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Too good to pass up?


rivercat

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rivercat,

 

      I'd like to see them when they are finished.....

Have fun with the project......please I'm not saying you did the wrong thing......I have rebuilt and refreshed a lot of Klipsch speakers....reference series just suck to do.

You can't send the drivers out to be re coned or re cone them yourself ...they have to be purchased....the veneers suck to re do ....vinyl is a easier to re wrap.... but when you get done ....its still vinyl.....

This sounds like a something you are excited about doing......Finish them

George

 

 

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Totally get it Oldred, no offense taken.

 

I’m not really as familiar with the reference series to be honest. I’ve been casually looking for some Heresey’s or Forte’s for awhile but when these popped up in my search, it was tough to say no. I’ve always known the RF7 is the top dog in the reference line, but I’ve never heard a set before.

 

I’ll probably go the eBay route on a driver or two and then just sand down what I can without getting too aggressive and re-stain. They should turn out pretty good, not perfect, but good.

I anticipate the towers and sub turning out really well, the center may just look “ok” when it’s done. 

 

What the hell, relatively small investment and should be fun.

Edited by rivercat
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  • 2 months later...

After far too long of everything sitting in a spare room, I decided to finally start this. 

Ive been enjoying the RF7’s as is, for music, but the sub and center have just been sitting there.

 

I started with the RC7. It was by far the worst condition with a lot of surface scratches and a few deep gouges. Quite frankly, I’m the definition of a novice at this and I knew there was essentially no way I was going to make the RC7 any where near mint condition again, so I figured it was a good one for me to start with to see how close I could get it. Everything after that should be easier and turn out better.

 

I bought a replacement driver on eBay for $60 to replace the one that’s completely jacked. I sanded it down and actually got all of the minor surface scratches out without much of a problem.

 

I was very encouraged by how the sanding came out because not only does the center look pretty decent, but the RF7’s and RSW15 are in much better condition and just have some minor scratches in them, no deep gouges like the center had. I should be able to get the cabinets on the RF7’s and RSW15 in very good, near mint, condition.

 

The problem I ran into on the RC7 is that on the front of it where there were the deep gouges, I got a little too aggressive with the sanding and just about sanded through the veneer. I instantly regretted it when I stopped. I got those gouges out, but not much wood grain left either. I hoped the stain would hide it a bit. It didn’t, and neither did the second coat. So it kind of is what it is at this point. Maybe I’d consider re-veneering them at some point down the road. But that’s not happening anytime soon.

 

As a whole, I don’t think there is any doubt it looks better than before I started. But a great example of a restoration of a speaker back to mint condition this is not.

 

Working on pictures now.

Edited by rivercat
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I’m going to do the sub next. 

But I had a question that I figured someone here could answer.

 

What is the best way to get the round plastic dial on the side of the sub, off?

I want to take it off for the sanding, so I’m not sanding around it.

 

I’m guessing by taking the driver off and popping the dial out from the inside?

 

Edit: I took off the passive radiator to take a look at the dial from the inside. That's not going anywhere. Maybe it's possible, but it's above my expertise, that's for sure.

 

fqol5Fv.jpg

Edited by rivercat
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On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 9:38 PM, rivercat said:

I’m guessing by taking the driver off and popping the dial out from the inside?

 

 

Yes, that's probably the best way otherwise you risk damaging the veneer trying to pry it out from the outside as its pressed in pretty snug.

 

Nice work on the RC-7 looks great! I think you got one hell of a deal myself, all top shelf Reference speakers really any one of the items you picked up is worth what you paid for the whole lot, congrats!

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  • 10 months later...

I’m almost embarrassed to just now be posting the next step. Everything has sat in our spare room for the better part of a year now.

RC7 is done, RSW15 has been sitting there waiting to be done and the RF7’s have been hooked up and being used for music, but still haven’t been touched as far as sanding/staining goes.

 

Finally got back on it this week. Finished up the RSW15. 
It turned out pretty good. Not quite mint, but definitely nice, maybe an 8/10.

 

I sanded just a touch too much again on the top (apparently I don’t learn). But it’s not near as bad as I did on the RC7.


Very happy with the way this turned out as a whole.

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That brings me to the RF7’s, the plan is to do them a little sooner and not wait months like I did between the RC7 & RSW15. 
 

I have no doubt that the cabinets will turn out really nice since there are just some surface scratches.

 

I like the look with the grills off, but if I have any hope of having these in the living room eventually (the wife doesn’t like the look with the grills off), I need to get some new grills. The grills that I got with these are in pretty rough shape, snags all over.

Does anyone have any leads on RF7 grills? And an RC7 grill for that matter.

 

Ive looked on eBay here and there, but they’re not exactly a common item.

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