Art & Inspiration Acetylene Smoke images

Cool story! Thanks.

 

There was a Custom Paint book, only ~1/4" thick, but well illustrated n commented(mine is buried somewhere, or I'd dig out the title) out in the 70s(?) that covered these techniques. IIRC, cobwebbing was done w/very thick paint, like almost glue-thick, sometimes using a spl gun called a"veiling gun". Never got to see one close-up, wish I had one. I like the effect, acet painting, too. Also huge 'flake, w/color fading, candies, lace, etc. Can you say "Street Freak", late 60s->mid 70s FunnyCar or "ShowRod" ... I knew you could! . It seems to me that all this stuff is done on some low-riders, but the goal & effect of each camp is different. Thankfully.
Marcus...

 

.......If you locate that book we would love to see some images from it.

 

Yup, just like necker knobs

 

The inside looks real good with the smoke but smoking the outside didn't work all that well, in my opinion.

 

Roaches in the ash tray, "Quick, Henry, the Flit!!" That was for those of you old enough to remember.

 

You have to bury it in clear. The process is to lay the smoke pattern that you like then hit it with a pretty dry coat of clear maybe two dry coats that will seal it then you can start blowin clear on until you have burried it as deeply as you like.

 

Aha. That makes sense. Thanks. Snowman ⛄️

 

Thanks @porknbeaner .

 

Haven't seen that done for 50 years or so.

 

My Dad's 33 tudor had the dash and window moldings smoked in about 1977. I remember watching the painter do some of it. He used a medium brown for the base, fully dry. He added the soot, and then lightly sprayed clear over all for a quick coat to lock it down. Then came back with heavier coats of clear. All lacquer of course.

The resulting parts looked like a burled woodgrain sometimes, and others you could tell it was smoked. The car still exists with that paint in Rochester, Minnesota.

 

When the van craze was going great guns one of the car mags I was reading did a "how-to" article on the technique. The end result were panels of medium brown streaked with carbon from the torch, making it look vaguely like wood grain. I figured I'd try it someday, but never did.

 

.........Must be traditional.

 

Hello,

For quite some time, there were a lot of great flame painters. Then it must have been something in the air as the showcase of Mike Lavallee began to be the “flames of the times.” Looking at those flames on any surface and custom hot rod was like looking into a real depth of flames.

Airbrushing can do some amazing things and even showcase the acetylene black wisps, without the dangers of gas torches. The painting design was very time consuming with the different layers but in the end, it looked as if you could stick your hand in the deep finish on a flat surface. The art of airbrushing at its finest. No need to sit there with the gas torch set on low to create the black wisp by product.

Jnaki

Sadly, he passes away, but those flames and popularity of the artwork still persists among the current flame painters and hot rod enthusiasts. No, it was not your typical, fancy curved, claw flame painting we have all been accustomed to seeing on old hot rods. It was a different look to the “flames” culture. YRMV

 

Didn't know Mr. Lavallee passed. Called "Real Fire". He put out a how-to kit awhile back. Good instructions. Someone else bootlegged it, both were worth the cost, which wasn't much, to see how it's done. His comment on "Being Careful for What you Wish For" made me laugh - apparently doing *one* semi cured him of wanting to ever do another, as it left him cross-eyed for awhile. .
Marcus...

 

Wow, I was taught to use acetylene smoke on aluminum when welding it at college. I've never seen this art form!

 

This is my buddy's 36 that was done about 12 years ago. Still looks good today.

 

That was a process to anneal the aluminum, coat the part with soot, then torch it off.

 

Great demo. Thanks for posting @RodStRace . I'm thinking that's how this whole art form got started. Someone was annealing aluminum and thought wow, I can make a design with this carbon smoke.

 

How the heck did you find a picture of Windfield with no girl on his arm? HHhahahah!!!

 

That ol dude has seen more ass than the toilet seat in the ladies room!

 

THATS A GREAT LOOK, but there is no doubt in my mind,I would burn my frickin car to the ground..........jus sayin

 

......I feel your pain.

 

One of the various chopper shows had a good example of it. I've never tried it, but looks like it would be easy to practice. Figure out a pattern you like.

This one is cool, marbelized effect. May not have much HAMB application.
http://www.collisionblast.com/2017/03/15/how-to-create-a-marble-custom-paint-effect/

 

Well, after reading all of these and seeing the examples, I like the look if its done sparingly. Looks better than the lace work from back in the day.

 

Beautiful job, I love the color, if you don't mind me asking what is the base color ?

@chopolds

 

My neighbor's cyclone



And a friend's 56

 

Funny, that Cyclone was the image I posted in Post #22, random find from an image search. I think it IS YOUR SHOT tho

 

Yes it is, one owner car that was painted in 1971 and also had the vinyl top added, I've known him for 20 yrs and have never seen it at a cruise night, not many photos of it around.