BananaMoonpie Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 I'm in need of help identifying the finish of my Heresys. I got them from a local seller but the stickers on the back are too damaged. I do like them as they are but some areas specially the top look a bit faded. Also I wold like to match the raisers as they are not finished. Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanm84 Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Looks like raw birch that was stained by a previous owner. My Cornwalls started out looking a lot like yours (wide open grain of the birch). Experimentation on color is probably the best option. You can stain the inside of the riser until you get it right. Most likely a single color like medium walnut or something similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 A fast guess is they look like they are factory Raw Birch Unfinished which have been stained with a wipe on walnut oil stain and then top coated with poly of some sort or another this not a factory job. I am not a fan of changing the color of a wood as it most often looks worse, had these been kept well the birch by now would look beautiful with decades of natural patina. You might consider a total wrap of fresh veneer. Take a look at the attached thread for some ideas. Welcome aboard the forum. Have fun. Best regards Moray James. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/73189-picture-thread-exotic-original-veneersheritage-rarities/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BananaMoonpie Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 You might consider a total wrap of fresh veneer. I would love to but I probably make a mess of it with my limited experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 love the black grill cloth looking stuff on the motorboard might have to try that in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) Thin paper backed veneers are not very difficult to use a bit stiffer than mactack. The trick is to do all the real work first. Your prep time is where you make the veneer work look easy as you want the surface to be veneered to be perfectly smooth so defects do not telegraph through the veneer. You could start by doing a veneer job on the risers and build confidence. Take a look at one of Greg's pages to see what lovely veneers can do for a simple old box. Best regards Moray James. http://klipschupgrades.com/restorations.shtml http://www.oakwoodveneer.com/ Edited December 24, 2014 by moray james Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 love the black grill cloth looking stuff on the motorboard might have to try that in the future I expect that is a pattern as the result of dust which has filtered through the grill cloth. Best regards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 this is the patina Moray is talking about http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Klipsch-Heresy-Series-One-HBR-Near-MInt-/131386634704?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item1e9740f1d0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 hey moonpie, does that black stuff come off the front of the speaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 this is the patina Moray is talking about http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Klipsch-Heresy-Series-One-HBR-Near-MInt-/131386634704?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item1e9740f1d0 you can simulate a nice patina on raw birch with some diluted coats of orange shellac,remember that your topcoat will also darken the wood a shade or two as well. The shellac makes an excellent primer for a poly topcoat and water based urethane is very durable most often used on flooring and is tough as nails. This works especially well on fir where the colors compliment each other very well and which is one of my favorites. Best regards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BananaMoonpie Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) love the black grill cloth looking stuff on the motorboard That is actually the grill without the fabric I kind of liked how it looked so I have not replaced the fabric yet. The small square near the woofer is a poor gluing job. Edited December 24, 2014 by BananaMoonpie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) i should of known that i just re-covered a factory set of grill boards that looked just like that Moray - Dust - c'mon man Edited December 24, 2014 by Budman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BananaMoonpie Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 Thin paper backed veneers are not very difficult to use a bit stiffer than mactack. The trick is to do all the real work first. Your prep time is where you make the veneer work look easy as you want the surface to be veneered to be perfectly smooth so defects do not telegraph through the veneer. You could start by doing a veneer job on the risers and build confidence. Take a look at one of Greg's pages to see what lovely veneers can do for a simple old box. Best regards Moray James. http://klipschupgrades.com/restorations.shtml http://www.oakwoodveneer.com/ Really like those restorations, I think I will start with the risers as suggested. I also have a small stand I made for my amplifier that needs some work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanm84 Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) I used this link when I did my Cornwall resto. LOTS of good info found in this thread. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/98877-how-to-new-grills-grill-cloth-etc/ I also posted my own progress. See some of my before pics and you can see some similarities between your Heresies and mine - birch grain through the stain. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/145590-cornwall-grille-question-cornwall-refurb-final-pics-project-complete/ Edited December 24, 2014 by ryanm84 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BananaMoonpie Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 I used this link when I did my Cornwall resto. LOTS of good info found in this thread. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/98877-how-to-new-grills-grill-cloth-etc/ I also posted my own progress. See some of my before pics and you can see some similarities between your Heresies and mine - birch grain through the stain. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/145590-cornwall-grille-question-cornwall-refurb-final-pics-project-complete/ Thank you, this will definitely help me a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) i should of known that i just re-covered a factory set of grill boards that looked just like that Moray - Dust - c'mon man well clear to see the fabric pattern there so it is adhesive and not dust still the fabric pattern which gives the sense of texture and I agree it looks interesting. I have been considering cutting my H3 grills down to cover the woofer only (since I use the grill to hold acoustical felt in place over the woofer) and then use matching grill fabric directly on the baffle section around the horns with cutouts for the two horns. That way from a distance I have the baffle with the same grill and the horns are open to the eye. Looks nice and sounds better with no grill over the horns to me. Some really nice photos there of the Cornwall re veneer job beautiful walnut grain patterns. Also one of the pictures shows how nice the patine of birch is after a couple of decades on the backs of those Cornwall speakers. Greg at Volti does some simply stunning veneer work which is inspiring to be sure. Post some pictures when you get there with yours. Best regards Moray James. Found this wonderful picture of a Cornwall Decorator in Birch with a couple of decades of beautiful patina. This would look to have a finish probably Urethane rather than varnish which is darker and adds a little color to new wood. Edited December 24, 2014 by moray james Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanm84 Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 An unfinished raw birch cabinet with patina can look really nice. Chips, cuts, or gouges to the veneer though can put the owner in a bind. Small damage is probably ok and adds a little character. Big chips or damaged substrate on the show sides or top inevitably brings out the option to fix. If you do take the leap, post pics. Everyone likes to see restorations in progress! 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.