AZMike Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 Just bought a pair of 1979 Cornwalls from the original owner. I was told that they were walnut but the code does not seem to match. I did see some posts on the BRSL being Brazilian Rosewood but not on Cornwalls. Any ideas? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtr20 Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 Congrats on your speakers, please post pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 Here's some pictures. They need to be refinished. Not sure what color I should do to keep them original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Brazilian Rosewood Satin Lacquer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 This seems to be pretty rare. We are going to have to refinish them due to one of the speakers being faded from sitting by a window. My wife wants to do a walnut stain. Would you keep them the original color? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
314carpenter Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Are you going to put them in sunlight? UV blocker. Otherwise lacquer thinner, stain of your own choosing, and some fresh lacquer. Temp. 70+ Humidity 70-. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted February 28, 2022 Author Share Posted February 28, 2022 Thanks guys! I appreciate the information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 do not stain them. these are very very rare better read up on how to remove lacquer first or find someone that will do it for you and reapply lacquer scroll thru these and find what you have 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...
314carpenter Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 2 hours ago, Budman said: do not stain them. these are very very rare better read up on how to remove lacquer first or find someone that will do it for you and reapply lacquer scroll thru these and find what you have https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/73189-picture-thread-exotic-original-veneersheritage-rarities/ Removing lacquer not a problem. If you screw up that part of the job, then you're a monkey's uncle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeK Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 I believe denatured alcohol dissolves lacquer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
314carpenter Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 4 minutes ago, GeorgeK said: I believe denatured alcohol dissolves lacquer. Wrong. That's the stuff you would use for removing shellac. Repeating my post again... Lacquer thinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 Thanks again everybody for the advice. I did quite a bit of research on the rosewood and you can't re-stain it. We will have to get the lacquer off and see what we got. They do make a wood dye that they use on guitars with rosewood that looks like maybe it will work. As far as reapplying the lacquer, I am going to contact the company that re-finished our kitchen cabinets. I uploaded a couple pictures to show the fading that happened over the years. Thanks again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtr20 Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 After you get the finish off, wipe some mineral spirits on the veneer to see what it will look like finished with some sort of clear coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
314carpenter Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 @AZMike What you have is definitely rare and totally worth your best efforts. Don't cut corners. Do nothing to your speakers until you have a full plan in writing. Project budget is $400 max. depending on if you do this work yourself, and what you already have in your possession. There are specialized products, including dyes and lacquers, that have uv inhibitors in them. UV inhibitors are inherently expensive, so don't be put off on the prices for the better products. The longer they protect, the more they cost. These products are difficult to source. If you're paying someone else to do the work, make sure you tell them you require they provide you an agreed upon material list (including brands) before they ever touch your stuff. If they can't provide those details, or have any materials listed that can be bought at a big box store, you need to walk away. Once you have decided which direction you want to go, if you decide to proceed on your own, test, test, test . Buy a piece of matching wood species (doesn't need to be veneer), and buy all of your materials. Mark or tape off zones of your test piece. Work through each step, give each zone a number and write down everything. Once you determine exactly what it will take to recreate the look, you can practice your skils on a 2'x3' piece of hardwood plywood. The skills used to apply your products will need to be modified according to the size of the panel your working on. You can't just flood this stuff on and wipe off, or pad small areas and blend. It is a learned skill that you will need to perfect. Any errors will forever be on display. These are the kind of things that separate the diy'ers from the pros, the differences are always transparent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted March 3, 2022 Author Share Posted March 3, 2022 Great advice. I will update as we go. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 Got a quick update on our progress. I removed all the drivers and crossovers. Replaced the tweeter diaphragms and recapped the crossover with sonicaps. Then we stripped them with lacquer remover. When we thought we had most of the lacquer off we hand sanded them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 We first tried a spray lacquer that was recommended on one of the speakers. However, it wasn't bringing the true color of wood. So, we stripped it down again. Another recommendation was to use a tung oil vanish. Applied 4 coats with a light sanding in between. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khornukopia Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 1 hour ago, AZMike said: We first tried a spray lacquer that was recommended on one of the speakers. However, it wasn't bringing the true color of wood. So, we stripped it down again. Another recommendation was to use a tung oil vanish. Applied 4 coats with a light sanding in between. Looking good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Below Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 beautiful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtr20 Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 Those are beautiful, I am drooling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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