Cerwin Vega AT-15 refinishing instructions?

[redondo2018]

So... I'm getting to the point where I want to make my (still stuck in the garage) AT-15's actually look nice. Right now I'm thinking black speaker covering (is that called laminate?), but I'm open to real wood veneer as well. I'm hoping someone has done this for these monsters and has a step-by-step, but I have not yet been able to find anything. Any help would be great!

 

[Aptone]

Right now I'm thinking black speaker covering (is that called laminate?)

@GD70 has done some beautiful veneer work. Are you contemplating plastic laminate like a kitchen counter? I have fabricated many a kitchen in my cabinet shop days, and stuck a lot of counter tops, but laminate would not be my first choice unless the speakers were destined for a life in the basement of the frat house. Is the existing wood in very bad shape, such as deep scratches, chips, and dents?

 

[redondo2018]

I guess I don't know what it's called - like the stuff that is on a guitar amp

 

[70's Rockfan]

here are some amp coverings
https://www.parts-express.com/cat/cabinet-covering/310

 

[redondo2018]

here are some amp coverings
https://www.parts-express.com/cat/cabinet-covering/310

Yes! That's what I was thinking of, thanks! So I guess it's down to this or a real wood veneer...

 

[redondo2018]

@GD70 has done some beautiful veneer work. Are you contemplating plastic laminate like a kitchen counter? I have fabricated many a kitchen in my cabinet shop days, and stuck a lot of counter tops, but laminate would not be my first choice unless the speakers were destined for a life in the basement of the frat house. Is the existing wood in very bad shape, such as deep scratches, chips, and dents?

Condition-wise I'd say it's acceptable - there are scratches of course, but nothing deep - it's just that it's fugly IMO.

 

[redondo2018]

Thought I'd share a pic - as you can see, it's mostly minor scrapes (the cabinet on the right also doesn't have the extra couple inch base - should I just remove the base from the other one to have them match, or does it actually serve some real purpose?)
Need to recone the other 15" sub (and glue those supports back up). What do you folks think, should I just leave it be?

 

[Chris Brown]

the cabinet on the right also doesn't have the extra couple inch base - should I just remove the base from the other one to have them match, or does it actually serve some real purpose?

I would take the wood base to mean that ideally the bottom of the woofer cone should be at least a few inches off the ground. Removing the wood base from the one speaker would probably be easier than trying to re-create a duplicate. It shouldn't matter much, since it doesn't have anything to do with the internal cabinet volume, but I would put them on stands or something at that point to bring them up to the intended height from the ground.

Need to recone the other 15" sub (and glue those supports back up). What do you folks think, should I just leave it be?

You should see if you can re-foam the woofers (do both at the same time) instead of trying to have it re-coned.

 

[redondo2018]

I would take the wood base to mean that ideally the bottom of the woofer cone should be at least a few inches off the ground. Removing the wood base from the one speaker would probably be easier than trying to re-create a duplicate. It shouldn't matter much, since it doesn't have anything to do with the internal cabinet volume, but I would put them on stands or something at that point to bring them up to the intended height from the ground.



You should see if you can re-foam the woofers (do both at the same time) instead of trying to have it re-coned.

Stands would need to be something pretty strong - any suggestions?

Re: the other sub, I'm like 95% sur it needs to be reconed as it grates when I push it up and down. The orange foam on the other one was done by me late last year with the refoam kit from Simply Speakers. I have the other foam, going to ask them if I can just buy the other recone parts.

 

[Chris Brown]

Stands would need to be something pretty strong - any suggestions?

Something simple, like maybe a pair of appropriately sized concrete bricks with some felt pads on them. Or construct stands using 2x4 wood and screw into them via the inside of the cabinet through the open woofer hole.