Iteachstem Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 I traded for these KLF30's (That was a nightmare, but that's a different story!) The cabinets were pretty scratched, with multiple blemishes on both cabinets and they had water damage at the bottom. I pulled all of the drivers and got to work. Patched, sanded and refinished. I fabricated custom risers for the bottom. I was going to pull the bottom panels, but the inside seals were still decent, so I chose to beef up the cabinet and build a base that wouldn't look too odd. Enjoy the pictures. Original speakers: Sanding: Added front to back Bracing: Stain: Beefing up the bottoms: The final Product! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechEngVic Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 Wonderful!!! Great idea for the base. I've been thinking of sanding down my black KLF-10's to finish them similarly. Your sanding /stripping job came out fantastic. It looks like a bare oak finish! Can you tell us how you got through the black finish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahaSHO Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 Those look fantastic! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iteachstem Posted December 19, 2020 Author Share Posted December 19, 2020 22 hours ago, MechEngVic said: Can you tell us how you got through the black finish? I start with 120 on a quarter sheet palm sander. Then 220 when I get through the black mess. Then a light 320 to get rid of any swirl marks. Just be careful not to use a lot of pressure the last little bit as you don't want to burn through the thin layer of veneer. I know a lot of people like to use lacquer thinner to remove the finish, but I don't like to use harsh chemicals... I already put my body though enough back in college! I think if you search through my older posts there are pictures. I'd say bring them over with a nice bottle of wine or bourbon, and I'd do it for you, but I think that's a little far of a drive!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iteachstem Posted December 19, 2020 Author Share Posted December 19, 2020 On 12/19/2020 at 1:05 AM, yamahaSHO said: Those look fantastic! Thanks. It was the most involved refinish project to date as they were very rough when I received them. I like the challenge and being able to bring these old Klipsch speakers back to life. I usually put them up against my current speakers I have and see which one(s) I like best. Then, I'll offer the one with my lowest score up for sale for someone else to appreciate. Here they are in my latest listening comparison session. A friend who has purchased several of my refinished speakers was in on this "listen-off" and he looked them up online and then offered me $1200 on the spot. I told him not at the moment...and then I told him I was a bit insulted, as the ones he looked up on eBay are going for $1500 and $1800 and mine appear to be in better condition!!! He said no insult intended, he was just figuring in the friend price!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechEngVic Posted December 20, 2020 Share Posted December 20, 2020 7 hours ago, Iteachstem said: I start with 120 on a quarter sheet palm sander. Then 220 when I get through the black mess. Then a light 320 to get rid of any swirl marks. Just be careful not to use a lot of pressure the last little bit as you don't want to burn through the then layer of veneer. I know a lot of people like to use lacquer thinner to remove the finish, but I don't like to use harsh chemicals... I already put my body though enough back in college! I think if you search through my older posts there are pictures. I'd say bring them over with a nice bottle of wine or bourbon, and I'd do it for you, but I think that's a little far of a drive!!! I was a mechanic for several years before I went back to school to get my engineering BS, so I completely agree with not wanting to use chemicals anymore. My hands are finally not so callous, cracked and dry. I'm really tempted to try it since your instructions seem so straightforward and doable, I have a everything you mention. And thanks for the offer, like you said, a bit much of a drive but a nice single malt sounds like a good deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iteachstem Posted December 20, 2020 Author Share Posted December 20, 2020 3 hours ago, MechEngVic said: I was a mechanic for several years before I went back to school to get my engineering BS, so I completely agree with not wanting to use chemicals anymore. My hands are finally not so callous, cracked and dry. I'm really tempted to try it since your instructions seem so straightforward and doable, I have a everything you mention. And thanks for the offer, like you said, a bit much of a drive but a nice single malt sounds like a good deal! Might I suggest you start on the bottom of the speakers? That way if you have an issue, it won't be visible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godataloss Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 Great Job- they look really nice. I think the way the residual black makes the grain stand out makes up for the fact that they aren't book matched. The base sets them off nicely too. If you don't want to go the harsh chemical route, citrus-strip isn't too bad and is reasonably effective. You can use it inside, just don't expect miracles from it. Apply, cover in plastic wrap and let set for an hour then scrape with a good sharp cabinet scraper. It will save you some wear on the veneer though which is the biggest worry with a project like this- and a few doze sheets of sandpaper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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