wsu99999 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 I am picking up a set of LaScalas this weekend and the cabinents are horrid! Please keep in mind that I am extremely new to this. I don't mind doing my due dilligence on things, and I've read the forum extensively on Lascalas. I came across a post about adding exotic wood veneer to the exterior of the cabinents. These LaScala's that I am buying have the wood in good shape, unfortunately they have been painted AND had paper applied to the exterior which is going to all have to be stripped off. I am not very experienced in finishing wood by stains or sanding, but I will have someone with me who is! My questions are as follows: What exactly did the poster mean when he referred to adding wood veneer to the cabinents? (I'm assuming he ment a thin layer of fake wood covered in plastic (kinda like wood grain in cars) How expensive would it be for the materials? Where would I get such materials? How diffucult of a project would it be? Would you reccomend this route or is there a better way to go? As of right now, I'm not too sure of the condition of the cabinents, but the drivers are great and the price is all I can afford. The sound is perfect, just they are painted ugly! Thanks as always for your help. The people of this forum are the most helpful I've found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 There are several options. 1) Using real veneer flitches (sp). This is just about impossible unless you have many years of experience and need something wonderful. 2) Using preassembled veneer with a paper backing and separately applied hot melt glue. See www.joewoodworker.com. You'll have to experiment with scraps first. You must have a clean, level surface. Then you have to stain and finish. 3) Formica or WilsonArt laminate. This requires using very smelly glue (the environmentally friendly stuff didn't work for me) and a router to trim. The good news is that the thin plastic will cover irregularites. Wood grain is not half bad in my view but you will not get a "flow" of the grain around a corner. I used flat black. So much for grain matching or wrapping around a corner. (E.g. the left vertical, to top, to right vertical, surfaces.) No staining or finishing. 4) See www.partsexpress.com for Melomite (sp) or other plastic. Some are iron on. The very thin stuff can be trimed with an Xacto knife. A veneer saw might be better. I might use this sometime. No finishing needed. 5) Cost and effort goes down from 1) to 4). 6) Doing the inside of the bass horn would be a bear in any case. Maybe you can make up some Belle-like grills for the bass and fix up a brace for side walls to prevent them from vibrating. You could make a grill for the top part. PE has some frame kits for the top. In my view, 4) is the best for a first time homebuilder and the best bang for the buck and time. As the sage writes: YMMV. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Congrats on the LaScalas. They are fabulous sounding speakers. One thought, on getting the old finish off. Use stripper cautiously. To let strong solvent soak on the wood too much and it can loosen the thin layer of birch veneer taht is on the origional plywood. Stripper can be used o.k., just carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 The idea is to cleanly remove the paint and/or contact paper... Underneath should be the birch plywood. Birch ply doesn't really take stains very evenly, but can still look pretty nice. It might require sealing and putting a finish/stain over it, which can be downright gorgeous. Or you prepare the surface (get it flat and smooth, and apply a real veneer (raw wood or paper backed) Many here have done this successfully, but the LS is a more difficult box than Cornwalls or Heresies. Just getting back to the Birch can be a lot of work, but can make them very acceptable. Is there a wife/girlfriend/significant other involved here, who must approve of the look? Fancy veneers are more difficult and expensive to work with (burls, curly or flame) as the complex grain patterns tend to be more fragile to work with. Straight grains are easier (walnut, cherry, mahogany, even oak) There are different falvors of mahogany (African, Sapele, etc.) all beautiful, with similar grains patterns. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsu99999 Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 There is a WAF involved, however, it isn't too strong. To be honest, I personally would like them to be as good looking as possible because I think they are amazingly beautiful speakers. Another question is are there people that professionally do this or is there someone in the Seattle area on the forum that would help me for a fee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 A decent cabinet maker furniture refinisher could do a wonderful job. John Albright, here in Chattanooga, had a pair of his LS done by someone else, and they are beautiful. I've never snagged any of his pics of them, or I would post. You would need to remove all the drivers, etc., before you turned them over to someone. Might actually be rather cost effective. This is one of my 86s, factory lacquer birch. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Don't remember who these belong/ed to, but have a full grill on them. Nice looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I had a pair here that was light Oak Veneered ............ looked good, whomever did them did a nice job !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Traditionally, veneer is a very thin covering of realwood, glued on and finished. Check out these samples: http://jsowoodproducts.com/pictures.html Mine are not veneered, but were finished by a cabinet maker in mahoghany stain and Satin polyurethane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 The LS would be the LAST cabinet I'd choose as a reveneering project. It's very very tricky. You can't get to the edges of a lot of pieces, normally you glue the veneer down and trim it off the edges. Can't do that with LS. I suggest practicing on other projects first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 CP1 is correct. The veneer would have to be trimmed virtually perfect in order to do the interior. You could get close, but one teeny weeny mistake (as in trimming too much) would ruin a substantial piece of veneer. Probably why so many early ones were BR. The veneer on new ones is "pre-installed" on the panels which are precision cut and then the cabinet is assembled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.Kennedy Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 I am considering just reveneering the out sides of my La Scalas ... the insides look fine ... no chips or delams .... the outsides need help. If I use a Birch veneer and stain it dark ... I am thinking I can lightly sand the interior horn and stain to match. the outside of a La Scala split bass bin is about as square as you can get. If the the grains don't match and look horrible ... could always spray the interior black ... But I think it would mach good enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I think it would look nice to veneer the outsides and paint the insides. Pick a really nice veneer and a natural finish. If you're going to do the work, have it look really nice. I like the paper-backed veneer from www.oakwoodveneer.com They will send photos of the actual 4 x 8 veneer sheets to view before purchasing. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 "I am picking up a set of LaScalas this weekend and the cabinents are horrid! " how bad are they? I've seen some that looked like they were rolled down the street. If the wood work has extensive chips, seperations, cracks, prior attemps at sanding and refinishing the effort may not be worth the result. For extreme cases, remaking the cabs and transfering the parts could be less labor intensive. If this is the case.....a good time to think if you would rather have cornwalls than LaScala's...easier to make cornwall cabs...come up with a mid horn and an xover...transfer woofer, mid driver, tweeter and be set. Refinishing LaScala's is a PIA....if you have the cash...pay someone to do it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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