Fake wood grain erected

[Simon P]

Could anyone recommend some suitable paints to use for this effect please?

or any tips on doing it successfully greatly appreciated!

[Tonka]

Scumble from craftmaster paints

 

@dave moore may be able to help

 

My wife does ours

Edited August 18, 2023 by Tonka
Link added

[Simon P]

Cheers will check it out😀

[Higgs]

 

And others on YouTube, to help.

 

 

[dave moore]

Over the years I’ve grained many cabins, until some years ago using Ratcliffes light oak or maple scumble. This fell foul of the VOC regs and was discontinued. An alternative is to use Polyvine oil based scumble glaze, tinted with one of their stains. As far as the knotting rubber is concerned I can only counsel a plea to use one sparingly….I’ve seen many pieces of work where there are more knots than at a Boy Scout jamboree to imitate timber that no self respecting woodworker would use. The late Chris Lloyd, boatfitter,once described the effect in Waterways World as “ rifle targets holding hands”……

 

[Stroudwater1]

Theres a couple of threads on this. Note SCUMBLE not scrumble, Tonka as to be expected got it right ! 

 

Its also relevant as to the undercoat that you use. Done well its great. If painted exteriorly then you will need to paint with varnish once or ideally twice a year, that makes a big difference to longevity. 

 

Its a shame it seems to be a dying art on canals, interestingly seems to be revived on interiors.  We need more Dave Moores and less artistes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Simon P]

Thank you all for your input.

Yes done well it looks great.
Will give it a go and see how I get on.

like everything I bet there’s quite a bit of skill required and I will try not to overdo it🥹

Thanks for the varnish advice too.

[LEO]

Hi, My boats is scumbled internally, some areas need to be made good, (it's 25 years old), I have tried scumbling, takes a while, do lots of practice sheets (yes. sheets 3' x 4'), take care with the undercoat and apply the scumble finish, then apply about 4 coats of good quality varnish. The 'Masters' comments about knot holes is brilliant. - Having followed this procedure on the test pieces ----------start work on the main piece. I saw a back cabin that had been decorated by the 'main man', it was work of art  - the owner may well post it.  KK! wake up...........my attempt was pleasing, a back slide, not seen by many, but the varnish is lifting after 4 years, where the wind whistles under a gap.

[ditchcrawler]

10 hours ago, dave moore said:

Over the years I’ve grained many cabins, until some years ago using Ratcliffes light oak or maple scumble. This fell foul of the VOC regs and was discontinued. An alternative is to use Polyvine oil based scumble glaze, tinted with one of their stains. As far as the knotting rubber is concerned I can only counsel a plea to use one sparingly….I’ve seen many pieces of work where there are more knots than at a Boy Scout jamboree to imitate timber that no self respecting woodworker would use. The late Chris Lloyd, boatfitter,once described the effect in Waterways World as “ rifle targets holding hands”……

 

As the old boy who did mine said, less is more, know when to stop. He used metal combs. I had admired lots of his work in the local pubs  

[magnetman]

Scum bling is an interesting way to approach the painting problem.

 

It seems better in a number of different ways to just paint it and if it is wood just varnish it well to enhance the grain. 

 

Fake graining seems odd. It take all sorts. 

 

 

[Tonka]

28 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Scum bling is an interesting way to approach the painting problem.

 

It seems better in a number of different ways to just paint it and if it is wood just varnish it well to enhance the grain. 

 

Fake graining seems odd. It take all sorts. 

 

 

The cabins were lined with low end grade wood

[dave moore]

From what I understand, scumbling was developed, in Victorian times or possibly before, as a way of transforming cheaper timbers I to more expensive ones, in the days when lower orders sought to emulate their “ superiors”. Thus, pine could be painted to look like oak, mahogany or other expensive hardwoods. Most of the cabins from working days were softwood, painted to look rather more expensive, often oak, sometimes with added mahogany details, though the boat yard men who did this were not highly skilled grainers who produced top class work. One, Kershaw if memory serves, exhibited grained panels at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace. He had to demonstrate his skills, the public not believing that it wasn’t the real thing. I’ve never aspired to such heights, although there are still those today with similar skills. Google wood grainers to see more.

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, dave moore said:

From what I understand, scumbling was developed, in Victorian times or possibly before, as a way of transforming cheaper timbers I to more expensive ones, in the days when lower orders sought to emulate their “ superiors”. Thus, pine could be painted to look like oak, mahogany or other expensive hardwoods. Most of the cabins from working days were softwood, painted to look rather more expensive, often oak, sometimes with added mahogany details, though the boat yard men who did this were not highly skilled grainers who produced top class work. One, Kershaw if memory serves, exhibited grained panels at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace. He had to demonstrate his skills, the public not believing that it wasn’t the real thing. I’ve never aspired to such heights, although there are still those today with similar skills. Google wood grainers to see more.

The chap that did mine use to paint the Adnam brewery pub signs in the days before prints, also a lot of the wood panelling and seats in the pubs were scumbled, he has long since retired 

[Tonka]

Think there is a video of someone graining a back cabin using cold tea and then varnished

[Ray T]

From John M Hill's books.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

I knew a painter who was that good at Scumbling, he once Scumbled a Mud Weight, threw it into the Canal and watched it float away👍😂

Edited August 19, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[David Schweizer]

I scumbled the back cabin doors on Helvetia. However, my attempts were quite simple without medullery rays. Ron Hough told me how to do it, and after a couple of practice runs on some old hardboard using Canary Yellow base and light Oak Scumble I actually found it quite easy. My first attempts fell foul of the "too many knots" problem, but my second lot on new doors a few years later were an improvement.

 

   

 

First Attempt                                                                               Second Effort

 

[LEO]

54 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

I scumbled the back cabin doors on Helvetia. However, my attempts were quite simple without medullery rays. Ron Hough told me how to do it, and after a couple of practice runs on some old hardboard using Canary Yellow base and light Oak Scumble I actually found it quite easy. My first attempts fell foul of the "too many knots" problem, but my second lot on new doors a few years later were an improvement.

 

   

 

First Attempt                                                                               Second Effort

 

Surprised you showed the First Attempt.........also looks as though 'the Late Master' has done the whole job, Panels included, away from the boat

[David Schweizer]

1 hour ago, LEO said:

Surprised you showed the First Attempt.........also looks as though 'the Late Master' has done the whole job, Panels included, away from the boat

 

I am not sure why you expressed surprise about my posting the "First Attempt" They do look a bit shabby and the Roses and Castles were at least 20 years old if not older. The scumbling had started to flake off, which is why I refurbished it.  Perhaps I should aso make it clear, I only did the scumbling. The Roses and Castles on both pairs of doors were done by "the Late Master", Ron Hough.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by David Schweizer