I have a new body wood kit coming from fordwood. Should it be finished in any way. Maybe a wood preservative or sealer. Or would it be Ok to simply paint it black like the body?
I painted my touring maroon along with the body.
I always paint mine with a good grade of enamel.(black)It seals the wood from moisture problems.
As you can see in this picture I painted all the wood with Rustbullet automotive. Yes Rustbullet...it seals the wood extremely well and you can spray or brush it. Then while painting the body the paint also helps seals it. Either way you should seal it with a good paint. Anywhere the wood touches the metal also, this will help stop the metal from rusting from the acid in the wood. Just my way of doing it.
wood needs to breath! you should not try to seal all sides or you will invite dry rot into the picture. most folks like to put something on like linseed oil cut with turpentine,then just let your paint overspray hit whats exposed
"wood needs to breath" Not wood that is exposed to the elements, as in boats and cars. It will soak up water like a sponge.
ed, if you have a log home and you seal both sides and the ends...it will rot
The term "dry rot" puts my teeth on edge. There is no such thing as dry rot in wood. Wood will not rot, if it is kept dry. It takes moisture to feed the fungus that rots the wood. My touring does not have a top, will always be kept in a dry garage, and the occasional opportunity the wood may get to be wet/damp from rain or washing should never be an issue. Now a T left out in the elements with full upholstery to hold moisture, especially if it is full of leaves will rot the wood out in no time. Just like the sheet metal, any vehicle kept in a dry shelter should not rust or rot.
Wood does not need to breathe. It is dead. There are many instances where wood should not be painted. Paint on a wood deck, or wood outdoor furniture can hold moisture in, and create a perfect environment for any wood to rot. Some woods are more prone to rot,while other woods are more resistant to rot. White oak is less likely to rot than red oak. It probably is immaterial whether the wood in a T is painted or not, based on the way most of us treat our babies.
Sorry to rant, this is just a pet peeve of mine "dry rot"
I have two Model T's with full wood bodies, the Town Car which is all wood frame and ply panels. Its been on the road 40 plus year and has often been in rain storms, spent overnight in motel car parks when it rained constantly and once on a tour where it rained heavily for 6 days, it shows no signs of any effect from water.
Same with the Kamper it has all wood body with metal panels I never worry about it getting wet, matter of fact I am on my way to a Tour in Victoria tomorrow and the forcast is for rain the first two days.
Every surface of the wood it painted, I consider the bodies to be wooden boats. I seal with an epoxy marine sealer then prime and paint, the TC is in air dry enamel ( same as house enamel) the Kamper is in 2 pack enamel ( as used on cars today) If they arrive home wet I wait for a fine day and put them out in the sun or if the weather is hot just leave them be in the garage.
The only problem I have ever found with water affecting the cars is the wheel rims. After a lot of years I had a flat tire and when I removed the tire the rim inside under the tube and beaded edge tire had badly rusted. There was a good hand full of rust particles and flake paint when I cleaned up the surface with a wire brush.
Obviously water can and will get into the wheel if you are out in the rain. You may find a lot of rust in there if you have not had the tire off for a number of years.
As Doug stated only wood which is outside and may have become wet should not be sealed off with paint, normally your wood in a body is inside, built with seasoned timber so painting as has been done by those shown above is the way to go.
It would seem to me that the best thing to do is to let the wood dry out and then seal it. No moisture means nothing can grow and destroy the wood, hence no rot. If you seal the wood WITHOUT drying it out, it can rot. That's why sealed log houses will rot. The wood has been very recently cut down, and then assembled and sealed without letting the wood dry out.
And Doug, I agree with you. To me, some of the few things that truly "dry rot" are rubber and tires!
Does the term "Kiln Dried" come in to mind? Most wood is dried before sold. No paint will completely seal the wood, epoxies will. That is why when epoxies are used it is done with veneer layers so the epoxy penetrates the wood and seals it completely. Doug is correct.
I agree with Doug too. Having been a boater all my life before having my life being taken over by Model T's (and one lonely A), I've also had a few wooden boats before "plastic boats" took over. Dry rot is definitely a misnomer...the reason a wood boat "dry rots" is because of the ever present moisture, typically where water which is almost always in the bilge, meet the air at the water line. Then starts the rot. Or trapped just under where the wood window frame is mounted on the deck.
This is why I will never take my cars out if it's fairly certain it's gonna rain. And I wash them with minimal amounts of water too. Sometimes just a "sponge bath" will do.
I used Varathane on my Tudor when I re-wooded it several years ago (Oak). Idaho is pretty dry but when the air gets moist the doors stick a little. I don't know if the moisture is getting through the Varathane and soaking the wood up or not but there is a noticable difference.
Rich
The wood on my original, never restored '26 Fordor is painted with a thin wash coat of gloss black paint. Probably a thinned enamel so it would be absorbed deep into the wood to protect it from the elements. Jim Patrick