[sts9fan]

I am going to be painting the new speakers I am building.  I was wondering if anyone had done this?  I am going to painting them much differently then most with a street art feel.  What is the best/easiest clear coat?  I am not real concerned with the colors but I do want a nice hard shiney clear.

Kris

[JoshK]

These speakers raw mdf?  MDF needs some primer (lots of it, i hear) before painting or the joints will bleed through.  Shinobiwan has a great thread on diyaudio about painting speakers.  I know of no one with greater experience and/or better outcomes. 

[sts9fan]

I have read most of that.  I am not currently sure if they will be MDF.  I am building the Nathan 10 kit but I have free access to a CNC.  This makes me want to have the box cut from birch ply mainly because two boxes will cost $40 total.  I bet you have to seal the crap out of the endgrain of the birch.

[*Scotty*]

Miter Joint your boxes and you can avoid the end grain problem.
Scotty

[WGH]

Miter Joint your boxes and you can avoid the end grain problem.
Scotty

Grizzly Tools, http://www.grizzly.com/, has lock miter router bits so you can clamp the edges without sliding.
Wrap your cauls in clear packaging tape and glue won't stick.





Wayne

[Scott F.]

Grizzly Tools, http://www.grizzly.com/, has lock miter router bits so you can clamp the edges without sliding.
Wrap your cauls in clear packaging tape and glue won't stick.





Wayne

Wayne,

You da man  I had no idea that bit existed. I need to get a couple of those.

[JCarney]

For a fairly durable gloss, to high gloss finish, I would use a pre-catalyzed lacquer. I have used it on custom kitchen and bath cabinets with very good results. A sanding sealer is usually recommended for the first coat, then you can apply as many coats as you see fit. I would recommend a minimum of two coats. It can be found at any real paint store like a Sherwin Williams, Kelly Moore, Diamond Vogel, or Benjamin Moore.

Probably would not hurt to shoot Jim Salk a pm and ask what he might recomend. He knows a thing or two about finishing speakers.

Good Luck,
JCarney

[sts9fan]

Miter Joint your boxes and you can avoid the end grain problem.
Scotty

Good to know but if I go the CNC route it will all be endgrain a la Magico.

Wrap your cauls in clear packaging tape and glue won't stick.

What's a caul?

So a wood sealer is a thick coat that will fill small issues and allow the paint to stick better, correct?  Do all require a spray gun?  Is a spray can an option?

[WGH]

What's a caul?

So a wood sealer is a thick coat that will fill small issues and allow the paint to stick better, correct?  Do all require a spray gun?  Is a spray can an option?

In this application a caul is just a long straight piece of wood, it distributes the clamping pressure equally along the edge of the miter.

The wood sealer I have used is thin and designed to soak in and seal the pores. A good filler for small and large issues is Bondo, the auto body putty.

Wayne

[sts9fan]

Thanks wayne!

I will be in Tuscon in Feb visting my Grandma.  Hopefully it will be warmer then Boston!

[WGH]

Give me a call, I'll be here. You can have the mini-tour of my shop and then we'll spin a few platters on the home stereo while we bask in the springtime sun. Wildflowers start blooming here in Feb.

Wayne

[JoshK]

Wayne,

You da man  I had no idea that bit existed. I need to get a couple of those.

I have that exact bit but haven't used it yet. 

[mgalusha]

The manual that Earl sent with my Abbey kits suggests Zinsser BIN primer for sealing MDF. http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?productid=10

I haven't used it but it certainly looks the part.

[mcgsxr]

I built a set of DIY Cables KIT41 a few years back from both mdf (sides, top and bottom) and baltic birch (front and rear) and shot them with spray bomb primer, and then spray bomb truck bed liner.

I should have sanded more - I suppose that is a refrain for all woodworking I do, I can NEVER sand too much!

I agree that if you can get your hands on better products, you will get better results, but my wife does not complain about the finish on these, and they are in my main floor family room on display for all, daily use in the 2.1 HT.

Here are a few pics of the outcome.