How to Woodgrain a Six Panel Door pt. 2
Painting and Decorating Concourse
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Heart Graining
The raised panels here will get heart grain (or burl or feather/crotch grain - which techniques will be the subject of another article). Starting with one of the top raised panels, apply the glaze, drag out the heart grain with the application brush, then with a dry dragging brush, re-trace and re-drag the heart grain. Proceed on to the next raised panel and repeat until all six are done. Keep the glaze inside the panel area - if you smear any outside, use a damp rag and wipe it off .
Heart Grain Dragging Technique
The pattern of the heart grain is in an "M' or a upside down (depending on the grain direction) "U" shaped apex. Vary the shapes slightly as you build up the heart grain with each dragging. The heart grain is dragged out in one continuous motion from the base of the heart grain to the apex and back down to the bottom of the other side of the heart grain. The sides of the bristles are used more than the tips to create a good looking dragged grain. Vary the pressure on the brush as needed, lighter or heavier to achieve the desired look. Use the techniques listed below to add interest to your heart grain dragging.
Techniques to add interest to your dragging.
1. Add "a bounce and a wiggle" to your dragging brush as you meander your way from one end of the board to the other.
2. Lightly stipple your dragging. After your board is dragged out. Go back over the top with a light "flogging" with a soft bristle brush (I use either a real or synthetic badger softening brush) this will add pores and break up the dragging lines. Don't overdo the flogging and keep it light or you will totally obscure your dragged grain.
3. Re-trace your dragging with a fine steel graining comb. I use the fine toothed steel comb manufactured by Symphony (Purdy Brush Co). This comb lays down ultra thin grain lines and won't obscure or erase your previous dragging as you trace over it.
4. Add highlights with a liner brush. Using a liner brush add a grain line here and there, adding these grain lines in a positive manner (rather than negatively, as with dragging), you can add a bit of black paint to the glaze for the purpose of strengthening these highlighted grain lines. Keep these grain lines thin.
The dragging brush
Chip brushes work well for dragging but they will lose bristles and you will need to pull those out of your graining . My favorite dragging brush is the fan fitch. Fan fitch brushes come in a variety of sizes which will accommodate the dragging out of small or large boards.
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Graining
(continued)
Following the proper sequencing, apply the glaze to one panel or board at a time, grain it an move on to the next.
Note: The raised panels will get the most elaborate graining on the door. Heart grain, feather or crotch grain, burl or the most complicated and elaborate figuring is always reserved for the raised panels. I like to match the side by side panels on a paneled door. That is, the top two raised panels are book matched, the middle two are book matched and the bottom two are matched.
Straight Graining
The rails and the stiles will get straight grain. Grain beyond the board joint ends, after your board is grained you can wipe a clean joint with a damp rag wrapped over a 6" spackle knife.
Straight Grain Dragging Technique
Apply your glaze to one board at a time in the direction of the "board". Take a dry dragging brush and drag the glaze again in the direction of the board. Don't drag in an absolute straight line, but rather drag out the glaze in a meandering way angling one way then slowly twisting back in the other direction etc...
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