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SX-XX50 Wood Veneer Stain

AvFan

AvFan

Super Member
I have a SX-650 coming and it, like many SX-X50 version receivers, has peeling vinyl veneer. This was actually one of the reasons why I bought this nice receiver as I'm a woodworker and I want to make this receiver pretty again. I'm going to veneer the case with wood walnut veneer or make a new one out of solid stock and my goal is to get the color as close to the original as possible. The 50 series receivers I've seen in person have a red cast to their walnut cases (either wood or vinyl veneer) so it looks like a stain will be needed. I've done a brief search here on AK and folks say they've stained the wood but didn't say what they used. Has anyone figured out which stain will make new walnut veneer look like the original color? Thanks!
 
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Not sure myself, but I always thought like a mahogany veneer would look cool :) just my two cents for the day :D
markthefixer, echowars, or maxxarcade might know tho
 
Most traditional walnut stains are too dark. I used Watco natural finish, mixed at a 20:1 ratio with a 'traditional' walnut stain. The red cast you see in many Pioneer cases comes from the wood, not the stain (AFAICT). My 1250 case looks very much like the stock color, but it is missing the reddish cast that you seem to want.
 
Thanks for the thoughts folks. Yes. I'm looking to replicate the look of the factory finish but it might turn out to be a tough "recipe" to figure out. It might be better to use south american mahogany which has a red tint versus forcing brown/grey walnut to red. Looks like I'll be doing a few tests but again, if anyone has had success I'd like to hear from them. Thanks!
 
Jatoba / Brazilian Cherry, might be what you are looking for to replicate the exact color of the SX-X50 series without using stains.
One thing to remember about Jatoba, it varies in color from, burgundy, deep red, or orange tone. It will darken to a red brown when seasoned.
 
EchoWars said:
Most traditional walnut stains are too dark. I used Watco natural finish, mixed at a 20:1 ratio with a 'traditional' walnut stain. The red cast you see in many Pioneer cases comes from the wood, not the stain (AFAICT). My 1250 case looks very much like the stock color, but it is missing the reddish cast that you seem to want.
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You might be able to replicate the reddish color by using that same 20:1 ratio of cherry, maybe ~ a 30:1 of mahogany or ~ a 15:1 of fruitwood. All three of these stains are reddish but walnut not so much.

John
 
AvFan said:
Thanks for the thoughts folks. Yes. I'm looking to replicate the look of the factory finish but it might turn out to be a tough "recipe" to figure out. It might be better to use south american mahogany which has a red tint versus forcing brown/grey walnut to red. Looks like I'll be doing a few tests but again, if anyone has had success I'd like to hear from them. Thanks!
Click to expand...

South American, or "Honduras", mahogany has a very different grain figure. Even if you get the color right the wood won't look the same.

John
 
Thanks for the suggestions on a recipe to replicate the finish of a SX-xx50 case. I'd thought about a mahogany stain but not fruitwood. I looked at Jatoba at some online veneer suppliers and it has some real promise. I'm going to check out a couple of local hardwood places to see what the wood looks like in person keeping in mind its color intensifies over time. I use cherry quite a bit and enjoy how it darkens over time.

Do we know Pioneer actually used walnut veneer in the upper end 50 models?
 
AvFan said:
Do we know Pioneer actually used walnut veneer in the upper end 50 models?
Click to expand...

Definitely walnut. I think it's likely that Pioneer simply oiled the cabinets without using stain at all. What we're trying to accomplish by using stain is to simulate the effects of 30 years' worth of aging and mellowing. I know that over the years pieces I've made myself using untinted Danish oil or "teak oil" have aged to a warm red golden brown just like the Pioneer cases.

(Got an SX-650 in the queue for a replica case. I'm going to use plain old oil and see what happens.)

John
 
I say go for the color of the real wood walnut veneer. I've used General finish Gel Coat natural and clear topcoat. On another i mixed in at about a 20:1 ratio the light walnut stain with it for highlights. Come out a soft brown with nice depth, grain patterns pop. I think Watco turns everything reddish which what I was trying to get away from. I wasn't trying to duplicate the original finish and color though. Just my 2c
 
Someone was reading my mind with this thread. To expand a bit, is there a replacement vinyl product that could be recommended if keeping it original is the theme?

Thanks much

Mike
 
During my search I thought someone found vinyl look-a-like at Parts Express.

Interesting that Watco turned the wood red; that is sort of what I'm looking for so I may have to try it. I've purchased some veneer and various minwax stains in hoping to find the recipe to replicate the look of the XX50 receivers with wood veneer cases. My first attempt will be with a stain called "Gunstock" and diluted with one called "Natural".

I found a pretty good picture (with the right white balance) of a SX-1050 to try to match to but has anyone got a really good picture of what those wood cases look like?
 
I just did a project on Mahogany using Watco Teak.. came out beautifully in color, but it did darken it some.. It actually came out the same color as some other furniture I was trying to match as close as possible.

My next project will be with Walnut, and I was thinking of using nothing but Howard's Feed-N-Wax on it... I'll give it a whirl on some scrap first.... I'm thinking it would come out nice since it wouldn't dry and seal like the Watco does..
 
PioneerMike said:
Someone was reading my mind with this thread. To expand a bit, is there a replacement vinyl product that could be recommended if keeping it original is the theme?

Thanks much

Mike
Click to expand...

Based on the pictures on Parts Express' web site, the vinyl looks very close to the original Pioneer vinyl. I've used plain old Contact Paper with good results. It's a little darker than the original but has the same finish.

I peeled off all the top layer of the 2-layer original material and applied the contact paper to the caramel colored base layer. Here are the results:

PioneerSX-650001.jpg


PioneerSX-650003.jpg


PioneerSX-650006.jpg


John
 
Well, it has been a while since my first post but I got my SX-650 and finally found some time to build a new case. I chose not to veneer the existing case due to its poor condition. A bit of experimentation resulted in what I think is a nice looking case that uses solid wood sides and cherry plywood with walnut veneer applied for the top. I underestimated how much effort it would take to build the case; I used just about every tool in my shop!

My stain recipe actually didn't take that much effort to find. I tried four different Minwax stains diluted to varying percentages with Minwax "Natural" stain. The winner is......50/50 mix of Natural with Minwax "Gunstock" applied and wiped off within a minute or less after application. I was after that orange-ish hue of SX-xx50 Pioneers and I think I came pretty close. The veneer took the stain more readily than the solid stock resulting in a minor difference in color. The sides and top were stained and finished with Deft Satin spray lacquer (2 coats on the sides and 3 on the top) before assembly. The last picture shows the completed project with two new solid wood pieces on either side of the faceplate.

If I was to do it again I might apply veneer to the new sides and top for greater color consistency. I've read some debate over whether to use solid sides due to expansion and contraction. I really don't think that will be a problem since the screw holes on the sides are over-sized so the sides are not really restrained. Time will tell but I'm not too worried.

I hope this helps anyone thinking about replacing their tattered vinyl or damaged wood case of their SX xx50 receiver.
 
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Has anyone reapplied veneer to an 850? Any sources? I have on side where it is completely missing. The other sides I can refinish.
 
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