Vintage Products

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Dillen — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:03:37 GMT

The veneer is very thin and the discoloration will most likely go deep.
Grinding will soon take you all the way through to the base wood
and in most cases it's really not the veneers structure or grain that's damaged - "only" the color.
Product names and availability differ from one country to the next. I suppose your DIY store would be the best to advice you regarding which products and colors are available in your area.

In some cases (where all was "already lost") I've tried different methods for practice and I've found out that, at least in some cases, you can repair the damage by applying the exact same thing again as what destroyed the surface in the first place. Especially oak seems to accept this happily but this can be coincidental.
F.e. water-rings; Rub the whole affected surface using steelwool and water, let it soak a bit and rub again. Let it dry completely and treat with oil etc. (For oak you can use wax or similar).
I am not saying that this will work on any surface and with every damage and I know it sounds strange but I've seen it work.
Of course you shouldn't leave it to soak for days as this will certainly destroy the finish.

The alternative, I suppose, is to contact a pro woodworker and ask for assistance in the form of either advice, treatment products or actual work.

Brazilian rosewood may be the correct name for the palisander woodsort,
or at least for one of the woodsorts that B&O sold using the palisander name. We've had this up before on the old forum.
The structure and grain patterns of palisander B&O (and other furniture-) things vary a lot
up through the years from very fine and even grain-patterns to very
rough patterns with large, dark, almost black knots visible.

Martin

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Rosewood — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:21:22 GMT

So much for thorough enthousiasm

I guess that rings of beer glasses and vases on top of the cabinet do need grinding...

I know palisander is a strange word for brazilian rosewood (dalbergia nigra) and used in different manners, so I try to avoid it. But the dyeing process is new to me. What additive would you recommend to get the nice reddish color back?

Regards,

Matthijs.

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Dillen — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:53:09 GMT

Don't grind away the veneer unless it's already damaged.
You won't find the original color deeper down and you won't be able to polish it back to the original appearance if the surface is ground.

Palisander is not a real woodsort, there's no such thing as a palisander tree. The veneer is dyed to that color and the color fades
due to sunlight etc.
The only way is to add some stain color with the oil, a little at a time, and then rub it in gently using fine steelwool or similar. Let it soak for a while and wipe off the excess.

Martin

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Rosewood — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 14:34:53 GMT

Hello all,

I recently had a practice run at the bottom of a pair of S60's. A thorough grinding! 220 sandpaper took ages so I switched to 80 and finished with 120 and 220. I then applied a lovely smelling oil, which is comparable to danish oil from a local marine shop (The Netherlands) especially suited for veneer. The result even with three layers however is a little dull and the red finish is less lush and the grain is much (too) darker. Any suggestions before I start at the visible parts of these beauty's?

Regards,

Matthijs

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

classic — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:00:25 GMT

Cheers Andy,

I did really see on your direct mail you must have spent a lot of time .... I am impressed and it is nice to see someone care - really.

But ... I have of coarse experienced hte problems visiting places on the internet and using the ø. I have seen it 'translated' to the most special characters :) - so I have really 'learned' to spell with an [o].

/Frede

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Jandyt — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:49:42 GMT

Cheers Frede.
Nice to see you have added Venø to your signature, but how come you haven't put a diagnal line through the o? It took me hours to figure out how to do that with an English keyboard!

Andy T.

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

classic — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:11:01 GMT

Hi Andy,

I would like to recommend a bit different methode. Sanding down - yes of course. Be avare the products from 1960 to 1980 are all with a relativly thick veneer, so you can really solve problem by sanding.

After that I always use wax (beewax for furniture). That will give you a very silk surface which I prefer against the oil finish. The Danish company TripTrap has an extremly good wax for furniture.

I use wax for rosewood, teak and a special 'uncoloured' for oak.

/Frede

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Jandyt — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:32:40 GMT

I have had a gallon of linseed oil for about 25 years. I think some ancient relative used it on a cricket bat. I use this for my outside wood. Guess this Danish oil is a little more refined.

Andy T.

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Peter — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:49:51 GMT

Even available at B&Q!! Used for outdoor furniture!

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

SWISS_2 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:48:48 GMT

Any good furniture store. Danish furniture especially, even Marine suppliers, which is where I purchase mine.

Teak oil or Tung oil will restore the natural oils to the surface of teak, even veneer. Clean it well first to remove handprints, stains, dust, and let it dry well. You can then apply a VERY GENTLE sanding as Peter mentions above ( super fine grit paper ) or rub it GENTLY with brass wool. Wipe it well before applying a coat or two of oil, with the grain of the wood or veneer.Wipe off any excess. VOILA !

Some of the later speakers were wood-grained tape ( photo ) and not real veneer. Teak or Tung oil can't hurt in this case, but can't help much either.

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Jandyt — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:34:58 GMT

So what is Danish oil and where can it be obtained?

Andy T.

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Medogsfat — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 10:54:03 GMT

Some button poish applied to the bare wood will enhance the grain a treat. Follow with a rub down with steel wool to flatten the surface before applying Danish oil.

Chris.

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Peter — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 10:16:49 GMT

Be careful not to get too enthusiastic with the sanding! You don't want to go through the veneer!

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

zimble01 — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 08:55:28 GMT

Many thanks, Peter and Kevin! It seems you both agree on Danish oil and some sanding - I'll be certain to try it. Thanks once again.

Re: Restore rosewood veneer on '70s S45 Loudspeaker - help!

Kevin — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:13:57 GMT

If the colour is gone then I would recommend lightly cleaning the whole surface with white spirits to try and remove the polish that has acumulated over the years and let you get the stain to the wood. I finish mine off with a light coat of Danish oil which gives a nice luster.