[srclose]

Just received a cabinet made locally from pre-veneered MDF.  Starting to figure out how I want to do the finish.  I can pass along any other interest in flat packs or cabinets.




SRC

[HAL]

I am interested! 

[Ron]

 I have built  and finished a number of Neo 2X cabinets. The following is the method that I use that has worked well for me:

1. Lightly sand the veneered surfaces with 400  or 600 grit sand paper and then wipe of the dust with a tack cloth.

2. Apply a coat of Minwax Pre-Stain in accordance with the instructions on the can.

3. If you plan to stain the veneer, apply an oil based stain, such as Minwax brand, in accordance with the instructions provided on the can. If you plan to leave the veneer natural with no stain applied, proceed to step 4.

4. Wipe the veneered surface with a tack cloth to remove any dust. Apply Minwax brand Wipe- On polyurethane, either Satin or Gloss finish. I prefer the gloss finish. Be sure to use a clean, soft, lint free cloth or staining cloth to apply the polyurethane.

5. After the polyurethane has dried throughly, lightly sand with either 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, wipe throughly with a tack cloth, and apply another coat of polyurethane in accordance with step 4. above.

6. Repeat procedures 5. above approximately six (6) times or more until the desired depth of finish is achieved.

 Hope the above method is useful to you.

[srclose]

Ron,

Thanks for the help.  I'm thinking about stain and polyurethane or an oil finish.  Don't know which might work the best.

HAL,

You have a PM.

Stephen

[Ron]

 Either stain and polyurethane or oil finish will look nice if the proper procedure is followed. I personnally like stain or natural finish and polyurethane the best. If stain/ natural finish and polyurethane is the method used, I highly recommend applying pre-stain first to maintain a uniform color.

[jtwrace]

I am interested! 

me too

[Bill Baker]

What's the veneer on those cabinets? Looks like Cherry?

 If so, my personal preference is going with just an oil finish as it allows the Cherry to naturally age and darken. A good tungs oil or Antique Oil works nicely. It will still do so with poly but it takes much longer.

 Beautiful cabinets by the way

[wbjohnso]

So I might be asking this thread for more than what was intended. 

I don't have any fears about my cabinet making skills etc, but I am unsure about all the different add-ons for the NX2 kits.  Do the posts make a difference, caps, & what about the wire ?  Also how close should the ported design rest from a back wall before a seal speaker makes more sense (my room is 15' W x 12'L x 8' H). 

Thanks for the veneer tips!!

[srclose]

I had a really warm light on those cabinets, they are actually maple.  I really liked the grain.  I'm partial to natural looking finishes so probably won't have a high gloss on them.  If they are presentable, I'll post some pictures as I get them finished.

Stephen

[Danny Richie]

wbjohnso,

The upgrade that takes them up significantly is the Sonicap and Mills resistors. This makes a very clear difference.

Binding posts, and wire are very subtle upgrades.

If your speaker needs to be less than a foot from the back wall then I would really consider a front ported version or a sealed box design.

[srclose]

Here's stain without any clear coat.  I'm having a hard time getting to work on these.







Running out of patience.

[Ron]

 Looks good so far. Did you apply a Pre-Stain prior to staining? You might want to try using a oil-based wipe on type polyurethane top coat finish like MinWax or General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. Both are available in either Semi-Gloss or Gloss finish.

[chip]

What color is that and how many coats and it looks like you hand rubbed it on.

[chip]

Any updated pics on these bad boys?

[srclose]

Sorry I missed these posts.

I did use pre-stain followed by ebony stain that I wiped clean.  After that dried, I applied 2 coats of brown mahogany stain, then MinWax PolyCrylic 3 coats so far with 600 grit sanding inbetween.  I've painted the baffles gloss black.  It's a work in progress.  I'll update pics this weekend.  NoRez needs to go in this weekend too.

SRC

[srclose]

Work in progress.  Need to get a smoother finish on the baffle and more depth over the grain.  The baffle is black enamel.  Hope to be finished by next weekend and get parts on order.

[praedet]

Very interested!