Does anybody know how to get this finish?

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wrl

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Joined 2003
#1
I was recently in a shop where they had the B&W Nautilus speakers with the Tiger's eye maple finish. I love this look and really want to try it for my ESLs, but I can't find this wood anywhere on the internet (even with exotic veneer sites).

Also it would be good if there is a cheaper way to do it. Does anybody know how I can get this finish??

attached are some images.

Thanks,
Wes
 

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#3
I don't know that they make veneers with tiger's eye... I sure haven't seen any

what I would recommend for you however is to go to your local REAL lumber yard (not lowes/home depot), a furiture yard and see... they might have small boards of real tiger eye...

you can just double baffle with the outside being the maple...
 
#4
Feandil said:
I don't know that they make veneers with tiger's eye... I sure haven't seen any

what I would recommend for you however is to go to your local REAL lumber yard (not lowes/home depot), a furiture yard and see... they might have small boards of real tiger eye...

you can just double baffle with the outside being the maple...
Click to expand...

ROFL

Tigers eye isn't a wood veneer, I'm purplexed as to why you'd have thought so.


Hi wrl

Its an artificial finish that B&W cooks up. If you know a spray artist they could knock up something similar or better with masked layers.

The photo's you've shown really do an injustice to the finish, its absolutely stunning in the flesh.
 
#8
wrl said:
I was recently in a shop where they had the B&W Nautilus speakers with the Tiger's eye maple finish. I love this look and really want to try it for my ESLs, but I can't find this wood anywhere on the internet (even with exotic veneer sites).

Also it would be good if there is a cheaper way to do it. Does anybody know how I can get this finish??

attached are some images.

Thanks,
Wes
Click to expand...

My guess is that black background with a colored thin material with computer generated art work stuck on it with a final glossy finish on top. The same way lots of auto artwok is done.
 
#9
ShinOBIWAN said:


ROFL

Tigers eye isn't a wood veneer, I'm purplexed as to why you'd have thought so.


Hi wrl

Its an artificial finish that B&W cooks up. If you know a spray artist they could knock up something similar or better with masked layers.

The photo's you've shown really do an injustice to the finish, its absolutely stunning in the flesh.
Click to expand...

You, sir, need to have some idea what you are talking about before making such statements, particularly when you choose to be so rude as to laugh at and mock posters you disagree with despite having no knowledge on the subject.

Here's a quote from one of B&W's brochures:

Outward appearances say a lot about what’s
inside. The extraordinary attention to detail applied
to the engineering of the Signature 805 is mirrored
in the creation of the cabinet itself. Two high-gloss,
real wood veneers – a choice of grey Tiger’s Eye or
red Bird’s Eye – each offer a finish that’s as rich and
unique as your music collection. Signature 805 – a
natural selection.
Click to expand...
 
#11
HeatMiser said:


You, sir, need to have some idea what you are talking about before making such statements, particularly when you choose to be so rude as to laugh at and mock posters you disagree with despite having no knowledge on the subject.

Here's a quote from one of B&W's brochures:
Click to expand...

Strange because when we popped up to the factory in Sussex. the foyer/demo area has a large collection of B&W designs both past and present and stood next to the 800 sig, a sample of the tigers eye in a free standing frame and it was a thin plastic laminate.

Looked identical to the finish on the speaker, could be that they had that just for the display but either way I assumed that was the same used on the speakers. If B&W state they use wood then fine but what I handled was not wood.

Eitherway I'll take it back.

LouC said:
I was able to get something similar using a manmade veneer. (I don't recall where I got it). The base veneer was almost white. I dyed it with a black / brown dye then lightly sanded the surface.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it is artificial, it may be wood, but it ain't no off the shelf veneer, pretty much like I first said. When you see this in person it doesn't look like a wood veneer at all. More like shimmering marble.
 
#12
Lou, I did something very similar when I built my in-law's coffe table, I wiped very thin layers of black dye on bird's eye maple and sanded through the dye, after a few days of french polishing it looked like gold veins in black rock...I'm sure the effect would be close with an easier to apply finish as well. Tung oil would give the light areas a golden sheen, the black background amplifies the golden effect. I haven't tried with veneer though, should be the same..just have to be careful not to let the dye penetrate too deep.

Just pick up some veneer scraps and practice.
 
#16
Sorry wrl - I think it is unlikely you will get the same finish as that - it is definatly not a "real wood veneer" - those are all natural to my mind - but rather a "man altered wood veneer". "Real wood!!!" - Either it is wood - or it isn't!

Sorry - this is one of my ranting topics - Terms dreamt up by the marketeers :bawling:

You could however attempt to emulate the effect by following the Illusus's suggestions regarding staining although I don't think that you will be able to get the same levels of contrast as B&W's finish. I have only seen this done once @ the cabinet makers I used to work at so I am speaking from limited experience.

The most striking change is the finish. In place of an attractive but conventional veneer, B&W offers the Signature version in grey ‘tiger’s eye’ or red ‘birds’s eye’ ….. This isn’t the bird’s eye one associates with maple but a very subtle man-made mottled effect in real wood. It makes for a very saucy looking speaker.
Click to expand...

http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.reviews/ObjectID/0C630530-7846-4E56-9CE7C35ECC0A4D47

The Signature is finished in something called Tiger's Eye, which is what happens when real wood veneers are transformed by an exotic Italian Tiger's eye machine
Click to expand...

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0802/bwnautilus800.htm

Heatmiser - There is a history. :angel: 😀
 
#20
Thanks for all the replies. I think maybe I'll try the dye method the Illusus was talking about.

Although bird eye veneers are still pretty expensive. What kind of black dye did you use? Also I'm confused about how this worked, was it because the dye penetrated deeper in the non-grain areas than into the grains?

Thanks again,

-Wes
 
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