lakecat Posted March 2, 2021 Report Share Posted March 2, 2021 You don't realize how rare these AR3a's in pine are until you start looking for them!..wow! I redid a pine 3A speaker several years ago that was stained. Lots and lots of work to get it back to the natural state. I looked all the time to get it a match and nothing. Just found a match on Ebay and had to pay up for it. It isn't stained...thank goodness but needs work. The alnico woofer has a foam surround on it but have a replacement here I have been saving for such an occasion. Probably silly for paying up for it but he told me that a dead beat Asian buyer had bid full price for it so I knew it wouldn't go cheap. I am actually excited to get it and FINALLY get my match! It will be keepers for me.....and to think...I have always hated pine in any other construction work I did...lol. This one also has the wild graining that my other has that makes it cool. Will get it next week sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lARrybody Posted March 2, 2021 Report Share Posted March 2, 2021 Good things come to those that wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted March 2, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2021 On 3/2/2021 at 6:21 AM, lARrybody said: Good things come to those that wait. More like Elmer Fudd huntin' the wabbit!....never thought it would take this long...and I did some searching! Just hope it gets here in good shape. The delivery services haven't been the best lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted March 2, 2021 Report Share Posted March 2, 2021 It's great when things work out, right? Looking forward to many photos of the pair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted March 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2021 15 hours ago, ar_pro said: It's great when things work out, right? Looking forward to many photos of the pair! Yes!......my concern is trying to match the two when one was stained and the other hasn't. Will take some experimenting but look forward to the challenge....:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 Well....finally got some time and weather to work on the speaker. Looking it over and found that the top had a SS number etched into the veneer...sigh. I got a wet towel and iron....and steamed the hell out I of the top and actually...all the sides ....after removing the drivers of course. I screwed up and forgot to take pics. I let it sit all night. Got it out today and with 100 grit paper on an orbital sander....really worked on the veneer...trying to be careful to not go too deep. I am shocked and happy with the results. I got out most scratches and the dang SS number!!! Pics show the results. I later....trying to match other speaker I done....diluted pine stain with paint thinner 10/1...and brushed it on and letting it air dry. I am trying to bring out the beautiful graining and still in the experimental range. The original speaker had been stained and was a bit of work to get it looking unstained. Now trying to match that speaker but this one was never stained!...lol. Wish me luck! Also a very low serial number...:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samberger0357 Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 Man those are beautiful! Congratulations on your find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 17 hours ago, samberger0357 said: Man those are beautiful! Congratulations on your find. Thanks Samberger! It took a while to find this match and was worried that it would be a piece of crap from EBay. But...despite the SS number etched in top, it is in pretty good shape. Even the pots are in excellent shape and took very little work to get them nice. Bonus also in that I asked about the grill and he said he had one. In the box was a perfect AR3 grill frame!..lol. So I will make an AR3a grill and have the material ordered from 123. Got to install the capacitors....then try to match this veneer with other I did two years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 When I lived in the NE I saw a lot of pine ARs. Most of them had been stained by someone trying to make them look like something other than pine. The difference in price between veneered and unfinished never seemed big enough to me to make all that effort worthwhile. And on top of that, they always looked awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lARrybody Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 10 parts paint thinner to one part stain or vise versa? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 I'd thin the stain down to the point where the color is barely visible. Apply a pre-stain conditioner before staining to prevent blotching, then apply the stain multiple times to try to sneak up on the right shade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 Such a difference from walnut veneer - which is beautiful, of course - but the unfinished pine just looks unique. Great project, lakecat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2021 18 hours ago, lARrybody said: 10 parts paint thinner to one part stain or vise versa? Yes...10 parts thinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2021 18 hours ago, genek said: I'd thin the stain down to the point where the color is barely visible. Apply a pre-stain conditioner before staining to prevent blotching, then apply the stain multiple times to try to sneak up on the right shade. I am trying to match this one from two years ago. It was stained dark and had a helluva time getting it out. It left the dark graining to which you see in pic. I actually took thinned latex almond paint and spread on cabinet and wiped lightly...and it came out nice. I really don't want to do a dark stain to this new cabinet and go thru that hassle again. I used a Ipswich pine stain...thinned to darken the graining a little. Maybe sand it a little with 220...then try a small patch on bottom with the same almond paint. That will tell me if it is dark enough...or close enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2021 19 hours ago, genek said: When I lived in the NE I saw a lot of pine ARs. Most of them had been stained by someone trying to make them look like something other than pine. The difference in price between veneered and unfinished never seemed big enough to me to make all that effort worthwhile. And on top of that, they always looked awful. Being a contractor, have always hated pine. But the graining in the veneer really got my eye. It is different...and I really like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted April 18, 2021 Report Share Posted April 18, 2021 It's unlikely that you'll be able to get an unstained pine to match one that's been stained and stripped. Your best bet might be to apply a bit of color to both of them and go for an "aged pine" look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 On 4/18/2021 at 2:03 PM, genek said: It's unlikely that you'll be able to get an unstained pine to match one that's been stained and stripped. Your best bet might be to apply a bit of color to both of them and go for an "aged pine" look. I really can't as the first one I did has the veneer sanded down pretty good so not gonna touch it again. It is a challenge for sure and something I have never done...but love the challenge. It doesn't have to be perfect...just close...and hope I can highlite the graining. On another note, I see a pair of pine AR3's up on the auction block on Ebay. Will be curious to see what they go for in their original state...:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 I got er done!...:) It came out real close and am happy with it....well...more relieved than happy!..lol. It was a lot of work and redos at least three times on bottom where I experimented. Ended up using Puritan Pine stain at full strength....some sanding...but mostly using utility blades to bring out the graining. Then whitewashing with thinned almond paint...then more utility blades on it. The fronts had paint really thinned. What was tough...was doing the one two years ago and not remembering a lot of what I had done. Going over the old post here helped some but since they were so different...had to take a new approach. Now on to the caps and making grill....but really like it! Custom pine....welcome to the family... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lARrybody Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 Wow I cannot distinguish between the two. They look identical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samberger0357 Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 Stunning does not even begin to describe how wonderful those look! Congratulations on such a fantastic job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 Beautiful, lakecat. Your patience and effort really paid off - what a great job! This might be my new favorite look for the AR-3a. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 2 hours ago, lARrybody said: Wow I cannot distinguish between the two. They look identical. Thank you my friend....:) I invented new cuss words over this!...lol. 1 hour ago, samberger0357 said: Stunning does not even begin to describe how wonderful those look! Congratulations on such a fantastic job! Thanks!...nice to see others like it as well. Never knew graining in pine could be so purdy! 1 hour ago, ar_pro said: Beautiful, lakecat. Your patience and effort really paid off - what a great job! This might be my new favorite look for the AR-3a. Thanks!...my new favorite too! This is what I started with....notice the social security number etched in top...sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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