CRS+ finish cleaning

Denzel

I just picked up a pair of SDA-CRS+ for $200.00.. excellent overall condition except for a pesky ring on the top of the right channel speaker (looks like from a plant or something set on it). Any thoughts on what to use to clean it up?

Also, been seeing posts on here about a CRS 4.1TL mod... any guidance on that? is it worth it and what is involved? Thanks all!

F1nut

You can't clean it, period.

Are your cabinets wood veneer or vinyl? Is the ring white or black?

drselect

Denzel wrote: »

Also, been seeing posts on here about a CRS 4.1TL mod... any guidance on that? is it worth it and what is involved? Thanks all!

Yes its worth doing but I am biased.
As far as whats involved depends on how much you want to spend.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?46489-4.1TL-Modification-for-1989-version-SDA-CRS&

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?106608-SDA-CRS-Transformation

I also think you can find more links but using google to search polk audio for 4.1tl or crs+.

Are your CRS+ the pin/blade version?

Denzel

They are the wood veneer... it is just a faint greyish ring... like a water type stain.
Thanks for the heads up.

Denzel

My CRS+ are the pin/blade version. I upgraded the xovers in my 2.3's and i was amazed at the improvement to an already awesome set of boxes... so that has peaked my interest in modding the CRS+

F1nut

Denzel wrote: »

They are the wood veneer... it is just a faint greyish ring... like a water type stain.
Thanks for the heads up.

Right, that's a white ring. A good furniture touch up guy could blend in the damaged area, but it won't go away completely without stripping and refinishing the cabinet.

Denzel

alright then... thanks for the info.

westmassguy

Denzel wrote: »

I just picked up a pair of SDA-CRS+ for $200.00.. excellent overall condition except for a pesky ring on the top of the right channel speaker (looks like from a plant or something set on it). Any thoughts on what to use to clean it up?

Also, been seeing posts on here about a CRS 4.1TL mod... any guidance on that? is it worth it and what is involved? Thanks all!

I refinish a lot of cabinets. All my Polks have the wood grained vinyl, so I'm not sure what type of finish Polk used on their veneer back in the day. Most manufacturers used either polyurethane/varnish, or some form of tung oil. White rings are usually the result of water/moisture interacting with wax buildup on the surface. Before you go the complete refinish route as F1nut suggested, you should try a mild solvent first. Denatured alcohol would be my first choice. Do a test first, on the bottom of the cabinet. Dip a clean, lint free, cotton rag in the alcohol, and using a circular motion apply it to a small area on the bottom. If the original finish is stable, the only thing the alcohol will remove is any dirt, smoke or wax buildup. After the alcohol dries, inspect the small area, and confirm that the original finish remained intact. If it does remain intact, try it on the ring. It may take several attempts to remove the ring. If the ring does disappear, it may be lighter than the rest of the top. If so, I would recommend giving the entire top, the once over with the alcohol, so it blends in. Be careful not to let the alcohol drip down the sides or front. After it dries thoroughly, it may appear dull compared to the rest of the veneer. Depending on the original finish, you can apply tung oil, sparingly, or use one of the wipe-on polyurethanes available.

transmaster

Tung oil is marvelous stuff. I have used it for various things since the late 1960's. The one thing however you have to be careful of is making sure you are getting pure tung oil. So much of the Tung oil has additives that makes a normally non-toxic oil just that, toxic. The Real Milk Paint Company, (http://www.realmilkpaint.com/oil.html) has the real deal. As Westmassguy points out you can use it on wood or vinyl surfaces. It is particularly nice with old dry wooden cabinetry, make any repairs necessary then apply liberal coats of tung oil and let is soak in for an hour or so and wipe off keep doing this until nothing more soaks in let it dry over night and then start building up the finish as it is had rubbed, and always dries with a satin finish you don't need to worry about over doing things. One of the things I have used to remove cup rings is a combination of lemon juice and salt, give it a try it certainly will not hurt anything if it doesn't work for you, apply it and work it with a cotton ball.

michael1947

The stain is from within the wood itself. It is the result of a solvent being placed upon the wood and diluting the minerals or lignin contained in the wood liquefying it and allowing it to raise to the surface. The solvent was likely water and the stain is all the way through the veneer which is about 1/64th of an inch thick. The most common repair is to lighten the ring/stain with the alcohol/solvent mentioned in the above post which could result in an acceptable finish. You will most likely re-finish the entire top. I had a guest place a solo cup with a cold drink on top of one of my SDA-1A's last year and leave it to sweat a nice puddle. Still stained and I really don't want to get into the project. I think we should put round domes on top of our speakers so "civilians" don't put their drinks on them.

transmaster

This is where using Kiwi paste shoe polish is so handy. It comes in the following colors

Black
Brown
Cordovan
Mahagony
Mid Tan
Navy Blue
Neutral
Oxblood
Tan
White

Pick the the color that most closely matches the color of your speaker cabinet if it is wood heat the paste wax until it is liquid and pour a small amount on discolored area it will soak in, if it is vinyl just apply it out of the tin, without heating, and the buff it out with the shoe brush. I have used this on everything from gun stocks to beautiful console radios made in the late 1920's, great stuff.