Speakers are sanded, now what???

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.
Yeah, kinda kicking myself for that. I can handle the weight of them, although they are around 65 lbs if I recall. But constantly blowing the dust off of the drivers was getting old. I will cover and tape the entire front of the speakers before continuing to ensure I don't get any oils or additional dust on the drivers.
 
Those are going to look great whatever you put on them.

Have had good luck with Watco products and Boiled Linseed Oil.

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

Just my experience...

I don't see this mentioned very often but have personally seen this happen. A warning worth heeding !!
 
Watcos is OK, it penetrates well but has a very low solid content, It will take MANYcoats to build up a nice finish. I use a product called Bush Oil, not available everywhere but has a high solid content. You can obtain an unbelievable finish with it.
 
Watco's is not a high gloss type finish, more of a satin.
You can build it up though, and hand rub it for a nice gloss, but it won't be a piano finish if that's the desired end result. Most vintage speakers did not have super high gloss finishes.
 
I don't see this mentioned very often but have personally seen this happen. A warning worth heeding !!

There is also the issue of the steel wool fibers embedding themselves into the finish as you move along. Which is why scotch-brite pads are recommended now. I've tried both. I like what the steel wool does to my finish vs. the pads. So, I just have to be careful about the stray wool hairs, it's worth the hassle.

Biggles
 
Most vintage speakers did not have super high gloss finishes.

That's the truth. Unfortunately I ran across a pair that some individual thought would look good with a high gloss. A mismatched pair of EV Aristocrats that this fool covered in some type of glossy clear resin. (Think of the tables in cheap restaurants or the bar tops with that uneven thick glossy coating)

Anyway not having the desire to spend huge amounts of time trying to strip this stuff off (if it's even possible) I decided on another route. I sanded the current finish to roughen it up, then applied a test area of satin finish polyurethane to make it look 'clear' again. By golly , I think it just may work !! The wood grain shows through but no glossy finish!

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Have had good luck with boiled linseed oil mixed with turpentine....... not an inside job though!

That odor memory, takes me back to high school art class, when I started painting with oils...! Whew! :eek:
 
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Very nasty smell. Had to put my HPMs in the shed for two weeks, waiting for it to dissipate!
 
That's the truth. Unfortunately I ran across a pair that some individual though would look good with a high gloss. A mismatched pair of EV Aristocrats that this fool covered in some type of glossy clear resin. (Think of the tables in cheap restaurants or the bar tops with that uneven thick glossy coating)

Anyway not having the desire to spend huge amounts of time trying to strip this stuff off (if it's even possible) I decided on another route. I sanded the current finish to roughen it up, then applied a test area of satin finish polyurethane to make it look 'clear' again. By golly , I think it just may work !! The wood grain shows through but no glossy finish!

View attachment 1030818
Looks promising!
It's a shame people that do that type of thing.
 
Looks promising!
It's a shame people that do that type of thing.

Thanks, fingers crossed.

The next hurdle I have to overcome is trying to color match the other cabinet to the one shown. (the other is a bit lighter and doesn't have a reddish tint). Would probably be easier if I was working with the wood itself, but of course it's coated. :-(

To answer your question, not sure why people do stuff like that but I suspect it has something to do with using whatever they had laying around. Wouldn't be so bad if it was just your standard coat of gloss poly or lacquer, but that resin crap is thick, and uneven. Ugh.

If these end up looking decent it will be a miracle as they were pretty scruffy overall to start with. I guess the good news is that there wasn't much to lose to begin with.....
 
I tend to stay away from the linseed oil, tung oil concoctions, because they never truly "dry" and become "dust magnets". Same for waxes. Granted, if you use Watco oils (like I do), you may need to re-oil the finish at least once a year to keep them looking their best, but they don't attract dust.
 
I tried the teak oil myself on a set of Soliloquy I refinished, and was unhappy with the results. I wanted the grain of the speaker to "pop".

I also like your original thought of walnut - I believe it is the best and most neutral of all wood finishes - just bought a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 6, and ordered them in walnut.

So after sanding, I had to wood dye mine green as they were very red. You won't need to do this.

However a heavy coat of Minwax ebony stain is great, let it sit on for about 15 minutes then wipe it off well. If unhappy with the grain, then do it again.

If you want to deepen the color, I used Old Masters wiping stain which was heavily pigmented, yet had a bit of a green tone to mute the red further. It comes in a bunch of lovely colors, and adds tint without the need to tint your topcoat.

Then, depending on your gloss preferences, you can finish with satin, semi-gloss, or gloss urethane. Just make sure you don't spray too fast and leave an orange peel texture.

Some might not prefer this finish as it isn't "vintage". Personally, the aesthetics are what steers me away from vintage speakers the most, and "moderning" them up to fit into a modern decor makes me happy. If you decide to sell them, it may make others happy as well.
 
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