I had to build a small speaker for my study to go with a Denon Piccolo and to replace the speakers that came with it even though they worked quite well but after trialling some of my other speakers with it, I knew I could get a better performance.
Since I no longer do DIY or have a large work space, I no longer had any veneered MDF. I only had a small amount of Rock Maple veneer that would cover the front and back at a pinch and my usual suppliers no longer carry these veneers. So I needed to find a quick and easy finish.
I didn't want to paint so I ended up trying 3M Series 1080 Scotchprint Carbon Fibre wrap film as used on cars. The result with the remaining Rock Maple has worked out well.
The surface of the MDF needs to be prepared to ensure a smooth foundation that is not porous so was sanded and then 2 coats of a water based clear coat applied. The wrap is easy to fix (1 piece with an overlapping join under the box) and trim but it doesn't have any hiding power as it's only 0.11mm thick. Even though the butt joints were smooth with no gaps, they still show through slightly in certain light. Radius corners are no problem and the sharp edges are handled easily with a heat gun set on around 100°C.
The film does scratch and mark easily so care is required once installed but once in use there's no problem. Any fine scratches can be removed with a heat gun at around 70°C. I did consider applying a clear coat but I think would be problematic on vinyl. I trialled a little piece and the results scratched easier than the wrap. The surface can be protected using Meguiars products. It's supposed to be good for 5-10 years on a car, so should see me out as I'm an old fart.
The 3M wrap is not cheap but can be effective and applies quickly with little effort which was very important for me. Finishing loudspeaker boxes can be a pain and I've done enough to last me a life time. I do have a smaller TV speaker to finish and I'll try the wrap on the baffle, top, back and bottom to see how it goes around driver rebates.
FYI the MTM uses Scan Speak S2905-970000 + SB Acoustics SB12NRX25-4.
Since I no longer do DIY or have a large work space, I no longer had any veneered MDF. I only had a small amount of Rock Maple veneer that would cover the front and back at a pinch and my usual suppliers no longer carry these veneers. So I needed to find a quick and easy finish.
I didn't want to paint so I ended up trying 3M Series 1080 Scotchprint Carbon Fibre wrap film as used on cars. The result with the remaining Rock Maple has worked out well.
The surface of the MDF needs to be prepared to ensure a smooth foundation that is not porous so was sanded and then 2 coats of a water based clear coat applied. The wrap is easy to fix (1 piece with an overlapping join under the box) and trim but it doesn't have any hiding power as it's only 0.11mm thick. Even though the butt joints were smooth with no gaps, they still show through slightly in certain light. Radius corners are no problem and the sharp edges are handled easily with a heat gun set on around 100°C.
The film does scratch and mark easily so care is required once installed but once in use there's no problem. Any fine scratches can be removed with a heat gun at around 70°C. I did consider applying a clear coat but I think would be problematic on vinyl. I trialled a little piece and the results scratched easier than the wrap. The surface can be protected using Meguiars products. It's supposed to be good for 5-10 years on a car, so should see me out as I'm an old fart.
The 3M wrap is not cheap but can be effective and applies quickly with little effort which was very important for me. Finishing loudspeaker boxes can be a pain and I've done enough to last me a life time. I do have a smaller TV speaker to finish and I'll try the wrap on the baffle, top, back and bottom to see how it goes around driver rebates.
FYI the MTM uses Scan Speak S2905-970000 + SB Acoustics SB12NRX25-4.
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