Best method for removing synthetic wood veneer?

[Techlord]

Hi there,

I'm wanting to remove the synthetic wood veneer from my M&K subwoofer, in the end I want it to have a piano high gloss black lacquer finish, but first things first, removing the fake synthetic wood veneer.


I would appreciate any suggestions!

Thanks,
Techlord.

 

[T2T]

You'll probably need to use some form of heat gun. Start at one of the corners and slowly scrape the vinyl free from the cabinet with a putty knife. This may leave some glue residue behind - which you'll have to probably put a bit of effort into in sanding out to get the cabinet smooth for paint.

 

[Techlord]

You'll probably need to use some form of heat gun. Start at one of the corners and slowly scrape the vinyl free from the cabinet with a putty knife. This may leave some glue residue behind - which you'll have to probably put a bit of effort into in sanding out to get the cabinet smooth for paint.

How about an iron, would that do the trick?

Thanks

 

[j_garcia]

IMO, a hair dryer would be better than an iron. I picked up a new heat gun for $9 the other day on sale, so they can actually be found cheaper than a hair dryer, but most homes (with women in them) usually have a hair dryer handy already.

 

[Techlord]

IMO, a hair dryer would be better than an iron. I picked up a new heat gun for $9 the other day on sale, so they can actually be found cheaper than a hair dryer, but most homes (with women in them) usually have a hair dryer handy already.

I have a hair dryer that gets really hot, too hot for the human head! It has no business being used as a hair dryer! I'll give it a try over the weekend, let you know.

 

[walter duque]

I have a product at work that removes glue which I will post tomorrow, it works great.

 

[Loren42]

I have a hair dryer that gets really hot, too hot for the human head! It has no business being used as a hair dryer! I'll give it a try over the weekend, let you know.

Does it say Wagner on the side of it?

 

[walter duque]

I have a product at work that removes glue which I will post tomorrow, it works great.

It' called GOO GONE Spray Gel and it works great..

 

[lsiberian]

Veneer is usually a type of wood. But a hot iron is used to put it on. So It might do the trick. I much prefer a heat gun though. A good one will be lightweight so you don't wear out your arm. if you want a piano finish. Then I'd just paint over the veneer. Put some 2 or 3 coats of primers and then 2 or 3 coats of black semi gloss paint. Wet sand the paint and you can usually get close to a piano black finish.

 

[T2T]

Veneer is usually a type of wood. But a hot iron is used to put it on. So It might do the trick. I much prefer a heat gun though. A good one will be lightweight so you don't wear out your arm. if you want a piano finish. Then I'd just paint over the veneer. Put some 2 or 3 coats of primers and then 2 or 3 coats of black semi gloss paint. Wet sand the paint and you can usually get close to a piano black finish.

In the original post, he mentioned the veneer was synthetic. Using an iron would just melt the vinyl ... creating one big, yucky mess.

 

[highfigh]

I would think about trying Krylon Fusion spray paint. If the corners are in good condition and no gaps exist, it should bond to the vinyl surface (if that's what the boxes have) and give any other coats something to hold onto. I believe they make a compatible primer, too.

Another possible choice is using a vinyl dye, assuming the cabinets have vinyl surfaces. Then, a compatible paint can be used- this needs attention because some paints will dissolve the previous coat.

 

[Techlord]

Wow I can't believe how easy the "synthetic veneer" peeled off! With the picture provided it took me 3 minutes (blow dryer) to go this far, I'm asuming the yellow stuff is the glue, correct? I don't want to apply any cleaners that would absorb into the MDF, what do I need to do to prepare the surface for the lacquer finish? This task of peeling off this "synthetic veneer" is so easy a caveman can do it!

Thanks,
Techlord.

 

[Techlord]

Here it is all done!

 

[highfigh]

Wow I can't believe how easy the "synthetic veneer" peeled off! With the picture provided it took me 3 minutes (blow dryer) to go this far, I'm asuming the yellow stuff is the glue, correct? I don't want to apply any cleaners that would absorb into the MDF, what do I need to do to prepare the surface for the lacquer finish? This task of peeling off this "synthetic veneer" is so easy a caveman can do it!

Thanks,
Techlord.

Sand it while it's dry and stay off of the corners and edges as much as possible. Once it's smooth (don't use coarse sandpaper), you can use polyester resin, shellac or polyurethane to seal the MDF so the paint won't soak into the edges like a sponge. The edges will need a few coats and it will need to be sanded smooth/flat when it's done curing. Your first coat of paint should be primer and if you use a filler/primer, you can sand it smooth without breaking through the sealing coats. Once that is smooth, you can start building the finish with multiple coats of lacquer. Remember- you can't rush the lacquer. It may look flat and totally smooth but it won't after a few weeks- the volatiles need to leave and that will make the film thinner. Being thinner will reveal any high/low spots and it takes weeks for this step. Once it's dry, you can wet sand with a flat sanding block and wet/dry sandpaper- start with 200 grit, go to 400, 600 and 1200, keeping the paper clean and wet while you do this. Wipe it clean frequently- small lumps can cause deep scratches that will be harder to remove. At this point, you can decide how much gloss you want- if you really want piano gloss, be prepared to see scratches after the first time dust is wiped off. If you decide that you want a soft glow, stop sanding after 1200 grit and use a paper towel to burnish the surface. Paste wax with no silicone is best if wax is used- otherwise, car polishes and glazes work best for lacquer, since this is what cars were painted with in the past. I use Eagle One WET 'Wax as you dry' on my guitars and it leaves no streaks, minimizes scratches after it's dry and lasts a long time.

 

[Techlord]

Sand it while it's dry and stay off of the corners and edges as much as possible. Once it's smooth (don't use coarse sandpaper), you can use polyester resin, shellac or polyurethane to seal the MDF so the paint won't soak into the edges like a sponge. The edges will need a few coats and it will need to be sanded smooth/flat when it's done curing. Your first coat of paint should be primer and if you use a filler/primer, you can sand it smooth without breaking through the sealing coats. Once that is smooth, you can start building the finish with multiple coats of lacquer.

So let me get this right, I need to sand the MDF to a smooth surface until the yellow glue is no longer seen and then seal it, then use primer to build up a smooth paintable surface? Do I need to seal the inside of the subwoofer cabinet? Also will the polyester resin, shellac or polyurethane be compatible with most lacquer paint? Which of the above sealents are easiest to work with and which ones are thicker? I wonder what M&K used on their white paintable subwoofer cabinets...?

Thanks,
Techlord.