Questions about speaker finishes

[Yesfan70]

Hello all,

I had called Sherman-Willimas about getting a 40 sheen black lacquer for my front and back panels of my speaker project (plan on veneering the other 4 panels). Looks like the costs are going to be too much for this small of a project, so I was wondering what do some of you all use as an alternative that could give me the same results without breaking my wallet.

If I have asked this question already here, I apologize. I have been doing a lot of reading/posting between this forum and a couple of others. Thanks again for the help and suggestions.

[colterphoto1]

Porter Paints Glip-Tek paint. It's a very hard oil-based enamel. Apply using traditional methods (roll or brush) It is available in many different sheens, perhaps eggshell would be close to what you're looking for?

Michael

[jerohm]

I have used two spray can products over the years. Rust-oleum SATIN BLACK #7777 which is NOT Lacquer, but is the closest match to the original sheen I personally have ever found (available everywhere). If someone has found anything better, I sure would like to know about it! The other is Plasti-Kote Classic Lacquer, Satin Black #350. I found it in a local auto parts store. Not many places carry it, but they can order it; this is the ONLY satin black spray lacquer I have ever been able to find. It is definitely shinier than the original finish, but probably doesn't matter too much if you are going to do the entire speaker. Neither are particularly easy to get an absolutely smooth finish, but I think the Rust-oleum may have a slight edge (although it takes much longer to dry between coats than the lacquer). In both cases I found sanding with wet 400 grit BEFORE the final coat was key to good results. For me, it took about twice as many cans I expected (about 4 cans/Forte). I painted two sides (and front edge) at a time/weekend allowing plenty of time for the finish to cure. Spraying is an art that takes practice (and patience) in order to get acceptable results. Pay strict attention to the temperature, and especially the humidity spraying conditions recommendation on the label. Out here on the east coast, we have very few weekends that provide for ideal conditions (too cold or too humid). Good Luck

(oh yeah, expect to get a "black dust" just about everywhere!)

[Yesfan70]

Thanks for the suggestions. One more question.

A friend of mine, who does a lot of painting, tells me to not even bother buying a primer. He says it would be better to buy a cheaper paint of the color I want and use it as the primer. Then use the more expensive paint for the final coats to save money. He tells me that all primer is really, is just a "thicker" paint and the MDF will still absorb it as much as the cheaper can of black.

Is this true? If so, this is the first I've heard of that.

[cueman]

What's the difference between a can of primer or a can of paint? Not much if any I would think. I would go with the primer, if you feel you need to use one at all.

[bigdnfay]

I am assuming the wood you are finishing is raw, even if it isn't,Use a primer. It will fill in all the imperfections in the wood and give a good surface for the paint to adhere to. You want the finish coat to sit on top of the primer, not soak into the wood. I have found that oil-based Kilz is a good product for priming wood and it's not expensive and it also dries fast. A quart should be plenty. Use 2 coats if you feel it's necessary. You can add up to 1/4 of an ounce of color to the kilz(let the paint store do that) and still get a good result. This will bring it up to a medium gray. Then you'll only need 2 finish coats instead of 3. ALWAYS sand between each and every coat with 400 grit sandpaper and use a tac-rag to remove any dust residue. If you have a spray gun..USE it. If not, Make sure you thin the paint(not the primer) with paint thinner just a little. This will allow the paint to go on easier and allow the brush or roller marks to flow out as it dries. Several thin coats are better than one heavy one.

Just my 2 cents,

Big D

[Yesfan70]

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On 5/17/2005 7:28:03 PM bigdnfay wrote:

I am assuming the wood you are finishing is raw.....

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The cabinet is made out of 3/4" MDF. Sorry I didn't mention that in my first post.

[Yesfan70]

I went and picked up a can of primer and a can of textured flat black. I painted a couple of scrap pieces of MDF I had and I'm thinking this might be what I'm looking for. I'll probably try and get some finer sandpaper (400 grit?) too since the finest I have is 220 grit.

For that fine of a grit would you still use a palm sander, or is doing it by hand a more preferred method?

[bigdnfay]

Palm sanders can be aggressive, even with a fine grit paper. Personally I would use a sanding block. A piece of 5 inch 2x4 with the paper wrapped around it would work fine. There are sanding sponges made with a 400 grit side...Works well in corners too.

Big D

[colterphoto1]

If you're using real wood, a real latex wood primer will seal the wood surface and slightly raise the grain of the wood , which you then sand back down with block sander. Then put paint over, preferably oil-based for better finish.

For MDF, I'd still use a primer, like KILZ or 123 Zinsser to seal the surface. It will give you a better, more even top coat. Your friends advice applies to gypsum interior walls, but not exterior or cabinet painting.

Michael