Removing wood and rounding corners on SDA 1Cs

gwg_97

Hi all,

I've seen some excellent work that several of you have done making new wood tops and bottoms for SDA 1Cs and SRSs. I really don't like the dingy old oak veneer tops and bottoms on my otherwise very near mint 1Cs, and as soon as I find some nice cherry or American walnut I plan to replace them (with solid wood).

Does anyone have any suggestions for removing the veneered tops and bottoms without doing any damage to these great speakers?

How about rounding the corners? Router or disc sander? What worked for you?

Thanks in advance!

dorokusai

I've had end caps made for me with solid wood on a couple occasions. I'm not sure how the work was performed to the last detail but do know the corners were rounded with a router on a home made jig.

gwg_97

dorokusai wrote: »

I've had end caps made for me with solid wood on a couple occasions. I'm not sure how the work was performed to the last detail but do know the corners were rounded with a router on a home made jig.

So I assume you had a cabinet maker or mill work shop do it for you. Correct? Sounds like a good way to go.

dorokusai

Correct. There are a couple guys on here that have DIY'd the work with excellent results.

geoff727

Another Seattle guy....GREAT!

Having had them apart, this is an easy task.

Removing the end-caps...... They're stuck on w/ glue and long staples. Just get under the front lip and start tapping with a rubber mallet and a small block of wood. You won't damage a thing.

You can also remove the [clothed] sides if you want. They're just glued on. A rubber mallet and a paint scraper is all it takes. These can be reclothed easily, or veneered in whatever you like.

If it were me, and sometimes I'm kind of ambitious, I would strip them all the way down (black vinyl included), make new endcaps from MDF (like these that I did for some-2B's http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84590 ), reattach the particle board sides without the cloth, and then veneer over the whole thing. I think that could look really classy.

I had some padouk end caps done for some -1C's several years ago by a woodworker (I bought the wood at Cross Cut Hardwoods in Seattle), but it was really expensive considering hourly shop rates.

G~

geoff727

gwg_97 wrote: »

What worked for you?

By hand with a sanding block. Take it slow and you can make it exact.

Besides Cross Cut hardwoods, another place that frequently has wood stock is Rockler. You probably know both those places already.

gwg_97

Hey Geoff,

Yeah, it seems like there are a bunch of Seattle people on this forum. Very cool!

Thanks for the suggestion regarding the removal of the end caps. I'll give it a shot. I even have a rubber mallet!

The oak veneer work you did on your 1Cs looks amazing. I kind of gave up on the idea of veneering MDF because I was afraid the veneer edge tape would brake with that tight of a radius. Did you use glue or iron-on veneer? Did you soften the veneer tape with anything? Where did you get the Veneer? Your photos are making me think that veneer may be the best way to go.

I spent a good chunk of Saturday at Crosscut Hardwoods doing "research". Very nice hardwood lumber but no 5/4 or 1" thick cherry or walnut that would work for me. I guess its all part of the fun.

Thanks again for your help!

geoff727

I've got to think back to those.....

I usually do the iron-on method, so it was probably that. But the edges on those endcaps may have been just the stuff you can buy with the pressure-sensitive adhesive. Actually, I think that's what it was. I don't think I softened the veneer (it was oak, obviously) going around the corners; I just kept a 'pull' on it to make it take the corners nice and tightly. The tops and bottoms of those were ironed on.

The nice thing about doing them with MDF is that it's pretty dimensionally-stable stuff, whereas wood can 'move' a bit with changes in temperature and humidity, etc. Also, if you don't want to see end-grain, then veneering is good.

Apr. 16 is our get-together for Polk fans, which we started up here last year. As far as I know it's still going to happen.

G~

gwg_97

Geoff,

Thanks for the additional information! I think I'll give the MDF and veneer a try using your techniques. If it doesn't work, I can can always go with the solid wood.

The 16th sounds like fun. I'd love to hear some other SDAs. I own the 1Cs, 2 pair of 5Bs, and and some 10Bs that I bought new around 1985 (while I was in high school).

gwg_97

I forgot to mention..... Nice gear in the photo of the 2Bs!

geoff727

Ya, let me know what you end up doing. I think a few people on here have used solid wood, without any problems (that I know of). The woodworker that I went to several years ago, however, was adamant that the endcaps be built up with laminations to accommodate expansion and shrinkage. I honestly don't know how the solid woods will keep in our climate.

I got my first 5B's in high school too. I really liked those speakers. They belong to my friend Max down in Salem now. These guys... http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73205

I did these about a year ago for my freind Kory.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98531

I sold my stock 10B's to my buddy Craig (to make 4 for him), but I really missed them, so last year about this time I ended up with another pair of Monitor 10's.

The thread about the get-together is in the 'gatherings and get-togethers' section on the forum. I know Jeff (who was going to host it this year) has a pair of SRS 2.3's that he's upgraded, plus some other really kool stuff that he does. And Roger was planning on bringing the RTA12C's (these guys: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116480) that are at my place right now. Last year, it was a really fun group of people to hang out and BS with.

G~

geoff727

gwg_97 wrote: »

I forgot to mention..... Nice gear in the photo of the 2Bs!

Thanks. It's been a little revised since then. The link to the current set up is in my signature at the bottom. But, of course, the system will inevitably have some Polk Audio something's back on it in the not-too-distant future!

gwg_97

Wow! You have done some amazing work. Thanks for the links. I'll post photos when I eventually I get to work on the caps. I'll also keep an eye on the get-together thread and see if I can make it work.

Fongolio

Geoff (727) is a gifted modder of speakers and I have the privledge of living with and listening to one of his creations every day. His Padouk capped 1C's which look and sound spectacular. For list of mods and pics see this thread.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79106&highlight=Geoff727

Toolfan66

What ever you do do it right!!! I tried to cut corners with cost, and spent more money and time to do it right.. Both sets of my SDA's look fantastic now...

BTW I used solid oak with stain and poly...

gwg_97

Hi guys,

Thanks for the link to the great looking 1Cs and the advice about doing it right. Larry, I really like your thread on the updates that you did to your 1Cs. Very nice work!