I finally got around to taking a pic of the towers. This was my first attempt at wood finishing and I wasn't too happy with the results. One day I'll probably build a better looking pair of cabinets. In the mean time I'm building a center channel that resembles a studio one with the drivers mounted on the narrow "side" to keep it around 9" tall.
I used 3/4" oak plywood with the corners mitered 45 degrees using a circular saw. When the sides were finished I taped them together, glued the joints, and folded them into a big open ended box. The construction went better than I expected, but the places where the glue had squeezed out and was wiped it off during assembly wouldn't take the stain when I went to finish them. Even after much sanding I couldn't get completely rid of the residual glue. The best tip that I came across was to soak a small piece of 100 grit sandpaper in stain and sand over those spots. This worked pretty well in some areas and not at all in others. The worst spots are on the back of the speakers and on the sides that face the entertainment center, so you really don't notice it too much until you take a closer look, but I sure know about it. Next time I'll work to bring the grain out more and match the finish of the entertainment center better, and stain before gluing, I'm open for any other tips!
Bill Epstein Messages: 1088 Registered: May 2009 Location: Smoky Mts. USA
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
It's so hard to know how much glue to use on a mitered joint. Ancient trick for any type of joint is to brush a 3 lb cut of shellac on the wood near the joint. The glue won't stick to it and alcohol is the solvent. Better is to final finish, stain and topcoat the entire panel before glue up. After all, the glue-up ends the construction and chances to mar the finish. Glue won't stick to varnish or poly or oil, either. Never wipe glue off raw wood. That let's it enter the pores, especially with a wet rag. Let it dry and then scrape it off. Hat's off to you for screwing up only the hidden edges:)
Posting Rules
Members
Search
Help
Register
Login
Get a T-Shirt!
