Speaker painting?

[luckysim0n]

Anyone ever had their speakers painted been contemplating getting mine done as Missus doesn't like the colour and they have a slight dint on them which kills me every time I see it

 

[Shakey_Studioincar]

I love painting speakers <3

 

[smcampbell]

Looks really professional. Done yourself? You have a spray booth?

 

[triumph]

Mate had this problem with his speakers he had his vinyl wrapped  

 

[bigrod]

Preparation is everything...

You can do most of it yourself..

If the speaker has natural wood veneers it's best to keep it that way..

Most solid colour speakers are made from MDF or other compressed substrate to ensure totally flat surfaces 

Spraying is far superior to brushing whether it's a full solid colour..or sealers and finishing lacquers..

Choose a supplier for finishers that specialise in wood finishing products to industry..they are tried and tested over many years..

The best in the uk is Fujichem..they brought Sonneborn and Rieck who were world leaders in wood finishing...supplied many speaker manufacturers and cabinet makers for the kitchen bedroom furniture industry over decades.

What ever finish you opt for...use one that will polish with mechanical buffers to get the really high piano gloss look for solid colours..

Kindest regards Julian 

 

[bigrod]

Mate had this problem with his speakers he had his vinyl wrapped  

That will affect the sound more than painting..

Kindest regards Julian 

 

[luckysim0n]

Cheers guys at least I know its feasible 

 

[MartinC]

Just don't paint them pink 

 

[uzzy]

That will affect the sound more than painting..

Kindest regards Julian 

I doubt the affect is hardly measurable .. if you compare speakers with a proper piano gloss finish the paint layers are probably thicker than a vinyl wrap.  Similarly if you do a decent paint job it will be a layer of primer and four coats of top gloss (to allow for T cutting after to remove the inevitable dust specs (for those without a spray booth).

If you have to paint by hand use a roller and paint pads and go for a satin gloss finish .. worked a treat on my pine bedroom furniture 

 

[Juancho]

I used a local firm that specialises in spraying cabinetry and furniture. They did a great job in Metallic silver

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

 

[triumph]

That will affect the sound more than painting..

Kindest regards Julian 

He has Linn Speakers

 

[Radioham]

I think it was a joke .... Wrapping Vinyl as in records ? or wrapping complete cabinet including fronts.

 

[bigrod]

I doubt the affect is hardly measurable .. if you compare speakers with a proper piano gloss finish the paint layers are probably thicker than a vinyl wrap.  Similarly if you do a decent paint job it will be a layer of primer and four coats of top gloss (to allow for T cutting after to remove the inevitable dust specs (for those without a spray booth).

If you have to paint by hand use a roller and paint pads and go for a satin gloss finish .. worked a treat on my pine bedroom furniture 

Vinyl has a totally different flexibility to a Rock hard paint..

We don't wrap speakers in blankets..however thin..iff it wasnt in the original concept of the dynamics of the enclosure.

 

[uzzy]

Vinyl has a totally different flexibility to a Rock hard paint..

We don't wrap speakers in blankets..however thin..iff it wasnt in the original concept of the dynamics of the enclosure.

Paint these days though is not rock hard - it is acrylic or polyester .. it flexes and moves(try gently pushing your car bonnet). 

As to comparing a vinyl wrap with a blanket well .. i have not seen a tufted hand woven vinyl wrap of late.

The problem with wood (all wood, even MDF) is it moves with temperature and humidity, hence the need for a flexible finish (even moreso on the metal panel of a car).  As to carpets - in the past I have seen designs with good old Durolay or similar ruber carpet underlay inside to damp the cabinet and to reduce internal waves.

Vinyl wrap comes in thicknesses from 3.5mils to 5.5 mils .. a car paint job is normally 3 mils - Piano black has even more coats so is probably well over 3.5 mils .

if you fancy carbon fibre wrap, that comes in thicknesses down to 1.5 mils which would be less than the original paint job.   I agree vinyl wrap is more flexible but it is hardly enough to have an audible affect.

Manufacturers paint cabinets these days because it is what people want and is cheaper than veneering (which is a time intensive job and still needs finishing with a varnish or oil when done).  When it comes to cabinet design there are those that use vibration (making the cabinets from birch ply) and those who aim for as rigid and dense as possible (very thick MDF) to reduce cabinet resonance. I have yet to hear any manufacturer say they use specific paint and thickness of paint coatings to improve the sound of their loudspeakers but my wife did tell me she thought the metallic silver paint ones sounded best  

 

[MartinC]

Vinyl wrap comes in thicknesses from 3.5mils to 5.5 mils...

Excuse my ignorance but what is a 'mil' here? My first thought was mm but I'm sure it's thinner than 3.5 mm  .

 

[uzzy]

I think it is thousandths of an inch but I just dug the figures that came out on thickness of car paint and vinyl wraps lol .. I never thought too much about the actual measurement other than to show that vinyl wraps were not significantly greater than a paint job and to also point out the paint uses is very flexible 

 

[locheeboy]

Excuse my ignorance but what is a 'mil' here? My first thought was mm but I'm sure it's thinner than 3.5 mm  .

1 mil is around  1000th of an inch. 10mils is around 0.25 of a millimetre. B|

 

[bigrod]

Excuse my ignorance but what is a 'mil' here? My first thought was mm but I'm sure it's thinner than 3.5 mm  .

It's in the name ..the addition of a vinyl polymer to any material gives it flexibility...that's why we make records and pipes with it ..

 

[bigrod]

I think it is thousandths of an inch but I just dug the figures that came out on thickness of car paint and vinyl wraps lol .. I never thought too much about the actual measurement other than to show that vinyl wraps were not significantly greater than a paint job and to also point out the paint uses is very flexible 

Paint attaches to the substrate or to intermediate coats at the molecular  level..wraps use glue.

2 pack car paints are chemically reacted to give a hardness that allows it to be buffed and polished...you cant buff a wrap