Boomzilla Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My La Scalas were rough when I got them, so I posted here & was advised to strip them to see what they actually looked like. I bought some denatured alcohol and some steel wool and the speakers just giggled... Turns out this pair was either raw birch or black-stained when they were new. I'm guessing some band bolted on the casters & used them as PA speakers. They got gouged, splintered, corners knocked off, etc. probably from being carelessly transported. Later in life, someone slapped a coat of primer over the original stained birch and then painted a "faux wood finish" over that. Unfortunately, the painter didn't bother worrying about runs, drips, or surface preparation. I broke out a sander and quickly determined that there was no way to easily remove the existing finish. "As-is" photos follow at the end of post. My goals in this project are: 1. Minimum effort 2. Minimum cost 3. Minimum time 4. Minimum wife-acceptance-factor I plan to fill all the worst gouges with wood putty, sand the things reasonably smooth, reprime the boxes, and reapply a faux wood finish over the primer. This won't yield anything like one of Mr. Volti's magnificent creations, but it might get me over the hump so I can keep them in the living room. http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae119/gysafety/IMG_3964.gif http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae119/gysafety/IMG_3963.gif If anyone has better ideas, I'm open to suggestions... Thanks - Boomzilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I was thinking of bed liner until I read where you would have them in your living room. What about some 1/4 plywood as veneer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Were the tops so beat up you needed to remove them? They are intended to be taken off, unless they have the access to the woofers through the top of the doghouse. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 . My goals in this project are three:]1. Minimum effort2. Minimum cost3. Minimum time4. Minimum wife-acceptance-factor Bondo and paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Bondo will hold an edge better than wood putty. Bondo them up, find a wood working cabinet shop with a wide belt that the table will drop far enough and have them wide belt sanded, then put some veneer on them. No better time to learn then the present.[] Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomzilla Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Were the tops so beat up you needed to remove them? They are intended to be taken off, unless they have the access to the woofers through the top of the doghouse.. The tops are beaten up. I plan to sand & fill them like the sides. The previous owner had wood screws around the perimeter of the top so that the tops could be removed. The woofer access IS through the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomzilla Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Bondo and paint. That's the conclusion I came to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Were the tops so beat up you needed to remove them? They are intended to be taken off, unless they have the access to the woofers through the top of the doghouse.. The tops are beaten up. I plan to sand & fill them like the sides. The previous owner had wood screws around the perimeter of the top so that the tops could be removed. The woofer access IS through the top. The previous owner didn't do it, the FACTORY did it...that way it was easier to change out the woofer if necessary. -Andy P.S. Bondo and paint, why not bondo and LAMINATE?? There are so many types of laminate nowadays that closely replicates other things, the possibilities are almost endless! Just a thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomzilla Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Another option occurs to me: I could just upholster the things... That way there would be no need for surface repairs at all - just cover it all up. Two options would be to upholster them like a guitar amplifier with corner protectors & edge strips OR (and yes, this is out there) upholster them with upholstery fabric and decorative edges. With either of these options, the inside of the dog box could just be flat black. With the guitar-amp upholstery, no lower or upper grill would be needed. With the fabric upholstery, bottom and top grilles might be needed. I may visit the fabric store tomorrow just to see what's available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Another option occurs to me: I could just upholster the things... That way there would be no need for surface repairs at all - just cover it all up. Two options would be to upholster them like a guitar amplifier with corner protectors & edge strips OR (and yes, this is out there) upholster them with upholstery fabric and decorative edges. With either of these options, the inside of the dog box could just be flat black. With the guitar-amp upholstery, no lower or upper grill would be needed. With the fabric upholstery, bottom and top grilles might be needed. I may visit the fabric store tomorrow just to see what's available. I would suggest a nice paisley design with button-down collar, a "fruit-loop' on the back and, long sleeves...kind of a "business-casual" approach...[] -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomzilla Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Fabrics/Moldings: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Morbius Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I'm kinda partial to the Fleur De Lis with blue backround. Kind of classic, like the speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Cut the top off, flip them so the access hole is now on the bottom. Build a new top (like the LaScala II) and slap a singke K510 in there to make them a 2-way LaScala killer. (JubeScala) [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Another option occurs to me: I could just upholster the things... That way there would be no need for surface repairs at all - just cover it all up. Two options would be to upholster them like a guitar amplifier with corner protectors & edge strips OR (and yes, this is out there) upholster them with upholstery fabric and decorative edges.Padded like the old Kustom equipment... [:|] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomzilla Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Padded like the old Kustom equipment? Nah - I'm not that ambitious. The idea that occurred to me last night is to just get some "peel-and-stick" flooring & slap it on. There'd be no need to sand or fill & it'd be quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Padded like the old Kustom equipment? Nah - I'm not that ambitious. The idea that occurred to me last night is to just get some "peel-and-stick" flooring & slap it on. There'd be no need to sand or fill & it'd be quick. I was kinda thinking that maybe some of that coarse-texture black granite laminate for the outside, and some smooth, flat black laminate for the inside of the bass bin...maybe even get fancy using some wood-grain laminate on the doghouse "V" panels...to give a shadow box effect...would really turn some beaters into something special! Plus, it would be relatively quick and somewhat inexpensive fix...just a thought! You could probably get everything you need in laminate sheets from a cabinet shop's scrap bin, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomzilla Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Cut the top off, flip them so the access hole is now on the bottom. Build a new top (like the LaScala II) Now THAT's an idea... I do happen to have two 4x8 sheets of birch ply in the garage... I like my existing squawker & tweeter too much to change, but I seriously DO like the LS-2 look... The idea does, however, bring up another question or two: I don't own a table saw. If I take my plywood down to Lowes or Home Depot, can they make the cuts for me, or will their coarse "rip" saw blade cause my birch veneer to splinter? If they can't make my cuts, where can I take my wood to have it sawn cleanly? How accurately can I get my plywood sawn? Plus or minus a thirty-second of an inch, I can sand out. Plus or minus a sixteenth of an inch will be sloppy, and plus or minus an eighth of an inch will be disastrous. Also, assuming I reuse the guts of my existing doghouse, how do I deal with the beat-up and poorly painted nose of the bass horn? Should I plan on just rebuilding the cabinets completely? I have plans for all the cabinet parts; can I just drop the plans & plywood off with a cabinet shop and pick up finished products? How do I find a reputable shop? I'm NOT comfortable enough with my carpentry skills (and I lack the tools) to cut my own parts. On the other hand, I'm perfectly comfortable screwing and gluing the parts together. If I'm going to the trouble of new cabinets, I'll want both the internal side braces and bass cabinet grills (ala Volti).Pardon all the questions, but I really don't know. Thanks - Boomzilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Cut the top off, flip them so the access hole is now on the bottom. Build a new top (like the LaScala II) Now THAT's an idea... I do happen to have two 4x8 sheets of birch ply in the garage... I like my existing squawker & tweeter too much to change, but I seriously DO like the LS-2 look... The idea does, however, bring up another question or two: I don't own a table saw. If I take my plywood down to Lowes or Home Depot, can they make the cuts for me, or will their coarse "rip" saw blade cause my birch veneer to splinter? If they can't make my cuts, where can I take my wood to have it sawn cleanly? How accurately can I get my plywood sawn? Plus or minus a thirty-second of an inch, I can sand out. Plus or minus a sixteenth of an inch will be sloppy, and plus or minus an eighth of an inch will be disastrous. Also, assuming I reuse the guts of my existing doghouse, how do I deal with the beat-up and poorly painted nose of the bass horn? Should I plan on just rebuilding the cabinets completely? I have plans for all the cabinet parts; can I just drop the plans & plywood off with a cabinet shop and pick up finished products? How do I find a reputable shop? I'm NOT comfortable enough with my carpentry skills (and I lack the tools) to cut my own parts. On the other hand, I'm perfectly comfortable screwing and gluing the parts together. If I'm going to the trouble of new cabinets, I'll want both the internal side braces and bass cabinet grills (ala Volti). Pardon all the questions, but I really don't know. Thanks - Boomzilla FYI, LaScala parts fabrication had factory tolerance standards of 1/64th" or CLOSER, especially in the bass bin/doghouse assemblies. You won't get that in a regular cabinet shop and you can totally forget about it at Lowe's or Home Depot. For the answer to your next question: Yes, you're correct, there is no 1/64th" on a tape measure, you get that by splitting 1/32nds. Good Luck on your endeavors, I hope your speakers turn out well. -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomzilla Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Decision made. The lowest-cost and quickest turnaround was to cover the top & sides of the cabinets with "peel-and-stick" floor vinyl planks & then put a grille over the entire front of the box. I've got one of the two boxes covered & expect to do the other tomorrow. That leaves only the grilles... Does anyone have a grille pattern or should I just measure & cut my own? How thick a plywood do I need for a grille? Would it be feasible to use some of that extruded "picture frame" aluminum and stretch the cloth inside the frame? And finally, what's the best way to attach the grille to the cabinet (velcro? hang it on some screws? use plastic speaker sockets & balls?). Thanks - Boomzilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyeanderson Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 For about $25 and a staple gun with about 15 minutes tof your time you would have been done by now kickinn back with a cool drink smile'n and style'n http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=black+sheets&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=6624462006380870368 Washable and reversable with very little effort too, enjoy the music! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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