Speakers are sanded, now what???

Keymaster

Keymaster

Active Member
I picked up some HPM-100's recently and they needed some TLC. They had some pretty horrible water rings on top of them and some light scratches. I have a spare HPM-100 and used some Howard's Restore and then followed up with some Feed and Wax on it to see how it looked. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good, either. So I decided to sand them down. I was able to get the rings out and they are looking pretty good. I started with 80 grit, went to 120, then 220. They are feeling pretty smooth but I wasn't sure if I should go up to 320 or not. I haven't done any wood-working in years.

My question is, what would everyone recommend to finish? I had imagined putting a walnut stain on them, followed by a clear coat of some kind. But when I did some research, folks were either recommending Tung Oil or Danish Oil. Applying several coats with 00 steal wool until you achieve the correct shade you like and that's it. I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!
 

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I like tung oil mixed with orange oil to thin it. BTW, white rings: mayonnaise; black rings: oxalic acid. The use of those two items can save you a lot of sanding time.
 
220 grit should be plenty smooth for walnut; just get a good tack rag and make sure it's all dust-free before finishing. Judging by the pics, you shouldn't need any stain, color looks nice as-is.
 
I just refinished some realistic towers. Quick sanding with 220 to really smooth the surface. Blowed off the dust with my compressor and gave it 2 coats of danish oil. Came out great. It says on the can you can follow up with poly if you want
 
Refinished 3 pair of JBls last year. Personally, not a fan of the Watco, I prefer the Restore A Finish choices.

The JBL site dissuaded me from using 0000 steel wool, as the "fines" would make their way to the drivers.

The JBLs turned out great, wound up keeping the 'lil 4406s.

Just my experience...
 
If you like the texture and appearance of the grain after the 220 grit sanding, I'd leave it there. You have already done a lot of sanding, and that veneer is only so thick (thin). I am a fan of the Watco Danish Oils--in your case, I'd stick with the natural/neutral, but if you want, there are colors available as well. Do not use steel wool--with the drivers present, the magnetic fields will draw in the fines from the steel wool. Also, if you live in a humid or salt air environment, the residual fines that get stuck in the grain can actually make little rust specks over time. 3M/Scotch makes synthetic sanding pads that are the equivalent of steel wool--check your local paint department.
 
By the time you get above 220 grit, it has been my experience that you are taking off very little veneer thickness. You're simply smoothing the tiny ridges of what you've already done, using much less pressure. FWIW.
 
Ahh, I'm drooling! A fresh canvas of walnut!
I've been using Watcos Danish natural color oil on all my restorations. Older walnut will have a nice reddish hue to it without using a color tinted oil. Usually takes 5-6 applications. Use an old t-shirt or sock to apply, don't brush it on, there will be too much oil.
 
GD70 said:
Ahh, I'm drooling! A fresh canvas of walnut!
I've been using Watcos Danish natural color oil on all my restorations. Older walnut will have a nice reddish hue to it without using a color tinted oil. Usually takes 5-6 applications. Use an old t-shirt or sock to apply, don't brush it on, there will be too much oil.
Click to expand...
Watco Danish , then paste wax and lots of rubbing.
 
I'm sure any of the previous suggestions would work, I personally use a gun stock oil on many of my woodworking projects, Birchwood Casey Tru Oil. I typically do about 8 wiped on coats and lightly rub with 0000 steel wool between each. This gives a beautiful finish that has that hand rubbed look and doesn't look like a plastic shell like urethanes and lacquers can. The nice thing about it is if you get a scuff or mark you can blend it out by repeating this process locally.
 
IMG_20170609_072232.jpg IMG_20170609_072222.jpg
My first restoration project, from AK members advice. Damp cloth under iron to raise scratches and dents. 220, 400 grit, tack cloth and Watco Natural Danish oil. I did 3 coats. May add more coats. Canton Karat 200 walnut. Satisfied with results. Only faint shadow where a scratch was.
 
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You can wipe the veneer with solvent to see what it would look like with a neutral oil. Howards Restor-a-finish is not a finish, it's for restoring existing finishes and is not a permanent solution. Anything above 180 to 220 grit is for sanding your finish, not the wood. Try the solvent first to see if you have any blemishes that need to be taken care of first though. But most of all? Have fun!

Biggles
 
drbiggles said:
You can wipe the veneer with solvent to see what it would look like with a neutral oil. Howards Restor-a-finish is not a finish, it's for restoring existing finishes and is not a permanent solution. Anything above 180 to 220 grit is for sanding your finish, not the wood. Try the solvent first to see if you have any blemishes that need to be taken care of first though. But most of all? Have fun!

Biggles
Click to expand...
What an honor, the great drbiggles is in the house! I followed your restoration of your Rectilinears many moons ago. I'm gonna try to slow down today, since I have gotten so much feedback from so many experienced folks. I have a spare HPM that I think I'm gonna experiment with first and see which route I like the best. Thank you!
 
Keymaster,

Whoa, thank you! Man, those were ancient times. So long ago it seems. With the speakers I'm still dragging home, they're in such poor condition. Each cabinet, each side of the cabinet requires a different plan of attack to get the same finish over all. There is no one way to do anything. So, try it all and see what prevails. I'm setting things up for some speaker clean-up, batting replacement and driver loading today. Busy busy!

Biggles
 
Keymaster said:
I picked up some HPM-100's recently and they needed some TLC. They had some pretty horrible water rings on top of them and some light scratches. I have a spare HPM-100 and used some Howard's Restore and then followed up with some Feed and Wax on it to see how it looked. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good, either. So I decided to sand them down. I was able to get the rings out and they are looking pretty good. I started with 80 grit, went to 120, then 220. They are feeling pretty smooth but I wasn't sure if I should go up to 320 or not. I haven't done any wood-working in years.

My question is, what would everyone recommend to finish? I had imagined putting a walnut stain on them, followed by a clear coat of some kind. But when I did some research, folks were either recommending Tung Oil or Danish Oil. Applying several coats with 00 steal wool until you achieve the correct shade you like and that's it. I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Nice job on the sanding, but I can't believe those were sanded with the drivers still in the cabinets. I always remove the drivers before sanding and finishing. It sure makes it easier to move them around.
 
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