Piano Black La Scala's

[m00n]

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On 1/30/2005 10:32:14 AM 76scalas wrote:

Wood is not level this means lots of block sanding. High gloss coatings require the surface to be perfectly level or you'll see every high/low spot. Sanding the surfacer inside the bass bin was a real challenge!

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That was my first thought was WOW, a lot of work must have gone into them to make that wood nice and flat. What a project. They are beautyful for sure.

[lipinski]

Outstanding, a work of art!!

[m00n]

Not sure if anyone else asked this or not, but, what are the chances of all that work/paint affectting the way the cabinets sound?

[khorn58]

Nice nice job.

I also use the Binks Mach 1 HVLP gun for final finsh on my Vintage vw I restore a nice gun.

I have been using a acu spray hvlp gun for primer as it sparys the thick filler real well.

If klipsch used this finsh they have to add 2 grand to the price.

Nice nice

[shload]

Wow, just beautiful. Joe

[J M O N]

Incredible! A few years back, I had plans on finishing all my speakers in black (since I bought used and wanted them to match) and was considering a piano black finish. However, after much advice from this forum (Q-Man even sent me a small sample of wood he painted black!), it seemed like it would be a ton of work, and possibly beyond my abilities as my "painting experience" is probably better measured in hours, not years. I then decided against it, and that it would probably be easier to try to find matching speakers.

Wouldn't mind seeing more photos...

[aviserated]

Sonus Faber mass produces high gloss lacquered piano black speakers. I would like to know how they do it.

[Q-Man]

Now you can't let anybody touch them, or you will have to keep wiping off the finger prints.

I can appreciate all the sweat that went into the prep work.

JMON,

I forgot about sending you those samples.

[J M O N]

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On 1/30/2005 7:23:27 PM Q-Man wrote:

JMON,

I forgot about sending you those samples.

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I didn't. By the way, can you PM me your mailing address? Even though I decided not to go through with the black refinishing job(s!), I wanted to show you something I put together with the help of the samples you sent.

[Cal Blacksmith]

AWESOME!! I guess the highest compliment I can give you is...

Will you do the same to my Fortes? They are already black if that helps

[KT66]

Very Nice..

DIY piano gloss paint and a good bristle brush I suppose .. two coats or three?

BTW, noticed the Dynaco what sort of results are you getting with it thru LS?

cheers

[Q-Man]

JMON,

I sent you an email.

[elcapitan83]

excellent work.

did you use a spraybooth to get that finish?

my main problem is always dust nibs in my finish.

[chippie]

wath a speaker is this nice and beautifull!!

[chippie]

wat a speaker is this nice and beautifull!!

[Tom Adams]

Simply unreal...in a similar fashion as jmon, some Heresys I aquired on the cheap needed some cabinet TLC. I decided to try the spray bomb method of finishing them in Rustoleum 7777. After sanding and spraying and sanding and spraying and sanding and spraying and....well, 4 cans later they still look like crap (a guy I know with a body shop has one of the cabinets now and has done a sample shooting for me. If I like the result, we talk turkey about the other cabinets. Need to stop by there today as a matter of fact).

I wouldn't even consider trying to do what you've done. Like I said, simply unreal. I have no doubt that pictures don't do them justice. I bet they have to actually be seen to be appreciated.

OTOH, I couldn't own anything like those. With my anal nature, I would freak every time I saw a finger print or dog hair on it. LOL...I have a hard enough time with the hardwood floors in my house!!

Nice job sir. Now excuse me while I go kick the crap outta my you-gly DIY black Heresys!

Tom

[Jeff_R]

Moving forward in time 3 years, I am in the middle of a similar project. I picked up a pair of 1978 La Scalas for a song off craigslist. All drivers are original, in fine condition, AA crossover intact. I was caller/viewer number 2. Fortunately the seller told me the first potential buyer said he had no idea that La Scalas were so large, and declined to buy them. The original owner had bought a smaller home, and his other half apparently didn't want "those" in their living room. Unfortunately for the speakers, fortunately for me, he bought a new storage building and stacked these in it. Better for him if he had sold right away, better for the outer laminate on the speaker tops as well.

Where I was and where I am on these. I started by tapping, looking, and removing delaminated sections. I repaired all the voids I removed with a 2 part epoxy compound trade name Devcon. I squared everything up back to perfect, filling tiny imperfections with bondo. I coated everything with Famowood 2 part epoxy to rebond areas and seal then sanded everything to 220 finishes. What a nightmare sanding all that Famowood back off. During epoxy application I pressed and squeeged for along time to try to get into the outer layer. I got about a 99% fill out of it, and you can tap check all over these and not hear adelamination now. I had been thinking all along to get these back to square, but after long consideration I decided I just could not trust the fragility of absolute square corners. So everything outside got a 1/4 inch radius via my router.

I was advised Klipsch shoots Sherwin Williams satin black lacquer on theirs. I don't know if that is correct or not, but after just sanding on the Devcon and the Famowood, I don't want anything to do with sanding every surface with a paper clogging epoxy paint, as I had been considering. I have these in the white now, GSW 218127 white bushwhacker high fill primer. It will not be in the pictures I am putting up, but I am now block sanding to 1200 grit to see any imperfections/low spots. I asked the guy at the Sherwin Williams store about thinning; he thought I should go 20% max. The first gun with a 1.4mm wouldn't even pick up primer until 50% thinned. And right on the can it states "Do not thin". Yeah, I looked all over and kept seeing only the caution notes missed the additional large font below everything else. But the primer seems hard as a rock, sands wonderfully. I traded out the first suction gun for a pair of HVLP with a1.8mm at everyone's favorite overseas import tool store.

So the questions are;

1. Do I need to get a 2.4 or so tip and needle to shoot this Bushwhacker primer without thinning? As I understand it these guns are knockoffs of one of two U.S.manfacturers, and parts interchange. We will see if that is correct when I check thread pitch and check all dimensions with my calipers and micrometer.

2. After taking my primer down to 500 grit finishes checking for imperfections, do I then need to "scuff up" to 220 grit finish prior to applying the color? Going to 1200 right now was kind of for grins just to see the reflection. 500 was showing me I have very little left to do on the top of the one I have sanded to 1200.

3. How did you paint inside the bass bin on each side and the back? I have ideas, air brush for example, but would prefer to hear how you were able to get in that small access area. That’s about it. I will attach a picture “in the white” just for grins. Maybe Dave Mason is reading the forums and will want these after he sees a pair of white La Scalas. []

Jeff

[Jeff_R]

I am going to try to attach pictures here until I get a folder.

Above is an example of the damage filled and ready to sand initially.

The boxes ready for primer, the way too small suction gun between them.

Note I had to go to my Wagner airless paint vibrating paint slopper because the small detail gun would not shoot this primer. Actually worked out okay I just had some large runs to sand.

First coat of primer sanded in the picture above.

There is the 2 gun kit I purchased it will do fine for me. Today will be spent block sanding most of the day, with a run to the auto parts store to check about interchangeability of U.S. name brand HVLP tips to move up in size and shoot a final third coat of primer.

Jeff

[michael hurd]

Jeff: most primers are viscous enough that they require a large fluid tip. I use a 1.7 mm gravity fed HVLP to shoot primer, and a SATA NR 2000 1.3 mm to shoot topcoats. I also have a cheapie 1.4 mm HVLP as well. No need to go to 500 grit at all, unless you were shooting a basecoat / clearcoat.

For single stage urethanes, I don't go any finer than 320 grit, no point. Plan to shoot it a few times and polish it up for a beautiful finish.

[Jeff_R]

Michael,Thank you for the reply. Where I am now is shooting 5 Star grey primer over the white Sherwin Williams. I cannot get the Sherwin Williams Bushwacker primer to shoot through my 1.8mm without thinning. Right on the can it states, at the bottom under all the precautions you read looking for thinning instructions; DO NOT THIN.So I went to this other primer I can thin 1:1. I have a coat on now and I am sanding with 220 on my block, the weight of the block only. My only interest is proving out the entire surface is flat at this point. Yes, I have dropped the 500 grit for sanding the primer, that was kind of just to see what could be. It was pretty neat, looked as slick and hard as adominoe. I scuffed the white primer back with 220 prior to shooting the first coat of grey. I sanded 2 hours last night doing just the tops. Taking my time, no pressure, lots of sand, wipe off repeat. If I can get outside this evening, I will hopefully get the sides and backs sanded. That leaves the horns for Thursday night.

I don't know who you guys get the vertical flats painted on the horn area of the bass bin. My thinking is I will continue to spray "at" the back vertical wall of the bass bin as I have been, which gets paint on that vertical wall of the horn. I imagine I will be sanding with 500 or 1200 there and calling it good, or "colored" anyway after a few coats of the black.So, with any luck, and the weather cooperating, one more coat of primer by Saturday, final sanding with 320.

The wife and I have come up with an idea for the grills. My cloth is in fine condtion, so I plan to ruse it wrapped over 1/4 inch masonite for the grill support. The grill will be either rubber plug mounted, velcro mounted, or maybe some trick mounting. I prefer the rubber plug inserts, but that is quite invasive if i sell to someone who migh not want 6 holes around the horns when the grill is off. Of course stick or glue on velcro isn't much better. Super magnets inset? Maybe, I haven't thought the magnets through. As I have radiused all edges of the cabinets, I told her this presented a problem of how to trim the grill without nearing the radiused edges, and looking horrible. The copper klipsch emblem gave me an idea to find some came ( like "came" for stained glass edges) or similar copper channel product, and trim the edges in copper and stroke with sand paper to make it appear brushed like the emblem. I may have to bend up this copper myself, not having seen came of 1/2 inch x 3/8 inch x 1/2 inch dimension. We think a brushed copper edging around the original black cloth, matching the klipsch emblem, would look pretty trick. If I can keep the grill a uniform 1/2 inch or so away from the radiused edges, it ought not look like an ugly transistion.

I was advised to shoot satin black so as to plan for the usual bumps and scrapes that can be touched up easier with satin, as opposed to gloss and clear coated. So unless I hear something to the contrary, I will be shooting Sherwin Williams Satin black as the color. After the grill construction, maybe just a Sunday job we will be prepping for the first nice weather to shoot the black.That's the plan, as of this writing.Here is the only fairly picture, with a cell phone, of the grey.

jeff