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Painting Heresy black.


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Is it heresy to paint my oak Heresys black using the valspar #40 black that Klipsch uses? I would like them to match my La Scala and Chorus.

If this is not taboo, will I be able to open up the surface of the veneer by sanding enough to take the new color?

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you'll want to read some of Groomlakearea51's threads regarding the care and feeding of Heritage speakers. This has been addressed in numerous posts here. Yes it's possible but you'll want to follow the directions of others that have experience.

Michael

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HERESY:

1. Worshiping an idol God.

2. An awesome heavy metal album by a band called Paradox in the late '80s.

3. An Awesome set of small sized but large sounding speakers by Klipsch.

4. Painting item #3 black.

[:D] Just kidding......

If you do a nice job, it will not affect the value as much, but it will affect it somewhat.....

Be aware that once you sand and paint them, there is no going back (usually) unless you reveneer them....... the paint gets in the grain and is a @#$*@#$%^&$# to get out.

Good Luck.

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Be aware that once you sand and paint them, there is no going back (usually) unless you reveneer them.......

I bought some Herseys that were painted black. I had no problem stripping them and refinishing them in red mahogany stain finishing with tung oil and they turned out great
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Be aware that once you sand and paint them, there is no going back (usually) unless you reveneer them.......

I bought some Herseys that were painted black. I had no problem stripping them and refinishing them in red mahogany stain finishing with tung oil and they turned out great

I would say you were luckier than some.

"Usually" is not synonymous with always.

I had a helluva time stripping KG 3 oak veneered cabinets. Perhaps the wood veneer type makes a difference?

Also, I think a lot depends on the condition before they were painted. (If sanded before painting; the paint is probably harder to get out versus just painting over the veneer untreated..)

There are various threads on the forum where it was very difficult to do this.......

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I did the exact same thing that you are thinking about. I have a pair of black LaScalas for my fronts and decided to paint three Heresies for my center and surrounds. All I did was carefully sand the cabinets trying not to round off the corners or edges. I can't remember the type of paint that I used but it came from lowes and was out of a spray can. The condition of my speakers was 7 out of 10, so I had no grief about painting them I put four light coats making sure I had no runs in the paint and only painted once a day allowing plenty of drying time, they turned out great and the finish matches the LaScalas. To the untrained eye, you would think they we all purchased as a group. As for value, like some have already said, it probably wouldn't be that big of a difference besides you're painting to use them not sell them and the real value is you doing what you want and enjoying them. From what I see, there is no real shortage of Heresies, I have 4 pair (don't ask me why, just know it gets addictive) and was able to pick which ones to paint. I would not paint a 9 out of 10. I would take the advice given here on how to do it, they know a lot more about painting than I do and try to get the same paint Klipsch uses. Good luck.

PS. If you are going to use them as surrounds and need stands, grinder stands painted black work great. I got mine from Harbor Freight Tools I think for $29.00 each.

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I was reading through this thread http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/109693.aspx?PageIndex=1 but I did not see or just plain understand if a can sand the veneer and paint them and achieve a nice looking finish.

Yes.... http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/109693.aspx is a long thread because it deals with repairs as well. But if you look past the prep and reapir parts, look for the section on the valspar lacquer and the outcome on the lacquered mahogany.

That being said, you can also use a very high quality latex based exterior grade semi gloss enamel provided: (a) it is properly thinned, (B) the surface is properly prepped (same way as for lacquer), and © the method to spray it uses a nozzle that is about 1.3mm diamter to achieve the proper spray density. If you practice "thinning", etc., it can also be rolled with a very short nap 6" roller. If the surface is properly prepared, paint is thinned, and you don't attempt to apply too much, you cannot tell the difference between rolling and spraying. That method, however, takes practice......

Latex has come a long way in recent years. If an exterior grade latex can withstand hurricanes, intense sun, etc. then it can easily withstand the "rigors" of being applied to a...... box.... The latex has several advantages over lacquer: (a) cost... (B) is not a hazardous material, © can easily be cleaned and if necessary, re-applied after time if the surface has become marred, etc. (d) easy to clean and maintain. The key is quality. Example is Ace Hardware's premium quality, exterior grade trim, semi-gloss "sparkling black". When done right it has the same approximate sheen as #40 VALSPAR, but..... did not require a primer, two coats of the SSG itself followed by topcoats of clear.

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I had a helluva time stripping KG 3 oak veneered cabinets. Perhaps the wood veneer type makes a difference?

I was not attempting to refute your experience, just sharing my so that this person can make an informed decision with multiple sources of outcomes. I used some clothe I had left over when I did my VOX guitar amp grilles for a change in look.

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I had a helluva time stripping KG 3 oak veneered cabinets. Perhaps the wood veneer type makes a difference?

I was not attempting to refute your experience, just sharing my so that this person can make an informed decision with multiple sources of outcomes.

I was not attempting to discredit your experience either. [;)]

I was simply pointing out that the type of preparation before painting may have a direct result on how easy or hard it is to remove later.

Honestly, it sounds like he WANTS this to be permanent......

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There is one way to paint a cabinet black and still be able to remove and stain it later....

Sand and use a sealer. Then spray a thin topcoat of clear lacquer. Then paint away. To remove; use a citrus based stripper and it will remove the paint, the top coat and a second application of the stripper will then "leach" out the sealer.

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Thanks for the help so far guys. I really don't think I will sell this pair for quite some time, so I am not too worried about the resale value.

I just want them to match my other speakers and I like how the grill looks with the black cabs, so as long as I can lightly sand the oak vener and it will take the paint and look nice then I will do it.

Here is a pair of H1s that Im going to sell back to the owner who sold them to me, but I like the grill change.

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I was not attempting to discredit your experience either. Wink

You did a great job recovering your speaker grilles!!

If you are referring to the thread I posted about fabric and plastic grill frame; I thank you..... Hoping others can benefit months and maybe years from now......

I like your Heresy Grills as well..... [Y] Very nice!

Also, the risers were made by you? Those look great as well......

And your refinishing job on the speakers themselves paid off..... As JB would say.... Top Notch!

[:D]

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I bought the stands.....I wanted them a little closer to ear level while listening.

As for the refinishing job I have not done that yet. That is my other pair of Heresys.....these are the ones I want to refinish to match, but Im stoked about the cain grill in the black cab.

Funny about JB...I like his comments.

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