dtximages Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Ok so I have dark walnut scalas. I wanted to change them to light oak to match my chorus's etc. Well, people told me that stain stripper would take all the stain off. Apparently they lied. This was not good because theres no way to sand off the finish in the "v". Well i took a belt sander after the top and front. went straight through the first level and now i have vertical grain on the front (grrrrrrrrrrrr, but not that bad looking). so anyway, to make a long story short, i took a mallet hammer and disassembled the whole thing so i could sand it all down and refinish. Now, HOW STUPID WAS THIS? Will i ever get it back together the same. i only took the sides, and bottoms off giving me full access to all the stain. Also heres my real question. If i cant get light oak then i can go black but the ONLY black im willing to accept is a piano finish. And its gotta be good too. How much am I looking at spending with this piano finish and who do i take it to? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 um, you need to SLOW WAY DOWN. Since you've ground through the birch veneer on parts of the speaker, give up on refinishing them. They should be CAREFULLY reassembled, following the exact advice of the Forum members, then you will need to reveneer over all the parts that can be seen, then finish to your liking. You will end up with more time in them, but will have a unique pair of valuable speakers instead of the pile of lumber you have recently reduced them to. TAKE YOUR TIME this time..... Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Ditto what Michael said .... calm down, everything will work out okay. Since you have gone through the birch ply, forget about a light stain. However, you have all sorts of options especially if you disassmble them. Before you take them apart, you need to look in the mirror, and ask yourself, honestly, do you have the aptitude and patience for a wood working project.... First option would be the piano black finish. This has been documented on several threads. The main issues are are whether you want to do a good job or a great job. In either case there are many steps involved, priming, sanding, priming, sanding etc. The finish is high gloss so any imperfections show up. You will need to educate yourself and then decide whether to use home vs automotive products (the later are better, but more expensive and may require the use of equipment that you do have access to). The results can be fantastic, but keep in mind: there are no shortcuts (it is really NOT a case of picking up a couple cans of spray paint). The second option is to veneer the cabinets. This is actually probably easier for the DIYer (especially if you practice on something else first). The veneer may not be all that expensive - there are a number of choices. First you need to fill any voids and make sure the edges are not sanded round (they must be square and crisp). After the veneering, the cabinets will need to be finished (oil perhaps, I like the Watco products - it depends how much sheen you want). Again, educate yourself first, follow the directions, and take your time since multiple steps are involved. The results can be spectacular. There are also many posts on this topic. If you are disassembling the cabinets, be careful and methodical. You will be re-gluing the pieces. Take plenty of digital photos before hand. You will need clamps and a square. Again, you may want to enlist some help from a friend or relative if you are uncertain about some of these steps. However, on the bright side, there is every reason to believe that the cabinets will look better than new. Good luck and have a look at the various threads on this topic, -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 I would leave them be and trade them in for a mint pair of La Scalas in light oak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 I would say the least of your problems is the finish, veneer, etc. You compromised the original structure and strength of the cabinet. Sorry, but what were you thinking???? If I were in the same spot right now, I would immediately STOP. It sounds like you never did this before. Grab a cold one and the phone book. Find a competent furniture expert to reassemble and finish your speakers while you do something else. Having disassembled the cabinets you compromised the orignal structure strength and resonance of the bass bin. There are a set of lascala "cabinets only" on ebay right now. Sorry, but your post doesn't lend confidence that this line of work is your mainstay. I apologize now if I'm off base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 "I would leave them be and trade them in for a mint pair of La Scalas in light oak." Good luck finding that since La Scala's were only made and sold to the public in Birch - nothing else. There were two pair produced in fine hardwood veneers but they were done for Klipsch employees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 13, 2005 Author Share Posted July 13, 2005 THanks for all of your input. I know this will be very difficult.. My plan for rebuilding is simply to (very carefully) predrill each nail hole and sink some 2 or 3 inch thin screws in each and glue... since the nail holes already exist, alignment shoulndt be a problem. i dont think this will weaken the structure at all if done carefully... it will probably be stronger. as for veneer, i have never worked with it before. how much money am i looking at to have a professional put a piano black finish on? i dont think i have the facilities to do a good enough paint job. does anyone have any idea ofthe cost? and who would i look up to do the piano finish? thanks alot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Put them back together (I'm wondering about the glue that Klipsch used - seems to me that you shouldn't have been able to bang it apart without destroying the wood itselve, the glue bond itself being stronger than wood- Hmmmm food for thought). Then do the veneer route. Good luck. Lesson learned and move on. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted July 13, 2005 Author Share Posted July 13, 2005 In all fairness to klipsch, those speakers were very well glued. and it did take a little veneer off in some places.. boy this is gonna be fun. is there an easy way to get the rest of the veneer off w/o sanding it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zealot125 Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 You can have a professional sandblast it off. Dunno if thatll work well or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 you'll need to fill in with wood putty before reveneering. Perhaps some of the other posters were right. Maybe you need to reconsider your ability in the woodworking arena and call it a day. Having already bashed them apart, you now want to reassemble them. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but have you ever done any type of woodworking project before in your life? It might be a huge loss or expense, but consider hiring someone to rebuild them or sell them as is. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 If it were at least a flat surface it could be relaminated by a qualified individual. I never heard of removing stain because it penetrates so deeply in the wood. A local cabinetmaker could help with the finish if they were disassembled for not too much $$. Then someone would have to reassemble. Using a hand power sander will never give a perfect finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 lol, you guys are harsh. I would look up a local carpenter/cabinet maker in your phone book. They're all over the place and they tend to be real good at what they do (and have all the fancy tools). Piano gloss black is my favorite finish too and I can't see it costing too much to undo what you did (at least not costing more than the speaker itself). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Contact a cabinet maker and give him a printed version of what I just e-mailed you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 I agree with what Dr Who and Knee just said! As a side note, I made almost all my own furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 The e-mail and file upload function of this forum is a piece o crap. Neither works. Just e-mail me and I'll send you dimensionally correct plans to give to a cabinetmaker and you can have you very own light Oak La Scala's jim.4knee@cox.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Here's another option. My friend has a pair of La Scalas with the inside of the bass horns painted matte black to match the mid horn and the tweeter. The rest of the cabinets are stained walnut. I think the matte black bass horn looks VERY good when combined with another finish on the rest of the cabinet. In fact, IMHO, the La Scala just looks "right" (read: classy) with the inside of the bass horn black. It also seems to blend into the room better. Anyway, you could spray the inside of the bass horn with Krylon Matte Black, then have a cabinet guy veneer the rest of the speakers, which should be pretty cheap if he doesn't have to mess with the bass horn section. Don't worry, your speakers will be fine. Just my 2 cents. Andy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS Button Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Please use a bondo type wood filler if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungkiman Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 There are tools that will evenly sand through the veneer. You may have to find a doormaker to find a suitable surface sander that can handle 24" wide panels, but they will be FLAT. Frzn, La Scalas were also made in Fir. My '73 (type K-447) Scalas are Fir, and flat black like Decorator Cornwalls. They also have the doghouse door on TOP, under the K-401 and type AA network. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 Thanks Chris I will commit that information to my data banks. I did know that early La Scala's had the woofer hatch on the top, and really early ones had the doghouse oriented horizontally vs. vertically. I am always learning more though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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