Requesting Tips for Painting Wood.

[W_Higgins]

Hello,

I need to paint a wheel with the same automotive finish (acrylic enamel) I've used on the rest of the body. Painting wood properly is something I have never been able to achieve, nor find information about. No matter what, it always seems to crack after it has been out in the sun a few times. I even suggested to a friend that he use flex additive, but that hasn't helped, either.

I'm painting a wheel that has been stripped down to bare wood. It was once suggested to me by a '10 Buick / Reo owner (with very nicely painted wood) that the wood should first be sealed with a product called Quick Poly, but I cannot find it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Tom M]

Walter,

I will be in that same boat someday also since my wheels are wood also.

Here is the kwikpoly site

[W_Higgins]

Ah, that's it! Thanks so much.

I was spelling it wrong. I seldom have trouble Googling things, so after all the searching I did, I just assumed the fellow with which I was speaking gave me a little misinformation, not knowing I was the one who created it.

If it helps, based on what he said, after you coat the wood with Kwik Poly, just proceed as you would with painting metal when using your automotive paint. I'm anxious to see how this works. His wood bodied cars were gorgeous, and were painted some time ago.

Again, thanks a bunch.

[Tom M]

That is what we are here for to help eachother out where we can.

[W_Higgins]

Hi, I placed my order this morning. The two gallon offering is the most economical buy, and I will probably use all of it eventually. I asked the seller for tips, and he said it is basically an apply-and-sand system until you get it as smooth as you want. Large cracks and open grain may require multiple applications. After that, you switch over to your preferred automotive primer and proceed just as you would with a piece of sheet metal.

Again, thanks for your help.

[Jan Arnett]

Walter this product is a two part epoxy marketed at a wood restorator. I have used it on frame pieces and wheels and it does work if you handle it correct. When you mix the two parts together you get a very thin product which is designed to penetrate wood which means it will run. It also set up very fast (less then 1.5 minutes) so you must work with small batchs. If you have large cracks they do sell a filler product which you mix in to fill the cracks. I use fiber glass filler from Fiber Evercoat. You can extend the mixed life of the product by puting the two individual components in the ref. prior to mixing but it doesn't extend it by much. If you work on wooden body frames you can reconstruct dry rotted frame members with the product and it is stronger then the wood. Make sure you wear gloves, glasses and a respirator when working with the material as it is toxic. Once the product set up you can not remove it. I use disposable paint mixing cups and throw away acid brushs to apply. Get plenty because they can not be cleaned and are good for one application. Hope this helps.

[W_Higgins]

Thanks for the tips, Jan. This wheel has been rebuilt, so all the wood is new. It should make a good first piece on which to learn. What grit do you sand it with prior to continuing onto the paint portion of refinishing, 120, or so?

[trimacar]

Hi- the best stuff I have found for wood bodies is West System, this is used in the boating industry extensively. It too is an epoxy, it seals forever. Remember that if you use a sealer on your wood wheels, make sure that the wood is tight (a function of moisture content of the wood itself). Once you seal it with an epoxy product, soaking the wheel in water or dunking in a stream is no longer an option for tightening the spokes! Also remember that most epoxy systems are not sanding friendly, so apply quickly leaving no brush strokes. As it hardens, brush strokes become more obvious and harder to sand or fill. Web site for West Systems:

http://www.westsystem.com/

best David Coco

[W_Higgins]

Thanks for the advice and the link, David. This is a new wheel and is nice and tight, but what you are saying makes perfect sense. For a dry, slightly loose wheel, would the preferred method be to soak in linseed oil, then apply the epoxy, thereby trapping it inside? I'm not a wood person, so I've always wondered what would be the effect if, what I would consider contamination, were soaked into the wood. You'd never get away with stuff like that on metal. Wood is a mysterious thing to me.