Following on from my ‘speaker connundrum’ thread, I’m now considering getting my dark mahogany speakers re- veneered in light oak to match the new furniture. I considered this a few years ago when I bought new dining room furniture; same problem, dark mahogany speakers that no longer matched the room, but I never got around to doing it.
In principle, veneering looks easy, but as with all things the devil’s in the detail and you don’t know what you don’t know until you start to struggle.
One tricky aspect is the rolled edges on the speakers, the curve radius is approx 1” and from what I’ve read this could be difficult. There are different types of veneer and I’m not sure what I should be using; same applies to adhesives.
An altenative is to ask someone to do the job, but I suspect this could be pricey.
All advice appreciated, I’m sure someone on here must’ve done this sort of thing!
Paul
A decent hardwood supplier should be able to answer all your queries and help supply the correct thickness veneer.
What you will need if you take on the exercise yourself is access to a vacuum bag and machine.
Not sure if you can hire these machines. At the end of the day if your not skilled in the art of veneering it'll probably be cheaper to have the work carried out by a specialist.
Brian.
Paul,
Are the speakers a throw away?
Consider how much time and effort was spent becoming competent in servicing omega movements vs a single re veneer job?
I’m not trying to put you off just questioning if it’s a sensible effort vs reward situation?
Veneering can be done with patience with just glue, a roller, weighted board to maintain pressure and (if lm honest) a bit of luck...
...I'm not sure what the curves you speak of involve Paul, so lm going to say ld have faith in your methodical approach over my ability to advise you!
Real veneer is really expensive in any sizeable quantity and doing that radius will be a challenge. Cutting the edges cleanly too is head-scratching. Use masking tape over the edges to stop splintering.Originally Posted by Umbongo
Or hire a cabinet maker to do it for you.
Google flexible paper backed veneer ...
A serious suggestion Paul- how about a painted/waxed wood grain finish?
If it was my dentist I’d be looking at porcelain.
It's just a matter of time...
The curved surface is only in one plane, so provided the veneer is flexible enough and can be made to adhere I can`t see a problem. Cutting and getting really neat cuts is a challenge, that does concern me.
I might get hold of a small sample and have a practice run on a bit of scrap wood. Generally I`m fairly good at picking up fiddly techniques although I`m crap at wallpapering.
I have 3 sets of dark mahogany Castle speakers in the house and ideally I`d re-veneer them all. The small ones in my kitchen/diner might be a good starting point if I decide to bite the bullet. There's also the satisfaction of knowing you've done the jobs yourself....provided the finished item is something to be proud of and not a mess!
Paul
To be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if the veneer was to cost you more than some new speakers,obviously depending on the speakers ,also a curve that small would be a nightmare,I’ve done loads of this and wouldn’t fancy it,this may sound over the top but I think you’d be better off making some new boxes from scratch
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If I replace the Castles in my lounge it'll cost around a grand to get something that matches them for appearance and sound quality. I`m happy with the sound, I've no wish to replace them, but they're going to look really out of place if I don`t do something about the finish. I like the idea of matching them to the new furniture if possible.
Maybe I'm missing something, but the cost of veneer doesn`t look too expensive.
Ideally, I'd get someone to do them for me provided the cost isn`t silly. Possibly that's my best option.
Paul
Adding to what I said above, I used to do some cabinet making as a hobby and know what's involved. It shouldn't cost a grand to get a skilled guy to do it for you, but it's tricky. Finding the right guy isn't always easy either. People are so used to buying stuff from Ikea that spending a lot on bespoke furniture doesn't come easy. That in turn means in some parts of the country there are not many cabinet makers around.
You cut veneer with a veneer saw, funnily enough. Something like this: http://www.axminster.co.uk/victor-veneer-saw-910310
Why not get some veneer and have a go on something that isn't your speakers?
Use EVO Stik contact adhesive and take your time, it’s not that difficult. Helps if you can overhang the veneer and only need to have one ‘straight edge’ to but up against.
Edited to say that (many years ago!) I was part of the team that made the display units for the visitor centre in Kings Park in Perth, Australia. You can see the units are quite curved and veneered in oak. Having lots of clamps also helps, but even these weren’t that difficult to do:
Last edited by ArcofZen; 15th January 2018 at 01:13.
I remember my father applying veneer to a dresser in the early 80s; I also remember the air being blue for a week. Clearly your aptitude for watch repairing indicates a level of patience beyond many people but I don't recall this being a job for a novice.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
I use many expletives when fixing watches, it helps
If I can find some veneer at a reasonable price I`m going to have a go at this on a test piece to get a feel for it.
Thanks for all the comments guys.
Paul
Obviously not wood but, if it's primarily for appearance, have you considered vinyl wrap?
I believe it's possible to get some pretty decent wood grain examples.
Have a look at these: - https://www.ukstairparts.co.uk/product/iron-on-veneers/
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