Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[Mary C]

GPW and all painters and artists, I gotta question that has not been answered on the forum. Is there a way to paint a wood motif or wood simulation on the outside of the TD. I know it would be a lot of work but..........just thinking making it a "wish woody"...... .

Mary C.

[GPW]

Wood graining .... Why SURE !!! Best get a graining tool http://www.homedepot.com/p/Linzer-Wood- ... UxVAifDM5Q and practice on scraps ... Plenty of good wood graining (faux painting) videos on You Tube ... We used to do faux wood graining on Kustom Vans many years ago .... even wood-grained a refrigerator once ... Looked COOL !!! (Warning: Since it’s so much Fun to do , you’ll be wood graining Everything ! )
Wood graining on canvas is just like painting on canvas... a trick we’ve used many times on still life paintings with a wooden background ...

[GPW]

Hmmm? Painting a foam trailer to look like wood ... I don’t know if that’s a step backwards or just a decorative consideration...
You know this decorative painting on your trailer can quickly get out of hand !!! As In the Van days , what started as a simple decoration , kept getting further embellished till the entire surface was thoroughly covered with some sort of narrative mural or abstract designs ...

One thought I had recently is to make a solid white Foamie trailer , Park it in a “bad” neighborhood where a lot of tagging’ ( Spray painting gang graffiti on walls , etc.) goes on ... leave some spray cans of the colors I want laying around , and let them tag' it into one of those interwoven multiple layers of urban camouflage art ... Like the railroad cars we used to see in Philly’ that were just painted over and over too many times resulting in a loss of individual message and a resulting larger multicolor abstract design ... Sorta’ Jackson Pollock on “crack” ... ... I’d have to take that to the contemporary Art galleries and ask $50,000 for it ... I Love the Arts ...

[Mary C]

I love the "woody trailer" and if I had the time , the tools, and a different tow vehicle and the Money I would have built mine with the wood and built a woody. Since I will have some time and very little money I just thought of painting woody! It was just a thought though, I am still playing with some other ideas, much easier and simple but the faux woody is still in my thoughts. I like the urban art idea too. it is a thought but I am afraid after painting someone would move it to who knows where. like the trains it might show up somewhere my luck it would be in a backwoods ol dirt road where the art was foreign and it would become a target for the other population . Then it would become an eyesore............. oh back to my Woody simulation I rather like the idea. How long do you think it would take? I am so slow and so inept when it comes to that sort of thing. If I stop by on my way to Houston maybe we can strategize and come up with a plan, colors and how to git -r-done.

Mary C.

[Mary C]

Just checked out the HD link. I can afford that. Looks really cool I thought it would be a long thing that would look like wood and was not wanting to repeat the pattern over and over . Those will let me do a lot of different patterns. I just need to know how to use them. I am sure you can show me. Thought I would get some different colored little jars of paint while I was there too, in browns and yellows. I have to paint the canvas and was thinking of an off beige anyway. just planning now!!!
It is a possible maybe!!!!!

Mary C.

[Jack B.]

Could definitely entail some detail cutting and fitting work, but could not a person do a final layer of wood grain print fabric or paper with a couple coats of clear varnish for the outer finish? Could even add thin real wood strips on top to give the 3-D outlined woody wagon look. Seems like that approach would be more within the reach of us non-artists to get a more realistic woody look. I know there are several different wood grain patterned shelf paper and wall paper products available. Not to mention more weather protecting layers on the outer surfaces. Might be the one person builder way to go if realism is more what you want.

Just thankin' on the fly here.

Jack

[bonnie]

Could definitely entail some detail cutting and fitting work, but could not a person do a final layer of wood grain print fabric or paper with a couple coats of clear varnish for the outer finish? Could even add thin real wood strips on top to give the 3-D outlined woody wagon look. Seems like that approach would be more within the reach of us non-artists to get a more realistic woody look. I know there are several different wood grain patterned shelf paper and wall paper products available. Not to mention more weather protecting layers on the outer surfaces. Might be the one person builder way to go if realism is more what you want.

Just thankin' on the fly here.

Jack

Interesting thought. I'd wonder about how well wall paper would stick to the outside. Hmmm. Sounds like a test needs done.

[atahoekid]

A few years back I worked at the University of Nevada while they were in the middle of updating an almost 100 year old building. I was very disappointed when they tore off the old doors and frames and even more disappointed when they put metal ones in place. Just before reopening the building the doors and door frames were faux painted. If I hadn't seen them do it, I wouldn't have believed that this was a paint job. Looked awesome!!! I think a faux finish would be awesome. Contrasting wood tones would make for a very interesting look.

[Mary C]

Do they make a wood grain material(cloth) ? I havent seen any but I will look for some. That would be a real challenge to get it on and top it off maybe though ......... I don't know if paper would work Maybe just put it on like the canvas and trim it in plain brown material .......... and then I ......... Maybe....... Yes I will look for a wood grain print on material, I will check with Doug. Lots of Maybes lets see, nothing ventured nothing gained!!!!

Mary C.

[Bogo]

It would cost a bit, but wood veneers could be applied to the surface then sealed. If you feel like fitting the pieces, it could even be parqueted.

For a paint job I've thought of doing a dried grasses motif. Another one I thought of doing is rock painting with figures, saucers, aliens, etc..

[razzer]

Geez I'm never going to catch up reading this thread ." I'm working both ends now . Mouhahaha ! Interesting ideas about painting or applying designs , but has anyone suggested carving them in the foam yet ?

[Mary C]

MmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMaybe that could be done but I carved a table once. naw... I pmd doug and he said it would probably take a bolt and would have to be sealed it could fade too so I think I will stick to painting. Paper could fade too and I really want simple. somebody loves me and took my picture I finally got downloaded and made an avatar for me yea!!! That is Spot my 34 year old horse isn't he a good looking baby!!!!

Razz you will get through it and the other threads I suggest the one on chassis and building , then go check out some of the build threads. you will finally find when I celebrated reading the whole forum I did skip over the redundant and did not finish some of the cooking and some others and I didn't go through the campfire as it became terribly boring. I also got terribly confused so I suggest you write down key and important things that you will need in the future. It helpsl Good luck!!!!

Mary C.

[GPW]

Always remember , paint is the least expensive decoration ...wood graining is EASY ... and if you get tired of it , you can paint it like something else ... I haven’t even mentioned painting with Saran wrap... (the bowling ball finish)

[eaglesdare]

I was just going to ask if that was your horse Mary, very pretty! Are you still riding him?

[GPW]

Maybe time to close this thread and start Thrifty Alternatives Part TWO, an abbreviated version with all the facts we’ve learned so far ... where we "cut to the chase" and if they don’t believe us, then they’ll be forced to read the Big One ... The Foamie beginners do need some immediate and concise information to be inspired , and asking them to read almost 5500 replies is like asking them to read Homer...