Wood graining also known as decorative
wood finishing is a timeless decorative finish
that adds warmth and beauty to any space. It can
be utilized in almost any style of décor
from a Mahogany Gentlemen's Pub to a bleached
oak farmhouse dining room. When wood graining,
choose surfaces that are realistically made of
wood, such as baseboards, moldings, panels, mantels,
columns or tabletops. 
Wood graining techniques can
be utilized for effects such as; how to make metal
doors look like real wood, how to lighten up the
interior of your log home walls or siding, kitchen
or bathroom cabinets refinishing without the high
cost of stain removal. Many log home owners look
to professional painters and painting contractors
for the purpose of restoring their interior log
home at a fraction of the cost.
By learning the skill of wood graining,
dark wood no longer has to be stripped of stain
and varnish. With the proper wood graining techniques
and practices your log home, kitchen or bathroom
cabinets can look brand new again. Information
Provided By Jaworski Coatings, Inc
Why You Should Wood Grain
Wood graining is a technique that allows
you to give the appearance of a particular type
of wood without actually using the wood. A woodgraining
technique is a highly-skilled painting or staining
technique that can more or less take one type
of wood and cause it to look like another type.
Woodgraining techniques are particularly nice
in a log home, as you can use a wood that’s
deemed strong in your region of the country and
make it look like another type of wood that more
fits your style of living.
Woodgraining Tools
When you wood grain your doors, cabinets,
beams or exterior of your home, you will need
masking tape, a glaze or woodgraining paint, a
wood-graining comb, woodgraining tool brushes
and cheese cloth. You will also want to have a
clear finish on hand to give your finished product
a nice shine.
How to Wood Grain Your Home
Woodgraining techniques typically involve
applying the glaze to your door, cabinets or beams
and running the wood-graining comb along the glaze
to give your home the appearance you’re
seeking. You’ll want to buy a wood-graining
comb and glaze that will fit the style of wood
you’re seeking.
Ask Your Wood Graining Question Here!
For Local Wood Graining or Painting and Decorating
Services CLICK HERE
1. INTRODUCTION
 Wood
graining is the process of creating the
warmth, richness, and beauty of real wood on any
finish or surface. Wood graining
has come a long way from the days when a skilled
craftsman used a brush and/or bird feather dipped
into secret formulas to simulate the look and
beauty of wood. Now the Old Masters® method
uses a serrated squeegee (the graining tool) and
Wiping Stain to produce the grains and patterns
of real wood. Whereas historically to get a realistic
wood grain pattern, a person had to be a craftsman
with a gift in the arts - now with Old Masters®,
the average do-it-yourselfer can have good success
and justifiable pride in his or her creations.
Quick Guide How to Wood Grain / Grain
Wood
AN OVERVIEW
THE WOOD GRAINING PROCESS
4 STEPS TO THE WARMTH & BEAUTY OF WOOD
1. Apply the Old Masters® Graining Base
with a good quality natural bristle brush and
allow to dry 24 hours.
2. Apply the first coat of Old Masters® Wiping
Stain with a foam brush and let dry 12 hours.
3. Apply the second coat of Old Masters®
Wiping Stain same as above, except while wet,
rearrange with the Old Masters® graining tool,
“feather” or “dry brush”,
and then let dry 12 hours.
4. Protect the finish with the Old Masters®
Polyurethane, by applying it with a natural bristle
brush and letting it dry 12 hours.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1) Can I woodgrain?
Yes, provided you can follow instructions. The
Old Masters® system makes
woodgraining simple, easy, and enjoyable to do;
however, you must be patient and have a positive
approach.
2) What can I woodgrain?
Basically anything that is smooth and flat and
will let paint adhere to it. You can make metal,
plastic, painted objects, masonite, most anything
look like wood; metal file cabinets, kitchen cabinets,
tables, bookcases, chests, vanities, wood or steel
doors, paneling, dressers, desks, etc.
3) Must I strip off the old paint or varnish?
Removing the old finish is almost always best,
but that may not be necessary. If the old finish
is in good condition, it may be okay to woodgrain
over it.
4) What if I do not get the pattern of
wood that I like, can I change it?
Yes, as long as the stain is still wet. You can
simply erase by re-wiping the stain over the bad
or disliked pattern, and use the tool again.
5) Does the Graining Kit have everything
I’ll need?
No. We have not included in the Kit things that
are easy for you to get or items that you may
already have, such as sandpaper, paint thinner,
etc.
6) How much area will the Graining Kit
cover?
Approximately 50 square feet (basically enough
product to cover a medium size chest or both sides
of a steel door).
7) Can I buy just one item from the kit;
such as another can of paint, stain, or another
graining tool?
Yes, Old Masters® is sold open stock as well
as in kits and the items of the kit are available
separately from most stocking dealers.
8) How long will it take me to do a steel
door?
Actual work time for us to woodgrain a 9 panel
steel door is approximately 5 hours. However,
with no experience, it may take you 5 to 10 hours.
9) Can I wood grain my door while it is
still on the hinges?
Yes, but you will find it easier to work with
when it is lying flat.
10) How long will the woodgrained finish last?
Inside: the woodgrain finish will last many years.
The finish is chip resistant and the protective
coat of polyurethane gives it good durability
which is very serviceable. It will stand up as
well as stained or varnished woodwork.
Outside: when used outside,
we recommend a quality exterior polyurethane or
spar varnish with Ultraviolet Absorbers (UVA)
to protect the woodgrained finish. The woodgraining
will stand up as long as the clear coat that protects
it.
11) Can I touch up the finish?
Yes, you can touch up the scratches and imperfections
as you can on most finishes. Most often chips
and scratches can be hidden by dabbing stain on
the damaged area with an artist brush. If your
damage is severe, you might have to go back to
the base paint, then stain, and follow up with
polyurethane. Perfect touch ups, like all repairs,
are hard to achieve.
12) Is the tool the whole secret to woodgraining?
No, there is more to the graining process than
just the tool. Why? First, to arrive at your intended
color, it is important that you use the right
colored components. Secondly, although you have
some latitude with regards to the base coat, we
would encourage you to use an alkyd eggshell enamel
base paint, for durability, chip resistance, and
ease in graining. The material you use for the
actual graining is of utmost importance. One that
dries too fast is impossible to work with. Therefore,
don’t be tempted to use any stain. Also,
many stains will not adhere to the surface properly.
You must have a material that stays open (will
not dry too fast) and stays separated (it must
be pigmented enough to hold position) when the
tool is pulled through it. The Old Masters®
Wiping Stain has been especially formulated for
staining wood and woodgraining. For woodgraining,
it has the slow drying characteristics needed
and stays separated when tooled, as well as excellent
blending or feathering characteristics. (Accept
no substitute to Old Masters®.)
13) If I later want to remove the woodgraining,
how do I do it?
You can remove it as you would a paint - with
paint remover.
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
1) SURFACE PREPARATION
The surface to which the base paint is applied
must be smooth, even, and in sound condition -
no chipping, cracking, or peeling. It must be
free of dirt, grease, and wax. If your project
has a lot of coats of old paint or varnish on
it, we recommend stripping it and starting from
a clean, smooth surface. If the paint on your
project is smooth, tight, and in good shape, stripping
is generally unnecessary.
Before you apply the base paint, sand the surface
lightly and always sand the surface in the direction
of the wood grain. For the average surfaces, medium
grit sandpaper is sufficient (120 to 150 grit).
For hard/slick surfaces, you may wish to sand
and use a conditioner called a De-glosser,which
is a chemical that prepares a slick or glossy
finish to receive paint. (Ask your paint dealer
- he’ll have a De-glosser suggestion for
you.) The high gloss finish must have the gloss
dulled or the woodgrain finish will chip easily.
2) APPLYING THE BASE PAINT
Please review the instructional information as
printed on the Graining Base label. To this we
would add the following:
Having prepared the surface, you are now ready
to apply the Old Masters® Graining Base.
The direction you brush the base paint
is important.
As with the surface preparation and sanding, you
must brush the base paint in the direction of
the wood grain. You should never have brush marks
going in a different direction than the grain,
because they will show through. If you are uncertain
as to the grain direction.
Apply the base paint with a good quality
natural bristle brush.
Try to keep brush marks at a minimum and cover
your project as best you can. If your base coat
does not cover perfectly, do not be too concerned,
because the following steps will cover most imperfections.
If the hide or coverage is really bad, you will
need to give it a second coat of base paint.
Allow the base paint to dry thoroughly.
Under normal conditions, 24 hours is adequate.
However, drying time will vary according to temperature
and humidity conditions. Also, we encourage you
to paint the “test piece” at this
time. This will be useful later when practicing
wood graining and when testing dry time on your
project.
4. CHECKLIST:
Items you will need -
1) The contents of the Old Masters® Graining
Kit, namely, Old Masters® Graining Base paint,
Wiping Stain, Polyurethane Satin, graining tool,
foam brush, tack rag, and instructions.
2) 11/2” to 2” Natural Bristle Paint
Brush (we recommend a good brush).
3) Sandpaper - 2 sheets of medium grit sandpaper
(120 to 150 grit) and 2 sheets of fine grit
sandpaper (220 to 280 grit).
4) Artist brush - for touch up.
5) Masking tape - 1” - for lining off grains.
6) Paint thinner (mineral spirits) for brush clean
up, wash, etc.
7) We would recommend a “test piece”.
A piece of material approximately 12” x
20” of a similar substance as your project.
The purpose of this is two-fold: 1) to use as
a practice board and 2) to assure your various
steps are thoroughly dry.
5. BEFORE YOU BEGIN
– Please read and follow the instructions
as printed on the cans and on the pages that follow.
– You are responsible for providing a good
working environment (dust free, good lighting,
conducive to good drying, etc.).
– Work in well ventilated area while applying
paint and paint related products. Pay close attention
to all cautions.
– Examine the item to be refinished or grained,
making sure it is structurally sound. Make structural
improvements before your base paint application.
Remove glue spots or excessive caulk, etc., as
well as fill in scratches, nail holes, etc. Always
remove hardware
prior to painting.
To use the tool: Hold it by its handle and place
your index finger directly on the base of the
head (where the handle and curved portion of the
tool meet). To use the tool, press the face of
the tool firmly against the surface of your project
and slide it along in a straight, smooth motion.
The two basic secrets to the use of the tool are:
1) Maintaining a good constant pressure. For the
tool to work, it must have good, constant contact
with the surface. Where the tool does not firmly
touch, it can not rearrange the stain.
2) Constant motion. You can go slow or you can
go fast, but you can not stop. You must move the
tool across the surface in a smooth, uninterrupted
motion. Let’s try it.
Spread a thin coat of stain over your “test
or practice board” with our foam brush.
Now let’s try it. Just think of it as pressing
firm - sliding along at a gentle speed. Use it
like you would a squeegee on glass. Now try to
slide it and roll it just a little. Just one tool,
but all kinds of patterns. By changing the pivoting
point on the tool, you change the pattern.
Note: Descriptions of these techniques
on following page.
Helpful Hint No. 2 - How to
solve the problem of joints - or cross grained
corners.
To make it easier to get cross grained corners
and joints, we suggest a light line with a pencil
and then put masking tape on the line. After accomplishing
your grain pattern, immediately
and carefully, remove the masking tape. (Never
leave tape on over night.)
Old Masters was founded in 1953 by paint salesman,
Richard Ketcher who experimented with various
formulas to be used in wood graining and "antiquing".
After much trial and error, he logged the perfect
formula and contracted with Diamond Vogel Paint
to make base paints. In 1977, the business was
sold to Vogel Paint, Inc. and the Old Masters
division with three employees began. Over the
years, new products have been introduced such
as quick drying, tintable penetrating stain, a
full line of oil-based urethane clears and TM
paint removers products, Scratchide touch-up pens
and H2O Waterborne Clear Finishes. Today, Old
Masters is available in the United States, Canada
and Mexico thru independent dealer network. In
2007, Old Masters relocated into a new 29,000
sq. ft. distribution and office facility. (See
www.oldmastrs.com)
Information provided by Old Masters.
Q: How do I create a wood grain effect
on a smooth, opaque surface?
A:Graining consists of applying
a ground coat then, using graining tools, working
in a pattern of wood grain with other colors.
Skillful graining requires much practice. To become
familiar with the characteristics of various woods,
it is advisable to study actual samples. (Your
local library should have many books on faux finishing.
In graining, keep in mind that nature never produces
two patterns exactly alike; therefore too much
repetition of pattern should be avoided.)
Tools used in graining include steel and rubber
graining combs; fitch brushes for veining; sable
pencil brushes; hog hair mottlers; camel's hair
mottlers; piped overgrainer; badger's hair blenders;
stipplers and graining check roller. The most
popular graining method is "brush graining,"
which is described below.
Apply a base coat (match the color of a light
wood being imitated) using SuperPaint® Interior
Latex Satin. Apply blended glazing material (Acrylic
Faux Finishing Glaze) to the surface base coat.
Brush streaks into the coating by drawing a coarse,
dry brush or whisk broom down through the color
from top to bottom while the glaze is still wet.
The brush should be wriggled as it is pulled along,
to produce a wavy grain in some places. In this
type of graining, no particular attempt is made
to imitate actual grain or figure of a particular
wood, but the overall effect will be pleasing.
Information provided by Sherwin Williams
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