Thread: 1931 Cadillac Roadster

Originally Posted by j&j

Hermit, some extra info.The colour do's not penetrate very deep so your part's have to finished. ie shaped & sanded. When they are dry, after being in the solution they will be a grey to dark grey colour depending on the timber being used.It is not until you put your clear finish on that the true colour shows up.
I hope's this help's, Jim

Thanks, Jim. It does help. I won't try to get it fully black before testing some finish.

I've got some bits of Blackwood, Jarrah, NG Rosewood and a piece of unknown hardwood that I cut from an old 2 x 1. If it works well I'll have to find out what type of timber it is.

For a really black finish, have you tried ebonising followed by timber dye or stain?

Years ago, in my wood carvings, I used to use tyre black for backgrounds. It came up similar to your acrylic finish. I have a pic if you're interested, but it's only a scanned photo so it's not very clear.

Edit: My plans just arrived - the 1930 Roadster as mentioned and the 1956 Pickup Truck.

So, I tried the 'unknown' timber first, (I'm told it's Tas Oak), and got fantastic results. I cut a strip of 2mm veneer for the test. I soaked in the solution for about 2 hours.

- First pic is straight after soaking, while wet.

- Second pic is when dry, with no finish. (There's a distinct bluish/purplish tinge to the timber in the right light. Doesn't show in the pic.)

- Third pic is with 2 coats of wipe-on poly.

(The surface is pretty rough. I did no sanding except a quick go on the belt sander before soaking. That probably helped it go so black.)

It's just like using stain in one way - you have to be careful not to touch the wet timber. Got the black hands to prove it.

Thanks for the help, Jim. Much appreciated. This is now another tool in my woodworking toolbox. I hate stain. This method is much nicer.

I have some Blackwood soaking at the moment, but it's taking much longer.

Edit: I'll probably use some of this Tas Oak for the chassis of the Roadster. Might, (or might not), make it black. Haven't decided yet.

Originally Posted by j&j

Brett, please excuse my terminology of "yanks", it was addressed to my mate BigD, he must from up north, his address is USA. I received your email, & I will reply shortly to that, thank's for the thought. This post is about the wheel's, they are painted with a craft paint as in one of my earlier post's. Then sprayed with two coat's of polyurethane. The roof, seat's, & grill surround are ebonised as in a post to Hermit, sorry for any confusion. I hope this clear's everything up
Regard's Jim

Yes, we are still friends .

As far as the term Yanks go, I am from Kansas (I am sure you have heard of Dodge City Kansas , Marshal Dillon, Gunsmoke etc. I was actually born in Dodge City) which is in the middle of the continental USA both north/south and east/west ---- so, I am not a northener or a southerner.

Originally Posted by BigDBigD

Yes, we are still friends .

As far as the term Yanks go, I am from Kansas (I am sure you have heard of Dodge City Kansas , Marshal Dillon, Gunsmoke etc. I was actually born in Dodge City) which is in the middle of the continental USA both north/south and east/west ---- so, I am not a northener or a southerner.

Wow I pleased we're not still in that "Gunsmoke" era otherwise we might be in you rifle sights......lol
That was a great TV show when I was growing up.
Thanks for the memories...Big D.
Isn't it great to have a bit of good light hearted fun while enjoying our time in the shed.
Cheers, crowie

PS Wasn't a girl name Dorothy also from Kansas...

The car is certainly coming along. Watching with interest

As for ebonising I also use vinegar and steel wool, except I use malt vinegar and leave it in the jar for about a week, when used on Oak it turns black immediately.

Before the photo's I would like to thank everybody for their comment's during the build. I really enjoyed posting the progress of the build & receiving all your comment's. To be judged by your peer's can only make you a better model builder. So don't be shy, give me good or bad. Here's the Cadillac;
Steering wheel is still on the wrong side, but you get that.
Regard's to everybody who posted comment's
Jim

jim the cadillac turned out great i love the wood choice

looks great can't wait to see more of your work

Very nice Jim. What next on the list?

G'Day Jim,
Wow, Wow and WOW!!
What an excellant job you've done on the Cadillac.
The timber selection has turned out beautiful and your attention to detail shoulds the depth of your craftsmanship.
Well done, indeed.
Thank you for taking us all along for the ride.
Cheers, crowie

Very, very nice , Jim, A top job.
The contrast between timbers and shades worked really well.

If mine turns out half as good I'll be happy.

Jim your car looks great another masterpiece for your fleet. I really like how the tires look and the radiator looks fantastic. Hopefully my ebonizing will look this good. What did you use for a finish? Did you spray or brush?

What's the next build? Looking forward to it.

Bret

Hi Jim, how did you ebonise the tyres when the wheels are a complete item?
Peter

Beautiful job. I really like the grain patterns.

Cheers,

The Dodge City Kid