KLH Twenty Three Restoration-PICS

[GD70]

You are to kind Big's, but I thank you. It only takes tools, patience, and practice. I encourage other AK members to make an effort to do such work as displayed in this thread by Glenn, he should be commended for his efforts, great documentation and photographs, well done Glenn. :thmbsp:

Thank you both! My pleasure and lots of fun!

 

[drbiggles]

Hear ya on the space and project list!

Well, at least go see and hear them. Keep in mind the caps were crap, so some of them might not have working tweeters. Luckily, my tweeters worked, but I still swapped pot the caps, one per speaker.

Glenn

Keeripes, yeah. Most of the speakers I drag home had poor and inexpensive caps to begin with. Auditioning these speakers, making a decision about them with original caps is sheer folly. I just need to make sure they're operational, the rest can be dealt with.

Biggles

 

[GD70]

I have a donor KLH cabinet as well, which I'd like to pull some veneer from to do a few little repairs on other KLHs. How is this best accomplished?

Use your wife's/girl friends iron set to low heat. Put a old piece of t-shirt between the iron and veneer. Warm it up and have a knife blade ready to start slowly lifting the veneer from the mdf. The glue will harden pretty quickly so once the glue has softened work quickly, keeping the iron moving slowly with the blade following right behind.

There's lots of videos on the net showing several ways to remove veneer.

Good luck!

Glenn

 

[GD70]

On the last corner!

I have one more piece of veneer to splice in, then fill all the gaps under the new veneer with epoxy to make them solid, sand and start oiling!

This piece really blended in well!

Glenn

 

[alteclipsch]

Use your wife's/girl friends iron set to low heat. Put a old piece of t-shirt between the iron and veneer. Warm it up and have a knife blade ready to start slowly lifting the veneer from the mdf. The glue will harden pretty quickly so once the glue has softened work quickly, keeping the iron moving slowly with the blade following right behind.

Glenn

Excellent, thank you. If I can get the glue off, I may even try to use the back side as the top surface.

 

[GD70]

Excellent, thank you. If I can get the glue off, I may even try to use the back side as the top surface.

Sure! I'm sure there's other methods as well, but this approach I found on the net when I was doing the LST-2 restoration.

Glenn

 

[doctorolds]

Excellent, thank you. If I can get the glue off, I may even try to use the back side as the top surface.

I would be cautious of trying that since any stain, oil, or other type of finish used may not adhere to the veneer as it should. I would hate to see you do all the prep work and not get the desired results.

 

[alteclipsch]

I would be cautious of trying that since any stain, oil, or other type of finish used may not adhere to the veneer as it should. I would hate to see you do all the prep work and not get the desired results.

Thanks for the tip; I've done a lot of this kind of work and would be sure all residue is gone. Nothing to lose on this one, the exposed surface is really scratched, so either it gets used for little patches or the reversed side. Whichever works.

 

[GD70]

Thanks for the tip; I've done a lot of this kind of work and would be sure all residue is gone. Nothing to lose on this one, the exposed surface is really scratched, so either it gets used for little patches or the reversed side. Whichever works.

That will work for sure. Most of the veneer scrap I have has had the glue removed, so either side works depending on the grain direction and color I'm trying to match.

 

[drbiggles]

Hey Glenn,

Got back a little while ago. Drug home 4 of the 23's and grabbed a pair of AR14's on my out the door. The 23's are in horrible shape. But about par for what you and I generally start with. I think I can get 2 usable cabinets out of them, drivers too. I did a quickie test while I was there, but for the price I didn't dig any deeper.

I got these just in case I ran out of other speaker projects. You know how it is.

Biggles

 

[doctorolds]

Alright Big's, welcome to the KLH club, so to speak. I don't think you have had any of the KLH models yet, have you? I am sure that you will be happy with them once you work some magic on them. Congrats! :thmbsp:

 

[drbiggles]

Alright Big's, welcome to the KLH club, so to speak. I don't think have had any of the KLH models yet, have you? I am sure that you will be happy with them once you work some magic on them. Congrats! :thmbsp:

Thanks an nope! It's all pretty exciting.

Biggles

 

[GD70]

Hey Glenn,

Got back a little while ago. Drug home 4 of the 23's and grabbed a pair of AR14's on my out the door. The 23's are in horrible shape. But about par for what you and I generally start with. I think I can get 2 usable cabinets out of them, drivers too. I did a quickie test while I was there, but for the price I didn't dig any deeper.

I got these just in case I ran out of other speaker projects. You know how it is.

Biggles

Well it's about time you got your hands on some KLH's, and a great model to boot! So if two are worthy of the house after restoration, the other two will be great shop-garage speakers!
We're all the drivers putting out sound? Just curious. Those AR's look decent as well.

I'm just about finished with the veneer repairs, will fill those gaps with epoxy, fill in the few joints with gaps and on to oiling!

Glenn

 

[drbiggles]

Well it's about time you got your hands on some KLH's, and a great model to boot! So if two are worthy of the house after restoration, the other two will be great shop-garage speakers!
We're all the drivers putting out sound? Just curious. Those AR's look decent as well.

I'm just about finished with the veneer repairs, will fill those gaps with epoxy, fill in the few joints with gaps and on to oiling!

Glenn

OH man, the awesome part is coming. Oil.

I tested 3 of the 4 cabinets. 3 good woofers, 2 good tweeters. But between the funky caps and l-pads (or whatever they are), I won't really know until I open them up and test them properly. They're in the garage all tucked away.

But before those, I want to get to work on the Bozak B312's. And of course, finish up the little AR-4x's.

Biggles

 

[GD70]

OH man, the awesome part is coming. Oil.

I tested 3 of the 4 cabinets. 3 good woofers, 2 good tweeters. But between the funky caps and l-pads (or whatever they are), I won't really know until I open them up and test them properly. They're in the garage all tucked away.

But before those, I want to get to work on the Bozak B312's. And of course, finish up the little AR-4x's.

Biggles

Nothing better than a stack of speakers waiting their turn to be made beautiful and sing again! Nice to have projects waiting in the wings.

I'm guessing the AR's will be done by weeks end?

Glenn

 

[drbiggles]

Nothing better than a stack of speakers waiting their turn to be made beautiful and sing again! Nice to have projects waiting in the wings.

I'm guessing the AR's will be done by weeks end?

Glenn

Not quite! But I am making forward progress and have my logistics down. Purchased and received a replacement woofer, just in case. And I have the capacitors handy. Good stuff.

Biggles

 

[GD70]

Not quite! But I am making forward progress and have my logistics down. Purchased and received a replacement woofer, just in case. And I have the capacitors handy. Good stuff.

Biggles

Progress always feels good no matter how little it is. Got parts, progress in hand.
You'll wrap it up pretty quick.

Glenn

 

[GD70]

Last two corners!

Third corner completed, and the last corner repairs spliced in this morning.

Third corner completed.

Last corner. Got a really good grain and color match!

 

[sol7]

You guys are almost making me wish I didn't trade off my 23's.....

 

[GD70]

You guys are almost making me wish I didn't trade off my 23's.....

Well, you can always get another set!