Lascalas - Refinish or veneer?

[mingham]

I asked this in another thread, but it got lost in some of the other chat, so I will repost as a new topic.  I have walnut stained birch Lascalas with a couple finish issues:  a)a big scratch on a side, does not go through veneer, and most significantly, a large water stain on the top of one.  Otherwise they are in really solid survivor condition.  a few knicks here and there, but nothing a good coat of Howard's wouldn't rectify.

 

I am thinking of veneering them in walnut or Australian walnut. I am an experienced woodworker/finisher and it will not look like an amateur job.  They will definitely look updated and better in the living room.  The wife will be happy.  I am a little concerned about messing with a solid original set though.  What is the general feeling here?  What is the effect on resale value?  I don't plan to flip them, but may move on some day.   I could see it hurting or helping, depending on the buyer.

 

Pics to follow (different device)

 

 

   

[mingham]

[Bacek]

Answer for mine La Scalas is for sure veneering because they have too many dents.

Also I did some tests on birch staining with multiple stains and actually I don't like results. So probably I will use walnut too.

But I'm struggling with how to veneer part around horns. Probably I will veneer board edges separately from "face" like on original version. Don't like flat look like on Volti restoration.

[OO1]

57 minutes ago, mingham said:

 I am an experienced woodworker/finisher and it will not look like an amateur job.

Go for it ,  Veneered klipsch speakers fetch ---quite more money  the rare Bird is Rosewood -

 

[Khornukopia]

On 3/19/2022 at 12:21 PM, mingham said:

I am thinking of veneering them in walnut or Australian walnut. I am an experienced woodworker/finisher and it will not look like an amateur job.  They will definitely look updated and better in the living room.  The wife will be happy.

 

You listed four really good reasons to veneer your speakers. I vote yes. 🙂

[geezin']

6 hours ago, Khornukopia said:

The wife will be happy.

There's your answer.

[Khornukopia]

On 3/19/2022 at 12:21 PM, mingham said:

 

I am thinking of veneering them

How is it going?

[Simpson]

Hi everyone. I have a pair of very well-loved (read ‘totally beat up’) Lascalas. In preparation for putting a veneer on them, I have had to build up every edge to a right angle as the edges were  rounded. I’ve been using Bondo, working for a very long time, and they’re finally starting to look square. 😊 I’m not very skilled at working with veneer, so I’d like to paint them in the interim, until I can  get the cash together to have someone veneer them for me. I would be grateful if anyone could recommend a paint (black) and process for making them look nice-ish for now. I saw an earlier thread that had the following picture and would love it if I could get to that place. Thank you!

[Dave MacKay]

12 hours ago, Simpson said:

… so I’d like to paint them in the interim, until I can  get the cash together to have someone veneer them for me. I would be grateful if anyone could recommend a paint (black) and process for making them look nice-ish for now. 

 

If you plan on veneering them eventually, I’d recommend that you not paint them because you may end up having to strip the paint when it comes time to veneer.

 

If you insist on painting them, you could use Duratex.

[JMeader]

I went the veneer route

 

1)    it took 3    4x8 sheets of veneer to get the grain flow right

 

2) I found a true wood working craftsman to do the job - best decision I made

 

3) the woofer bin is the most difficult, you need to get a lot of weight on each inside sheet during the glue drying process we used sand bags and a piece of train rail for weight. Because of this the bin area took 4 days alone to veneer that area. Also we first painted the very back of the bin black before veneering because we could not figure out how to veneer that space and it is already dark in that area anyway.

 

4) you will have to decide how you will deal with the surround edges of the tweeter and squaker area. there are a couple of ways to deal with these edges but you need to decide before you start the actual veneer process as you need to match grain flow.

 

5) We made paper templates for each piece and then laid them out on the 4X8 sheets for grain flow very important process

 

6) Would I do it again Yes my 1987 La Scala's I think were used in a bar atmosphere and were really beat up with scratches and gouges everywhere.

 

7) we decided to put a thin layer of MDF on all outside of the speakers this helps with the resonance issue know with this age of La Scala

 

Hope this helps  and as always Enjoy The Music

 

[Simpson]

8 hours ago, Dave MacKay said:

 

If you plan on veneering them eventually, I’d recommend that you not paint them because you may end up having to strip the paint when it comes time to veneer.

 

If you insist on painting them, you could use Duratex.

Thank you, Dave. Yes, I do ultimately want to  get them veneered. Duratex is a pretty thick texture (and not the look I’m going for), so I agree that would be a bad move. I just wonder if there is an intermediate approach that would look good and cover the bare wood +  bondo look - it’s pretty terrible! Thanks again for the advice!

[Simpson]

3 hours ago, JMeader said:

I went the veneer route

 

1)    it took 3    4x8 sheets of veneer to get the grain flow right

 

2) I found a true wood working craftsman to do the job - best decision I made

 

3) the woofer bin is the most difficult, you need to get a lot of weight on each inside sheet during the glue drying process we used sand bags and a piece of train rail for weight. Because of this the bin area took 4 days alone to veneer that area. Also we first painted the very back of the bin black before veneering because we could not figure out how to veneer that space and it is already dark in that area anyway.

 

4) you will have to decide how you will deal with the surround edges of the tweeter and squaker area. there are a couple of ways to deal with these edges but you need to decide before you start the actual veneer process as you need to match grain flow.

 

5) We made paper templates for each piece and then laid them out on the 4X8 sheets for grain flow very important process

 

6) Would I do it again Yes my 1987 La Scala's I think were used in a bar atmosphere and were really beat up with scratches and gouges everywhere.

 

7) we decided to put a thin layer of MDF on all outside of the speakers this helps with the resonance issue know with this age of La Scala

 

Hope this helps  and as always Enjoy The Music

 

Those look amazing! Congrats. I assume the MDF also gave you a smoky and consistent surface for applying the veneer? How thick was the MDF, did it seem to add much size/weight (as you know, the speakers are pretty giant already), and how did you to fix the MDF to the speaker surface? Thanks again for all that helpful information!

[OO1]

 dont waste your time  ,   once the cabs are square ..... adding  panels of 1/4 inch  pre-veneered wood  to the sides and top  will make these cabs look brand new  . 

[JMeader]

I made a personal decision to go with 1/2 MDF which was glued and screwed, which added at least 75 pounds of weight. I even put the MDF in the tweeter/squaker area, the back and on the bottom. This totally eliminated the classic "Live Sound" the 87 models were known for. What I got was "In My Opinion" a more refined sound similar to the new La Scala models.

 

When you start the Modifying Process you lose the value of your Original La Scala's , so you have to be sure of what and why you want to make these changes. Personally I have a smile on my face every time I listen to my system.  My La Scala's are now the last speakers, I have a Decware Torii Jr V2 which is my last amp, and now looking for a new Dac. The Chord Qutest is in the lead. The Qutest is a FPGA based DAC which allows programing changes.

 

Oh well, we all make personal choices which means not everyone will agree with us, but  I am comfortable with what I have done and the results.

 

Remember its all about the Music , so enjoy

[Dave MacKay]

8 hours ago, Simpson said:

I just wonder if there is an intermediate approach that would look good and cover the bare wood +  bondo look - it’s pretty terrible! Thanks again for the advice!

My La Scalas were pretty beat up when I got them: chips, stains, broken corners, etc.

 

I sanded the exterior surfaces smooth and used wood filler (bondo would have been better) to fill in the chips and rebuild the corners. I then applied 3/8" baltic birch to the top, bottom, and sides to:

1. give a more attractive appearance
2. provide a smooth surface for veneer 
3. address cabinet resonance

I used Titebond glue and lots of brads to affix the new panels. I installed the panels slightly oversize and trimmed them with a straight-cutting router bit.

 

I used BetterBond Heat-Loc glue to apply Ribbon Sapele paper backed veneer. I finished the veneer with Rubio Monocoat "Pure". I sanded the doghouse as well as I could and painted it black. I also sprayed the horns with Rustoleum "Satin Canyon" black spray paint.

 

@Simpson, were I in your shoes, I'd fix the imperfections with bondo and apply new panels to the top, bottom, and sides. I'd also give the horns a coat of spray paint. That ought to make their appearance passable until you veneer them.

 

I struggled to find anyone to do the veneering. The only quote I got was for more than I had paid for the La Scalas!

 

Don't be afraid to try veneering the La Scalas yourself. The La Scalas were my first project with veneer. I practised on two subwoofers (just rectangular boxes) before doing them. Because I felt that the doghouses would be too demanding for my skills, I chose to paint them instead. The veneering was both easier and more satisfying than I anticipated.

 

Also, in case you haven't done so already, get new gaskets for the squawkers, use DeoxIT liberally on all connections, and tighten the screws attaching all of the drivers to the cabinet. You might also want to apply a new gasket (weatherstripping works fine) to the doghouse access panel. If the crossovers are old you should probably replace the capacitors.

 

[OO1]

12 hours ago, JMeader said:

I went the veneer route

can you post a few pictures , these look really, really  nice  

[gigantic]

On 9/26/2023 at 7:01 PM, Simpson said:

Hi everyone. I have a pair of very well-loved (read ‘totally beat up’) Lascalas. In preparation for putting a veneer on them, I have had to build up every edge to a right angle as the edges were  rounded. I’ve been using Bondo, working for a very long time, and they’re finally starting to look square. 😊 I’m not very skilled at working with veneer, so I’d like to paint them in the interim, until I can  get the cash together to have someone veneer them for me. I would be grateful if anyone could recommend a paint (black) and process for making them look nice-ish for now. I saw an earlier thread that had the following picture and would love it if I could get to that place. Thank you!

I’ve had extremely good results using Benjamin Moore Advance hybrid alkyd/latex enamel. I restored a pair of H700 Heresy decorators with it and used it on my current speakers. It’s better sprayed than brushed or rolled. 

[Bacek]

8 hours ago, Dave MacKay said:

My La Scalas were pretty beat up when I got them: chips, stains, broken corners, etc.

Nice work. Same is ahead of me. I'm not yet decided on grain layout but I'm more leaning towards this one which mimics original plywood layout. For me it will be american walnut for sure. But for face I'm planning to use more flat looking pieces and for edges those with dense grains.

 

 

[Dave MacKay]

5 hours ago, gigantic said:

I’ve had extremely good results using Benjamin Moore Advance hybrid alkyd/latex enamel. I restored a pair of H700 Heresy decorators with it and used it on my current speakers. It’s better sprayed than brushed or rolled. 

I used Benjamin Moore “Advance” Interior Alkyd  paint (black, in “Pearl” finish) for the doghouse of my La Scalas. Because I didn’t have a paint sprayer, I brushed it on. It was an excellent match for the Rustoleum Satin “Canyon Black” spray paint that I used on the tweeter and squawker horns. I’m pleased with how it turned out.

 

Benjamin Moore paints are very good.

 

 

[gigantic]

57 minutes ago, Dave MacKay said:

I used Benjamin Moore “Advance” Interior Alkyd  paint (black, in “Pearl” finish) for the doghouse of my La Scalas. Because I didn’t have a paint sprayer, I brushed it on. It was an excellent match for the Rustoleum Satin “Canyon Black” spray paint that I used on the tweeter and squawker horns. I’m pleased with how it turned out.

 

Benjamin Moore paints are very good.

 

 

I used it for everything but the mahogany trim for the build that I detailed elsewhere. It takes about 5 days to cure, but then it is quite durable. I then clear coated it with automotive 2K poly, but it probably wasn’t absolutely necessary.