Finishing to a high gloss ?'s

[ubeaut]

Try ths below link:
A Polishers Handbook
All Australian book and all Australian products for all Australians and the rest of the world.

[chrapladm]

The plans I have to build the sub call for 1/2" ply. I have 2 sheets already and now just have to get another sheet and start building.

So thats what I will have to work with. I hope I can get it to look like a piano finish. Is there alot more work involved with the pine?

PLUS I thought I was going to have to have someone spray the 2 pack on anyways. Tools I dont have or the know how.

If I tried to make it out of mdf it would be extremely heavy also. So I am just going to follow the plans.

[ubeaut]

Ply is probably one of the hardest materials to get a really good finish on if you are inexperienced in finishing.

Really check the ply thoroughly before you commit to buying it. Check each sheet for imperfections, openness of grain, etc and try to get the sheets as flawless as possible as it could dramatically effect the way it is finished.

Good idea to check out the link I put in my last post and have a look at Hard Shellac and EEE-UltraShine made for use on timber not cars.

Pity you're in Adelaide and not Melbourne as I'll be demonstrating how to get the finish you want at the Timber and Working With Wood Show next month.

[chrapladm]

I bought the highest grade plywood I could find here in Adelaide. It is A/A grade and doesn't have any voids or imperfections on the surface that I can see.

There could be some openness in the grain that differs fri=om the rest but as far as I can tell it is as nice as I have seen.

Shellac and EEE-Ultrashine can they be put on manually by brush or cloth?

I dont have any pneumatic tools so like I was saying I couldn't put the 2 pack finish on I would have to have someone else do it for me and I would have to do the rubbing for the final finish.

[ubeaut]

Shellac and EEE-Ultrashine can they be put on manually by brush or cloth? YES. Have a look at the link to the book and you'll find the links to them on the left side if page.

[Harry72]

12mm ply on a sub... dont do it, dont worry about the weight subs boxes are heavy for a reason!

12mm ply will flex and colour the sound dramatically, yes you can brace the hell out of it but it'll end up just as heavy and cost more to make and finish.
Save the ply for another project that needs it...

[witch1]

chrapladm
I think you should certainly go for MDF if this is your first venture into speaker box building.
use 18mm and remember that particularly in the case of the sub woofer HEAVY is GOOD
if you use a lighter timber you may find all kinds of resonance problems.

When I built mine I finger jointed the four long corners and used 18 mm baffles inside, the result was very encouraging and I don't think I would use any other material in the future.
The finish on mine was achieved by sealing it all over with shellac ( use extra coats on the edges (as they are inclined to drink it in more than the flat surfaces) and rub back between coats.
When you are confident that the surface is sealed, apply a coat of grey primer, rub back again then check for good primer coverage reapply primer to any area where it seems light on, rub back lightly, then commence your gloss-black coats. Keep applying coats between light rub-backs until the surface feels and looks perfect, and you will have a true (piano) finish.
regards
witch1

[chrapladm]

I am not worried about material as of now. The plans call for ply and thats what I will be using.

Now in the future I will be building another big cabinet for my bass guitar. And I will be using mdf just like any other sub if I built one. BUT the horn sub I am building says to use plywood. Everyone else has used plywood and the sub is simply amazing. I havn't heard anything that even comes near this sub. I dont want to start any arguements I am just saying. BUT for the rest of the standard boxes I WOULD use mdf for subs.

So hope no one takes this the wrong way. BUT I will try and do the best I can with the plywood a far as finish.

Is EEE compound a sort of sand paper or finely abrasive liquid to buff out a finish?

[ubeaut]

EEE-Ultra Shine (cut 'n' polish paste wax)

[TP1]

I am not worried about material as of now. The plans call for ply and thats what I will be using.

Now in the future I will be building another big cabinet for my bass guitar. And I will be using mdf just like any other sub if I built one. BUT the horn sub I am building says to use plywood. Everyone else has used plywood and the sub is simply amazing. I havn't heard anything that even comes near this sub. I dont want to start any arguements I am just saying. BUT for the rest of the standard boxes I WOULD use mdf for subs.

So hope no one takes this the wrong way. BUT I will try and do the best I can with the plywood a far as finish.

Is EEE compound a sort of sand paper or finely abrasive liquid to buff out a finish?

If you are going to continue with plywood then you will have to fill the grain before a half decent finish can be produced. After sanding smooth you can try something like Wattyl sanding sealer. You coat the plywood, sand back smooth. The sealer is designed to sand off easily and to fill open grain - it is clear and although some don't like it, it is effective in situations like yours. you can do more than one coat - sanding flat each time until the grain is filled.

At this stage you will see shiny deposits scattered on the surface which is the sealer filling up the imperfections. Then apply coats of poly U sanding in between coats. Hopefully you should now be getting close to a uniform flat finish. You may still need to put on a number of coats depending on how well the preparation went. Gloss on undulating grain looks dreadful IMO and your aim is fill in any imperfections in the surface. If you can't get it perfect, I would seriously consider a satin finish instead.

[chrapladm]

Well I am at the later stage now. I used pine sealer in the beginning if thats the same thing.

If not I am going to try and get the best I can for the finish I have already started.

Now when I start the subwoofer in a week or so I will use the sanding sealer. I never new what it was for so I never bought any.

What exactly is the difference between the sanding sealer and pine sealer?

[TP1]

Pine sealer is to seal the pine so that it can be dyed evenly. without it , the dye is absorbed unevenly.

Sanding sealer is usually used as a step in finishing because it is specifically designed to sand off easily. When you first wet the wood, the grain is raised and needs to be sanded back, Sanding sealer is an easy way to go, but they can also assist in filling the gaps.

[Dengue]

1/2 inch is far too thin for a sub woofer carcass. At the very minimum, double it up ie., make the walls from two sheets glued together. Needs to be solid to handle the power output of the speakers - you surely have heard the room vibrate with these turned up? The cabinet has to be capable of handling this acoustic power, holding the speaker frame firm at all times, and the walls and any resonance tubes not moving with the sound waves, if you want a decent sound, and you don't want the box falling apart inside 12 months.

[chrapladm]

Well like I said before these materials are fine and when everyone else has done the same build and not had any problems for years I think I will be fine also. Half inch ply with no voids is all that is needed. If I was going to build my Klipsch horns they would need 1/2"ply also and everyone has had them for decades.

Now if I was building a sub out of mdf I would use a bigger thickness. If I was to build my bass rig or HT subwoofer that I designed the Mdf would be 18mm and the front baffle would be doubled up to 36mm. there would be plenty of bracing on the inside and this would follow the guidelines that others are suggesting. I have read plenty of forums and done lots of researching and this is what I want. I have yet to hear of anyone making something that is a better bargain.

But like I said I am not here to try and argue materials. You can all do a search of horn designs and find Billfitzmaurice and see what I am talking about. I am on pretty much every home theater and audio website forum that is out and I have asked plenty of questions. If you want I could ask everyone and Bill that they are wrong and they should listen to you. Then I can cut and paste their answer for you. HAHAHAH

Anyways I tried the wipe on finish for now so we will see how this goes. I am very interested in the EEE compound. Do you use it before you put on the finish?

And would I not use the sanding sealer if I used the EEE before finish?

And after finish is put on can I use the EEE to rub a smoother finish? If so how long do I need to wait before I can?

I already have the finish placed on my L/R loudspeaker but am curious if I can use the EEE compound on them after it dries or fully cures weeks from now. The website mentioned it would have a smooth dry look to it and not a high gloss wet look?.......Am I reading that correctly. So does that mean a super smooth finish but not the mirror look?

I am alright if thats the case because I think I will try and get the best finish I can on the sub and see if I can have a 2 pack put on or start off with the sanding sealer.

Thanks for everyone's comments so far.

[Elill]

Ive been using hard shellac and EEE for 5 years how and its a superb combo.

Sand to about 800
- hot water
- sand to 1200
- IMS
- sand
- sanding sealer
- sand through to finest you can be bothered
- Hard shellac thinned with IMS, sand, again again again....up to you
- finish with EEE

awesome, long lasting finish

oh and I use a $100 mohair mop, well worth it