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L100a Restoration - Sand or Howard Restor a Finish?

WPD

Member
Just picked up these JBL L100's from a local guy, all in all the cabinets and frames are in great shape but the finish isn't perfect and there are some scratches.

I was thinking of sanding and refinishing with the Watco Danish oil but saw some people using Howards Restor a Finish as well. Don't have much experience fixing speakers so figured I'd ask the gurus to see if I could get away with the Howards as that definitely seems easier.

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Howards is a good product for rejuvenating a finish, not for hiding deep scratches. If you've never sanded veneer before, then practice on the bottom. Keep in mind it is very easy to sand thru veneer, especially at the edges of the cabinet.
 
Those are some deep scratches from the looks of them. I you decide to try to fill them and/or tone them, do so before putting any oil or finish on them.

You are going to have to sand. With veneer, you can only sand so much. Again, some of those look gnarly.

I have been restoring acoustic guitars for a couple of years now. CA or super glue is a standard product for filling scratches or dings. There are scads of YouTube videos of what you can do with CA glue in restoring a finish. One creative repair is for filling a gouged out fretboard, where the wood got dry and wore away. In short, you take sawdust of different woods, like rosewood, in different tones. Scratch up the worn spot for adhesion, add CA glue, then build up the spot with sawdust. Use the different tones to try to match the grain patterns. You can use furniture restoration stain pens to add color, too. Once the CA glue is blocked down or strip-sanded, it can be polished out to where is matches the original finish. Rub in some Danish oil and the repair becomes hard to detect. Scratches can be stained with the stain pens, different shades per the grain pattern, then filled with CA glue. Overfill the scratch, then block down the high spots. Works great on guitars, since they usually have a gloss finish. Matte finish is much tougher. An sinple oiled finish will not work, unless it is something heavier that can be polished to a gloss. That said, a clear lacquer finish polished to a gloss would be stunning.

When trying to work with the CA glue, get these plastic disposable micro pipettes. Put a number of drops in a tiny cup and lift out what you need. You can find them on luthier supply sites, then order from Ebay.

No power sanders, unless you have a really delicate touch. Be careful around the edges.

Block sand. As in sand with a flat sanding block.

Wet sanding with an oil like Danish oil will cause the dust to fill open the grain in what is knows as a French finish. I never made that work. Wet sanding is always superior, just do not use water. Use mineral spirits. Again, this is how to work on a guitar, electric or acoustic.

I would love to take a crack at putting a guitar finish on a worthy pair of speakers. I am sure it could be done.

CA glue comes in different viscosities. You will need to be patient and buy online. The retail stores have limited selection and will be expensive. Harbor Freight sells packs of a heavier glue for next to nothing.

YouTube guitar finish repair videos. There are some creative folks out there.

Good luck and have fun.
 
For a sanding block, I use a clean piece of MDF, with a retainer and sheet rock screws on each end. Loosen the screws to swap out the sand paper strip. Not a fan of the soft or sponge blocks. That is not a block. Cloth sand paper lasts a long time, especially with lubricant. I see no use for anything more coarse than 320 grit. Unless working on a barn.
 
Filler almost never absorbs stains and oil finishes the same as the surrounding wood. If your plan is to spray lacquer or poly you can fill before finishing, but for stain and oil it's usually better to fill after finishing and match the filler to the finish.
 
Sand and refinish. Sanding will remove 90%+ of the scratches. Then finish with your product of choice.
Just go slow and light with the sander. I’ve done it dozens of times.
 
You'll find a lot of negative comments on the Howard's Restor A Finish, but it's great for brightening up a dull finish that's a bit beyond what a wax or cleaner can do. That said, it won't help the damage here. You need to refinish using one of the methods above.
 
I think an important question here is,what do you want in the end? A mint perfect finish or a presentable finish that would still look good in your living room?
If your after perfect,you will need to sand them.
If your after a presentable finish,I think Howards would do a very nice job of making those look presentable.
In the past I have been very pleasantly surprised by the results of a fresh coat of oil or Howards on speakers,it can hide a lot!
 
When I did my L100’s I sanded to bare veneer and 2 coats of Watco black Walnut Danish Oil. For sanding - best to start with a fine grit like 180 or 200 then finish with a 400 grit. Easy does it when sanding - although the veneer is nice and thick. I would fill in any missing veneer with stainable wood filler. I used a vibrating electric sander carefully and it worked great - apply very little pressure (don’t use a rotating type).
 
Just picked up these JBL L100's from a local guy, all in all the cabinets and frames are in great shape but the finish isn't perfect and there are some scratches.

I was thinking of sanding and refinishing with the Watco Danish oil but saw some people using Howards Restor a Finish as well. Don't have much experience fixing speakers so figured I'd ask the gurus to see if I could get away with the Howards as that definitely seems easier.

355767779_1031289594502417_5329339780088460808_n.jpg

355175068_840098801164311_8614475437134365419_n.jpg
 
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