GrainIt also has a fairly decent track record of knowing what was there originally and which of their products will best reproduce it.

GrainIt has a video of an old assy line showing how most of the mfgs originally did the various patterns. It was a printing process on flat sheets of steel which were then stamped to shape.

Posted on: 2015/12/14 11:18
Howard
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Re: Grainit woodgraining
#5
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Joe Santana
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They printed on flat sheets of metal that were formed after? That's cheating!

Posted on: 2015/12/14 15:51
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Re: Grainit woodgraining
#6
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Fish'n Jim
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I don't see how these window escutcheons can be made from prepainted steel. They only have graining on the face and its' consistent to the edge. The paint tool would have to match the trim contours exactly, prebending, and that's not a '40s skill.
All mine have at least one brazed joint that was sanded flat under the paint. So do to the heat of brazing, the paint had to come after the stamping and brazing.
It's true that tin lithography was used for toys, graining, etc. which was a silk screen process followed by pressing but this primer was spray painted or dipped and then grained.
I have to start over as I'm now not convinced I got the right info from Grainit, 2 years ago. Of course, I didn't buy from them so they owe me nothing. I recall they said it was done by hand off line and have an article to same.
I'm going to seek an area woodgrainer to do the stain so I'll let them figure it out. If I have to reshoot a color coat, no biggie. If I try to grain, I'll spend more time and material than it's worth to me. But it sure looks like the primer was the undercoat on these. What's left of the the grain is the same reddish hue, not the new sepia. Which leads me to think it's supposed to emulate mahogany not walnut. I think walnut would match the brown broadcloths better, which is a common interior in the 23 series.
But as you say, there's no known source of info on these parts. They list only as part numbers to trim code with no reference to what finish those numbers refer to. The roster people weren't knowledgeable either. The sales lit I've seen was mostly artist renderings. The good photos are mostly restos and they overgloss the dash in my mind. But it looks nice and shiny.
I ordered some books on faux so that should help.
Thanks for any help anyone can or did render.

Posted on: 2015/12/15 15:22
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