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Duratex...who's done it?

nysbob

nysbob

Sep 14, 2003
3,552
286
70
Cincinnati OH
#1
I'm thinking that I'd like to skin the rat fur off my venerable SSI boxes and give them a shell coat. Just wondering who's done it, how hard it was to do, and whether you're satisified with the final results.

Thanks in advance.
 
#8
I stripped my SWR Goliath III rat fur off and re-tolexed her in baby blue. It turned out great but stripping the rat fur was a PAIN IN THE BUTT! Lots of brute strength involved, tearing and pulling. It didn't just come off. There was lots of dried glue and a lumpy mess that had to be sanded. Definitely the hardest part of the project.
 
#9
What is the point of using sanding sealer before you sand? Aren't you just sanding off the stuff you just put on? Also, is roughing up the cabinet by using 220-grit necessary? What about on rounded-over edges? Do you have to rough those up too? I don't want to cut any corners with my fEARful build.
 
#10
mikeddd said:
What is the point of using sanding sealer before you sand? Aren't you just sanding off the stuff you just put on? Also, is roughing up the cabinet by using 220-grit necessary? What about on rounded-over edges? Do you have to rough those up too? I don't want to cut any corners with my fEARful build.
Click to expand...
I prep my cabs with a random orbit sander and 40 grit discs, no sealer, no primer.
 
#12
Spinal Tapper said:
I stripped my SWR Goliath III rat fur off and re-tolexed her in baby blue. It turned out great but stripping the rat fur was a PAIN IN THE BUTT! Lots of brute strength involved, tearing and pulling. It didn't just come off. There was lots of dried glue and a lumpy mess that had to be sanded. Definitely the hardest part of the project.
Click to expand...

This part worries me a bit. I'm thinking about stripping the rat fur off a combo and a cab and replacing it with some canvas duck I have around the house.

It's worth trying the chemical approach before going down the sanding route IMHO, especially if the glue might be soft e.g. rubber cement. Some manufacturers use water based glue, some use contact cement so I'm going to try water first, then MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone IIRC). MEK will take any adhesive off anything just be careful about protecting your hands. When I've used MEK in the past it ate through all protective gloves I bought in about 10-30 minutes depending upon the weight of the gloves. I will probably follow the MEK with some mineral spirits to try to clear up any residue that's soaked into the wood.

I have a somewhat irrational preference to not resort to sanding because I feel like I'm partly destroying the item. I suppose someone who doesn't like the idea of a white canvas cab/combo might say that about what I'm going to do anyway. A heatgun is also worth a shot.
 
#15
I realize prep isn't necessary, but I've built a few cabs, and more often than not finishes tend to soak in and I'm sanding down paint. All I'm doing w/the sanding sealer is to reduce that soak-in. Two coats of roller grade is whats recommended, and like I said, the results are just gorgeous..
 
#19
Those of you that did a round-over on the corners: When sanding the cab to prep for Duratex, did you "rough up the roundover" too? It may seem like a silly question, but I'm a bit OCD and obsess over every detail when it comes to assembling/fixing things. Thanks.
 

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