FINALLY, finishing up AR2ax restorations

[Vern48]

Pair restored February 2021:

https://community.classicspeakerpages.net/topic/13241-my-ar-2ax-restoration/#comment-134198

Pair restored March 2023:

https://community.classicspeakerpages.net/topic/17127-comparing-oem-and-hivi-tweeters-in-restored-pairs-of-ar2ax-speakers/#comment-143750

 

The 2/21 pair needed the veneer on the top of one cabinet replaced, something I've never done. It turned out okay, but not perfect, as the color match was not great. The color of the cabinets are not a match either, so I was fine with that. The one cabinet is darker than the other.

After some sanding on all four cabinets, several coats of linseed oil were applied. Again, they are not perfect, but look much better than before.

I needed frames for the 2021 pair and decided to purchase them from Vintage AR, instead of trying to make my own. Following a suggestion by Roy, I painted the fronts flat black, so the frame cut outs do not show through the fabric.

The fabric I used is not the, perhaps preferred, linen cloth, but rather a more burlap-looking variety.  I purchased 6 yards of this fabric twenty years ago and paid $18.00 at the time! The images with the AR2ax badges are the 2/23 restoration pair. 

So....these ARs are finally finished. It's been a longer journey than planned, but I'm pleased with the result. My goal was not necessarily a "factory original' restoration, but rather speakers that actually worked and looked nice at a reasonable cost. 

I appreciate all the wisdom available on this forum. I also appreciate greatly the service and advice Roy provided.

[Will be posting my AR3 restoration journey shortly.]

 

[Vern48]

Oops, neglected the image showing the color difference of the veneered cabint.