Regraining panels - mounted or removed

[Josh]

I know there is tons of threads about regraining. Lots of useful information as well, I am now stocked up with scotch brite pads and my wolfhead wheel and loadings are in the mail.

However a question still exists, is it best to re-grain the panels when they are off the car, or when they are mounted? I assume they would be more rigid when they are mounted, but easier to maneuver when loose.

I am having my panels glass blasted in the near future, so It will essentially be a blank slate to grain from.

[kajcienski]

I was at the DMCMW Open House and had the chance to see Chris N work most of a day. Three veryimportant things I took away to improve my own attempts were 1) The flap wheel must be broken in - meaning the bristles have a nice curved shape to them. He suggested wrapping the head tightly for a few days to start bending the bristles, then using it on scrap to break in. 2) Cut the flap load tips often as once they start to split, you will see the texture change. 3) Getting to know the right pressure to apply the flap wheel takes experience - lots of practice on scrap (also breaks it in of course).

I am not sure I would worry about them being mounted. You will probably do better with with certain panels off the car to get the edges properly and straight grain (like the hood). Feel it out.

Hope this helps. I am no expert, just passing along info. That is quite an undertaking to grain a whole car! Good luck!

[Michael]

This probably goes without saying, but be sure to mask off any rubber and painted parts with at least two layers if tape on the boarders, and keep a close eye on them while regraining. Remove anything that can be taken off easily such as mirrors. When I first regrained my car, I used masking tape on the stainless itself as a guide for the first row of the new pattern, then built on that. It came in handy when going around the quarter glass...just be sure you match the proper angle. On the quarter glass, the T panel is a good reference line. The rub strips are also a good base point, just remember the grain on the wheel arches and a pillars should be straight when at eye level with the rub strips. The top of the fenders should not match the hood gap, but the grain on the sides...again masking tape makes a good guide

[David T]

This probably goes without saying, but be sure to mask off any rubber and painted parts with at least two layers if tape on the boarders, and keep a close eye on them while regraining. Remove anything that can be taken off easily such as mirrors. When I first regrained my car, I used masking tape on the stainless itself as a guide for the first row of the new pattern, then built on that. It came in handy when going around the quarter glass...just be sure you match the proper angle. On the quarter glass, the T panel is a good reference line. The rub strips are also a good base point, just remember the grain on the wheel arches and a pillars should be straight when at eye level with the rub strips. The top of the fenders should not match the hood gap, but the grain on the sides...again masking tape makes a good guide

The panels are best done ON the car. They will be held securely and you will always know the direction of the grain. If they are not mounted on the car you will not be able to apply pressure against the panel, it will tend to move away, especially in the middle so it will be that much harder to maintain a constant pressure to get an even pattern.
David Teitelbaum

[Michael]

The panels are best done ON the car. They will be held securely and you will always know the direction of the grain. If they are not mounted on the car you will not be able to apply pressure against the panel, it will tend to move away, especially in the middle so it will be that much harder to maintain a constant pressure to get an even pattern.
David Teitelbaum

Where did you get that I even implied they should be OFF the car? I only said to remove the mirrors. In fact, the mention of masking off the fascias and other plastic bits would show that I was talking about doing them ON the car. :headscratch:

Futhermore, I know the general direction of the grain, but I am over the top anal, and my final never obtainable goal is to have perfect and flawless graining...the kind that one would need drafting tools to measure. My use of guides did not or should not imply to take the panels off the car, but to make them more exact than the eye can. The roof is very hard to get straight for some people because you are battling against the natural radius of your arm.

I have always enjoyed your contributions and no doubt you are extremely helpful to the members here, but sometimes I think that you believe everyone else is wrong.... even if they are right they are wrong unless you chime in to restate the same thing in different words.


Now, on a lighter note, If you really want to grain your car perfectly, watch this guy....he knows what he is doing regraining tutorial starts at 2:21

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fDAv4J_rrg&t=2m21s

[Josh]

Thanks for all the relpies guys, alot of very useful information in this thread already. I will mount the panels and go from there - If I feel I need more maneuverability I will pop the panel off. It will be much easier the second time as I wont have to fight with rusted bolts! (all body hardware is being replaced). Thanks for the tips on breaking in the wolfhead, I will also watch that YouTube video tonight after work.

[Michael]

.... I will also watch that YouTube video tonight after work.

:tongue2:

[dvonk]

michael, i remember when you had that animated gif of "how to regrain" in your signature... :giggle:

[David T]

michael, i remember when you had that animated gif of "how to regrain" in your signature... :giggle:

I don't know why you got so upset Michael, I was answering the OP (original poster). It was he who asked about whether it it is best to do them on or off the car. A very experienced person can do them upside-down in a swimming pool at night. Just watch Chris N, he is a Master. As for the rest of us mortals, we do the best we can.
David Teitelbaum

[Michael]

I don't know why you got so upset Michael, I was answering the OP (original poster). It was he who asked about whether it it is best to do them on or off the car. A very experienced person can do them upside-down in a swimming pool at night. Just watch Chris N, he is a Master. As for the rest of us mortals, we do the best we can.
David Teitelbaum

Then you should have quoted him rather than me....and I wasn't upset, not even close.

[Michael]

michael, i remember when you had that animated gif of "how to regrain" in your signature... :giggle:

Yeah I liked it too, it was lost on the old site. I tried just now to upload a new one but couldn't get it to work.

EDIT: Here ya go!!!!

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx196/undiscovered/th_deloregrain.gif

[Josh]

Then you should have quoted him rather than me....and I wasn't upset, not even close.

Yeah i got that vibe that you were upset.

[Josh]

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx196/undiscovered/th_deloregrain.gif

LOL, now I know what not to do!

[dvonk]

haha, thats the one! :biggrin:

[Michael]

LOL, now I know what not to do!

That whole video is chopped with goodies, the belt sander bit is gold. I wonder if he knew he was stripping the paint from the windshield trim panel when he was doing the roof.

[Josh]

Yeah I found the video a few months back when I was looking around on youtube. Just terrible!
Edit: Wow I am slow, there it is again I thought the video you posted would be useful I was all excited haha

[David T]

The technique in the video (if you want to call it that) is best suited to regraining your BBQ grill and first having to remove the paint! It could possibly work on a painted Delorean? I guess I should have requoted the OP's post, not Michael's. I am still learning Internet etiquette. Anyway, no hurt feelings, no harm done.
David Teitelbaum

[NightFlyer]

Regarding the video posted earlier on re-graining:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPHzl9yk6OM

[Michael]

After watching the tutorial, here is what I can tell you for sure:

"Graining your DeLorean is like painting a fine art..........picture"

Use an SOS pad to wash it, but leave the window down

The "Hands On" technique is best....unless you have a belt sander handy apparently

Use 80 grit sandpaper from a circular saw

[NightFlyer]

Use an SOS pad to wash it, but leave the window down

I noticed that too. Leaving the windows down while washing must be some kind of special trick - definitely something we all should try! :umm: