show me your baltic birch plywood finishes

[invaderzim]

I'm getting close to putting a finish on some baltic birch plywood speakers and am really curious to see what others have done.

Please post pictures with a quick description of what you used to get that finish.

My mind is melting with all the tips and advice I've read recently and would like to counter that with actual pictures of what the finished product looks like.

 

[Nissep]

I’m looking forward to this, and while we wait Your best finish on Baltic Birch -

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I will soon build four tham 15 and that is a lot of plywood faces to finish and will use oil based polyurethane for protection since I don’t feel like covering the wood grain. I already own everything but it will be existing to see if I should change my mind.

Probably not since the finish needs the durability I can get from oil/poly.

 

[Bigun]

A Big'un - the Audio Nirvana Super 15

 

[Ugg10]

Java’s Shadzi did something interesting with his Sorels design, taking an angle grinder and carving through the first couple of layers of the ply to give a 3D effect. Not sure I like it but different.

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[wesayso]

Painted:

Polished:

Exposed layers of birch ply, tainted and 6 coats of polyurethane lacquer.
It was not to be though, sadly the enclosures cracked on a non glued seam.

Today they look like this which isn't bad either...

 

[invaderzim]

Bigun, love the deep dark color.

wesayso, stacked side grain speakers look amazing.

 

[giralfino]

Photo and description: Another 6.5”+1” BR design (Peerless HDS + Seas Prestige)
Birch veneer and a birch block board baffle.

Ralf

 

[freddi]

depending upon cabinet size and aspect, sometimes I think a clear finish looks best

but then again I like this old one

 

[invaderzim]

I like the clear too, that bottom one though is amazing.

here are the finishes I currently have on scrap wood. The redish (custom mix of cognac and pecan) is a color I like but it brings out some of the fuzzy edges of the grain. The light one on the left is shellac and has a nice gloss and depth to the shine. The top right think one is walnut and I like it but it tends to bring out the splotches the most, even with a pre-stain conditioner on it.

 

[planet10]

Here is a set of dFOnken125 in clear finish with a nice detail on the chamfers (not one of ours, they all are unfinished or veneered)

dave

 

[ndp]

Jacobean stain on the sides and top, 4-5 coats Bullseye schellack cut with a little denatured alcohol, probably about a 2.5 cut. Sprayed with a HVLP, hit it with a little steel wool, paste wax and elbow grease.

 

[invaderzim]

ndp, dang that is impressive.

 

[ndp]

ndp, dang that is impressive.

Thanks, it's almost all my pops. He mostly does antique restoration work so he's a master at spraying shellac. We just got the drivers installed in these cabinets today and gave them a listen.

 

[hifijim]

shellac is indeed a very old-school finish. In many ways it is both forgiving and very beautiful, but not a lot of people know how to work with it. You certainly wont see it in a furniture factory or a cabinet shop in 2020... Hats off to your Dad. He does a great spray job with shellac.

 

[tcpip]

Building a TM standmount with Baltic Birch

The bevelled edges look nice. I've decided to make them a "feature" of all my designs henceforth, till I hit some other new idea.

 

[tcpip]

A slim 3-way floorstander with organic curves

I decided to push the limits of Baltic birch to see if it would hold when rounded with a good large bit which would shave off finely tapered curves off its edge. It worked -- I got amazing organic curves on the front baffle edge without any chipping of the ply. The roundover bit is shown -- it's not circular -- it's an elliptical shape of the kind used for rounding banister railings.

Photos of the speaker include the raw-ply and after-PU-polish states.

 

[planet10]

Nice touch with the chamfers. FF165wk + Ribbon (Aurun Cantus?Fountek?)?

dave

 

[tcpip]

Nice touch with the chamfers. FF165wk + Ribbon (Aurun Cantus?Fountek?)?

dave

Thanks Dave. [emoji4]

FF225WK and Aurum Cantus G2Si. My first ribbon based design.

 

[osscar]

Ok it's not a speaker - but an amplifier, but you can see the texture of this fantastic material (I'm from the Baltics myself )

 

[hifijim]

tcpip -

I got amazing organic curves on the front baffle edge without any chipping of the ply.

That is encouraging. I have wanted to try round-over edges with Baltic birch ply. Now I will give it a shot...