Speaker cabinet refurb .

[Gazjam]

Look forward to seeing the progress on this Brian, they are great looking speakers.

[Reffc]

As Grant suggests, remove drivers then gently rub down using either a restorative oil or I'd even use a finishing oil as there is enough spirit content in many to act as a restorative. I'd go easy on cleaning with any concentrated spirit based cleaner on veneered cabs, as it can debond the glue joint unless you apply very sparingly. You may even find that a light rub with a 320 or higher grit finishing paper and a re-application of finishing oil is all that they need. You could do a trial on one of the bases and see how that comes up.

[brian2957]

As Grant suggests, remove drivers then gently rub down using either a restorative oil or I'd even use a finishing oil as there is enough spirit content in many to act as a restorative. I'd go easy on cleaning with any concentrated spirit based cleaner on veneered cabs, as it can debond the glue joint unless you apply very sparingly. You may even find that a light rub with a 320 or higher grit finishing paper and a re-application of finishing oil is all that they need. You could do a trial on one of the bases and see how that comes up.

Thanks Paul , can you give me an idea what restorative oils and finishing oils would be suitable for this . I'm afraid I'm a complete numpty here , but willing to learn form those who know . I'm quite looking forward to this and I think I will enjoy doing it myself . Thanks for the advice

[Reffc]

That's a good question because there's a huge choice of products these days and also some common misconceptions about restoring woodwork. Myth #1 is that woodwork needs "feeding" or "nourishing" or similar nonsense but the whole purpose of wood finishing is to seal the surface to prevent drying out, cracking and to improve durability and aesthetics by bring out grain etc.

To fully restore tired finishes depends entirely on the original finish. Many speakers, especially at the budget end, use a spray applied PU based coating, so all that is often needed if the finish looks really tired is a gentle rub down and a re-application of a PU rich finish such as General Finishes Topcoat. It is a superb highly durable finish available in a range of finishes from gloss to Satin. Applied using an applicator sponge after gently rubbing down existing surface (and I do mean a light running down) with finishing paper (start with a light rub with 180 grit and finish with at least a 320 grit).

For oiled finishes, a gentle re-coating of Danish Oil...apply sparingly (I recommend Mylands but there's plenty of choice) using either a scotch brite type pad (nylon is fine) or very fine grade wire wool. Allow to dry thoroughly, give a gentle rub with a nylon scour pad to remove any surface imperfections and apply a second thin coat using a soft lint free cotton rag. The more coats you apply, the deeper the sheen. For a semi-gloss finish, you usually want 4 coats or more.

For waxed finishes, first some of the old wax may need removing using a proprietary wax removal cream (don't use this on your legs ), then a gentle rub down with a wire wool pad lubed with a little wax polish. Brywax is popular and have a decent range of finishing waxes. I use Ercol and Mylands Classic wax compounds. Imho, the lower the solvent content, the better. Look for waxes waxes containing Carnauba and Beeswax.

[brian2957]

Wow ! that's a very comprehensive answer Paul so thanks for that . I'll have a look at the items you have suggested and see which ones are fool-proof . Thanks again for taking the time Paul .
I don't wax my legs mate , I use double sided tape or a blow lamp

[underzone]

Good plan. I would always avoid using wire wool though. The latest stuff to use is micromesh. It is as fine as wire wool but doesn't leave bleedin millions of bits of metal behind

[brian2957]

Thanks James , I'll have a look at this .

[struth]

The new liberon stuff doesnt do that ....its pretty good

[struth]

Had Brian and Gary round showing me these speakers and they are lovely. a bit of elbow grease and they will be top notch. lovely zebrano grain

[brian2957]

Yup looking forward to doing the work on them Grant . Thanks for the advice and the loan of the gear .