Veneer on veneer??

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sam9

sam9

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Joined 2002
drachen-audio.com
#1
I recently came by a pair of late 70's KEF bookshlf speakers in excellent condition. The surrounds look like new, possibly only the XO caos need replacement. The problem is they are covered in walnut veneer typical of speakers from that time and the old WAF says they need to be a light colored wood such as ash or poplar.

Can veneer be applied on top of veneer? If so any gotchas to look for? Any suggestions for somone new to veneer?
 
#2
I'm no expert (don't quote me), but it the old veneer is the iron-on type and you iron-on some new stuff, it might get all uneven or peel away. If its a glue type it might be okay. But it might be better allround to use the cold-glue type stuff
 
#3
sam9 said:
[B The problem is they are covered in walnut veneer typical of speakers from that time and the old WAF says they need to be a light colored wood such as ash or poplar. [/B]
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Hi Sam

Well, it all depends on if it is real veneer or just the old trick of wood finish laminate, and being 70's, I suspect laminate...

If it is real wood, you could just strip off the old finish with Nitromors or similar, as the stain will be 90% chance be mixed with the varnish, and will not have actually penatrated the timber. Once you have finished stripping, you will be suprised at how light the actual walnut is, it is just tradition to stain it dark.

But anyway, you will still need to strip the old varnish before you apply a new finish, and if the veneer can resist stripping, it will cope with a new veneer layer on top. If it turns out to be a laminate or vinyl, you can't use wood veneer over the top, so you will have to strip the old surface using a hot air gun or similar.
 
#6
Good info. It looks like real wood, not laminate. KEF was pretty much a high-class operation back then. So I'll first try stripping the finish with Nitromors (whatever that is). That should confirm for sure it is real wood. If that looks light enough, I can stop there. If not I'll move on to the other steps. She who must be obeyed better appreciate this - I'm more interested in how they sound!
 
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