| False-Grained Metal |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-703 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Q: I'm buying a metal door, but I want to make it look like a wood door. Can you show me how? A: (Bruce Johnson, DIY woodworking expert) The technique you're thinking of is called false graining, and it dates back thousands of years. It can make for a very nice, dramatic effect (figure A) over what might otherwise be a plain and boring surface. Here's how you do it. - For our demonstration, we're applying this technique on a piece of plywood. This is advisable as a practice step before trying it on an actual door or other permanent fixture.
- The first step is to lay down a background color -- generally yellow, tan or reddish. Use a coat of latex paint as the background color. Allow it to dry before beginning the graining process.
- To add the graining effect, wood stain is used. It's important to use a gel stain (figure B, LEFT), rather than an ordinary thin-bodied stain (figure B, RIGHT). A thin stain will run when applied in this process.
- Using a paintbrush, apply a thick layer of gel stain over the background paint. Cover the entire piece.
- Once the stain has been applied, use a specialized graining tool to create the grain pattern in the stain. Graining tools (figure C) come in a variety of forms, and are available at home centers. They are essentially a comb with teeth that you pull through the wet stain to create decorative effects.
- Pull the teeth of the graining tool through the wet gel-stain (figure D). A rocking, back-and-forth motion made during the pull creates the wood-grain pattern.
- You can experiment using different techniques with the graining tool -- such as wave or squiggle patterns -- to create different effects (figure E). If you're not happy with a certain effect, simply add more gel stain over the surface and begin again.
- Once you have a design that you're happy with (figure F), simply let the stain dry to create the finished effect.
- You can also experiment with lighter stains (figure G) to give the effect of lighter woods such as oak or popla.
- Tip: As a finishing touch, lightly brush out the graining-tool lines with the tips of the bristles on a dry paintbrush to create a softer, more natural look (figure H).
- Once the stain has dried completely, apply a coat of polyurethane varnish (figure I) to protect the grain pattern you've created.
RESOURCES :
The Weekend Refinisher:
How to Make the Most of Your Furniture-A Step-by-Step Guide
Author: Bruce E. Johnson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 034535866X
The Wood Finisher: How to Finish Everything, From Decks to Floors to Doors
Author: Bruce Johnson
ISBN: 0345372972
Ballantine Books
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
