Good evening Campers,
I’m contemplating restoring some Celestion Ditton 66 Loudspeakers, but I’ve never done anything like this all 😀 They are in a poor condition cosmetically (and sonically) and thought changing their appearance for something more modern might be the way to go, as opposed to trying to repair it. I’d be be using the iron on method when it comes to the re-veneering.
However, what about removing the existing veneer finish, had anyone ever done this? I’ve watched some YouTube videos using scrapers, damp towel, iron and so on, but thought I’d ask for some firsthand experience.
It’s not a perfect box, what with the edging and little lip at the bottom, so it might all prove just a nightmare for a novice to handle. I’m not a DIY’er normally but thought this might be a fun project and save passing it over to a pricey cabinetmaker to restore
Any helpful advice appreciated.
Cheers
Phil
I’m contemplating restoring some Celestion Ditton 66 Loudspeakers, but I’ve never done anything like this all 😀 They are in a poor condition cosmetically (and sonically) and thought changing their appearance for something more modern might be the way to go, as opposed to trying to repair it. I’d be be using the iron on method when it comes to the re-veneering.
However, what about removing the existing veneer finish, had anyone ever done this? I’ve watched some YouTube videos using scrapers, damp towel, iron and so on, but thought I’d ask for some firsthand experience.
It’s not a perfect box, what with the edging and little lip at the bottom, so it might all prove just a nightmare for a novice to handle. I’m not a DIY’er normally but thought this might be a fun project and save passing it over to a pricey cabinetmaker to restore
Any helpful advice appreciated.
Cheers
Phil
The veneer was originally fixed with fish or hide glue. This relaxes and lets go with heat.
Use your iron to warm it up and that will aid removal. finish the surface with a block sander before glueing fresh veneer on.
Use your iron to warm it up and that will aid removal. finish the surface with a block sander before glueing fresh veneer on.
Wow, OK. That was a quicker solution than I imagined - cheers. I might have to make another post about an obsolete 4uf high loss capacitor needed for the crossover now too!
Or, you might want to make new cabinets from better material. I just recapped a pair of Ditton 44s for my niece, and the cabinets have minimal to no bracing, and are made from the cheapest chip board available at the time. That would save you the time of removing old veneer. Jon may be correct, but I don"t one if that veneer was adhered with hide glue .... that's a process usually reserved for fine furniture and trust me, the old Celestion cabinets are anything but. I love the quality of their drivers, but the cabinets were controlled by the bean counters.