Question/suggestion: finishing oak veneer


Chuck Morris

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I am looking for suggestions on what you guys would use to finish these. The sides are paper backed veneer and the top is 1/4" edge glued oak planks. An easy, natural type look is what I am thinking. However, I am open to any suggestions. I know that for now I won't be spraying, so a wipe or brush on technique is what I need. They have been sanded to 220 at this point. 

For anyone interested, the black is 3 coats of Duratex over mdf. The speakers are my own original design right down to the crossover. I am a member of the Parts Express Speaker Design Team. 

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I'm liking wiping poly (ARS) for it's great looks & ease of application.

Nice looking boxes. About the tops, are they more than just 1/4? oak panels? If so, you may have issues with wood movement with humidity changes. if they are laminated to MDF. Veneer over MDF should be a lot thinner.

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1 hour ago, Chuck Morris said:

To a point they do. I'm a black belt in TaeKwonDo and Aikido...lol

And I have met Mr Norris. Really great guy.

I'm just sitting here giggling about all the dumb Chuck Norris jokes I've heard. Sorry for the derail.

Nice thing about the wipe on is that it's easy to get just the level of finish you want from almost bare wood to fairly heavy. I find with brushed on poly it seems to go from not quite enough to looking like plastic in just one coat.

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I dont mind a slight derail, especially for Chuck Norris jokes lol. 

I will have to get the wipe on poly it looks like. Thanks guys! I will post an update soon. 

Ive built a lot ofspeakers and have designed many more for others, but never bothered much with a high quality finish. Something besides duratex at least lol

This one is duratex and a vinyl front. Due to time constraints, we had to use something that was quick and easy. The vinyl was applied to 1/4" hdf and contact cemented to the baffle. 

20160321_160938.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
Paul Carmody's Overnight Sensations. Probably the most replicated diy design ever. Paul is a great guy with a great ear.

They are great for a computer speaker with my Mac, a DAC, and a small tube amp. Remarkable for the price and a great intro to speaker building. I will be exploring my own design next.

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