Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

[cowtown]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Wow nice work, what method did you use to put the veneer on?

I did contact cement per LouC's tutorial. There were definitely some tense moments as the cement grabbed and couldn't be repositioned at all, but it worked out.

Those look fantastic! Yet another project that has me thinking about a foray into veneering...

Can I ask what seller you used on eBay? I've seen a few, all of whom look to offer some promising books of veneer at decent prices.

I used "rjfritz123" for the Bubinga. It seems like a good deal - 11 sheets for around $85 to my door. I think the way he advertised it was very honest.

I also bought some Walnut from a "greatdane6" and was OK with it but a little less happy because there were some pretty significant long cracks that were not disclosed. It's usable, though, and was cheap.

[Paul Carmody]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Damn! You're bookmatching it and everything. You sure this isn't your first time?

[Applesauce]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

I used "rjfritz123" for the Bubinga. It seems like a good deal - 11 sheets for around $85 to my door. I think the way he advertised it was very honest.

I've been looking at some of the same stuff... But I can't tell you how nervous veneer makes me! Is raw veneer from a fellow on eBay really an OK way to go for one's first attempt?! I mean, yours certainly turned out pretty nice...

[bolland83]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Wow man! :eek: Killer veneer you got there. Kinda makes me wish I'd went that route on mine.

[cowtown]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Wow man! :eek: Killer veneer you got there. Kinda makes me wish I'd went that route on mine.

No way bolland, your finish is so unique and really fits your room from the pictures I've seen. I'm just doing what the rest of the crowd is doing. :o

[cowtown]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, given I learned how to make curved cabinets, deal with raw veneer, and shoot shellac with a cheap spraygun. Main lesson learned: Raw veneer is a lot of work compared to PSA! The Bubinga took a lot of convincing to look good, lie down, and not tear out.

I realize now that I made an unforced error by choosing to use contact cement with an un-backed veneer. I didn't clearly understand until now that it's more appropriate with paperbacked, and I might get bubbles and lifts over time. If that happens I will just strip them down and redo with a different veneer.

Paul's speaker design itself is definitely a keeper - loud, clear, and fantastic bass. I just like the way he voices his speakers, I guess. We have 3 pairs of Overnight Sensations that have a similar "sound" (on a much smaller scale!).

Many small flaws which I will always see (but no one else notices) are there. That's a universal DIY rule, right? :D

I was going to follow the great advice I received over on the Tech side, and fill the grain, but when I realized the mistake with the contact cement, I decided to press ahead and get them up and running, and wait to see how durable the finish is. If it bubbles up, a shiny smooth filled grain is going to look awful.

So it was two sprayed coats of 50% Zinsser dewaxed shellac cut with denatured alcohol, and three coats of wipe-on oilbased poly. LOTS of hand-sanding. The finish came out slightly darker than I wanted, even with just cut shellac and clear poly. They look great in natural light and during the day, then get really dark looking at night when the house lights are on.

[Applesauce]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Damn. Those look GOOD.

[greywarden]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

+1

Epic&Win

[Steve Henry]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

+2

[gvimhoof]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Woof!

[DjDisturbed]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Beautiful looking veneer

[Paul Carmody]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Freakin' awesome! I never considered using bubinga until just now.

[50 watt head]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Outstanding and inspiring!

[greywarden]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Freakin' awesome! I never considered using bubinga until just now.

Did you see the one guy's pic in the Bubinga finishing thread? That made my heart hurt, it was so amazing.

[Leroy R]

Re: Carmody Tarkus 3-Way in a one-piece curved cabinet

Those turned out amazing!! Love the curved cabinets and that bubinga veneer is beautiful.