lakecat Posted April 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 12 hours ago, DavidDru said: I've used the gunstock minwak stain and it can get a little too orange so be careful with that for sure. Is it the eurothanes that can yellow? Varnish? I have quite a few danish modern teak pieces and the grain patterns can be very similar to Walnut. The color though is different between the 2 with the teak of course being more of eh red/orange when oiled. The teak seems to have areas of tighter pattern grain too. I will take some photos of the teak when the light gets better and post them for reference. Yes.....the polys yellow/fade with sun....environment...but not as bad as used to be. I see ADS 1590's all the time in pics with grill off and wood is faded bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Yeah, our 13 year old natural select maple kitchen cabinets are yellowed. Just open a cabinet and you can see it compared to the inside of the door. Ticks us off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonnar Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 Congratulations lakecat! A very beautiful pair in excellent conditions, and with the early rare gold thread grill cloth! I think the wood is cherry, mine are oiled walnut and it's similar grain but darker, and Teak is more " Yellow " . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 5 hours ago, Sonnar said: Congratulations lakecat! A very beautiful pair in excellent conditions, and with the early rare gold thread grill cloth! I think the wood is cherry, mine are oiled walnut and it's similar grain but darker, and Teak is more " Yellow " . Thank you....:) I will know when I strip the laquer and can see grain better. I am kinda hoping they are cherry. On 4/5/2016 at 9:50 AM, DavidDru said: Yeah, our 13 year old natural select maple kitchen cabinets are yellowed. Just open a cabinet and you can see it compared to the inside of the door. Ticks us off. Is it a light stain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 This document is 50 years old, but still may provide some useful guidance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 Thank you!......interesting....they waxed the lacquered cabs. These cabs here are like glass..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tysontom Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 On 4/4/2016 at 8:43 AM, lakecat said: I am pretty sure it is a lacquer finish but has a very long time since I have dealt with it. It is hard as glass and glossy and certainly not an oil finish. Good idea on the thinner....but I may just strip these cabs and look into putting the same finish on. If they are cherry, leaving it natural would be beautiful. There seems to be a stain on these so we will see when I start on these. Has to warm up here in Ohio a little first....as I like to strip outside. Those cabinets are almost surely lacquered cherry. The grain, color and finish indicate this finish. It is true that American black walnut has a similar grain figure with some round cut veneers, but the color of the wood points to cherry. Cherry is always a lacquered finish -- it is not compatible with an oil finish. The cherry is initially sealed, glazed and then spray-lacquered between sanding, for at least three coats, but the wood samples and finish guides don't specifically mention "lacquered cherry," even though that was the only finish. Lacquered cherry, lacquered walnut and lacquered Korina were all finished out the same way with an intricate three-coat, spray-lacquer process. Cherry will also darken a great deal over time in the presence of sunlight, but it is a more reddish-orange in color than walnut. Both images courtesy of the internet. AR-3 in lacquered-walnut finish, donated to Smithsonian. --Tom Tyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonnar Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 My first pair of AR 3 is surely oiled walnut, as reported in the back side label, but my AR 3a, still oiled walnut, are slightly different, AR 3 finish is darker and with some redder tones. I have also another pair of AR 3, but the label in the back side is missing, so it's an unknown finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcheung Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 Not a very good picture - this is one of my 3a. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 9 hours ago, tysontom said: Those cabinets are almost surely lacquered cherry. The grain, color and finish indicate this finish. It is true that American black walnut has a similar grain figure with some round cut veneers, but the color of the wood points to cherry. Cherry is always a lacquered finish -- it is not compatible with an oil finish. The cherry is initially sealed, glazed and then spray-lacquered between sanding, for at least three coats, but the wood samples and finish guides don't specifically mention "lacquered cherry," even though that was the only finish. Lacquered cherry, lacquered walnut and lacquered Korina were all finished out the same way with an intricate three-coat, spray-lacquer process. Cherry will also darken a great deal over time in the presence of sunlight, but it is a more reddish-orange in color than walnut. Both images courtesy of the internet. AR-3 in lacquered-walnut finish, donated to Smithsonian. --Tom Tyson Thanks Tom for giving your opinion and is what I suspected these cabs might be. If they turn out to be cherry, I will have to get a small piece at lumber yard here and experiment with the lacquer some. Not sure what natural cherry will look like under lacquer. I might need to put a light oil stain on them. Looking forward to working on these gorgeous speakers . I just need the friggin' weather to warm up now! Want to strip outside and it's suppose to snow this weekend!!???...sigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lARrybody Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 I am in the same boat with the weather here in central IN. Currently working on a pair of early 3A's. Although I am pretty sure they are walnut, when the morning light comes upon them they do have a reddish hue to them. They defiantly have a lacquer finish. Going to go back with a natural Watco oil finish. I have two sets of KLH 5's to do next. I saw this pair for sale and really liked how the seller has finished them. I contacted him (her) and got detailed instructions on how it was done. Sanded to bare veneer, several cotes of cherry Watco oil, and then several cotes of Minwax semi-gloss spray polyurethane . This is what I want to for mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD70 Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Very nice group of speakers to play with, and they all look terrific! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Larry, if you want a nice shine to the finish, but dont want to apply a poly. you can do a rubbed oil finish. It takes a little effort, but can be well worth it. Look up youtube videos demonstrating it. You see it a lot on guitars and amps. Really sexy. I did it on a pair of Altec Valencias and it came out like liquid walnut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lARrybody Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Thanks David By rubbed oil finish do you mean something like Watco Danish Oil Finish, which is not just oil, but has some kind of varnish in it. I did a pair of AR2a's last fall with the natural. Seven cotes rubbed and sanded in with 600 grit. No wax and no poly. Less than perfect veneer turned out nice. As GD70 might say, Smooth as a Baby's Posterior. Or do you mean something like Tung Oil, which is hard to find around here. Formby's is Tung oil finish, but not true Tung oil. Minwax has a antique oil which I have seen mentioned. I have used Howard's Restore a Finish and feed and wax on my two sets of NLA's, but they were near perfect to begin with. The AR3's will get the same Watco finish as the ones above. I just need winter to get over with, come on it's April 8th for heavens sake. When is this global warming going to kick in, because it's the mini ice age here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 23 minutes ago, larrybody said: By rubbed oil finish do you mean something like Watco Danish Oil Finish That is my favorite finish -- multiple coats of wet-sanded Watco -- straight-forward but time consuming. I may try French polishing sometime: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_polish Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Funny, global warming. Iv'e got about 4 or 5 things awaiting warmth to get to as well. It hit good temps here yesterday but I do have a regular day job! Plus my garage is on the north and shaded side of the house so it is still pretty cool in there. I have probably used the Watco in that application but also been using teak oil. Dalys Seafin Teal oil in the green and white can is good stuff and pretty easy to work with. my neighbor has a complete woodworkers shop in his garage and he gave me some legit pure tung oil to use once it was nice, but sloooowwww. In watching youtube videos of folks doing teh oil rub work on guitars I was surprised at how much the worked it. All these processes provide great results. On my AR3's I went ahead and had a local furniture refinishing shop do them with varnish. Those look great as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liangshan Marsh Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 Congrats lakecat! Very nice caught. I just acquired the single lacquer birch AR3s up to $600 as needed to mate with my other early blonde. It sounds great with the Fisher TA-600 + Garrard 95b turntable, plus 8 pieces LP picking up from Thrift stores, not hook up to other AMP yet.. Edited: just arrange speakers to permanent position . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samberger0357 Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 That is a sweet setup! Looks like you're using AR stands to put your 3's horizontally? How do they sound like that? I've been thinking of doing the same thing but was thinking that if I'm going to use them horizontally it would be better to get them higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liangshan Marsh Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 44 minutes ago, samberger0357 said: That is a sweet setup! Looks like you're using AR stands to put your 3's horizontally? How do they sound like that? I've been thinking of doing the same thing but was thinking that if I'm going to use them horizontally it would be better to get them higher. Oh no, the room is very messy with many stuffs in the floor. I have no time to put every thing in the bookshelf yet..the non-AR stand is very short, about 6-7 inches high.So I think It supposed to put in the study room counter or in top of cabinets etc.. It sounds not right when I temporary put it too low in the floor right now. Will be rearranged putting every thing in the bookshelf when I have a time. Thanks Samberger0357. Cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 That birch looks great and congrats on getting your match. How long did it take to get your match? Those cabs almost look like maple with that stain. Like your combo setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liangshan Marsh Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 13 minutes ago, lakecat said: That birch looks great and congrats on getting your match. How long did it take to get your match? Those cabs almost look like maple with that stain. Like your combo setup. Bought the other one just over two months ago, if I remember correctly got it the day after Super Bowl 50. Oh yeah I forgot the maple finished so I think this one is lacquer maple not a birch finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 That woofer is in incredible shape....wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Very nice, that's a gorgeous blonde speaker cabinet. Definitely birch, though, since AR did not offer maple as an option - - these two light hardwoods are very often virtually indistinguishable from each other. Those drivers look about as good as you'll ever find, but I suspect the grille has been replaced due to light grille cloth and AR-3a badge. It looks great with all that vintage gear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronan Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 That's a nice blonde finished cabinet. I had saw the early pair of unfinished pine serial # 15xx sold in Ebay for $2025 over five years ago.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 On 4/8/2016 at 6:17 AM, owlsplace said: I may try French polishing sometime: Get yourself some sacrificial lumber and practice, practice, practice before trying it on the real wood. It's a gorgeous finish, but a PITA to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.