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Which finish on my unfinished La Scalas?


JohnW

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I also would like to see some pics, TBH I cleaned my 1977 LS 16 years ago and left them BR until now. The first owner tried to paint one sidewall in an ugly brown tone to match his furniture, happily I could remove it by stripping with lye. I could imagine that shellac would give a good look.

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55 minutes ago, KT88 said:

I also would like to see some pics, TBH I cleaned my 1977 LS 16 years ago and left them BR until now. The first owner tried to paint one sidewall in an ugly brown tone to match his furniture, happily I could remove it by stripping with lye. I could imagine that shellac would give a good look.

I’m ok with unfinished, but the wife says it won’t match the rest of the room, and as usual, she’s right.

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I'm also interested in this topic.

 

I bought a pair of 1986 raw birch La Scalas last summer which had been coated with polyurethane so that they had a light amber colour. However, the cabinets had been damaged. As part of the repair, I laminated new 3/8" baltic birch to to top, bottom, and sides. I plan to veneer and refinish the speakers this spring.

 

I'm not at all confident that I'll be able to veneer the interior of the bass bin. For that reason, I've been thinking that I'll use a birch veneer over the front, top, bottom, and sides (but not the bass bin or rear of the speaker) and then try to stain it to match the colour of the bass bin.

 

So far I've experimented with Watco Danish Oil in both Natural and Golden Oak shades but neither has been a good colour match.

 

I'll try a few other stains to see if I can find one that's acceptable. But I wonder if I might not be better off just to apply a clear polyurethane and let time darken the colour?

 

All comments are welcome.

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6 hours ago, Dave MacKay said:

I'm also interested in this topic.

 

I bought a pair of 1986 raw birch La Scalas last summer which had been coated with polyurethane so that they had a light amber colour. However, the cabinets had been damaged. As part of the repair, I laminated new 3/8" baltic birch to to top, bottom, and sides. I plan to veneer and refinish the speakers this spring.

 

I'm not at all confident that I'll be able to veneer the interior of the bass bin. For that reason, I've been thinking that I'll use a birch veneer over the front, top, bottom, and sides (but not the bass bin or rear of the speaker) and then try to stain it to match the colour of the bass bin.

 

So far I've experimented with Watco Danish Oil in both Natural and Golden Oak shades but neither has been a good colour match.

 

I'll try a few other stains to see if I can find one that's acceptable. But I wonder if I might not be better off just to apply a clear polyurethane and let time darken the colour?

 

All comments are welcome.

Hi, an alternative to redoing the doghouse is to adhere black cloth like the Belles. I've seen photos from several people who have done this over the years. Really dresses them up IMO. Something like this: Hooking up K-402 horns to commercial La Scala's & bracing ...

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19 hours ago, JohnW said:

Danish oil? Tung Oil? Stain? Shellac? Just bought an unfinished pair of ‘85s, and I’m looking for all the info and ideas I can find. (I only get one shot at this)
 

How did you finish yours? Pics, please.

Boiled linseed oil -before and after  -

 

Oiling my New Cornwalls - Page 3 - Technical/Modifications - The Klipsch  Audio Community

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I like polyurethane as it doesn't require much upkeep.  Here is what my Heresy's looked like after pre-treatment, stain, and many coats of wipe-on poly.  I plan to do the same with my La Scala's, though I probably will not stain.  

 

 

 

 

49898386502_b156bf2cef_k.jpg

 

 

Here are my dad's 1982 La Scala's that he bought new.  He re-finished them back in like 1995 or 1996.  It's just some sort of polyurethane of the time.  They still look like this picture (picture was taken in the early to mid-2000's).  

 

24986158185_6287396e52_k.jpg

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11 minutes ago, JohnW said:

How many coats?

 

@HDBRbuilder is the Pro on the Klipsch Forum ,  he used to recommend  1  application every 2  days  for 6 days  ,  once a month for 6 months   ,  then once a year for upkeep   , Linseed oil  does not leave  residues or chemical buildup , the oil penetrates the veneer and protects the wood -

 

 

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Boiled Linseed Oil works like a natural polyurethane. It works as a self catalyzing finish. It does penetrate pretty well, perhaps better than poly, although I usually thin the first 2-3 coats of poly with mineral spirits. Which will penetrate a bit more.

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31 minutes ago, 001 said:

@HDBRbuilder is the Pro on the Klipsch Forum ,  he used to recommend  1  application every 2  days  for 6 days  ,  once a month for 6 months   ,  then once a year for upkeep   , Linseed oil  does not leave  residues or chemical buildup , the oil penetrates the veneer and protects the wood -

 

 

I think I read that after I got my Cornwalls. I did the boiled linseed oil with them, but they're the Oiled Walnut finish. Once a year I use Watco on them now.

 

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3 minutes ago, JohnW said:

I think I read that after I got my Cornwalls. I did the boiled linseed oil with them, but they're the Oiled Walnut finish. Once a year I use Watco on them now.

the Watco Danish oil is a blend of Linseed oil  , varnish and thinner , so yeah , once a year should keep the veneer oiled properly -

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