Anyone tried making satin black speakers Hi Gloss?

[LoudandClear]

I have multiple Satin Black speakers and the wife and I really wanted Piano Black but they weren't available. I was thinking this could be as easy as spraying a gloss clearcoat over the cabinets to get something like the Diamond finish av123 offered.

Has anyone tried adding a gloss finish over an OEM satin black with good or bad results? If so what type setup did you use? Type of spray gun, type of paint, spray and use or did it require buffing?

Any feedback would be appreciated.
Mike

[dvenardos]

I have done some research on this and the piano finish is very hard to achieve DIY. Your best bet might be getting a quote from a local auto paint shop on spraying them with a gloss coat.

[django1]

the piano finish is very hard to achieve DIY.

Emphasis on "very hard" IMO. Unless 1- you have nice spray equipment and a booth and are skilled ; or 2- (this is a maybe) :your name is "quadman" and you are prepared to go through a very long and tedious process of buffing and polishing.

[LoudandClear]

I figured it wouldn't be easy guys. I have a 5hp 60 gal compressor with water traps, just need a decent gun.......Devilbiss or Binks or ?? I don't mind buffing to get the gloss, I'm just not sure what type of paint to use. Just have to be careful not to lift the paint that is currently on the speaker. Paint choice???? Enamel, Polyurethane or Lacquer.... the latter of which would be the easiest to spray but then require the most buffing. I think lacquer has been taken off the market because of bad funes and most auto body shops now shoot Poly which is a 2 part epoxy type paint but must be laid on near perfect.

I talked to one bodyshop and the guy said "Yeah I can try" which wasn't very comforting. I have a friend I've known for 30yrs who is in autobody so maybe I'll give him a shout.... it's been a few years since we talked.

My first attempt would be with the ampless ULW10 I picked up for $99 delivered. Not a big loss if I hose it up. Then some wood speaker stands and finally my VMPS 626Rs.

[JazzySmooth]

There was a thread on AVS about a quick and dirty way to do it using an epoxy based gloss - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...4#post17645694

[LoudandClear]

Thanks for the link. Very Interesting product. Too bad he put a texture on his finish because I'd like to see how it comes out without the texture. The sample pic he posted with the gum package had a nice reflection to it. Hard to believe it would be so smooth as just a pour on / roll on product.

I'll have to investigate that product this weekend.

[django1]

I figured it wouldn't be easy guys.

You did say "any" feedback would be appreciated :)...

[dguarnaccia]

I asked one of the guys that runs a regional home finishing company if they could do something like that, specifically a piano black finish, and he said they could do it. He runs this company: http://www.morgansfinefinishes.com/ but I'm sure there are similar companies in your area that do that kind of finish work. You might give them a call instead of an autobody shop. They have more experience with wood based finishes.

[LoudandClear]

You did say "any" feedback would be appreciated :)...

:yes: Yes I did and I appreciate all feedback :salute:

Checked out the Glazecoat used in the AVS thread that JazzySmooth pointed me to and it might work. Found it at Lowe's near work anc checked it out at lunch time. Here is that product's webpage http://www.eclecticproducts.com/glazecoat.htm The difference with using a thick gel like this is that the clear coating is thick and won't look like a Piano Black finish which has the color near the surface. Just might take some experimenting.

Thanks dguarnaccia, I'll check out Morgansfinefinishes also.

Keep the suggestions coming guys :rock:

[ben9732]

Custom auto paint guys should be able to do it, but a high quality furniture restorer is more likely qualified.

Another direction if you don't mind disassembly and shipping to see if Ruben of Fallen Enclosures would be interested. Or another choice might be "Stocky", who is a furniture restorer in NJ who has done great work.

[Mep]

I've used that epoxy finish. It will give you the high gloss mirror shine with a single application. The key is the thickness of the coat itself, not all the buffing, though that is required when adding so many coats to get the build up of the finish.

However this epoxy takes a full 3 days to set, over night to get hard and will run on you like crazy. Gravity pulls it flat very well and can pull it right off a surface or pool it if it isn't on a perfectly flat surface. Also it doesn't always spread evenly even if you do an excellent job cleaning. You'll get air bubbles and any hair, dirt and lint will stick to it while drying. It really is for counter top type applications where it can be trapped on a flat surface and allowed to harden in a clean room.

For something like a speaker I think you really need a spray or be really to apply 20+ coats of a whipe on. As to what to use, will whatever it is, must stick to your current finish or you need to be commited to remove the old finish completely and start from scratch, which is probably the best idea.

[dvenardos]

I seem to recall someone saying something about UV and that glaze coat product. It might have been quadman. :no clue:

[LoudandClear]

I sent the company an email asking how one would do this Epoxy Glaze product ona 6 sided object like a speaker. I told them it had radius corners so there wasn't a sharp edge to create a seam for doing each side at a time. I'll see what they say.

I wish I could just do a spray lacquer and buff but I think they outlawed spray lacquers because of high VOC and cancer causing agents or whatnot :nervous: I had a friend paint my 1970 Cougar in my garage with Lacquer. Looked like total crap until he took the buffing wheel to it and then it was ready for the Concours car shows. I'll check with English Color which is a local auto paint supply store. Maybe it's still available.

[LoudandClear]

I heard back from the company who makes glaze coat and they said they wouldn't rec it for speakers because 1: it is not that hard and it indents and scratches easily. 2: it is intended for flat surfaces only. They could just be saying that to cover their ass if I mess up my speakers :)

Oh well there are many other options as well. I really want to keep it DIY so taking them to a cabinet shop or body shop isn't in the plan right now.

[Stocky]

Did I hear my name mentioned :yes:

I have a lot of thoughts on the "how to" a high gloss finish . None of them being the official end all answer .

For starters I do not do high gloss finishes in my shop because it's not appropriate for most , almost any antique furniture .
Shameless plug ----> www.heirloomrefinishing.com

That being said I will not even consider doing it even if my customer begs me to. It's super labor intensive and there are just to many possibilities for problems to arise .


In brief , our process would be many layers of a sprayed on lacquer with cutting between each coat , followed by wet sanding and buffing with a polishing wheel and compound .

Could it be done , yes . You would want to clean the surface with something like mineral spirits to remove and dirt , wax etc....
A light scuffing of the entire surface and then a high gloss lacquer ... In reality it's just not that simple and I can understand why any professional would shy away from it .

One of the big downsides to a high gloss filled finish is that more is not better in the case of lacquer. To much lacquer will get brittle and eventually crack and "alligator" . Lacquer under normal circumstances takes a long to to cure . Now you've added many more layers than the norm .... It's a recipe for trouble .

note that A LOT of the Rocket line from Av123 has cracking issues including my 850's .

ps- you can buy lacquer in a spray can ...it's called " Deft " . It comes in Satin , Semi and Gloss . I use it for touch up work etc..... It would be a lot of cans , but might be the option your looking for . Again , IMO , I would leave things alone.