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Cab covering alternative to Duratex??

H

homeby5

Guest
Aug 21, 2013
33
0
Key Largo
#1
Hey Guys,
I was in Lowes today getting some hardware when I saw a couple finishes that might work for covering speaker cabs. One is by Olympic called "Rescue It" and the other product is by Rustoleum called "Restore". Both seemed to provide a thick permanent waterproof texture that you roll on. Technically they are classified as a stain but after examining some samples they look and feel like a thick permanent covering.
Has anyone ever tried these before? They both seem to be about 1/2 the price of Duratex and are available in as many colors as paint.
Thanks for putting up with my newbie questions:) I did try a search on these products to no avail.
 
#2
Hey WELCOME to TalkBass! I have no idea if they would work, or how they would look if they did. But if you try it I would love to know myself. Seems like an interesting alternative. So post a report and pics if you give it a go, please.
 
#6
Splintered Skul said:
Can you get a small amount of each? Can get it, put it on some wood and then run some stress tests and find out ;) I'd be interested to know since I plan to a cab: sub'd
Click to expand...
I doubt it but if you go in Lowes they have sample pieces of wood that is coated with the stuff so you get a real feel for what it is like. Let me ask, does anyone know what a standard Marshall of Fender amp is covered with? I believe it would be as tough as that with a few coats.
 
#7
I've used the Restore for its intended use which is recovering old wood decks/patios. Worked pretty well there. It has a fine sand mixed in for some texture. It's hard to get the texture even with anything other than the textured roller for the product, so, add $15 to your cost.

It is waterbased, cleans up easy, not much chemical fumes, etc.

You have the stuff tinted/colored at the store when you buy, there's 20-30 colors to choose from.

I just put it on a deck a couple months ago, seems to be good but it hasn't been long enough to know anything about weathering/peeling, etc.

I'm going to try some on a pair of vocal wedges that are now ratfur and see how it goes. $80 for 4 gallons beats the hell out of $50 for 1 gallon of Duratex or truckbed liner if you have a lot of cabs to do.

My main concern would be the sandy texture scraping knuckes under something like a strap handle while carrying it. Other than that, seems to be fairly tough stuff, at least when it's new-ish.
 
#8
homeby5 said:
I doubt it but if you go in Lowes they have sample pieces of wood that is coated with the stuff so you get a real feel for what it is like. Let me ask, does anyone know what a standard Marshall of Fender amp is covered with? I believe it would be as tough as that with a few coats.
Click to expand...

I believe those, as well as most cabs, are covered in tolex. (Though it's said durability ranges from company to company)
 
#9
Splintered Skul said:
Can you get a small amount of each? Can get it, put it on some wood and then run some stress tests and find out ;) I'd be interested to know since I plan to a cab: sub'd
Click to expand...

IIRC, it came in 1 gallon and 4 gallon buckets at Home Depot. Seems like tough enough stuff for cabs. Probably come down to whether or not you like the texture or color choices.

FWIW, 4 gallons got me 2 coats on a 15x20 outdoor deck, so 1 gallon would be plenty for a large cab or 2-3 small ones? Just guessing there. I'd do 2 coats. Shouldn't need a third unless you screw up the texture on the second one. I slopped on the first coat and let it soak in/dry for a day, then did the second one to give consistent color and texture.

Stir it up often while applying or you'll get spots that look more "sandy" than others.
 
#10
Tolex is a brand name for cloth-backed vinyl. There are various grade from " cheap, tears easy " to " super tough ".

If you're looking at a fabric store, "marine grade" cloth backed vinyl like they use on boat seats is pretty good, tougher stuff. It'll be about twice the cost per yard as the softer prettier stuff, but that cheaper stuff will tear a lot easier.
 
#14
I have no experience with either of those finishes, but I used Duratex on my fEARful 12/6 and highly recommend it. Couldn't be easier to apply, dries fast, durable as hell and touch-ups are undetectable. It's the perfect speaker coating. I did three coats on my cab with one pint of Duratex, which cost $15 from speakerhardware.com. It's black, of course, but you used to be able to get custom colors of Duratex from the mfr in the gallon size.
 
#15
I'd never thought about coverings until I began looking into building my own cab. Once I saw the price for Duratex I began searches online for cabs with natural finishes, or light stains. Don't have any photos saved but there are some really nice looking cabs finished in just a nice stain. And didn't Carvin sell a covering some years ago in orange? What did that sell for?
 

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