Faux Wood Grain ....

[mikeinct]

Any of you guys ever do a painted on faux wood grain pattern on a fiberglass stock ?? I had some just Ok ideas for paint on a thumbhole stock I've been working on...Flames ...camo pattern.lightning bolt ..plain black with some white line spacers..I could not decide...Any thoughts, ?? mike

 

[Kav]

I have done several Harleys in wood grain and used to restore old trim pieces back when I worked on street rods. If you are dead set on wood grain send it off and have it dipped for it takes forever to do wood grain properly and they'll do the water dip for ~100.00,+ or -)... unless I am doing a small piece in a graphic I send them out to have them dipped.

 

[mikeinct]

kay this stock is plain raw fiberglass,with an aluminum bed preinstalled...I've primed & sanded & filled till I'm sick of the pin holes & flaws...It is a rather nice Brownells fiberglass thumbhole stock...But i had no idea how labor intensive this project would become....I added to my own grief by opening the side of the butt stock & installing a homemade recoil reducer..& up top I added a removable cheekpiece...Lots of sanding..It is turning out pretty slick..I just did the red primer & will final sand for paint this weekend...I was asking if any of you have ever tried to do a wood grain effect on fiberglass...mike in ct

 

[Kav]

there are two ways to do wood grain with paint,that I am aware of and use...well three but you can't find paint retarder any more. One, the old fasioned way, is you use undercoating reduced and smear it with various towels... that's how I was originaly taught by "Uncle Irv". Now, I use various brushes I have special cut specific to painting wood grain effect, use about 5 different colors, and finish the effects with an airbrush. I believe TP Tools has some wood grain paint thingy but I saw it used at a car show and was less than impressed. I guess it depends on how picky you are... me charging to do a customer's stock I have to be fairly picky at how it looks so effort vs $$$ made I send them to get wood grain applied via hydrographics. Kinda like the carbon fiber look.. we used to airbrush the effect but for a Ben Franklin I just send the customers stock to get dipped.

If you are attempting to brush the grain in..I recommend One Shot for it dries slower than other paints and gives you time to work with it, but be careful if you are clear coating with automotive urethanes for you have to apply very light at first or you will "lift" the One Shot.

 

[mikeinct]

I've run it a couple of paint problems...the red goop to fill lifts gray primer, thats fun...& gel stain I tried burned thru the one day old paint...I'm using a old rem adl plastic wonder to practic on..when I get something going I'll post a pic...I'm hip to the 5 colors...thanks...mike in ct

 

[Kav]

If you are using Nitro-stan filler or some other non catalyzed "putty"...you had better stop dig all of it out and fill it with a glaze putty that utilizes a hardner/catalyst..otherwise you will have tiny blisters everywhere you applied the putty.

My advice...do not use anything that does not require a catalyst.

 

[bhawks]

I can certainly verify that tip from experience. Stay away from spot putty. Especially if using any type of automotive paint / clear coat. You may also want to allow extra time for the solvents to escape from the filled holes between color and clear as it can turn a beautiful paint job into a bubbly one the first hot sunny day at the range.