Piano Black La Scala's

[Jeff_R]

The latest news from the swamp:

I am certain everyone remembers having read a sign:

"When you are up to your *** in alligators, it is hard to remember your objective was to drain the swamp".

The 5 P principles would be applicable here as well:

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

That's relative here. The retro fit of the grill using magnets, while a really slick installation, caused a mess, as a retro fit. The grills (now in primer) turned out great, the magnets hold them very tightly, and they align nicely. If there are any issues with magnet strength once the grill cloth is attach, that will be a very simple matter of buying 20 more 10mm x 5mm magnets and epoxy gluing them to to the back of the grills existing magnets. Stick a thin pad on them and they are done.

So why the "retro fit" caused a mess? Because when I bored the motorboard for the magnet installation, I went through my epoxy (best guess) uncovering the rattle can black enamel spray used to paint under the original grills. Now I stated "best guess" here because I have to options on what went on. First I of course broke the epoxy seal, which I doubt was perfect to the plywood anyway. I also sanded around and smoothed out around these magent areas, insuring the epoxy was below the level of the grey primer I had on.

I had a beautiful 68 degrees, or warmer, and low wind. So I got out the last of my grey primer and shot those areas. I ended up with a small amount of alligatoring around three magnets. Funny thing was 2 places were over an inch away. So after using the last of my grey primer, I waited for it to dry, and sanded the motorboard faces all the way down to the plywood.

I guess since the GSW Bushwacker primer from Sherwin Williams had zero issues with alligatoring over these same areas, I am going to be buying another gallon of that. I am uncertain as to whether or not I should reseal these areas with the Famowood epoxy. I really would never believe I ever had it sealed that perfectly prior to shooting the first GSW Bushwacker primer. I do know it is sanded as far as I want to go with 80 grit on my orbital right now.

So at present that is the plan, buy another gallon of Bushwacker, and find a place to beg, borrow, or rent an airless. I absolutely cannot shoot that Bushwacker through my 1.8mm tip. Everyone says I should be able to, I don't know why but it will not flow. And it states DO NOT THIN on the can. One advantage to using an airless is I will be able to reach inside the woofer bass bins all the way back. At least I will get those areas completley covered, and cause myself a lot more sanding. I will have big white dominoe looking speakers when all in primer. At leat they are flat now.

Maybe I thinned the primer too much this round and the thinner found a way in to attack the enamel paint. I don't really know.

If Ihad stuck with the brass screws and washers would this have happened? That's an unknown. But it is better it happened in the primer, than in the color.

Off to buy Bushwacker primer and automotive tape.

Jeff

Additional information:

I decided not to "trust to luck" as to the Bushwacker being compatabile where the other lacquer primer was not. I had a few ounces of Famowood epoxy left, so I mixed that up, and did a roll layer on the newly sanded motorboard faces. There were hair lines of black remaining in the grain, and I felt it an absolute necessity to seal these off. I am not having any issues with lacquer over epoxy, and I can't have anymore paint issues. I used a small trim roller with a sponge roller on it to lay out the Famowood epoxy. Not the recommended appliaction, but this allowed me tolay out a very thin layer of epoxy to seal. My heat gun took the air bubbles right out. Looks like a bar top now with magnets glued in as opposed to coins or something. I am very confident this will paint. I will use my Wagner Power sprayer if I have to for the bushwacker primer.

Here is the motorboard with the magnets sealed with Famowood, again, 72 hours out from another coat of primer, again.

The "black stitches? That is where the original staples were hodling the grill cloth.