Apogee Acoustics

Hi All

I have a pair of Calipers which will be upgraded over the next couple of months.

I don't think I have an original colour- it's sort of yellow/ beige and the finish Looks like it was DIY.

Has anyone tried to cover the cabinets with this "foil" which can be used on cars? the idea is to stick it to the bigger flatter parts, then use a hair drier to mould to the contours.

The current paint and finish is terrible so I thought I might have a go myself before paying for a professional finish.

cheers
Chris

Hi,

I haven't used it on speakers but have done some "wrapping" as they call it. I think it would be tricky to get it to go over the top 90 degree corners, you can stretch and shrink the stuff with heat to some degree, but I think the right angle corners would be tricky without having to cut and joint it. Having said that if you overlay the film then using a sharp knife to cut through both layers then remove the excess you can get a nearly invisible joint.

Jon

Hi Jon

good point with the top and corners, I was thinking more about the front with the bass and treble openings.

I might still give it a go- I don't think it will be worse than it is now.

cheers
Chris

Air pockets would be the enemy, seeping in through joints! A basic satin acrylic, over-rolled would give a cheap and easy finish, that would probably look more acceptable than blister-wrap

I would agree with Graz, mainly because I think getting the edges to look good would be tricky. Depending on what paint type was used you can normally get away roughing the surface slightly with 240 grit or so paper then paint straight on top with hand rolled acrylic, floor paint or kitchen and bathroom home paint works well. Alternatively something like Rustoleum or Plasti-cote satin spray cans as there is a good choice of colours.

The clue of the painting is in the preparation.

The plastic used for auto wraps will only stick to a hard smooth surface like glass or polished auto paint, and any speck of dust leaves a peak on the surface.
It's only a realistic option if you already have a piano finish on the MDF, in which case, why bother?

thanks for all the Input. I will paint the cabinets.

cheers
Chris

Worth getting rid of the "sill" at the bottom, and getting some decent epoxy into the joints before. Ensure the paint is removed, it tends to move a little and will bite you if spraying! If rolling "eggshell", it will be easier...