SDA 2A Re-veneering

lbcgav
lbcgav Posts: 23
edited December 2013 in Vintage Speakers
Has anyone here put real wood veneer on their SDA's? I just got done re-capping the crossovers (still need to seal the cabs) and I'm thinking of re-veneering the cabinets. I know I'd be in for a lot of work. I've done a lot of veneering in the past (monitor 5jr's, 7 sansui receivers), but nothing as large as these SDA 2s. The only thing going for these things is that they don't have the beveled edge the Monitor 5Jr's had.

If anyone has done this before, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks in advance.
Post edited by lbcgav on
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,552
    edited December 2013
    Do a search for veneer, should come up with plenty of hits.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited December 2013
    lbcgav wrote: »
    Has anyone here put real wood veneer on their SDA's? I just got done re-capping the crossovers (still need to seal the cabs) and I'm thinking of re-veneering the cabinets. I know I'd be in for a lot of work. I've done a lot of veneering in the past (monitor 5jr's, 7 sansui receivers), but nothing as large as these SDA 2s. The only thing going for these things is that they don't have the beveled edge the Monitor 5Jr's had.

    If anyone has done this before, I'd love to hear about it.

    Thanks in advance.
    My most recent veneer job was a pair of Monitor 10s: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?149215-Monitor-10-Rebuild-with-quot-TL-quot-Mod
    A little smaller than the 2As, but the process is the same. I used PSA backed, quarter sawn walnut. I also bought a roll of matching PSA backed edge banding for the front bevel. Went on like butter.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,638
    edited December 2013
    Look at bottom of this page .... Similar threads also & get ideas that may help. Also awesome projects
    ..
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  • lbcgav
    lbcgav Posts: 23
    edited December 2013
    Great idea on the edge banding. Thanks for the replies.
    westmassguy wrote: »
    My most recent veneer job was a pair of Monitor 10s: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?149215-Monitor-10-Rebuild-with-quot-TL-quot-Mod
    A little smaller than the 2As, but the process is the same. I used PSA backed, quarter sawn walnut. I also bought a roll of matching PSA backed edge banding for the front bevel. Went on like butter.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited December 2013
    Here's my veneer job on my 4.1TL's:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?137026-My-new-4.1TL-s-are-complete!
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited December 2013
    nspindel wrote: »
    Here's my veneer job on my 4.1TL's:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?137026-My-new-4.1TL-s-are-complete!
    You did a beautiful job on those
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited December 2013
    westmassguy wrote: »
    You did a beautiful job on those

    Cheers! Credit goes to my brother-in-law for the veneer job, though.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • NJPOLKER
    NJPOLKER Posts: 3,474
    edited December 2013
    Are you still around? If you are please follow up.

    Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]
    lbcgav wrote: »
    Has anyone here put real wood veneer on their SDA's? I just got done re-capping the crossovers (still need to seal the cabs) and I'm thinking of re-veneering the cabinets. I know I'd be in for a lot of work. I've done a lot of veneering in the past (monitor 5jr's, 7 sansui receivers), but nothing as large as these SDA 2s. The only thing going for these things is that they don't have the beveled edge the Monitor 5Jr's had.

    If anyone has done this before, I'd love to hear about it.
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  • lbcgav
    lbcgav Posts: 23
    edited December 2013
    Sorry for not following up. Been too busy to do any work on these. Hopefully after the holidays I can get some veneer and get back to work. I'll post some progress pictures when I start. I doubt it will be for a while though.
    NJPOLKER wrote: »
    Are you still around? If you are please follow up.

    Thanks in advance.
    lbcgav wrote: »
    Has anyone here put real wood veneer on their SDA's? I just got done re-capping the crossovers (still need to seal the cabs) and I'm thinking of re-veneering the cabinets. I know I'd be in for a lot of work. I've done a lot of veneering in the past (monitor 5jr's, 7 sansui receivers), but nothing as large as these SDA 2s. The only thing going for these things is that they don't have the beveled edge the Monitor 5Jr's had.

    If anyone has done this before, I'd love to hear about it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited December 2013
    lbcgav wrote: »
    Sorry for not following up. Been too busy to do any work on these. Hopefully after the holidays I can get some veneer and get back to work. I'll post some progress pictures when I start. I doubt it will be for a while though.
    Great, looking forward to seeing your progress.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • lbcgav
    lbcgav Posts: 23
    edited August 2015
    Well it's been nearly two years and I realize I never updated with details. Here are some recent pics of the SDA 2A's.

    FullSizeRender%2034.jpg

    FullSizeRender%2035.jpg

    FullSizeRender%2039.jpg

    I just got a beautiful pair of SDA SRS 2's. I'll start a new thread for those.

    I redid the crossovers on the 2A's and did the usual upgrades (RDO-194's, hurricane nuts, dynamite, epoxying the magnets, etc.).
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  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,638
    Very Nice
    ..
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    Beautiful!
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,552
    Very nice!
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    Looks great!
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • stogie
    stogie Posts: 230
    lbcgav- Those SDA's look like nice pieces of furniture, just beatiful!

    I have a pair of SDA-2B studios in walnut laminate that I was thinking of veneering. I'm new at this and had a few questions:

    Did you apply the veneer over the old laminate?
    Did you use PSA backed veneer?
    For the edging, did you use iron on edgebanding or cut it out of the larger veneer sheet?
    Did you remove the bottom trim piece before veneering- if so, how?

    Thanks, Don
    Speakers: Polk SDA-SRS xovers rebuilt by David, RDO194's, Dynamat, BH5, glued magnets, new cloth, custom aluminum terminal plates with Cardas posts and Speakon interconnect
    Speaker Cables, Jumpers & Interconnect: DIY Douglas Connection
    Power Amp: Sunfire Architect's Choice Series II
    Preamp: Adcom GFP-750
    SACD/CD: Oppo BDP-95
    Tuner: Sansui TU-717
    TT: Technics SL-MA1
    Phono Pre: Emotiva XPS-1
    Music Server: Mac Mini w/JRiver - iPad w/JRemote
    DAC: Eastern Electric MiniMax Plus
    Other Polks: SDA: 1A, 1C, 2B, CRS+ / Monitor: 10A, 5jr, 4 / RT5
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  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    In a related question can you put some clear poly on a set of vinyl rapped M7s ? luin78k4eo09.jpg
    exeomb1l0kyd.jpg
    I think these are faux rosewood and need some shine to them. Would clear poly pull up the vinyl or is there some other product to use. Pix are a little deceiving and don't look that good in my real world setting. Corners on 1 are somewhat chewed upon also.
    2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E

    H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-

    Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc
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  • lbcgav
    lbcgav Posts: 23
    stogie wrote: »
    lbcgav- Those SDA's look like nice pieces of furniture, just beatiful!

    I have a pair of SDA-2B studios in walnut laminate that I was thinking of veneering. I'm new at this and had a few questions:

    Did you apply the veneer over the old laminate? No. Stripped the vinyl first with a heat gun.
    Did you use PSA backed veneer? No, I used contact cement on paper backed veneer.
    For the edging, did you use iron on edgebanding or cut it out of the larger veneer sheet? I used iron-on edge banding.
    Did you remove the bottom trim piece before veneering- if so, how? Yes. I was able to separate it partially just enough to get a hack saw blake between the trim and the cabinet. This was enough to cut the screws that held it on. Afterwards, I scored the back of the trim piece and the cabinet and used Gorilla Glue to secure it back on. This is after veneering of course. To veneer the trim piece, I trimmed the veneer to roughly the same size as the trim piece and wetted the edges and clamped it onto the trim piece. When it dries, it keeps the shape of the curve and can then be attached with contact cement without curling off the curved portion.

    Thanks, Don
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  • lbcgav
    lbcgav Posts: 23
    leftwinger57 wrote: »
    In a related question can you put some clear poly on a set of vinyl rapped M7s ? luin78k4eo09.jpg
    exeomb1l0kyd.jpg
    I think these are faux rosewood and need some shine to them. Would clear poly pull up the vinyl or is there some other product to use. Pix are a little deceiving and don't look that good in my real world setting. Corners on 1 are somewhat chewed upon also.


    I don't think you can put poly over vinyl. I'm not sure there's anything you can put on them that would restore the shine permanently. You could put some Howard's feed'n'wax on it, but that will leave a film on top that will collect dust.
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  • stogie
    stogie Posts: 230
    lbcgav, thanks so much for the details
    Speakers: Polk SDA-SRS xovers rebuilt by David, RDO194's, Dynamat, BH5, glued magnets, new cloth, custom aluminum terminal plates with Cardas posts and Speakon interconnect
    Speaker Cables, Jumpers & Interconnect: DIY Douglas Connection
    Power Amp: Sunfire Architect's Choice Series II
    Preamp: Adcom GFP-750
    SACD/CD: Oppo BDP-95
    Tuner: Sansui TU-717
    TT: Technics SL-MA1
    Phono Pre: Emotiva XPS-1
    Music Server: Mac Mini w/JRiver - iPad w/JRemote
    DAC: Eastern Electric MiniMax Plus
    Other Polks: SDA: 1A, 1C, 2B, CRS+ / Monitor: 10A, 5jr, 4 / RT5
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