Wood Veneer Suggestions For Monitor 5Jr+

melchionda

Hello, I am re-doing the veneer on my Polk Monitor 5JR+ speakers. I wanted to do some walnut wood veneer. This will be the first time I've ever done veneer and I've been watching youtube videos on how to do veneer as well as shopping for veneer products to see what is out there. I have some questions.

But first... here is my speaker...



1.) What type of wood veneer should I use? I've seen just plain wood veneer which lacks any backing or adhesive, I've seen paper-backed veneer, and I've also see wood veneer with a self-adhesive backing that you can iron onto the cabinet. Does anyone have any experience with these different types and can talk to the pros and cons?

2.) My speaker has a bevel around the front perimeter of the speaker. This seems like it will be a really difficult shape on which to apply veneer because I'm guessing I will have to apply a really thin strip of veneer on that bevel and then trim it. Seems like getting a precise cut when the veneer is on an angle will be tough. Has anyone ever done veneer on one of these? Should I use one piece of veneer around the bevel corner or would that be three pieces?

3.) If I was to do veneer on the front of the speaker what is the trick to getting a really clean cut around the speaker driver holes?

4.) I was considering converting the bevel into a rounded corner. I think it would look better but I don't have the precision carpentry tools to do that properly. Has anyone ever attempted converting the bevel into a rounded corner?

xschop

If you do the front face/baffle, there is always a nasty lip from factory assembly.

melchionda

xschop wrote: »

If you do the front face/baffle, there is always a nasty lip from factory assembly.

Are you referring to the part of the front where its currently covered in black vinyl and slightly recessed? I was thinking I could either rout the edge with a flush router bit or apply an extra layer or two of veneer to get that area flush with the perimeter.

xschop

Yes, they are usually catawompus.

xschop

While you're in there, put a 1" dowel front to back between MW and PR if the crossover is not in the way. Big improvement in mid-bass response from doing so.

melchionda

Interesting. I was going to put one across the cabinet from side to side. Maybe I’ll brace it in both directions.

xschop

It is the weakest point in the Monitor 5's and 7's

F1nut

Paper backed is pretty easy to use. Raw veneer not so much. PSA works best over a surface that has a finish such as lacquer on it. There can be adhesion issues over raw particleboard or MDF. Do NOT use an iron with PSA veneer.

For the angled cabinet front you will need to do that in strips.

To round over the angled cabinet front you would need to disassemble the cabinet and use a router. Forget about doing that and forget about veneering the front bezel.

joebass3

xschop wrote: »

While you're in there, put a 1" dowel front to back between MW and PR if the crossover is not in the way. Big improvement in mid-bass response from doing so.

Definitely do this, really tightened up my 7's!

melchionda

For what it’s worth a little bracing….

xschop

That should pass the knock test with flying colors.

wispolkboy

I'm planning on veneering a set of 5's that just like yours with the beveled edges. I have thought about how to go about this for some time now. My plan is to remove the beveled edges and replace with real wood. Now comes into question as to remove the edges. my options are a table saw with a stacked dado blade or with a router. I am leaning towards my table saw. It's decent enough to get an accurate cut. I would probably make the first cut around the start of the bevel with a sharp blade and the finish the removal of the material with the dado blade.

joebass3

wispolkboy wrote: »

I'm planning on veneering a set of 5's that just like yours with the beveled edges. I have thought about how to go about this for some time now. My plan is to remove the beveled edges and replace with real wood. Now comes into question as to remove the edges. my options are a table saw with a stacked dado blade or with a router. I am leaning towards my table saw. It's decent enough to get an accurate cut. I would probably make the first cut around the start of the bevel with a sharp blade and the finish the removal of the material with the dado blade.

The 5a's that you veneered turned out great. Yes the beveled edge will be more challenging, but maybe try it first with veneer and see how it turns out. It won't require much veneer and if you don't like it, then just go with your original plan and cut the bevel off. I'm sure you would check first but my worry with the real wood edge would be that the finish may not match the veneer on the sides.

melchionda

This will be controversial but I plan to put some bondo on the bevels and then rout them into round overs. I’m also going to remove the “depression on the front baffle by routing that flush.

So far I’m still working on the back. I just filled in the back with two pieces of mdf.

xschop

I never liked that exposed edge on the back of them. Looking good.

melchionda

I did a little work today. I sanded the back and came to the conclusion that the mdf that Polk used for these speakers is pretty cheesy. I also routed the front edge today so that there is no longer a lip around the front baffle.




I think a lot of hours with bondo is in my future. I need to flatten the back, fill in the little black groove in the front baffle as well as potentially undo the front bevel.

I’ll probably put some bondo on the back to flatten it and then cover it with plywood and then veneer.

F1nut

It's particle board, not MDF.

melchionda

I'm pretty terrible at bondo. Right from the can it seemed way too stiff. Even before I added the hardener. Anyway..I put a layer on the back and filled in the groove on the front bezel.

msg

Loosely following along as I enjoy seeing build and rehab threads. I don't know nuthin' about nothin' about Bondo, but - that won't crack from speaker vibration?

xschop

If it's Bondo or Bondo Wood...no cracks will form.

melchionda

wispolkboy wrote: »

I'm planning on veneering a set of 5's that just like yours with the beveled edges. I have thought about how to go about this for some time now. My plan is to remove the beveled edges and replace with real wood. Now comes into question as to remove the edges. my options are a table saw with a stacked dado blade or with a router. I am leaning towards my table saw. It's decent enough to get an accurate cut. I would probably make the first cut around the start of the bevel with a sharp blade and the finish the removal of the material with the dado blade.

As I wait for materials to arrive my plan evolves. Now I too am considering removing the bevel and replacing with real walnut. I would have to use my router.

Questions:

1.) I can’t figure out how the front of this speaker is built. If we remove the bevel will that compromise the integrity of the front of the cabinet?

2.) my plan was to remove the bevel and then glue on some walnut quarter round molding and then rout to a 1/4” or 1/2” radius. The flat sides of the cabinet will get paper backed veneer. So what is the order of steps? Is it apply veneer first then add the 1/4 round strips and then rout them flush with the veneer layer? If so I think I need a way to protect the newly veneered sides while I install and rout the 1/4 rounds.

xschop

Tough call. Maybe you have no choice but to add veneer on sides first, so you route to match veneer edge.

At least you're working on a set of bookies....

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/comment/2436544#Comment_2436544

westmassguy

Checkout my Monitor 10 project from a few years back, specifically the veneer work: http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/149215/monitor-10-rebuild-with-tl-mod/p1​