JeffS Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 While I was doing some sale browsing a few weeks ago I stumbled upon a sale that was featuring a pair of Klipschorns. I skimmed through the pictures hoping to find other interesting and hopefully related equipment when I spotted part of a neglected AR sitting next to a floor lamp. Bait! Now I've got to go just to see if it's a pair of 2AX's or 5's (and of course bring them home). Much to my surprise it was a pair of 5's sitting on a stairway landing between the 2nd and 3rd floor of the house underneath some random plastic stuff and far away from the main music system which was still in place and being used to provide music to the sales staff. I was hoping that they would play music through the Klipschorns just so we would get a chance to hear them in a home environment, which they did. I haven't heard a properly set up pair in decades. We only got a chance to listen briefly and at low volume, not really a full demonstration, but it was fun. I didn't hear anything, however, that would make me part with my AR's. When I got the 5's back home I did the first hookup to check driver health and I'm happy to report that the pots on both of these speakers work throughout their entire range (maybe I should play the lottery). One tweeter has low output, one mid had it's cover cut away and the pad removed (?!), one speaker is painted white, one has a stamped serial # while the other is handwritten and ~ 16000 units apart, and I'm excited to finally have a pair of 5's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Cool! Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 3 hours ago, JeffS said: I'm excited to finally have a pair of 5's! Uh, oh ... unfinished pines. There is no turning back now Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VintageMan Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 One always wonder why they would paint one but leave the other "as is"? Nice story and great find! Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidhead Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Great find Jeff, congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffS Posted November 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Thanks everybody. These cabinets look pretty good with only minor abrasions and no smashed corners. The unfinished unit has six or seven oval shaped stains that I'm hoping will sand out fairly easily. I was very surprised to find the one cabinet painted white on all sides except the bottom (these were used vertically). The nice thing about the plywood cabinets is that I can sand vigorously if need be to get a stain out but if it's not coming out to my satisfaction I can always do as stated in AR catalogs 'Unfinished pine (can be painted)'. And how's this for a deal: two pairs of speakers sold at this sale: Klipschorns and AR-5's. The guy that got the AR's paid 1/70 of what the guy that bought the K-horns paid (and I didn't have to rent a van). Regardless, I know were both happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Is the outer ply on the unfinished pine any thicker than on the finish veneered cabinets? If not, a nasty sand through event is just as big a risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 8 hours ago, genek said: Is the outer ply on the unfinished pine any thicker than on the finish veneered cabinets? If not, a nasty sand through event is just as big a risk. It is thinner and softer. It also develops age cracks which I don't see on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Good points made by genek and owlsplace. If JeffS is planning to attempt paint removal of the white cabinet, it would be wise to remove as much paint as possible with chemical paint stripper and manual abrasives (steel or bronze wool, 3M pads, etc.) before using any electric sanders. And even then, coarse paper should be avoided altogether and nothing more than a mild-to-medium grit should be required. A pair of AR-5's in unfinished pine will be really gorgeous, and those grilles are in good shape and should clean up very nicely, too. I loved the 1/70 pricing comment..... Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD70 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Love these kind of discoveries! Like finding a treasure on the beach! You're very lucky the pots are fully working, very rare. The rest looks pretty straight forward and hopefully you are able to remove all that white paint. Keep us posted and include pics please! Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffS Posted November 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Thanks Gene, Roger, and ra for making me measure this first. It's definitely better to measure first and sand later. It looks like there is 3/64" - 1/16" to play with here if I'm looking at it right. I'll probably try a chemical stripper to remove the bulk of the paint, and then sand the rest off. My second picture is the veneer on a pair of 58s's I found on craigslist last July. The original owner of these put a coat of poly on the top panel and front molding (and let a little run down the sides for good measure). To remove the poly I put 100 grit on the sander and started at it. The edges started thinning out fast, so I stopped, changed to 150 grit and proceeded much more carefully, finishing with 220 grit. Measuring it just a few minutes ago confirms just how thin that veneer is, less than 1/64". The one good thing about that poly was that the ring stains didn't penetrate it. Glenn, I'm shocked that the pots are working this well. The pots on my 3's have been cleaned and lubed and aren't as good. I'm thinking these may have a two piece / sturdier wiper that keeps it from losing tension. Geoff, didn't you have pots like that in your 2ax's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 So were you able to get clean wood? Normally, I'd be very nervous about the prospects of getting all the finish off a soft wood like pine. Some of it always seems to penetrate deep into the pores and won't come out. I acquired a set of pots from a very old 2a that had wipers stamped from brass and tiny coil springs to apply tension, rather than the springy wipers of later models. I cleaned these up and put them in my 3a's. Don't see too many of those around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 15 minutes ago, genek said: ... getting all the finish off a soft wood like pine. True, the sap wood goes first ... it may be possible to blade it off evenly using a utility blade. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VintageMan Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 There are special chemical strippers that will not wet the wood and thus save the veneer. They will only attack the paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffS Posted November 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 I had a chance to start work on my unfinished cabinet last Friday (a beautiful 70 degree late autumn day here in upstate NY). Using 150 followed by 220 grit I was able to remove all of the round / oval stains from the cabinet. What's left is discoloration of the wood where the stains were but I don't believe there is anything further I can do to improve that without sanding it down considerably more. I think it's better to leave it as is and chalk it up to patina.The longitudinal cracks that can appear on these old unfinished cabinets are, so far, missing from this one. Of course these unfinished pine cabinets are easy to bring back to their original color by simply sanding. The last picture is one of a pair of 4x's that I acquired during the summer. The two panels show the before and after of sanding for just a few minutes. The other 5 cabinet will need it's paint removed but since there is now a foot of snow on my sanding / stripping bench, I'll have to put stripping on hold (I was getting used to the 70 degree November days). Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 Ah, where did the summer go ... I could be happy in a two car garage with a wood stove and a work bench and maybe a vapor hood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffS Posted November 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 10 hours ago, owlsplace said: I could be happy in a two car garage with a wood stove and a work bench and maybe a vapor hood Roger, So could I, and throw in a refrigerator for good measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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