dsommerl Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 I have 3 heresyII's coming at me in the black oak lacquered finish and I want to take them down to bare wood and refinish to match some oak cabs I will put them all in. What is the recommended technique to do this (mechanical only--eg sanding it off---OR chemical stripper--then sanding etc?) Any input would be appreciated Tks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 Strip them then sand as little as possible to avoid sanding through the veneer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 DSOMMERL, I fear you may be beating a dead horse in your attempts to take a speaker cabinet originally sold as oak black, and turn it into a nice oak cabinet. Here is why: Even when I worked there, the company would seldom take a good walnut or oak or any other fine veneered cabinet and paint it black to sell it unless there was something wrong with the veneer on the cabinet to start with or it had a repair that could not be hidden without painting it black...the black ones were normally ones that would not look worth a damn in their natural veneer, so they were shot with black and sold as black ones to hide the veneer problem or repairs made to the cabinet. This enabled the company to salvage what would otherwise be a wasted speaker cabinet and still be able to sell it as a black one! Just something to think about before you put all that work into trying to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 05-16-2002 at 03:30 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickey Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 HDBR - How about taking a black cabinet with some scuffs and wear and refinishing it black? Any tips or suggestions as to what to do (and what not to do)?? Thanks, Colin ------------------ My System Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 Colin - I look forward to HDBR's input as a pro, but I refinished my black Chorus. Light sanding with 400 grit paper, heavy duty masking of the front and back to prevent dust/paint from getting inside anything, then 2 coats of Rustoleum 777(7?) satin black enamel from Home Depot. I recommend getting a different spray nozzle than the one that comes with the can. The standard one emits a round pattern. Get a nozzle that will create a more vertical pattern for spraying those large, flat surfaces. Light coats to prevent runs. Cover everything in site or you'll be scrubbing the garage floor on your hands and knees late at night (uh, or so I'm told). Doug ------------------ My System This message has been edited by dougdrake on 05-17-2002 at 10:41 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 If I were to refinish an already black pair of speakers, I would give the surfaces to be painted a good light sanding with 220-240 grit garnet sandpaper to clean and rough up the surface some. Then I would just give em a good thin coat of satin black polyurethane. You can brush that stuff on and it levels out well...just as good as being sprayed. Let that coat dry overnite, then very lightly sand it with 320-360 grit garnet sandpaper...just to smooth off any rough surfaces and barely scuff the first coat...then apply a second coat. Let it dry and yer done!! Whenever you are ready to apply a coat of urethane after sanding, always take an old soft bristled paint brush and wisk off the dust on the surfaces to be painted prior to painting them...do this with the paint can closed and do all the surfaces to be painted before starting to paint!! One thing about urethane finishes....when they are wet they are a dust magnet, so the more care you take to keep them away from any possible dust, the better off you are. When applying the final coat, use a clean new brush...and a new can of finish....that way neither will have been contiminated with any sanding dust from the brush you used in the first coat. Your result should be as smooth as a baby's butt! Advantage of urethanes?....well...when some idiot sets his beer can on your speaker, there won't be any ring to worry about!! You can just take a bit of windex and wipe em down on occassion!! Very low maintenance finish!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2dx Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 A good way to remove the dust after scuffing a coat of paint would be a "tack cloth", available at a paint store. It's a folded "sticky" cloth you simply wipe lightly over the surface and the dust sticks to it. Brushing the dust off will still leave it in your work area to jump into the nice new finish. Always paint, by brush or spray, in the cleanest envoirnment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickey Posted May 17, 2002 Share Posted May 17, 2002 Doug, HDBRbuilder, k2dx, Thank you all! Great advice. Time to get my hands dirty (but the workplace clean!). Thanks again, C ------------------ My System Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hetmann Posted May 17, 2002 Share Posted May 17, 2002 You might be better off sanding the surface smooth and applying a new veneer over the black finish. ------------------ Klipschorns and Moondogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted May 17, 2002 Share Posted May 17, 2002 Yes, a tackcloth is a good thing, but I have found that the soft bristles of brush tend to reach down into the nooks and crannies of the woodgrain and lift out fine particles that the tack cloth often misses...these particles often rise up into the finish as it cures making for a rougher surface...I also NEVER do the sanding or dusting of the wood where I intend to do the application of the finish...unless it is absolutely impossible to do differently. i would recommned the tackcloth be used AFTER a good whisking with a brush...if it is used at all...just my perosnal preference. As for using a stripper on a painted surface on a veneer applied over MDF...you run the risk of separation of the veneer from the MDF if using some strippers. Add to that, if the stripper soaks into the miters and gets to the underlying MDF, it will turn to mush! Give Klipsch a call and ensure they were still using black LAQUER instead of another paint when the speakers were made...if so, then try using a REFINISHER(in lieu of a STRIPPER) which is only made for laquer and shellac...this will liquify the finish and you wipe it off...it works extremely fast...and you need to apply it with a small wad of 000 or 0000 steel wool...being ready to immediately wipe off the excess and the dissolved laquer....ensuring it does NOT get a chance to soak into the veneer or the MDF underneath!!! It may take more than a few applications to remove all the finish...keep doing it til the finish is completely gone...don't let it dry between applications, and use it very sparingly to keep it from soaking the veneer or MDF!!! I can't guarantee that it will remove all the pigment in the black laquer, though, and the results may not be to your liking. The black laquer was shot onto the wood with very little, if any, sealer used. You may very well be able to sand the finish off, since it is a surface spray coat(brushed on finishes tend to get worked into the grain alot better, making sanding them completely off alot more difficult)...bottom line is this...it is very hard to recommend anything since I can't personally see the finish and wood up close... Oak veneer is normally thicker than walnut or another fine wood...which gives you more veneer to sand on before sanding through it. Consider this...oak veneered plywood is relatively inexpensive...if you mess up you can always build another set of cabinets...Heresy cabinets are pretty simple affairs...for the Heresy II, you will likely need to try your best to salvage the fronts and backs so that it cuts down on the cabinet rebuild difficulty!! Hope this helps you a little bit...I wouldn't go with an "apply and walk away while it works" stripper on anythng with an MDF substrate...the results could leave you with a pile of veneered MDF oatmeal!!! Just another reason why I would never use veneered MDF for a speaker cabinet...the reasons list gets longer everytime another subject comes up, too!!...LOL! I hate to sound so negative...but I know what you are up against here! Good luck! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 05-17-2002 at 10:47 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsommerl Posted May 18, 2002 Author Share Posted May 18, 2002 HBDR Thanks for the thoughtful advice I'm not sure what the substrate is on these Heresy II's Hopefully it IS NOT MDF----and it is plywood instead Does anyone know? Tks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted May 18, 2002 Share Posted May 18, 2002 you will know if it is MDF when you get em...I think the complete changeover to MDF occurred in 88, but some of the speakers may have been made with it earlier...in 83 they still used lumbercore. ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good2BHome Posted May 18, 2002 Share Posted May 18, 2002 HDBRbuilder, What are your thoughts on using stripper on 1980 and 1975 Cornwalls which are plywood. One pair is birch and the others are CDBR (birch?). Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted May 20, 2002 Share Posted May 20, 2002 I never will let myself get caught in recommending stripping of anything. The reason for this is due to the massive variety of strippers out there. Some are quite harsh, some are mild, some eat away at more than just finish, some are finish-type specific. To just say "use a stripper" is like telling an 18-year-old "go buy a car and charge it to me."...and the young-un returns with a Lamborghini Contach, instead of a Dodge Neon! Using a stripper to remove finish requires alot more info than you gave me. My recommendation to any refinishers out there is to buy and read "The New Wood Finishing Book, Completely Updated and Revised. By Michael Dresdner. This book is one of the best(particularly for its size) written on the subject of finishes and refinishing. It is normally found in large format softcover in Lowe's and Home Depots. It discusses numerous types of refinishers and strippers and will answer all your questions. Can't go wrong with it!! Hope this helps some! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluless Posted May 20, 2002 Share Posted May 20, 2002 Speaking as a "civilian" furniture refisher, I cant agree with HDR more...Chemicals come in too vast an array, and mixing chemicals and glue (as in veneer and plywood is just an invitation to disaster)...If you warp, chip or raise veneer, you're flucked. Rememer the doctor's credo..First do no harm. Chickey, I would recommend first wiping down the surfaces with a weak solution of T.S.P.(tri-sodium phosphate- available at home depot) to degrease,de-wax and de-grime. Then I would follow dougdrakes lead and sand (by hand only) / then spray your speakers. Anything more drastic, I would leave to professionals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickey Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 Guys, Thanks for the great replies. One last question - is it best to pull the guts out (drivers, crossovers) before refinishing? We're talking a center channel (Academy), so I'm figuring this shouldn't be too big a deal. Thanks again, Colin ------------------ My System Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 Always remove drivers and other components of a speaker cabinet before sanding or stripping or painting or anything!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickey Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 HDBR - Yeah, kind of figured as much. Apologies for the dumb question. Drivers came out no problem. Not sure how the crossover is mounted - didn't see any obvious screws, but I'll have to fish around a little more and see what I can find. Hopefully it's not glued down. When I pulled out one of the woofers, the gold colored cover that fits over the back of the magnet had separated. I noticed it was originally attached with some type of glue which had apparently dried out. Any recommendations as to what type of glue or expoxy I can use to reattach?? Thanks again, Colin ------------------ My System Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrusti Posted May 28, 2002 Share Posted May 28, 2002 Hey guys, while you're all at it, I have some questions along the same lines. I have a pair of LaScalas coming my way later this week. They are probably from the middle of the 80's not totally sure since I couldn't see the serial #'s. This pair has been painted with one or several thick coats of white with the bass horn sprayed black. Depending on what I decide to do with them, I may refinish them. There are some dings in the cabinet so would the first thing be to repair them with filler? I may repaint them or may veneer them so either way I should start with a sanding correct? Or should I do something else to remove those layers of white paint? Thanks for your help guys, Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hetmann Posted May 28, 2002 Share Posted May 28, 2002 Why on earth would anybody paint several coats of thick white paint on their expensive Klipsch speakers? Next thing we'll be pondering is how to remove that pesky stucco finish. ------------------ Klipschorns and Moondogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.