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Hi, can anyone comment on how to refinish the interior wood trim? Specifically I am interested in the wood dash header trim on the ’31 Series 43: just making it more presentable by removing and replacing the aged-failed finish.
Randy: is it actual wood? or is it grain-painted ‘faux-wood’ paint ?
Greg
Yep, Greg, you are right: painted steel. I know what to do now. Thanks!
I know a fellow who restores that wood grain on metal. He did my window reveals on my 34 840A club brougham and did an excellent job. Will be happy to share his name and number if interested.
So…what about those of of that have genuine wood trim in various places and would like to restore that trim?
Craig is right: this would be good info for those who have wood trim, so maybe somone could advise. There are different finishes appropriate for various cars and eras.
As Randy mentioned, there are different finishes for different eras of cars.
Personally I do not like wood in a car to have the extra-shiney extra-glossy look. Some of the refinish jobs look like the wood has been dipped in clear plastic.. For me, it might as well BE plastic when it’s that over-refinished.
Either Tung Oil, available from Formby’s, or a similar Linseed-Oil based, hand rubbed finish looks best on the ’20’s cars. This is like a fine rifle’s wood stock. Water repellant, and a warm rich glow from the wood’s natural grain.
I would need several pages to go through all the processes and techniques for refinishing wood, but the most important thing is to remember that when our cars were new, there was no PolyUrethane !! Some wood might have received a coat of clear lacquer, but otherwise an oil finish or a waxed-finish was used.
Old finishes get dark, from years of dirt lying on the finish then being rubbed in by hands and polishing rags.
To clean and remove old dark finishes, use 0000 steel wool dampened with Lacquer Thinner or Denatured Alcohol, or a mix of the two solvents. Obviously the wood pieces must be removed for this cleaning, or any cloth upholstery or painted adjacent surfaces must be protected..
The 0000 steel wool and solvents will soften and remove old finishes, but not the plastic-based Polyurethanes. Once the wood is clean, it’s natural beauty will virtually glow from it’s surface. I usually use a hand rubbed oil finish, or sometimes will use a clear Lacquer furniture finish that is sprayed on.
If your real wood is just slightly dull looking, try the same solvents dampening a rag and gently wipe the surface of the wood, this should clean off any adhering dirt, and leave the wood much brighter.
Whatever you do, MAKE SURE that what you think is wood, is ACTUALLY wood. Some of the painted-steel faux-finishes are VERY good, and do appear to be real wood. But the solvent on 0000 steel wool will completely remove the paint, down to bare steel.. and you will NOT be happy !! So test first with a magnet, or tapping on the surface with a fingernail or hard plastic tool, listen for the thud from wood, and the ‘ting!’ from metal.
Greg Long
I like wood, but I really admire some of the painted steel (faux) finished trim pieces. The French luxury Car made by FACEL, the Vega, was known in part for its beautiful faux-painted steel dash (not to mention it’s hot Chrysler engine). Some of the Cadillacs and other cars of the 1930s and 1940s are very nice. I have seen a photograph of a Pierce-Arrow Series 80 dash which seems to be to have been properly refinished, and it is a beauty; I hope to have the one in my Car refinished. Perhaps we could share some photos of Pierce dashes and trim which are considered properly refinished in more-or-less correct wood grain and finish. Seems reasonable to me that this might be a good source of reference for getting these redone correctly.
The best I can do right now is suggest a Youtube video which shows a glimpse of a Series 80 dash which appears to be a well-refinished version of the one on my 1927 Series 80 Car. Search YouTube “Driving Pierce Arrow” and it should be one of the first you find. I have seen Series 80 dashes painted and with various woodgraining applied. I think mine is probably in original, unrestored condition. The steel window trim has been redone in an obviously amateur attempt that doesn’t satisfy at all.
Sean Ornduff has a couple of photos on his website, of the 1931 Series 43 he restored for Merlin, and it shows the woodgraining he did of the same part as on my ’31.
I am restoring a ’30 Model B 7 passenger. The dash is dark brown and looking a bit rough. I am wondering if the dark brown is original or was it redone in the past? Was it faux wood? Any trick to getting the chrome that surrounds the gages with out destroying them?
David,
Check out thread from :March 18 to Mr. LeRoy about dash board work. Hope this helps.
Tom
Be sure to check with Woodgrain Specialists in Littlestown, PA. When restoring a 1928 Series 36 4-pass landau sedan, I called them and they knew that the correct graining on the dash was slightly different on the dash doors for this model. They were correct, and did a beautiful job. Even the large surface screws were wood grained.
Highly recommended!
Miles
Dave,
At least on mine the gauge bezels have straight sides that go through the openings and there are just a few places on each bezel that are bent over some to hold them in. Jim
Thank you gentlemen for the excellent direction. Looks like the chrome gauge bezels are like yours Jim as they are just inserted and the edges bent over in places. I also looked at the paint some more and it may have been originally just a dark chocolate brown. I also see from the post Tom sent back on March 18th that the dashes were not always wood grained.
Not sure if I have the skills or patients to do the wood grain so I will have to give Wood grain Specialist a call, paint it chocolate brown or learn a new skill. I definitely have something to think about. BTW Jim I will study the email you sent on how to make the wood grain pattern some more before I forge a ahead. Thanks to all for the support!!!
David, I had a shop do the wood grain on my ’35 a couple years ago, he does it using the “Grain-It Technologies” method rather than hand painted. It is supposedly the original process used by the factories (I don’t claim to know). His sight is http://www.ucuap.com. He has a large site with before and after pictures including mine if you click on ’35 Pierce-Arrow. He is quite reasonable and his prices are posted on the site, I think the quality and service was excellent with one problem – color. A PAS member graciously took pictures of his original dash for me that I sent along to provide a color match. the ’35 has two different grains on the dash, as you can see on the site and compare to pictures of other ’35’s the inside dash color came out more towards gray. If you use him it might be better to choose from the color charts he has and get some samples before proceeding.
I ended up a bit torn, before I had it done I wasn’t enamored with the original colors – too much brown, so what I have I actually like better but it is off from the original.
Jim
I too have used “Grain-It” technologies. From their business one can purchase all of the supplies for the do-it-yourself-er. I got the supplies and did the wood grain transfer myself on my ’36 ford. They have many types of wood grains to chose from. After painting a base color, the grain pattern is picked up on a silicon roller from the pattern plate you chose. It is then transferred to the part to be grained. It is very forgiving. If you don’t like how it turns out you can wipe the pattern off and try it again. The pattern is slow drying. Check out their web site. I plan to do my own on my 836-A when the time comes. They also are at Hersey and give demonstrations and are good to talk to.
Grain-It’s display at Hershey and the demonstration and opportunity to look closely at the tools and supplies is fascinating. Last year I caught it a couple times with no one else interested, and got a really fine demonstration and explanation, one-on-one. If I understand the literature, they also do woodgraining work if you like. They seem to have knowledge of the correct patterns and colors for most cars of the era.
The dash on my Series 80 seems to have two different tones: the main panel has two shield-shaped areas on the ends with a gold band surround, simulating inlay I think, and I am not certain how this would be done. The completed one I saw is a beauty though.
One more question (sigh from everyone else…)
On the 1931 Series 43 sedan, was the entire dash woodgrained, or was the top header woodgrained and the face painted body color?