wood finish

[larry harding]

30 pickup I just got in my top wood kit. what is the best way to finish the wood before installing it. the complete restoration book doesn't say anything about wood finish, or if it does I can't find it. thanks

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Larry,

Model A wood was formerly provided in Model A tops, doors, sub-sills, bodies, and/or wherever, without wood treatment which is currently available today.

If it rained where this Model A was located, or if there was high humidity and/or termites in this area, it is never uncommon to hear of one removing "old" decayed wood which incidentally keeps our current Model A wood suppliers in business today.

About (3) applications of any Anti-Rot wood preservative sold at hardware stores or lumber yards, (applied 24 to 48 hours apart), could turn your project into a Once-In-A-Lifetime, Model A Wood Project.

Extreme Family Kindness: With (3) simple wood treatment applications, even your loving great-great-great-great grandchildren will never have to change out Model A wood that Gramps so carefully installed in 2015.

[Larry Jenkins]

Originally Posted by larry harding

30 pickup I just got in my top wood kit. what is the best way to finish the wood before installing it. the complete restoration book doesn't say anything about wood finish, or if it does I can't find it. thanks

I plan to use Satin polyurethane on my 30 CCPU wood.

Larry

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Linseed oil is good & doesn't smell bad.
Bill W.

[1crosscut]

Larry I'm not sure of what the standards say about the wood finish. I'm pretty sure it was painted / treated with a black paint of some type. Others will chime in I'm sure. I personally used a black satin finish. If that is the way you want to go I can go check my can that I have left over from the project. I like the finish quite a lot.
A considerable number of folks like to leave the wood showing especially if it is a nice oak or such. If you do decide to go that way a marine varnish would be my choice as it will allow for movement without cracking as a polyurethane might be more prone to cracking. If you go with the linseed oil treatment as Bill suggests be sure to cut it with at least 50% turpentine. If you don't it will be sticky for quite some time. Bad thing is the turpentine smells like hell for a while.

[Larry Jenkins]

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Originally Posted by 1crosscut

Larry I'm not sure of what the standards say about the wood finish. I'm pretty sure it was painted / treated with a black paint of some type. Others will chime in I'm sure. I personally used a black satin finish. If that is the way you want to go I can go check my can that I have left over from the project. I like the finish quite a lot.
A considerable number of folks like to leave the wood showing especially if it is a nice oak or such. If you do decide to go that way a marine varnish would be my choice as it will allow for movement without cracking as a polyurethane might be more prone to cracking. If you go with the linseed oil treatment as Bill suggests be sure to cut it with at least 50% turpentine. If you don't it will be sticky for quite some time. Bad thing is the turpentine smells like hell for a while.

Satin poly over an open grained wood like Oak will soak into the wood. No chipping, unless you add many coats.

Many years of fine furniture design and construction before Model A Number 3.

Larry J.

[2manycars]

The Paint and Finish Guide says "All of the body wood was finished in a dull black asphaltum based wood preservative."

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by 2manycars

The Paint and Finish Guide says "All of the body wood was finished in a dull black asphaltum based wood preservative."

Yes, ...but in this example the wood was installed first, and then the cab was painted both inside and out. Due to the majority of the wood being exposed inside the cab (without upholstered panels covering the wood), it was covered in body colored paint.

[larry harding]

thanks again guys... the satin.poly sounds like a good bet. i'll head to lowes or home depot tomorrow.

[Larry Jenkins]

Originally Posted by larry harding

thanks again guys... the satin.poly sounds like a good bet. i'll head to lowes or home depot tomorrow.

Thin it 20% with Mineral Spirits then apply only two coats. Best penetration with very little gloss. The Oak will look very nice.

Black asphaltum is probably correct with a Point Car with some overspray from painting. Mine will not be one, and I know how good the Satin Poly will work.

Larry

[Mikeinnj]

Originally Posted by larry harding

30 pickup I just got in my top wood kit. what is the best way to finish the wood before installing it. the complete restoration book doesn't say anything about wood finish, or if it does I can't find it. thanks

Your question is vague.

You asked "what is the best way to finish the wood".

Did the "best way" mean, "what is the correct way"?

Brent answered that for you but you seem to be going in a different direction.

[2manycars]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Yes, ...but in this example the wood was installed first, and then the cab was painted both inside and out. Due to the majority of the wood being exposed inside the cab (without upholstered panels covering the wood), it was covered in body colored paint.

Right, I missed the part about it being the roof of a pickup. Wood was not normally painted body color where it did not show. The inside of a pickup is an exception.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by larry harding

thanks again guys... the satin.poly sounds like a good bet. i'll head to lowes or home depot tomorrow.

I would paint it with body paint, as Brent mentioned.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by 1930 coupe

You can get a black asphalt wood preservative that does not smell after it dries, and looks very much like the original wood finish, from Tractor Supply.

Based of the wood in my sons car we used,


Just make sure you use something that seals and protects.

[Larry Jenkins]

Originally Posted by 2manycars

Right, I missed the part about it being the roof of a pickup. Wood was not normally painted body color where it did not show. The inside of a pickup is an exception.

I am trying to determine what is required to add a headliner in my 30 CCPU. Sent an email to Le Baron Bonney about what is needed. No response yet. Over a week now.

If I can do it, the finish on the roof bows becomes a moot point.. But still will use the 2 thinned coats of Satin Poly..

Larry

[Ken Ehrenhofer]

I use a product from Dupont product called DP 90 an epoxy primer which will seal the wood

[larry harding]

top wood is just the beginning, i'm going to replace all of it as I progress along. this ain't going to be a show car, I just want it to look decent and now have a few options to choose from.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Larry Jenkins

I am trying to determine what is required to add a headliner in my 30 CCPU. Sent an email to Le Baron Bonney about what is needed. No response yet. Over a week now.

If I can do it, the finish on the roof bows becomes a moot point.. But still will use the 2 thinned coats of Satin Poly..

Larry

This thread is confusing when two different Larrys have two different pick-ups want two different interiors! With regard to LeBaron Bonney, in all fairness o them, they are only a supplier who manufacture off of patterns generated several decades ago. They are not Model-A people, --and likely have never trimmed a closed-cab pick-up. Therefore the ball is really in your court to provide them with some type of pattern.

And, as I stated before, we have trimmed several closed cab pick-ups in my shop, and I don't think there is a tidy way to install a headliner into that cab in the traditional manner that Ford used on other Model-As.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by larry harding

top wood is just the beginning, i'm going to replace all of it as I progress along. this ain't going to be a show car, I just want it to look decent and now have a few options to choose from.

I would start with the body wood first as it can define the shape of the back panel.


So the bigger question in all of this thread is "WHY" do we need to add a preservative? If the original wood (often times unsealed or unpreserved) has lasted 75+ years, how long does it last with preserver finish added? Are we thinking an additional 5 years?? How do we know the poly preservative doesn't degrade over that 75 years rendering it ineffective???

[jw hash]

Ken
DP90 is a PPG product and I use it on all my wood. I put two coats on, the first one I thin it out pretty thin and let it soak in. then I put a second normal coat on.