Need tips for painting speakers...

[camerakid]

Remember how I got those Mitsubishi M-SS5's from GW? Maybe or maybe not. Well, since they're all scratched up, I decided to go into Photoshop and see how they look in white.They looked pretty good in the Photoshopped picture... and they are currently sitting on a white shelf and they don't blend in very well.

All I really need to know is; should I use a paint roller, spraypaint, or ye old brush and can? Other tips are also welcomed... but I've spraypainted quite a few things (starting from when I was about 7 yrs old...) so yes, before you ask, I know how to use a can of spraypaint. I've also used ye old brush 'n can and also paint rollers.

And also, before anyone says I could make my speakers look bad by doing this, these are only my test speakers. They are currently not in use, I may even get a cheap amplifier to power them.

So, paint roller, spraypaint or ye old brush 'n can? Which one would be the best?

 

[Ghonk]

I think spray would give them the best finish.

 

[darg]

Spray if you want glossy surface. If it's flat matte go with roller. Depending on the roller you can give them a texture. Don't use a brush, it will never be even.

 

[camerakid]

Spray if you want glossy surface. If it's flat matte go with roller. Depending on the roller you can give them a texture. Don't use a brush, it will never be even.

Ok, I guess spray paint it is... but I'll still wait for a few more replies.

 

[thomo57]

If your good with a spray gun it will give you a good finish but if not
Roller is definitely more sympathetic but it all comes down to the finish you want to achieve.
You also have to take into consideration the type of paint you want to use.

 

[Lazarus Long]

Rattle can all the way. Clean with a mixture of vinegar and water. Lightly sand, and sprAy primer coat. Sand again and sprAy 2nd primer coat. Sand with 320 grit. Spray color. Let dry and finish with clear coat.

After you sand and before you paint, you need to make sure all of the dust is off of the surface...

 

[nfafan]

Rattle can all the way. Clean with a mixture of vinegar and water. Lightly sand, and sprAy primer coat. Sand again and sprAy 2nd primer coat. Sand with 320 grit. Spray color. Let dry and finish with clear coat.

After you sand and before you paint, you need to make sure all of the dust is off of the surface...

Agree 100%. Spray will get you the smoothest surface.

 

[dsmeffert]

This will stick well to the black ash finish so common on speakers now? I have an old pair of Mission 761i's that people used as drink holders years ago and have terrible water rings on top. They don't look nearly as good as they sound. This gives me some inspiration to get painting.

 

[centsless]

Spraying will look good if using a latex but it is messy doing it indoors. If a durable finish is desired, I would use oil paint....and brush with a china bristle brush. Primer first of course...and first coat of oil thinned with paint thinner. Will give a much more durable finish and oil flows together so no brush marks. Quart will be more than enough.

 

[Poultrygeist]

I wouldn't spray and white shows streaks. I'd roll on latex in flat black.

 

[mstap42]

Chiming in to agree with everyone else who has said spray is most likely to give you the look you want, especially if the cabinets are super-smooth.

There are many options for spray. Aerosol has been mentioned. Airless can give grea results. However, as a former professional painter, I have found that superior results can be achieved with a cup gun, an HVLP rig (rentable), and a paint that has excellent leveling properties. This method offers a very wide range of material choices, colors, and sheens. Aerosol, airless spray, and cups guns under high pressure can also give good finishes, but HVLP (high volume, low pressure) beats all.

Lazarus Long mentioned prep. Vinegar solution is a good cleaner. Mineral spirits and a mild TSP solution are commonly recommended as well. Use tack cloth after each sanding to get all the dust off.

centsless mentioned primer. Yes. Use schellac, or a stain-blocking oil or acrylic primer. If adhesion is a concern, use a bonding primer with stain blocking properties.

See your paint store pro for more details about materials.

Not everyone is adept at spray technique. Very good results can be achieved with brush, roller, and interior enamel -- either oil or acrylic -- that has excellent self-leveling properties. Use a foam roller cover to apply the paint. Then smoothe it lightly with the brush tip. Practice first on something you don't care about to learn how this works. The technique produces better results than brush alone or roller alone. It works great for interior trim and cabinets, too.

Cheers!

 

[soundmotor]

What are you painting over? Is it vinyl, laminate, wood veneer? Surface prep is critical and will be different for each.

I am partial to rattle cans.

 

[SteveS in VA]

Chiming in to agree with everyone else who has said spray is most likely to give you the look you want, especially if the cabinets are super-smooth.

There are many options for spray. Aerosol has been mentioned. Airless can give grea results. However, as a former professional painter, I have found that superior results can be achieved with a cup gun, an HVLP rig (rentable), and a paint that has excellent leveling properties. This method offers a very wide range of material choices, colors, and sheens. Aerosol, airless spray, and cups guns under high pressure can also give good finishes, but HVLP (high volume, low pressure) beats all.

Lazarus Long mentioned prep. Vinegar solution is a good cleaner. Mineral spirits and a mild TSP solution are commonly recommended as well. Use tack cloth after each sanding to get all the dust off.

centsless mentioned primer. Yes. Use schellac, or a stain-blocking oil or acrylic primer. If adhesion is a concern, use a bonding primer with stain blocking properties.

See your paint store pro for more details about materials.

Not everyone is adept at spray technique. Very good results can be achieved with brush, roller, and interior enamel -- either oil or acrylic -- that has excellent self-leveling properties. Use a foam roller cover to apply the paint. Then smoothe it lightly with the brush tip. Practice first on something you don't care about to learn how this works. The technique produces better results than brush alone or roller alone. It works great for interior trim and cabinets, too.

Cheers!

Nothing to disagree with here. Just to emphasize the importance of a good primer. I like shellac based BIN. (I don't know about the so called synthetic shellac in some versitons I'd doubt it.) It's several coats of primer that you sand to make sure the surface is perfect--flat and all scratches filled, etc.

 

[mstap42]

What SteveS in VA said.

 

[Porkloin]

I'll add to the suggestion of those recommending a shellac-based primer like the old "Kilz" - not their newer latex primer which doesn't hold a candle in covering up that oily veneer, not to mention the lack of those bitchin' fumes.
As for the finish, roll on some thinned out oil based Rustoleum with wet sanding between coats and a polish at the end per this guy's video. Unlike this guy, I'd use a roller, avoid 320 grit sand paper on paint and close the damn garage door to avoid the big chunks of flack in the paint that he got. If you've got the patience for all of the wet sanding and polishing, you'll have some shiny white speakers straight out of some 60's movie about the future or the expensive apartment of a tortured west German artist.

 

[centsless]

That guy in video makes me laugh. What is he gonna have....one hundred coats of paint on that thing?......and a mirror finish on a work table?...crazy.

I did forget to add one thing when I do paint with oil. I use Penetrol in my oil on my last two coats. http://www.flood.com/paint-additive-solutions. Makes it flow real nice. I have oil on bedroom trim....going on fifteen years and still looks new.

 

[Porkloin]

That guy in video makes me laugh. What is he gonna have....one hundred coats of paint on that thing?......and a mirror finish on a work table?...crazy.

I did forget to add one thing when I do paint with oil. I use Penetrol in my oil on my last two coats. http://www.flood.com/paint-additive-solutions. Makes it flow real nice. I have oil on bedroom trim....going on fifteen years and still looks new.

Unfortunately, the average Joe doesn't have access to (or can afford) two-part automotive paints and a spray booth to do it all in a couple of coats without dust, so we're doomed to thin coats and wet sanding. I also wondered why so much effort was being put into a work bench.
Good information on the Penetrol. I'm going to get me a can of that.

 

[trinhsman]

Depends on how nice you want them to look. First start off sanding and filling all scratches. Make sure everything is smooth. Sand working down from around a 200 grit to a final 600 grit before your first painting. Spray paint. Put on about 3-4 coats and let dry good before doing a wet sand with at least a 1,000 grit. Wipe off real clean and then paint again, 3-4 coats. Let dry real good and then do a final wet sand of 1500 grit. This gives you the best chance to make these look as good as possible...........OR............sand them the way they are and roll on some paint. Won't look very good, but they will be painted.

 

[dsmeffert]

My old Missions have a heavy grain to them. Not sure if it is vynil or a veneer. I wonder if painting them brown and then hitting them with some antiquing glaze would give them a nice look.

 

[xero-D-hero]

My old Missions have a heavy grain to them. Not sure if it is vynil or a veneer. I wonder if painting them brown and then hitting them with some antiquing glaze would give them a nice look.

Impossible to say for sure till you try it.
Could look good -or- could end up looking something akin to a zebra print.

Also agree that one needs to know the surface material and how to prep the given surface.
If that's wrong than everything else that is done afterwards is likely going to be sub-par as well.

A surface like vinyl has a specific prep process and specific paint(s) to get good results.
And covering stained/oiled veneer can be tricky as has been mentioned.

Also,I personally would likely opt for spraying them in the OP's case,they're smaller speakers so it should be pretty easy to get a nice even coat on these.

Good luck with this.

Bret P.