Veneering Speaker Cabinets

[Thomas McCurnin]

I was given some Advent vintage speaker cabinets from the 1970s which in the day were pretty good and even today are collectable. They are small like 8x8x20. They were painted white over walnut veneer. When trying to remove the paint with a light coat of stripper, a fair amount of the original walnut veneer came off the original mdf. My sense is to give up and just paint them black and be done with it, or try to replace the veneer, one side at a time. This second option is why I post this question.

I've done a fair amount of veneering, with solid real wood over mdf using cawls and hide glue with good results. Hide glue and strong clamps may not work here because in my experience, hide glue is not that tacky, not like contact cement, and does require a significant amount of clamping pressure, and I don't want to crush these cabinets. In my mind, I have a couple options here, although the Sawmill Creek Brain Trust undoubtedly is smarter than I am.

1. Paper Backed Veneer with Heat Lock Glue. This seems to be the go to choice in the AV world. I've never used it, and assume that I would remove all old veneer, do a light sanding and apply the glue and use an iron to activate the glue, and probably finish up with some light clamps and cawls just in case. Again, this seems to be what 80% of the AV speaker guys seem to use.

2. Real Veneer with Hide Glue. Again, I assume I'll remove all the old veneer give the hide glue a chance with moderate pressure. I'm really not to confident that this will work in my experience, as hide glue needs a fair amount of pressure or I get bubbles .

3. Use Vacuum Press and Cold Press Glue. I don't have one, but for $3-400, I can get a vacuum pump and a bag, although since the bags are flat, I would need an oversize one to accommodate the 7" wide speakers. I do understand that these technique is mainly for flat panels. Obviously, I'd remove the woofers and tweeters and cross overs before subjecting the cabinet to this pressure. Frankly, since the speaker cabinets have sharp corners, I question whether the vinyl compressed over corners would damage the vinyl.

I'll note that the cost of the veneer, glue, and possibly a press will far exceed the value of these speakers and their intended use is for a wilderness cabin, so perfect looks is not terribly important. I'll have the electronics looked at, and suspect that my AV guy will want to replace the Tweeter or Woofer, or both at an expense of about $300 for the pair. I can buy a used pair, electronics untested, and the cabinet in decent shape for about $300 shipped.

Has anyone here veneered a speaker cabinet?

[Jamie Buxton]

You can't put a hollow box inside a vacuum veneer press. The pressure will collapse it.

Google "peel and stick veneer"

[Kevin Jenness]

You can't put a hollow box inside a vacuum veneer press. The pressure will collapse it.


Actually you can if the inside is well braced or filled with a bladder connected to the outside atmosphere. And hide glue can be applied by hammer veneering. Doesn't sound like this project is worth the effort though, unless the "collectible" value is up there. Peel&stick, contact or heatlock under paperback will probably be fine if not exposed to heat.

[Thomas McCurnin]

As stated, this project isn't worth the price of a quart of Heat Lock glue, but that said, I think it will be fun to fuss with it, if for no other reason to add a skill set to my toolbox. So, for the time being, ignore the economic issues. Yeah, there must be a reason why paperback veneers and heat lock glue is what the AV pros seem to use.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have not used it on speakers but peel and stick real wood veneer is a possibility. Paper back veneer and contact cement, or hot melt also an option. I think I would try Elmers or Titebond, MDF cauls and weights for the sides and back and Thermo Web hot melt if there are edges.

I am imagining the square edge ones. If they are the round edge ones I think the wood is a sort of cap stuck to the outside of a particle board box.

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[Jim Becker]

You can also consider an iron on method using PVA or other glues that can react to heat. I believe there are examples on the 'Tube for that...I just don't remember the maker at the present time. I'm not sure if wider veneer is available with heat activated adhesive native like edge banding, but if it is, that's a alternative and easier choice for this iron on method.

[Warren Lake]

you can put a hollow box in a vac press, you brace from inside.

For people that do a lot think they might have a pressurized bag from the inside but maybe im remembering that wrong.

[Thomas McCurnin]

You can also consider an iron on method using PVA or other glues that can react to heat. I believe there are examples on the 'Tube for that...I just don't remember the maker at the present time. I'm not sure if wider veneer is available with heat activated adhesive native like edge banding, but if it is, that's a alternative and easier choice for this iron on method.


It's called Heat Lock glue, and is applied, let to dry a tad, so it is just barely tacky, like contact cement, then placed on the substrate, which can be moved and adjusted unlike contact cement (the dowel method), then tacked down at the center with an iron, then full on pressure with an iron. Never done it, but Joe Woodworker has all the supplies.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

There are certainly pitfalls with peel and stick and contact cement. I keep thinking I will experiment with pressure sensitive floor covering adhesive which is reversible.

[Gordon Stump]

It's called Heat Lock glue, and is applied, let to dry a tad, so it is just barely tacky, like contact cement, then placed on the substrate, which can be moved and adjusted unlike contact cement (the dowel method), then tacked down at the center with an iron, then full on pressure with an iron. Never done it, but Joe Woodworker has all the supplies.

I used Heat Lock from Joe Woodworker to re-veneer a table for my daughter. He has paper backed veneer too. It came out very good.

[Michael Drew]

I veneered a large subwoofer a couple years ago with contact cement. Kinda nerve racking, but it worked well. So well, I have a couple 4X8 sheets of walnut veneer to do a pair of main speakers that are wedge shaped, 42" tall. Why are you opposed to the contact cement method?

[Greg Quenneville]

You can use hide glue the same way…brush on, let get tacky and then iron on the veneer. You can work out bubbles, if any, with a veneer hammer. I am not entirely sure how 50 year old mdf will like the moisture however.

[Dennis Jarchow]

I have veneered lots of speakers. I do have a vacuum bag but would never put a speaker inside a vac bag even with good bracing. I normally use Unibond for my veneering but, If you use paper backed or two ply veneer like NBL you can either use regular titebond or one of the PVA veneer glues Joe Woodworker sells.

I use pieces of 3/4" mdf as platens and if the cabinet is deep or wide I add hardwood or plywood cauls on top of the MDF with a clamp on each end of the caul. I usually use clamps every 4-6 inches. I also place a place a sheet of thick vinyl or rubber between the platen and the veneer, especially if I have any butt joints. If you are using raw filch veneer with no backing, I would only use a urea glue like Unibond.

Here are a curved pair I did recently in ribbon stripe mahogany.

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[Warren Lake]

I would cause it works fine

[Thomas McCurnin]

There are severe supply chain issues on veneer. Moreover, when stripping these cabinets down, I noticed that the "veneer" on the cabinet is not veneer at all, and instead is a walnut vinyl wrap.

I feel a little stupid, in that I knew that speakers from the 1970s-1980s were generally vinyl wrapped, some in a glossy black vinyl to emulate a piano finish.

So given supply chain issues, and wanting restore these speakers, I am now inclined to remove the old vinyl (super easy to do) apply a peel and stick vinyl wrap in a walnut pattern. Hardly fine woodworking, but that is what was there.