Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Lets plan a theater space

Good tips matt, keep em comin . One other thing that came to mind after reading matts tips was that any spot that you fill with putty is hard as hell to hide after the fact it will show right through the primer and paint. Keep the number of holes to a minimum, i used countersunk screws to hold my subs together and then filled with body filler and if you look close even after highbuild primer and paint you can see where the filler was used. The average person would never see it but i know its there and it bothered me for quite some time.

Is there a way I could use my sprayer with an oil based sealer/primer like Killz and then a high gloss oil based enamel and then cut and polish it out. I would sand between coats of primer (probably 3 coats) and do 3 coats enamel before buffing it out. This way I might stay on budget. I would fill all cut edges with drywall compond first and sand I guess.

What do you guys think? Can I turn high quality house paint into a gloss mirror finish?

http://www.behr.com/consumer_ca/products/interior-paint-and-primer/behr-premium-plus-hi-gloss-enamel

High Gloss finish is hard to do even with a very high budget. The biggest problem is that it reflects light back at you. Any surface imperfection is broadcast with flashing neon lights.

The second thing that I have learnt is that you see every imperfection in the work that you do. Everyone else just admires and thinks what a wonderful job that you have done.

My experience is that airless sprayers are great for painting fences. I would build them , listen to them and if you really like what you hear then decide how to finish them. I see guys smearing on duratex coatings and it galls the shit outta me, lazy man short cut imho. Either invest in a HVLP which are not that expensive anymore, the down side is cleanup is a bitch. I spent 150 on a 10 gallon can of gun wash, cause if the gun aint clean you dont get results. The speakers are too big to spray out of a aerosol can so thats out. I say get wood veneer its the best all around covering and not real hard to do. Have a look at what Axiom charges for their premium finishes , there is a reason its so expensive, it takes a lot of work and equipment.

Agreed. When I built my sub a couple of years ago, I wanted something with a nice finish. I took the time to do the groove-cuts for each seam, fill with bondo, sand smooth, skim coat the whole thing with a thin layer of bondo, and made that smooth as glass. Primed and painted all with HVLP and the finish was great. Looking back, an automotive finish would have been a touch nicer, but I have something that doesn't look like a $20 sub box from Radio Shack like the Duratex stuff looks like (to me). Then again, a lot of the Duratex coated speakers you can still see where the person building it didn't line things up, sand imperfections, etc. They still show through. People just want to get it built, but are too lazy on the fit/finish.

I would only even remotely consider something like Duratex if the speakers/subs were going to always be hidden, but even then you would be limited in never wanting to change them to be visible down the road. That is why when I upgraded my VP150 to a VP180 I still got the wood finished to match the other speakers even though I could have gotten one that didn't match for a little less in the outlet store. Mine are all behind my screen/false wall, but who knows what the future holds. That may not always be the case.

Nick i followed your build and someone like you would never opt for a crap finish and i knew that long before you started the project. Your theater speaks to your dedication to do things right. When i was a teen i spent hours installing a stereo in my car my kids they throw a deck on the floor and have the sub floating around the back seat and it really piks my ass LOL. I like the sense of accomplishment of a job well done. As for hvlp, there is tons of info on how to use one and how to set it up and a little practice is all thats required.

Yeah, HVLP really isn't "hard" it just takes patience when you don't use it very often. I've learned to over-buy on paint, and practice, tweak the spray, etc on cardboard before every putting paint on the project and it will turn out nicely.

Hey guys thanks for your interest and chewing through this a bit. I'm learning a lot and I sure appreciate it. There may be a very interesting development on the horizon. A new material may have popped up to wrap or redo the enclosures with. One of those right place at right time things. I dont want to get my hopes up, but if it works out you'll be the first to know. Assembly is on hold for the short term while this develops, or doesnt.

Dont worry, duratex isnt an option for these.

That's the only real problem if you fudge a spot most will never be aware of it. But you know exactly where it is and what it looks like.
Congrats Trevor looks great so far hope the wrap is a go sounds much easier.

Not done yet?
Lol.