810 Cab Restoration(graphic intense)

[Zooberwerx]

I've got an Ampeg 810 which is in similar condition, although not quite as bad. I'm kinda wondering how well a finished veneer exterior would hold up with repeated abuse (transport, off-loading, on-loading, etc). I'm planning on hitting mine with Duratex or the like. Oh, I've also read that plywood surface defects can be patched with Bondo and sanded.

Riis

 

[insomniac2295]

I've got an Ampeg 810 which is in similar condition, although not quite as bad. I'm kinda wondering how well a finished veneer exterior would hold up with repeated abuse (transport, off-loading, on-loading, etc). I'm planning on hitting mine with Duratex or the like. Oh, I've also read that plywood surface defects can be patched with Bondo and sanded.

Riis

since i've found a tool that was able to get all the gunk off of my cab, i've reconsidered using veneer because its expensive and i would worry about it chipping. you cant really tell from the pics but i used stainable wood filler that i got from wal-mart to patch up the cab everywhere. especially on the back where intense sanding wore through the first ply and started onto the next which is a darker colored wood (at first i thought it was a burn). The color matches up with the color of the plywood very well and you probably wont even notice once i stain it.

 

[insomniac2295]

bum-pity bump bump

 

[spectorbass83]

Say, that Peavey cab would look REALLY good with a MAX 700 sittin on top of it!

 

[xk49w]

You seem to be set on a nice wood finish but most veneer is really thin, like 1/32". You can get thicker, like maybe 1/16" - check www.constantines.com for example. If you ever gig the thing regularly the veneer will get destroyed in short order. The cab is so heavy it will be dragged across things rather than lifted to clear them.

If asked (no, I was not), I would recommend bed liner - a pretty much indestructible polyurethane textured coating. It comes in colors.

 

[insomniac2295]

Say, that Peavey cab would look REALLY good with a MAX 700 sittin on top of it!

Yes, yes it would! I can't wait to get it in the mail!

Update on the cab:
I applied some stain to the cab but I'm not 100% happy with the results. I might decide to recover it with tolex. But for the time being, I'm going to keep going down the road of the stained look. Also, if I decide to keep the stained look, I'll peel the tolex off of the Peavey Max 700 that I'm getting from Spectorbass and stain it the same color as the cab.

 

[sedan_dad]

I've got an Ampeg 810 which is in similar condition, although not quite as bad. I'm kinda wondering how well a finished veneer exterior would hold up with repeated abuse (transport, off-loading, on-loading, etc). I'm planning on hitting mine with Duratex or the like. Oh, I've also read that plywood surface defects can be patched with Bondo and sanded.

Riis

Rather than "Bondo" I'd use Dura-Glass.
It won't shrink and therefore stay where you put it.

 

[kissmybASS01]

I'm interested to see where you go with this restoration. As I work in a semi-custom cabinetry shop, I'll throw in my 2 cents here (whether you want it or not)

If you want to "skin" your cab with a maple veneer, I would recommend a sheet of phenolic backed maple veneer. This product has a thick layer of cabinet grade maple (or other species) with a backing the same as those found on your kitchen countertops. The overall thickness is about 1/16th.
What separates this from "paperback" veneers is that due to its rigid backing, screw holes and other small surface imperfections are effectively covered up and cannot be detected. As well, this skin can be stained, clear coated or whatever. A similar veneer skin to look for is often referred to as "dura-back" veneers. Both are available as 4'X8' rolls.
A link to the laminate backed veneer is here: Invalid Link Removed
(Sorry, it's Canadian, but it's just a reference)

As for gluing the veneer, or even tolex, I would recommend an industrial spray contact adheasive such as this:
Invalid Link Removed

Good luck!

 

[insomniac2295]

I started staining the cab and the spot on the left side of it that's a different color than the rest of the cab is proving to become a problem. I've gone and got a darker stain now and am going to try my hand at blending in that dark spot with the lighter spots using the darker stain that I have. If it works out good then, I'll stain the whole cab that color. Pics will be up when I'm satisfied with it!

 

[insomniac2295]

I'm sorry to say that the result will not be as good as i had hoped. the irregular wood on the cab isn't taking the stain very well. I'm just going to paint the damn thing black and call it good. i'm broke and cant afford veneer or some sort of truck bed spray. :[ I'll probably do it sometime this week.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I'm sorry to say that the result will not be as good as i had hoped. the irregular wood on the cab isn't taking the stain very well. I'm just going to paint the damn thing black and call it good. i'm broke and cant afford veneer or some sort of truck bed spray. :[ I'll probably do it sometime this week.

How well will the cab take paint now that its been stained?

Riis

 

[throbgod13]

pull it apart and have it shot with bedliner.. it's your best bet..

 

[Tactician]

You might be better finishing the cab with a biege tolex sheeting - much more road worthy - the varish finish will break your heart if you travel with this cab - but will look great in a studio environment if it's staying there. Tolex type coverings come in quite a few colours including orange (what does that remind me of?) blue, tweed, black, white etc. etc..

 

[the_ruckus]

POR-15 (automotive rustproofing) also makes a CLEAR protectant. Whichever finish you choose can be coated with the POR-15 to give it invincibility to the road. I haven't used it myself (except on the truck) but my friend coated his dj cab's with it 3 years ago and swears by it.

Hope that helps out if you plan on a nice finish that you will take out of the house.

 

[ProfGumby]

You seem to be set on a nice wood finish but most veneer is really thin, like 1/32". You can get thicker, like maybe 1/16" - check www.constantines.com for example. If you ever gig the thing regularly the veneer will get destroyed in short order. The cab is so heavy it will be dragged across things rather than lifted to clear them.

If asked (no, I was not), I would recommend bed liner - a pretty much indestructible polyurethane textured coating. It comes in colors.

Bed liner is a great idea and should hold up fairly well, provided it will adhere well to plywood......

 

[hrgiger]

How's is this cab doing nowadays???

 

[sleepy_monkey]

SUBscribed

 

[benderman45]

Sorry to revive this old thread. But I'm buying an empty cab like this. Just wondering if you had any pictures of the finished cab? Give me some ideas for mine! Thanks.