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Veneer over existing speaker cabinet

The Polk R150 is covered with black vinyl sheet.
I would like to replace the black vinyl has it is now hold and dirty.
 
I would like to do a similar project like TS.
It would be the Monitor Audio Radius R90 (mahogany color)
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and an MJ acoustics Pro 50 MK III (in black)
We would like to transform the above with veneer (whether or not real wood) such as the Dali Oberon 1's in light oak that we purchased this week.
However, I fear for the small Radiuses, which have 8 small corners and are very short to be able to place/finish the veneer nicely round.
The 8 corners of the subwoofer are also rounded by the manufacturer.
I also think that both speakers are not really provided with veneer but with a film layer.
Does anyone have any suggestions to overcome the short angle problem?
 
Call or text these guys their peel and stick stuff is pretty flexible.
 
For a better finish, is there a way to remove drivers and filters and give the enclosure to a wood specialist?
I do not know who is able to do the work with a good looking end finish.
Could it be a furniture restoration specialist?
 
I have done a fair amount of veneering with 1/28" thick veneers, cross banded veneer backed sheets, and paper backed sheets. I have used a manual press, a vacuum bag press, and contact cement. I have not tried the iron method, but by all accounts it is fairly easy and gives good results.

I highly recommend these guys: https://oakwoodveneer.com/veneer-sheets/ They have a great selection and will send you photos of the actual sheets before purchase.

I was able to get just the right veneer for this project a few years back.

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Project Widget Claro Pair sm.jpg


Project Widget Claro Horn smx.jpg
 
I have done a fair amount of veneering with 1/28" thick veneers, cross banded veneer backed sheets, and paper backed sheets. I have used a manual press, a vacuum bag press, and contact cement. I have not tried the iron method, but by all accounts it is fairly easy and gives good results.

I highly recommend these guys: https://oakwoodveneer.com/veneer-sheets/ They have a great selection and will send you photos of the actual sheets before purchase.

I was able to get just the right veneer for this project a few years back.

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I agree with the above and these look great. I think veneering goes beyond what the average hobbyist does and has few do's and don'ts. My luck has been with backed material and bending on the grain line. Reach out to the suppliers with project specifics and play with some on scraps of wood first, including trimming. Its not that hard.
 
I have done a fair amount of veneering with 1/28" thick veneers, cross banded veneer backed sheets, and paper backed sheets. I have used a manual press, a vacuum bag press, and contact cement. I have not tried the iron method, but by all accounts it is fairly easy and gives good results.

I highly recommend these guys: https://oakwoodveneer.com/veneer-sheets/ They have a great selection and will send you photos of the actual sheets before purchase.

I was able to get just the right veneer for this project a few years back.

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Wow amazing looking project? Can you share design info?
 
Wow amazing looking project? Can you share design info?
Thanks, I designed them almost 20 years ago and while I'd certainly do things differently if I were to approach the project today, the speakers are still in service and bring me a lot of musical enjoyment.

The UHF driver is the TAD ET-703, The HF driver and horn are the TAD TD-4003/TH-4003 combo. The horns were no longer available so I borrowed a TH-4003 from a friend and made a silicone mold of it. I then cast clones in several resins. The winner was an extremely dense mineral filled urethane resin which gave measured results that matched/exceeded the original TAD laminated maple plywood horn. The bass driver is the TAD TL-1103, and the sub is a JBL Sub1500. The Sub1500 is in a ~2 cu ft sealed enclosure and the TL-1103 is in a 1.4 cu ft box ported and tuned to 40 Hz.

The system is tri-amped with a passive crossover at 12kHz between the TD-4003 and ET-703.

Project Widget Claro Left smm.jpg
Project Widget Pair sm.jpg
 
Woodcraft sells peel and stick veneers. I have used these for cabinet work and they work very well with good durability. But they only do curves with the grain, not across the grain, and they can't do compound curves.

But I'll be danged if I can find any thing besides alder on their website. I've bought their pressure-sensitive adhesive veneer in both cherry and walnut. The veneers are unfinished but smooth and read for finish.

Rick "happy to stick it even to vinyl covering" Denney
 
For me, the only way to get a good surface is via press.. I never had good luck with hide glue on large surfaces. I also didn't spend the time to master it for large surfaces. Obviously it can work. There's plenty of old furniture out there with large surfaces glued using hide glue. But I got tired of fighting it.

I see people also using contact cement, but that can be risky if you are intending to create wrapped around looks because once it is on, it's on. It's not moving.

I like to use raw veneer.

My preference is definitely vacuum. If an already made box, vacuum with an internal bag.
The key to working with hide glue is open time of the glue and how to extend that. As hide glue is basically gelatine and coagulates below 60c you need the shop and equipment for this. Hot plates, heated sand, heating iron and such. This certainely gets truer the bigger the surface.
When done right you dont need a press, clamps or vacuumbags as hammer veneering uses atmospheric pressure to press down.

Ive done mostly small stuff and never anything big as a speaker. My shop capacity is very modest. Also I use sawed veneers, 1 - 4mm. The usual 0.6mm veneer is knife cut

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This is 2mm veneer on 9mm baltic birch ply. Hide glue only for the veneering.

About the OP question. The old surface need to be prepared to take the new veneer. Sanded ruler flat. Walnut and cherry veneers are some of the most popular so you should be able to find this in any variety. Self adhesive, paper backed or whatnot. Go for least hassle and choose a forgiving glue. Vacuum is ideal for clamping veneer as even pressure is paramount.
 
These ppl have everything you need to veneer: https://www.veneersupplies.com/

Very DIY and newbie friendly. I think it is US based. If this is inconvenient, I can recomend this site as resource for knowledge and ideas.
+1
Yes, husband and wife operation out of Pennsylvania. I have bought quite a bit of veneer from them for speakers and usually I have a few questions and they always respond to my emails quickly.
 
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