Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo So NOW I'm a real Axiom owner...

Some suggestions:

If oil-based poly doesn't cause the vinyl to separate from the MDF (it shouldn't, but...), wash it with a degreaser and THOROUGHLY rinse and dry it. Apply three coats of poly, sanding between coats. You could also choose a wipe-on poly. It's thinner and dries to recoat way faster. You're doing speakers, not a table top, so you don't need the extra body of regular poly.

You can use semi- or full gloss. After the final coat is thoroughly dry, apply a real furniture polish (like Briwax, not bowling alley wax) and rub out any nibs with 0000 steel wool or the GRAY colored plastic equivalent. Buff it within an inch of its life, or your until arm falls off and there you go. (Seriously, a folded up cotton rag under a pad or circular sander works great and fast.)

Or...

If the ambering that will happen with the oil is not to your liking (it should make the plastic look realer, actually), then you can use a water-borne or water-based poly. You NEED to do a bottom test, because, though it dries water white (clear), it can impart a really unpleasant bluishiness to some wood colors.

A great wipe-on acrylic poly is Rockler Woodworking's "Wundercoat." I once used it on mission-stained oak and it did NOT leave a blue cast. Way, way fast and easy and not smelly, and clean-up at the sink w/soap. Nicer.

Do NOT use minwax acrylic products. They suck. Oil's fine. All really decent (still not as durable, ever) acrylic finishes cost over $100 Ga. If you insist, start with Campbell Finishes or General Finishes. Problem with all of them, is that to sand the applicator marks out, you have to sand off most of the coat you just put on. Wipe-on is formulated NOT to do that.

Then there's the chicken's way out of everything, that I call "spraying." The most beautiful pieces of art furniture you will ever see do not employ sprayed finishes.

If you ever need to repeat any of this, you can tell 'em an old fart who does everything by-the-(old) book told you.

I DO own a 4-stage HVLP system, and it was mfgd. in Canada, so don't even go there.

Jeez, I guess I should have talked to you before buying my HVLP sprayer last week. So you could tell me I NEED one (but I suck because I bought one!)

To get that piano finish would require multiple coats of polyurethane with sanding between every second coat until the rough surface is filled in. I like spraying single panel auto clear coat because its only about 10 mins between coats on a hot day and 30 mins and you can wet sand. I still have 2 QS4's that need veneering , I may try some clear just for the sake of trying it.

OK - I'm NOT doing any polyurethane - My better half is sensitive to smells...

Organic products, for the most part, she can stand. So (counterintuitive, I know) would it be feasible to wipe on glossy tung oil? I've used it on wood furniture without issue, so maybe on top of the vinyl as well? It forms its own surface, and when new oil is applied over the old, then it (like polyurethane) partially melts the previous surface to adhere.

Multiple thin coats might form a glossy finish (but without being able to soak into the surface, it might just stay tacky)?

The Rockler product might be the only feasible synthetic option provided it truly is "low odor."

I used lemon oil on my M80's before I put on veneer.I also used it on my HPM 900,s for over 20yrs with no ill effects on the vinyl. it made them look much nicer imho, was a weekend ritual though.

Richard

That sounds like the idea I'd go with first! You could also just rub on furniture wax directly, then buff

Yes, you should have. I would have sold mine to you for "such a deal, you can't even believe." I bought it to paint over 200 serpentine balusters in a 3-story high elliptical entryway on Beacon Hill. It paid for itself (and then some) in one day.

Odd that the company name is Fuji, but it came from Canada. I didn't really know any Canadians at the time, so I had no reason to be suspicious.

But seriously, I hope you have fun with it, ya lazy, traditionless bastard.

I almost bought a Fuji. Great reputation! Yours was probably gunked up with sarcasm, though.

I haven't used it enough for my seething contempt to affect it.

How much different does an "on wall" Axiom center sound than their stand-mounted units? I've owned the VP180 (version 3?) and a VP-100 (version 4) before and the latter better matched my main speakers. But the current equipment configuration precludes the use of any center at ear level. Therefore, I'm thinking of mounting the center on the wall above the TV. This location has the advantages of being perfectly centered for all viewers, and of providing minimum interference when listening to straight stereo.

So my options are VP-100 on wall or VP-150 on wall. I don't play movies loudly, so either should provide suitable service. I also have a good pair of subs that can pick up the slack in the bass. So recommendations?