GRAINING AND MARBLING – Part 3

Graining and Marbling Tools and Brushes-Part 3

Rubber Combs

Flexible rubber combs with short, vee-shaped teeth. Also available with square teeth.

Size: Approximately 75mm wide. Available with fine, medium, and coarse graded teeth. Triangular varieties contain all three grades of teeth arranged on the three edges. Also available with teeth graduated from fine to coarse on one edge.

Use:

1. To simulate the coarse straight grain patters of oak, pine and similar woods.
2. To imitate combing similar to steel combs

Heart Grain Simulator

A moulded rubber appliance with a heartwood pattern engraved on the curved working face and a flat toothed comb on the edges.

Size: 75mm and 125mm wide, with fine, medium, and coarse grain patterns.

Use: For the fast and repetitive simulation of heartwood patterns of oak, pine and similar woods. The curved face is dragged with a rocking motion through wet graining colour. The comb is used to simulate the straight grain patterns at each side.

Check Roller

A roller made from a series of loose fitting serrated metal discs. Sometimes equpiied with a special clip-on mottle to feed graining colour to the discs, and to separate them in use.

Size: 50mm and 75mm wide

Use: As a printing roller to simulate the dark broken pore markings of oak and similar woods.

Veining Horn or Thumb Piece

A flexible strip of plastic, or any similar material shaped with one square end, and the other end rounded.

Size: Approximately 100mm long.

Use:

1. To simulate the grain patterns of quartered oak and heartwood of oak. Used with clean linen rag to “wipe out” the patterns from wet graining colour.

2. For simulating the veins of some marbles

Feathers

Swan, goose or other large fairly rigid feathers.

Use:

1. Applying marbling colour when producing either background textures or veins.
2. Producing wavy or curly grain markings of decorative timbers such as walnut.

Simple Graining Terms

In graining, as in any other specialized subject, there are many terms used to describe various sequences or actions. Four of the eight most common terms in Simple Graining are as follows;

Strapping Down
When using water colour, some graining sequences require two or more operations or coats. If one coast is applied directly over the top of the previous coat, the water could cause the first coat to lift. For this reason a coat of 50/50 varnish/turps is applied after each graining process to act as a barrier coating.

Overgraining
It is usual, on most timbers, to put the mottling in first, the actual grain being put in as a second process, after strapping down. Overgraining is put in with a brush called an overgrainer. There are many types od overgrainer, individual operators preferring different types of tools.

Softening
This is the action of softening and breaking up of the harsh lines and grain. Not manuy timbers have harsh grain marks. This is done with a softener. In the case of water colour, a badge hair softener is used, a very soft hair brush. In the case of oil colour, a hog hair softener is used. This is a firmer, high quality hog hair brush. The softener is one of the most important tools used in the graining process.

Mottling 

Many timbers have light and dark streak running at right angles to the grain. These are put into the work by applying a thin wash of colour, then lifting off portions of it with a mottle. This process leaves the light dark lines which are then softened along the length of the mottling.

 

For more information about Graining and Marbling or any Painting and Decorating tasks Please Call us on 1800 204 145.

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