meagain Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I have a refinishing dilemma. Considering purchasing speakers that aren't quite stomachable in the looks department. I've had some experience refinishing pieces but never Birch. From what I know, it can be tricky. I feel certain types of wood can't take a dark stain which is fine, I'd like to keep them light, but I wouldn't exactly call this furniture grade birch and I'm wondering if there's any good way to fix these flaws. They were raw birch which alledgedly have been oiled. There is a sheen that I would call 'satin' on them. I cannot find any brush or roller marks. The feel on the top is smooth, yet the bass bin (LaScalas' V) feels rough. I'm not familiar with what an oil finish looks like as far as sheen, but I would think it would darken the wood. Let's say, it's 'possible' there's some type of sprayed clear coat on them. IDK. One speaker is very clear, even toned. The other is the problem child. I've included pics of the areas that bug me. My question is, is there any way to deal with these blotches. Some way to lighten them? Even them out? Would I be able to apply a bleach to these areas or will I always be stuck with them. I'm also not sure how a light stain would affect it. I imagine I'd have to use a wood conditioner (or shellac?) before applying. Any way to deal with these darkened areas? Face around horns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted January 22, 2006 Author Share Posted January 22, 2006 Inside side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted January 22, 2006 Author Share Posted January 22, 2006 Frankly, I think they'd look killer painted. (not black), but that might nix the resale value. I sure can see it though. I saw a decorator Khorn pic with it painted gloss white to match the walls in a contemporary setting and it was stunning. Surprised more people haven't done it. But in this case, with an eye towards future resell - paint is probably a 'no-no'. Top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviserated Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Applying new veneer can be fun and rewarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khorn51 Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 llooks like birch to me most birch has the dark streaks . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Any way to deal with these darkened areas? Those dark spots are inherent to the beast, i.e. Birch....... Personally, I love it, and wouldn't dream of masking or concealing it in any way. It's the natural graining or character for that species of wood. I have never seen a pair of stained birch (in any color) that looked acceptable. Lay down a couple of coats of Satin TungOil and never worry about maintenance again. Tung oil will give it a mellow yellow kind a gloss, and still show off the grain structure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevmosmith Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Good luck with these. If done correctly they can look very very nice. Maybe try hand sanding them with 220 or finer grain and then put a few coats of linseed oil on them. I have a pair that have/had the same issues and the oil really made them look great. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviserated Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I would like it more if BOTH speakers shared the same dark spots, but it was only one speaker. Are the serial numbers consecutive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 What Gilbert said. Its the nature of the wood and the non-uniform graining distinguishes the wood and makes it more attractive in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I like a basic oil finish as others have suggested. If you don't want to do that, I can tell you that I have an old bookcase that is birch that has been stained in a walnut like color and looks fine. Even with a stain you will get differences inherent to the light and dark of the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted January 22, 2006 Author Share Posted January 22, 2006 Yes, the SN numbers are consecutive. IDK - I don't see this as natural character, I see it as a poor quality lumber. Not furniture grade. Not a fan of birch but it would be ok if they were clear. This charcoalish mud colorations are not desireable in my book and unless I can bleach those spots, don't see any way around it. Kevmosmith - I'd love to see a picture of yours. I've seen some nice Birch LaScalas, but not sure how they achieved it. The blotch on the face plate in the top pic would drive me nuts I think. Sticks out like a sore thumb. Is this from sap? I can see why they painted alot of these black. When they sold these (these are 1978), was black a premium? Or were there different grades of plywood? This is paint grade if you ask me. Has anyone attempted a gel stain on these? In my one attempt at using gel, I found it tended to sit on top of the grain more and I wondered if it might be better for maple, birch, pine - woods that can be prone to blotchy stain jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviserated Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 As long as serial numbers are consecutive you should not be over critical. I would love to own these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Do a search for Chris King's Decorator Cornwalls. One of his had this exact pattern on the front. They turned out wonderfully. I know this for a fact because I owned them before he did. I bought them new and just oiled and waxed them. By the time that Chris got them the wax had yellowed. He sanded them down and stained them in a dramatic red and had them refinished. If you saw them you would reconsider painting them. I recently had a piar that I ended up painting because they were in really bad shape and had beeen stained a really dark walnut. Piano Black was the only option. But if I could have saved that pretty grain (like your picture) I would have. To each his own! Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z4! Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Here is a photo of Chris' Cornwalls - I don't know what they looked like prior to refinishing but now these are some of the nicest speakers I have ever seen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 I have never seen a pair of stained birch (in any color) that looked acceptable. Hmmm... Meagain, my Birch Lacquers were a mess when I got them. They had nicks, scratches and some minor gouging. Q-Man removed the lacquer (this took a while), sanded them down with different grades of sandpaper, until they were a smooth finish. Doing that inside the cabinets was the hardest part. We were lucky that the sanding never went below the veneer. He used a hard maple filler wherever it was needed, and put the birch banding on all the front plys. He stained them in a Golden Oak and put 3 coats of lacquer on them. Pardon me while I respectfully disagree with Gilbert's statement above. Sorry for how big they are... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intotubes Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Wow, what a difference. Those look very nice. Your hard work paid off for sure. Thanks for the pics. It gives me encouragement that the beat up Altec Carmels I have can be saved. What is hard maple filler? Is it made of wood? Do you have a brand name? Thx, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Wow, what a difference. Those look very nice. Your hard work paid off for sure. Thanks for the pics. It gives me encouragement that the beat up Altec Carmels I have can be saved. What is hard maple filler? Is it made of wood? Do you have a brand name? Thx, Mark Hi Mark, I wish I can say that I did them, but I did not. Q-Man did them for me and he is a very experienced cabinet maker. He said he spent over 50 hours on them and would never do it again. At least not at the price he charged me for them. [] I can't remember why he used the hard maple filler, because as you can tell the color does not mach up with the birch. But he did tell me there was a reason for it. I'm sure if you ask him he can tell you. I believe the fillers can be picked up at any hardware store (Ace, HD or Lowes). Thanks for the compliments... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Also, before you do any work on the inside of the cabinet you need to remove the woofer. Flip the speaker over and remove the screws, and then you can get to it... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 And with it removed... notice the wood to direct the sound both ways.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted January 23, 2006 Author Share Posted January 23, 2006 Thanks for posting the pics. It seems the stain used chills out the grey blotches a bit? I think the blotches don't soak up the stain as much as the normal lighter parts. What is Chris King's handle here? Maybe I can find it that way, but I don't have much hope with the search engine down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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