Pioneer HPM-100 Cabinet Refinish - Pics!

[mikey3117]

I just refinished the cabinets on a pair of HPM-100's... If you've read some of my other posts, you know I've been trying to restore a pair of HPM-100's! I found a pair at a local estate sale with decent cabs but all drivers except woofers were blown. I surprisingly found another pair locally with beat up cabs and with blown mids and tweets. Well I removed all its guts, kept the super tweeters (work great!) and crossovers as backups for my first pair. I then sold the woofers to recover my investment in the second pair. I had these cabs ready to go to the dump when I realized I should take a shot at refinishing them. I read some old threads on cabinet refinishing, bought my supplies, and got it done in a week! I sanded all veneer with a 220 grit sandpaper to remove the old finish. There was quite a few scratches that required some additional sanding. Some I simply couldn't sand out for fear of going through the veneer. Then it was 5 coats of Formby's high gloss tung oil with a light sanding with a finish grade steel wool between coats. (No steel wool after the final coat...) Then I applied a carnauba wax paste by Howard. I think it came out pretty well! Observations: I should have gone the extra steps with the sanding. I should have used 400 grit and then 1000 grit after the initial 220 grit for a smoother finish. And I should have tried to repair some minor edge wear and minor corner damage, but being my first refinish project, didn't really have the know how. BUT they are certainly very acceptable, and I would rate them an 8.5 out of 10! Better than most you see on ebay! Pics 1 & 2 are before and 3 & 4 are after. In the first pic you can see I started sanding and then remembered to take a couple shots, but it certainly shows what kind of finish I started with... Now instead of just restoring one pair, I'm now restoring two! :D Can't wait to finally get them filled with drivers and put the first Boston album on! :music:

[mikey3117]

They do look better than the photos show BTW!

[MarkAnderson]

...and I would rate them an 8.5 out of 10!

8.5 OUT OF 10?!! What are you smokin', man. They look fantastic to me. - Mark

As a side note; my 8 y/o daughter just referred to me as the "king of speakers", whatever that means... :D

[Jace]

Good job. They look great, now enjoy.

[wank]

Yeah, those do look very very sweet.

You know, those cabinets are rock solid. It might be fun to calculate volume and create something new. Seal the supertweet hole with a creative badge and maybe the port and drop in say, some AR-12" woofers, or maybe this:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=295-120
or this if you're on a budget:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=295-320
and a 5" mid and dome tweet like
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=285-020
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=275-045

And Mark, my kids call the family room "the speaker room."

[mikey3117]

Thanks guys! I've got lots of drivers being shipped to me so I can get these things completed. I should at least have one pair completed probably within a week or two... I can't wait to put that new black fabric on the grills! :)

[Parky50]

Looking good Mike !!! :thmbsp:

[ozmoid]

Very sharp job on the cabs, even without the extra sanding! Now you're makin' me feel self-concious about my raggedy AR's...

...my 8 y/o daughter just referred to me as the "king of speakers", whatever that means... :D
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
By all reports, you are man, you are! :banana:

What an astute young lady... :D

(BTW, we need to get together, I've got some grills on those Advents for ya...)

[MarkAnderson]

(BTW, we need to get together, I've got some grills on those Advents for ya...)

But dude, I have the grills for those Advents. I just left 'em here 'cause most all the velcro was gone off them or the baffles :headscrat (anyway, they wouldn't stay on). Honestly, they are pretty trashed, so I'm curious to see what you did. Thanks! :thmbsp: - Mark

P.S.- I'm figuring early September at this point - maybe the first weekend? I'll keep y'uns posted. Do they say that anywhere outside of Marion.....y'uns, I mean? Did I spell it right? :D

[jpdylon]

damn fine job you did mikey. I work my ass off, and I still can't get them that good looking.

[ARguy]

Nice job on the cabinets Mikey! :thmbsp:

[Unican_Eric]

I think you did a damn fine job on those 100s. Congrats. :thmbsp:

[fotno]

But dude, I have the grills for those Advents. I just left 'em here 'cause most all the velcro was gone off them or the baffles :headscrat (anyway, they wouldn't stay on). Honestly, they are pretty trashed, so I'm curious to see what you did. Thanks! :thmbsp: - Mark

P.S.- I'm figuring early September at this point - maybe the first weekend? I'll keep y'uns posted. Do they say that anywhere outside of Marion.....y'uns, I mean? Did I spell it right? :D

From Fotno's Southern'ese Dictionary (Collegiate Edition: First Printing)

Y'uns; Pronoun, Second Person Plural - See entry - Ya'll. Although used similarly to ya'll, yun's suggests that a larger group of people are being referred to. As in - "Doris and Ed said they'd been over to see yun's later, but only if all ya'll would be there.

BTW - Oz' grills for the advents are SWEET, and... You are the king of speakers!

[ozmoid]

Mark, I just did it as a training exercise for the AR's. They were small so it was easier! Very cool fabric find, and a "mod" that makes them easy to remove. I hauled them to RedneckAKfest, everybody was all over the fabric. Your mods to the drivers/crossover drew a lot more interest, though!

I would like to apologize for hijacking the thread, mikey3117.

We now return to your currently scheduled programming...

[Tapehead47]

Super job. Norm Abrams couldn't do better! Show us the fabric replacement, too.
Question: I saw a pair of Marantz 880 speakers in a pawnshop yesterday. All the drivers look good but I didn't listen to them. The cabs looked a little rough and the grill needs a good cleaning. $125 the pair. Probably could get them for $100.
Any advice/comments?

[Tripqzon]

I think they look great!! :thmbsp: How many hours a day did you spend on them?

The tops of mine could use refinishing, but there are a couple of deep scratches and I have the same fear as you as far as going thru the veneer. I have considered completely reveneering with red oak but not sure that's what I really want to do. Although I think they would look good with the other Pioneer components I have redone in red oak. http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=61108

Paul

[mikey3117]

It probably took 3 to 4 hours to sand both speakers. Then 1 hour a night for the 5 coats of tung oil.

[Tripqzon]

That's not bad at all. You did an excellent job. :tresbon: Please post pics of the other set when done.
You'll really enjoy listening to BOSTON on those speakers. I know I do.

By the way, I really like your avatar. :thmbsp:

Paul

[onepixel]

Mikey...I like it! Great job! Those speakers will even sound better now that you put a little soul into it.

Cheers!

[Brad Muller]

They look great! If you have trouble with deep scratches try steaming them with an iron. The steam will swell the veneer and make most scratches rise for easier sanding. Then they are gone for good. Nice job, Brad :yes:

[mikey3117]

Okay, so I thought I was going to restore 2 pairs of HPM-100's....it didn't happen! The first pair I bought at a local estate smelled of cigarette smoke so bad I couldn't get over it! I knew of the smell when I bought them but thought I could get rid of the odor, or at least tame it somewhat, but couldn't. No offense to smokers out there, but I just couldn't bring these in the house... They went to a local guy here in Portland that needed to replace some beat up cabs, I could tell he was a smoker, and so they went to a good home. :) Then I decided to concentrate on restoring 1 pair, using the best parts from both to make a better resto! Okay, I needed mids and was tired of waiting for mint mids on ebay with perfect dust caps (plus they seem to command a ton of money!)...so I bought a pair of mids with dented caps. I cut out the old caps and glued in new "slightly" larger caps. I realize that this may have changed things sonically but I don't think it changed by much if at all. Anyways, this gave the new look I was after! Fortunately, a pair of mint tweeters appeared on ebay with a "BIN" and boom, they were mine! Which was lucky because it would be difficult, if not impossible to find a replacement dust cap for these. (I did buy a second pair with pushed in dust caps, and was able to do a "very passable" job on popping them out. These will serve as backups.) I also found mint super tweeters....awesome! Okay, I needed replacement Lpads. PE sent me 4 15w mono Lpads, with the small plate and knobs. I may have been able to find a replacement Lpad with the longer post to replace the originals but every time these things corrode and fail, in order to replace them, you have to remove the metal plate on the front baffle which is glued on! So, I reinstalled the bad Lpads, reglued the metal plate back on, and installed the knobs, in order to keep the original look. The new Lpads are inside the cabs and zip tied to the center brace. (Don't worry, they won't rattle!) It took a little trial and error to get the settings I wanted but the new Lpads are at about the 1 o'clock position... While waiting for the new Lpads to arrive, I worked on the front grilles. One grille frame was missing it's center brace...a replacement was installed, and then painted a flat black to match the rest of the frame. New fabric was stapled on, good as new! So now I have about as complete a restoration as possible! I just need logos... :scratch2: Listening impressions: Popped in Boston's new remastered first album... My first thought...Wow!...these are sensitive, much more sensitive than my Marantz HD-880's. I'm getting window rattling sound from about 10 watts! And the bass! Holy cow! They are producing deeper, more powerful bass from a smaller cabinet when compared to the HD-880's! This is a smooth, accurate speaker. I'm a rocker at heart and have always felt that need to "turn it up" to enjoy it. The HPM-100's are the first speaker I've owned where I don't feel like I have to do that! Even at moderate volume, it puts a big smile on my face! Next CD...Mariah Carey: #1's. I swear she was sitting right in my lap singing to me! :D Next CD...Blondie: No Exit. Now Deborah Harry was also sitting in my lap, but she's a little bigger these days... :yikes: Overall, very impressed! This has been a fun 3 month project to refinish and rebuild a pair of speakers that I've wanted since since I was a kid. To complete the project...I need the front logos, and I desperately need to get these on stands to fully enjoy! Check out the pics! Make sure you check out the before pics in the first post! (One baffle had a minor scrape, that I was able to minimize by 90% with black paint. I dabbed it in and wiped it off....3 times!)

[Brad Muller]

Excellent job! You went the extra mile Mikey! They look Outstanding! First cabin, all the way. Everyone send all their speaker refurb jobs to Mikey! I think he L---s :yes: it! Nice job, Brad :D

[jpdylon]

wow. very nice job on those cabinets

[Tripqzon]

Those look fantastic Mikey. A definite 2 thumbs up!! :thmbsp: :thmbsp:

It's too bad about the other pair. But it worked out for you anyway. Being able to get the best parts from both sets is a great thing.

Like you, I also wanted a pair since I was a kid. It took me about 25 years to get them, but well worth the wait. :music:

I may have asked you this before, can't remember, but do you own the original BOSTON cd as well as the new Remastered version? I'm really curious to know if there is any difference in sound betwen the 2 recordings. I already own it on vinyl and cd so I need to know if there is a sound quality difference that makes it worth purchasing the remastered version.

Thanks,
Paul

[mikey3117]

Hi Paul! I always listen to Boston, so when I first listened to the remastered versions, I could hear the differences. "More Than A Feeling" definately has more bass..."Let Me Take You Home Tonight", Brad Delp's vocals are more prominent... Certain passages are a little different here and there! It's a must have for a Boston nut like myself! But the casual fan may not notice anything different. Go here for some reviews: http://www.bandboston.com/

Mike

[e2e4c7c5]

Super job on the HPMs!!! :thmbsp:

Are you playing the remastered version of Boston???

[mikey3117]

I am! :)

[e2e4c7c5]

Those first two Boston albums are awesome!!! :thmbsp:

[e2e4c7c5]

Nice job on the cabinets Mikey! :thmbsp:

Yep, what he said!! HPM100s are a beautiful speaker!! :yes:

[Skinley]

That has reminded me that I need to do the same to my IMF's, only trouble I'm having is finding tung oil here in the UK, I've yet to meet anyone who has even heard of it.

[Heavy-D]

Nice job!!! Do you need a student? :thmbsp:

[dc270]

You did a very nice job refinishing these classics! You gotta love that full 1" front baffle board and overall great build of these speakers. Little wonder they stole a top JBL engineer to design these!
You are absolutely right about the veneer, it IS thin. I have refinished these before as well an found out the hard way. It was on the bottom thank goodnes. I like Formby's as well and use your same finishing techniques. It always makes for a great finish.
I did not see it but did you have the silver port ring for these as well? That is about as hard to find as the badges.
Good to see another person like me who will take the time and "bring em back alive"....
DC

[madpioneer]

This spring I take on mine. Although very little sanding is needed, I know they could benifit from a nice gloss coat. Someone else here refinished a pair using Minwax poly coat not sure if it was the satin or gloss. Priced it at Wally World last weekend. Have used Formby's on two pairs of CS-99's & 99A's with great results. So should I stay with Formby's or try the Minwax poly coat? :dunno:
Maybe the old saying applies..if it aint broke don't fix it. Maybe I should just stick with what I know.

[StarMover]

I think the Minwax poly coat is a waterbourn polyurethane. Once you finish veneer with poly it's all over as far as any future maintenance. I recommend you stay with oil based finishes because it leaves your options open.

[dc270]

Agreed, and it does have that "faux wood" look. After all you got real wood here so show it off with a natural looking finish!
DC

[madpioneer]

Good input. I will remain the course then. Formby's it is. Thanx!

[mikey3117]

You did a very nice job refinishing these classics! You gotta love that full 1" front baffle board and overall great build of these speakers. Little wonder they stole a top JBL engineer to design these!
You are absolutely right about the veneer, it IS thin. I have refinished these before as well an found out the hard way. It was on the bottom thank goodnes. I like Formby's as well and use your same finishing techniques. It always makes for a great finish.
I did not see it but did you have the silver port ring for these as well? That is about as hard to find as the badges.
Good to see another person like me who will take the time and "bring em back alive"....
DC

Actually mine didn't have the siver rings for the ports... I believe that was the 200w model that had those... It's nice to see someone bump this thread up again! This was a fun project from start to finish. I just moved into a new house and moved these for the first time since the refinish. Of course I spent some time drooling over them, patting myself on the back...:) I love to take the time on older equipment and make them as close to new and original again! I just spent 3.5 hours yesterday detailing a Marantz 170DC with Q-tips! :yes:

[alwayslooking]

Thinking of refinishing mine this winter and found these pictures- great job. If I do them I will follow your steps and go the extra with the finer sandpaper. Thanks for the pics and procedure.

[dc270]

You might look into this stuff-

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/oil.html

The Forby's is not a "pure" tung oil, has plastisizers in it but none the less looks a lot better than polyurethane! If you use the Formby's brand it looks best if you buff down the last coat with very fine (0000) wool pad, then paste wax the finish.

One you have sanded off the factory laquer coat then take a damp cloth and raise the grain, sand down with 150~180 grit paper the start your tung coats. Take a fine scotch pad or 000 brass wool and buff between each dried coat. You could use steel wool- but be very careful to tape off the drivers and port from stray metal hairs from the steel wool!!
Good luck
DC

[mikey3117]

Thinking of refinishing mine this winter and found these pictures- great job. If I do them I will follow your steps and go the extra with the finer sandpaper. Thanks for the pics and procedure.

Good luck! This was a fun project! :yes:

[gkimeng]

Observations: I should have gone the extra steps with the sanding. I should have used 400 grit and then 1000 grit after the initial 220 grit for a smoother finish. And I should have tried to repair some minor edge wear and minor corner damage, but being my first refinish project, didn't really have the know how.


I remember Pioneer speakers of that era, and from the pics I'd say your refinish looks at least as good as the original finish.

I think there's something to be said for leaving some of the minor dents and dings and not sanding away every last trace of a vintage item's history.

[ggbrands]

Hey Mike,

Great job. I just acquired the same speakers and am getting to know them.

You had mentioned getting stands for them at some point - what did you end up getting?

[mikey3117]

I found a pair of metal stands on Craigslist for $20...

These are them...
http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=22686&d=1155185161

[ecandle]

A+ I must have a pair of thease wonderful spks. some day. thanks for the post