Refinishing speakers

[Earlsays]

The SP-1500's I purchased where re-finished by the previous owner...they where refinished with a minwax product of some type, and then clearcoated/varnished....they don't look extremely bad, but they don't look good either. Especially next to my SP-200's, which have their original finish on them. The real problem I have here, is that, in my opinion, these speaker cabinets should not be glossy and "slick" to the touch....they should be a dark walnut kind of almost "flat" finish (almost no shine) I have used a product called redi-strip in the past to remove paint/stain and it works wonderfully to get down to the wood without much sanding....then just sand a bit and re-finish....what stain should I use, and should I rub it in with a rag? I want the finish to be as close as possible to original. Also, what can I do about nicks & scratches? There are a few that I want to try to fix.

thanks

Earl

[warnerwhf]

Aircraft stripper works well too for removing paint and varnishes. In doing antique refinishing products I've found that getting the smoothest surface possible is worth the little bit of extra effort.

I'd go ahead and remove the varnish carefully so as to not cause any grooves etc. Sand with a medium grit paper then some fine. Make sure it's smooth as glass. It's not that hard cause I can do it. If you don't have a finishing sander than you should either borrow or buy one. This will make the job much easier than trying to use hand power for sanding.

You can get wood filler that comes in colors and takes stain. Usually a filler that is a tad darker than it's surroundings will be less obvious than a light filler. I'd apply the filler at least twice or three times as it tends to shrink, sanding between applications. Keep the filler flush with the cabinet. You don't want to have to sand it much and cause problems on the cabinet in that area.

You'll have to choose the stain color yourself. Go over it twice and a rag is easier for application than a brush imo. Apply the stain so it's all getting soaked up, no puddles at all. Let it dry for a day then do it again.

Excellent preparation is the key. Take your time and be patient.

[johndoe3]

After you strip off the old varnish, you won't necessarily have to restain your cabinets. I would go to the hardware store and get a can of Watco medium walnut Danish oil finish. Follow the directions on the can, and voila! This should give you the look that you are after.

[PC Bob]

Originally Posted by ReEdger

After you strip off the old varnish, you won't necessarily have to restain your cabinets. I would go to the hardware store and get a can of Watco medium walnut Danish oil finish. Follow the directions on the can, and voila! This should give you the look that you are after.

Years ago I bought a pair of speaker cabinets, unfinished, from Allied Radio. They came with an oil finish, similar to what you mentioned. It was an easy job to rub it on, let it set for awhile, and then wipe dry with a cloth. And the finish was beautiful! I never had to wax or do any repairs to them, all the way up until they were stolen A nice flat, matte finish and smoooooth. Leave the varnish for the boat or the back yard deck, whatever.


Bob

[Ghog]

As for the scratches and dents, before you fill them with something that may not stain the same as the wood, try raising the grain. I use a thin cotton rag, wet but not dripping, and an iron on high setting. The object is to get the wood to absorb some of the water, and use the iron to produce steam inside the pores of the wood. The rag serves as a vehicle for a nice even amount of water as well as protecting the wood from direct contact with the metal of the iron. You'd be surprised how many dents will completely disappear. Of course, you have to sand the entire cabinet after this treatment, since it makes the wood feel "hairy" from all the raised grain. Dents and scratches where the wood grain has actually been cut won't completely disappear, but will improve. Danish oil, tung oil, or any similar product used after staining will give a glossy finish, but can be buffed with #0000 steel wool for a flat and silky finish. Birchwood Casey gunstock oil is a bit pricey, but goes on like the other oil finishes will give you a VERY hard, durable finish that can be buffed with steel wool also. It can be found at Wally World in the sporting goods.

[soundweasel]

Originally Posted by Earlsays

The SP-1500's I purchased where re-finished by the previous owner...they where refinished with a minwax product of some type, and then clearcoated/varnished....they don't look extremely bad, but they don't look good either. Especially next to my SP-200's, which have their original finish on them. The real problem I have here, is that, in my opinion, these speaker cabinets should not be glossy and "slick" to the touch....they should be a dark walnut kind of almost "flat" finish (almost no shine) I have used a product called redi-strip in the past to remove paint/stain and it works wonderfully to get down to the wood without much sanding....then just sand a bit and re-finish....what stain should I use, and should I rub it in with a rag? I want the finish to be as close as possible to original. Also, what can I do about nicks & scratches? There are a few that I want to try to fix.

thanks

Earl

Here's a post I did on a speaker cabinet refinish I did earlier this year. Hope it helps.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthr...ht=soundweasel

Cheers

[Wardsweb]

I've refiinished my share of speakers and furniture. Here is a page I put up for a few of them: http://www.wardsweb.org/refinishing.html

For your job, I would recomment buying some Formby's Furniture Refinisher and using a fine steel wool to remove what finish is on the speakers now. Then hand sand with some 320 and then 400. After they have been stripped and sanded, you can decided if you wish to stain them or just apply some oil.