[tennispro]

Hi Gang,
Let me start off by saying I am a big Danny Richie fan. He help me out of a jam I had with another speaker builder and made the speakers sing!!!
I am currently making a small pair (8.5 x 8 x 4.5) of computer speakers with two 3 inch drivers. I would like to finish them nicely but with very little labor. I have had very little luck painting MDF before with out it looking like home made speakers. Is there a contact paper or some simple way to finish the boxes that would not take too much time?
Thanks,
Roger

[Watson]

I have had very little luck painting MDF before with out it looking like home made speakers. Is there a contact paper or some simple way to finish the boxes that would not take too much time?

The various vinyl laminates Parts Express sells are what you're looking for:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=260-022
You might also consider spray on truck bedliner, which, despite how it sounds, produces some professional looking results without needing the usual level of surface prep.  This speaker was done using a can of $8 bedliner:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=35069.0

[Cacophonix]

You can buy adhesive backed veneer for cheap ... or like suggested above, use vinyl laminates or bedliner spray.

[Hank]

I'd add that if you use the PE vinyl, which is very good, you'll need to get your cabinets very smooth, since the vinyl is thin enough to telegraph through any very small bumps and dents.  Get them as smooth as if you were going to paint them and the vinyl will look real enough to fool some people.  If you don't want to bother, use textured spray paint.  My bud just discovered some textured paint at Lowe's and he really liked it - sprayed his pair of Bozebusters with it.

[Danny Richie]

Hey Tennispro, I believe you and Hank are from the same home town. He might can give you some hands on pointers.

[Hank]

Hi tennispro.  Are you the tennis pro I met at a guy's home theater and who wanted to buy some custom interconnects a couple of years ago?
I'm in Austin, and if you are, you're welcome to come over and see various finishes:  hand-rubbed veneer, PE vinyl on some of my Bozebusters, hammertone red paint - even some faux fur snow leopard fabric.
I think they're all on my crude web site:  http://www.geocities.com/hankbond1/index.
I'm in the garage today, veneering a couple of towers with quarter-sawn Makore veneer.

[JimJ]

I'd add that if you use the PE vinyl, which is very good, you'll need to get your cabinets very smooth, since the vinyl is thin enough to telegraph through any very small bumps and dents.  Get them as smooth as if you were going to paint them and the vinyl will look real enough to fool some people.  If you don't want to bother, use textured spray paint.  My bud just discovered some textured paint at Lowe's and he really liked it - sprayed his pair of Bozebusters with it.

x2 on the spray paint idea. A former roommate used "Stone Touch" or something similiar on a pair of bookshelf cabinets; goes on really thick so you'd have to buy a few cans, but the finish is quite attractive for how little work went into it.

[RAW]

I disagree with the cheap cans of textured paint.
These work great.
All the devil is in the details.
Well OK the prep work.
Sand and fill the joints well with a filler of your choice.
Prime them with a brush on latex paint just to see how the seams and fill looks.
If needed refill and resand and prime again.

Once you have a smooth cabinet with no butt joints or seams showing then paint the cabinets with a colour close to the texure finish you are using.We use a flat black as we use a liner spray $7.00 from Wal-Mart.But other texures will work as well no issues at all.

Now once you have a paint dry close to the colour of the texture apply the texture spray finish from 20" away .Now all you will use for a pair of bookshelfs from that can of textured paint is about a 1/3 of the can if you follow the above method.

Works great.









OK I think you have an idea of how it looks

[tennispro]

Hi Hank,
Yes I have been over to your house before. Tell me about your bose busters and I will tell you about what Danny set me up with. Can you send me your telephone number so we can get together?
Tennispro

[Hank]

tennispro, you've got a message.