Veneer Finishing Tip

Ron · « **on:** 26 Jun 2009, 12:17 am »

I would like to share the following veneer finishing tip for those who want to build their on speaker cabinets. The following is the method that I use which so far has worked well every time:

1. After the cabinets have been veneered,lightly sand with 400 grit sand paper. Wipe the veneer with a tack cloth to remove any dust or dirt.

2. Either wipe on or brush on Min Wax Pre-Stain. I prefer brushing on with a foam brush. Wipe off any excess with a clean dry cloth. After it dries,wipe the veneer again with a tack cloth. At this point you can either apply a stain or no stain for a natural finish.

3. Wipe on either semi gloss or gloss Min-Wax wipe on polyurethane.I prefer the gloss. After the poly dries throughly, lightly sand with 600 grit sand paper or #0000 steel wool and wipe again with the tack cloth.

4. Repeat step 3. above at least five or six time. I normal apply six coats of the wipe on poly.

Hope this information is helpful.

The following pictures are examples of a cabinet done in natural cherry using this method.

S Clark · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 Jun 2009, 01:20 am »

Great job, Ron. Looks like a pro did it.

Mariusz · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 Jun 2009, 01:25 am »

Great JOB.

Mariusz

owenmd · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Jun 2009, 04:55 pm »

Beautiful job Ron,

Please tell me.... do you use raw veneer and contact adhesive or the paper backed / self adhesive stuff...?

Best,

Mark

Ron · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Jun 2009, 08:54 pm »

Mark - I use 10 mil paper backed veneer and Weldwood gel type contact cement. Some people don't like paper backed veneer,but I have never had any problems with it.

owenmd · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 Jun 2009, 09:22 pm »

Ron... would you mind sharing where you get your veneer from, it looks nicer than some of the paper backed stuff I've seen..?

Thanks,

Mark

Quote from: Ron on 26 Jun 2009, 08:54 pm

Mark - I use 10 mil paper backed veneer and Weldwood gel type contact cement. Some people don't like paper backed veneer,but I have never had any problems with it.

Ron · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 Jun 2009, 12:50 am »

Mark - I buy my veneer from Tape- Ease located in Denmark,Wisconsin. Web address is: http://www.tapeease.com/venershts.htm

They stock a large selection of premium quality veneers at reasonable prices. Also,they are nice people to do business with.

texneus · « **Reply #7 on:** 2 Jul 2009, 02:38 am »

Ron, this is effectively what I do on just about everything I build where I use a natural finish, but instead of the pre-stain treatment I use 2 coats of an oil finish (tung, linseed, or Danish oil...you just have to try all three and see which one pops the grain best, it's different for different woods), let dry for several days, followed by up to 3+ coats of Tung Oil Finish (until I get the degree of sheen I'm after). The wipe-on poly is probably pretty much the same stuff.

I noticed on my AV-1 project with Koa, the best result was just Tung Oil Finish. Oddly, the oils actually obscured the figure. It's always worth a test strip when finishing unfamiliar woods.

Ron · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 Jul 2009, 11:08 am »

Texneus - Thanks for the information on the wood finishing method that you use. I will give it a try and see which method works best for me.

stevenkelby · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 Jul 2009, 11:50 am »

Those look beautiful

Can the poly be given enough coats to build up a thick, hard layer which is glass smooth, like the surface of a piano, but with the stained grain showing through? What would be the best thing to use to give a finish like that on stained plywood?

Ron · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 Jul 2009, 01:52 pm »

I normally apply about six (6) costs of the wipe on poly. The more coats you apply,the deeper the finish appears. You have to lightly sand between coats with 600 or 800 grit sandpaper and wipe well with a tack cloth to remove any dust. By using this method it will give you a very smooth and deep looking finish.

droht · « **Reply #11 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 03:45 am »

Sorry to go OT here, but I really need some expert opinions on something. What level, if any, of orange peel is acceptable on a veneered cabinet? I'm talking about speakers purchased from a pro speaker builder. Take a look at the following pic please, it shows it pretty well. It is also very noticeable to the touch.

While I'm asking, what do you all think of the countersunk driver? Acceptable workmanship?

This is not GR Research product, obviously! Danny, if this is too inappropriate just say so and I'll get rid of it.

Thanks.

Mariusz · « **Reply #12 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 04:04 am »

Some wood species (or veneers) are hell to work with. If the veneer wasn't thick enough, there was very little room to prep it by sending it to smoothens. Few more layers of sealer could have help somewhat. Countersunk appears to be made with router via template.
It could have been better but it all depends on the price of the speakers. like everything in life - you get what you pay for.

I do not know if if helps but it is my opinion.

Mariusz

droht · « **Reply #13 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 04:13 am »

Good point on price Mariusz. I guess I am trying to figure out if I did in fact get what I paid for, though I wasn't initially thinking in those terms. These are single driver speakers. Drivers are $113@ retail. Cabinets are 18x9x6. My cost was $675. $100 of that was upcharge for bubinga over satin black.

Steidl Guitars · « **Reply #14 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 04:46 am »

From the photo, that doesn't look like orange peel to me, it looks like pores in the wood. They're natural, and all woods have them, though some species show them more than others.

Making a clear finish dead flat is a real chore, and surprisingly time consuming. For example, once I have all the woodworking done on a guitar, I figure I'm about 1/2 way done; most of the rest of the time is spent on the finish.

To get a dead-flat finish, the pores need to be filled before finishing, and then (typically) lots of wet sanding, more finish, more wet sanding. That's a bunch of time and can add to the cost considerably, increasing their cost to well above what you paid. Just my opinion.

Hopefully, you are happy with the sound.

stevenkelby · « **Reply #15 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 04:49 am »

Quote from: Steidl Guitars on 3 Jul 2009, 04:46 am

To get a dead-flat finish, the pores need to be filled before finishing, and then (typically) lots of wet sanding, more finish, more wet sanding.

What would you use to "fill" the pores? Just lots of coats of poly??

Thanks,

Steve

Steidl Guitars · « **Reply #16 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 04:58 am »

Quote from: stevenkelby on 3 Jul 2009, 04:49 am

What would you use to "fill" the pores? Just lots of coats of poly??

Depends on the finish, but you want to use something that does not shrink. Most top coats shrink, especially those used by small-time builders, so if you fill with finish the pores will eventually show.

Traditionalists use pumice floated in shellac; many instrument and fine-furniture makers still do as part of applying a French polish. These days, a lot of small-time guitar builders use epoxy if they want a clear fill. For years, Martin Guitar used silex-based fillers tinted to be darker than the wood.

Finishing can be hell!

Mariusz · « **Reply #17 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 05:01 am »

Quote from: Steidl Guitars on 3 Jul 2009, 04:58 am

Quote from: stevenkelby on 3 Jul 2009, 04:49 am

What would you use to "fill" the pores? Just lots of coats of poly??

Depends on the finish, but you want to use something that does not shrink. Most top coats shrink, especially those used by small-time builders, so if you fill with finish the pores will eventually show.

Traditionalists use pumice floated in shellac; many instrument and fine-furniture makers still do as part of applying a French polish. These days, a lot of small-time guitar builders use epoxy if they want a clear fill. For years, Martin Guitar used silex-based fillers tinted to be darker than the wood.

Finishing can be hell!

Check out the Woodworker Warehouse - they have special finishes for music instruments (good stuff). It usually need special undercoat which is recommended with specific product.

Bill Baker · « **Reply #18 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 01:12 pm »

Absolutely finishing is a very time consuming process. With many woods, I like the idea of having the pores shown as in the speaker above, I feel it gives it more of a natural look. Just a personal preference.

stevenkelby · « **Reply #19 on:** 3 Jul 2009, 11:49 pm »

Thanks guys, I'll look into those ideas. My TT plinth has the pores showing (Cocobolo) and I love it, but for these I really want a dead flat and glass smooth finish. Going to take forever I know, but that's ok