Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Summer Project

Imagine if you can, taking my speaker and having to scrape off all of the clear coat, paint and primer. Yesterday was a sad day, I noticed a bubble in the paint and I picked at it and the paint started flaking off. On the second speaker I ran out of the primer I spray from my hvlp gun so I bought primer in a rattle can and that's where the mistake was made. Its going to break my heart to attack the other speaker but symmetry is important.So I am moving into phase 2 while I wait for my QS8's to arrive .

I feel your pain, Richard. It's the down side to being a Platonic aesthetist, poor guy. In order to bring a project that far back, I'm now at the point that I get really wasted first. It takes way longer, but it really doesn't feel like it does.

Now to decide which one. Real wood or painted. Help me decide

I personally prefer the real wood look. If you are putting in all that work, then why not have something beautiful like real wood.

Thanks for input matt. Actually the paint was more work, since trying to hide the holes where the magnets are was a PITA. The veneer is a snap other than trimming the edges at the 45deg angle .

What you can try if you are up to it.. I don't know how you did the finish on the outside bits... but I imagine that you were using a HVLP with a nitro-cellulose lacquer. Have you thought of tinting the finish with your umber red to give the colour that you had but still maintain a level of opacity so that the grain of the wood still shows through? If you laid a coat or two of tinted and then clear you will have a spectacular look giving the best of both worlds.

Now personally, I find the unber red a bit too bold for me. I think that something more of a black cherry so that you can see a rich detail of the grain with the contrast of the blacks in the grain. Now you might need to experiment on some test pieces before you give it a go on your speaker. Consider using a dark sanding sealer before the tinted lacquer to make it pop.

Just a thought.

ie:

Matt the more I think about it , I will probably just go with the stained wood and leave the door open for down the road to spray a lite coat of color over the clear and then re-clear. I sprayed the red from a rattle can and it does not cover well at all ,very uneven. A pint of the red paint is 75 bux plus reducer which I am not willing to lay out any more money at this point. I am spraying Nason 2k spot panel urethane clear coat , not sure how I would tint that but thanks for the idea..

BTW , its hard to tell from the picture but the painted speaker is a chilipepper red with pearl. These are just cell phone pics so not the greatest.

Contact WoodEssence http://www.woodessence.com/Dyes-Pigments-C10.aspx I used the ColourFX, but I would look into the Mixol pigment and add in a bit of the Oxide Red #4. (I did the Colour FX Burnt Sienna but also as it was an antique solid walnut bed used a black sanding sealer to fill in all the grain pores. lots of work but the end effect was stunning.

They are very knowledgeable and have helped me in many of my projects that I was looking on adding some colour to my work. Did a great job with some walnut for a bed restoration for my daughter I have gotten many comments on that job that has led to more work from friends and family.

A friend of mine is presently in The Muskokas where they just had a gathering of classic wooden boats. I don't know if you've heard of this product that they use in marine applications, but it sure looks nice. Here is his email to me:

Tom, when I was at the Antique Boat Show in the Muskokas in Gravenhurst, I asked a guy at the canoe display what to refinish my cedar strip canoe with. He told me to use the same stuff they use on the old woodies, which are absolutely magnificant! Anyways, it is called EPIFANES. I thought if you ever had to refinish, or touch up, your wooden bow, this would be ideal. WHAT AN AMAZING RESULT. An excellent spar varnish, which also comes in colours.
Web site - www.epifanes.com

TAM

Very interesting , thanks Tom. I see they have colored polyurethane , though they have no prices. I may inquire just for giggles.