Refinishing Vintage Speaker Cabinets, Walnut Veneer

[Timothy McKee LB]

I'm interested in refinishing a pair of large advent speakers that have very thin veneer that is stained walnut.

What's the easiest way to do this?

Is there a chemical stripper I could use? I've heard horror stories about sanding through the veneer and ruining the speakers permanently.

What about just buying new veneer to put over it?

Here's a pic of the speakers for an idea.

277730

[John TenEyck]

Why do you want to refinish them? They look pretty good to me. But if I wanted to refinish them, I'd take off the grills and internals to just leave the outer frame. A chemical stripper and fine Scotchbrite pad will remove that finish very easily - it's probably lacquer. KleanStrip Premium will remove it in just a few minutes. Follow the directions and then neutralize it when you're done with their "Afterwash" or mineral spirits or Naptha. Water works, too, but I would use it on something veneered. I also would not sand it afterwards except maybe with 220 or 320 grit by hand using a rubber backing pad. Anyway, once the finish is removed, finish as you choose.

John

[Timothy McKee LB]

Hi John,

Those aren't actually my speakers. Those are an example of what the speakers look like when properly refinished.

I have some Citristrip and Lacquer Thinner. Could I substitute those for the products you mentioned? If not I'll pick up some Kleenstrip premium and afterwash.

Would an oil based stained be good for a veneered surface? Should I apply a topcoat of varnish? Do I need to sand between coats of the stain and/or varnish when finishing veneered surfaces?

[John TenEyck]

If the speakers you have are lacquered, lacquer thinner should remove it. Try it and see. If not, Citristrip might do it. If both fail, KS- Premium will remove nearly anything. I would wait until you get it stripped before deciding what to apply as a finish. Maybe you'll find the wood to be very nice and just a simple clear coat will be all that's needed to give you the color and finish you want. You can see what the color and grain will look like after you get it stripped by wiping it with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. There's not much you can do if you don't like the grain, except mask it with a heavy coating of stain, but I don't recommend that. If the color is not what you want and you want it to be lighter then you'd have to bleach it - not something I'd recommend on a veneered piece. If the color's wrong and you want it darker, then you can either dye it or stain it, or do both. The problem you have is you don't have scrap to practice on, except maybe the bottom of one of them. A simple process to change the color might be something like this.

Strip, neutralize, gently sand with 320 grit, and vacuum off all dust.
Wipe with water and let dry overnight.
Gently sand (like a couple of swipes with the sandpaper in your hand) with 320 grit to remove the nibs that the water raised.
Vacuum well.
Apply a water based dye, like Transtint and let dry overnight.
Spray with rattle can Sealcoat shellac. Don't sand before applying the shellac. A gentle swipe or two with 320 grit sandpaper after the shellac has dried should be all that's need as prep. for the next step.
If you like that color, topcoat with Arm-R-Seal or water based finish, something like GF's Hi Performance Poly or EnduroVar. Arm-R-Seal is best applied with a rag or piece of paper towel. The two WB products go on beautifully with a foam brush (or spray). Sand gently between each coat with 320 grit, just enough to knock off the nibs.
If the color is still not what you want you could glaze it with a gel stain or add some Transtint to either of the two GF WB products. If you use the gel stain approach, spray another layer of Sealcoat shellac over it after it dries for at least 48 hours (again, don't sand until after the shellac has been applied), and then finish with the Arm-R-Seal or the WB products. If you still don't like it, strip it off and start over.

John

[Mike Gresham]

I have a pair of large Advents that I purchased new in 1972. They do not appear to have a film forming finish on them. If I were going to refinish them, I would buff them out gently with 0000 steel wool and put on a couple of coats of Danish Oil or similar.

I wouldn't go anywhere near them with water because the base material is particle board.

[Timothy McKee LB]

Trouble is they got paint on them and I made the mistake of taking steel wool to the veneer with lacquer thinner. Now the coloring is uneven. I need a strategy to get the color off it and keep the veneer intact so it can be restained even if the color doesnt match.

I have some Zar Oil based walnut stain and some Pratt and Lambert 38 satin varnish. Also some citristrip, lacquer thinner, and mineral spirits. Can I refinish the veneer using these materials or would it not turn out too good?

If not, what would you substitute?

[Mike Gresham]

Sorry, I didn't realize they were painted. You have passed my experience level and I doubt I would try to restore a veneered piece if it was painted. The veneer on mine is rather open grained and it would be a huge pain to get the paint out of the grain.

If you want to press on, John's procedure would be a good place to start.

[Timothy McKee LB]

Sorry, I didn't realize they were painted. You have passed my experience level and I doubt I would try to restore a veneered piece if it was painted. The veneer on mine is rather open grained and it would be a huge pain to get the paint out of the grain.

If you want to press on, John's procedure would be a good place to start.

Hey Mike,

I didn't mean the cabinets had been painted. I meant that they accidentally had some paint droplets splattered on them from an indoor painting project. I got the paint off with steel wool and some lacquer thinner but now the finish on the veneer is uneven.

Could I still put a couple coats of danish oil on top of them you think?

[Matt Meiser]

So why not keep going until the finish is even?

[Jim Creech]

On lacquer finished instruments and furniture, I've had good success using Formby's furniture refinisher. It removes the old finish and leaves the patina. No sanding. Just strip the piece, clean with lacquer thinner or alcohol and apply a clear coat of your choice.
I agree with John about removing the grills and internals first. No chance of messing them up and makes the cabinets lighter and easier to handle.