Speaker Enclosures - Tricks Of The Trade

While the polyester primer will fill most sanding scratches and pinholes on the surface of your part, there are usually a few larger ones left. Spot-fill putty like this Evercoat Glaze Coat works well for filling these. Mix several small batches as shown since this stuff cures quickly. Mix one batch with a paint stick or tongue depressor. Then, dab a small amount on each pinhole or deep scratch. The spot filler will cure in 10 to 15 minutes. Start with 120-grit sandpaper until the surface texture of the primer is removed, creating a flat surface. Follow up with 220- and 400-grit sandpaper.

Blow or wipe the dust off the enclosure. Then, spray it down with a good grease remover like this PCL Aero Prep. Wipe the Aero Prep with a clean rag and repeat until no dirt shows on the rag. Just before painting, wipe a tack cloth over the surface to remove any remaining dust or rag lint. Be sure to wear latex gloves to avoid getting hand oil on the surface since this will prevent the paint from adhering properly. We use BASF Glasurit paint, and this is the color coat, or basecoat.

Mix two parts paint, silver in this case, with one part reducer. Use a paint strainer when pouring the paint into the paint gun to avoid contaminates. Spray two to three wet coats of color on the surface, allowing 10 minutes between coats. Clearcoat is the next step, providing protection and shine for the color coat. This BASF R-M clear is mixed four parts clearcoat, one part hardener, and one part reducer. Spray two to three wet coats of clear over the color coat and allow 12 hours to dry. We wet sand and buff the paint most of the time, but it's not necessary in this case since these enclosures will be on top of a 10-foot roof.

11. While the polyester primer...        read full caption 11. While the polyester primer will fill most sanding scratches and pinholes on the surface of your part, there are usually a few larger ones left. Spot-fill putty like this Evercoat Glaze Coat works well for filling these. Mix several small batches as shown since this stuff cures quickly.	12. Mix one batch with a paint...        read full caption 12. Mix one batch with a paint stick or tongue depressor. Then, dab a small amount on each pinhole or deep scratch. The spot filler will cure in 10 to 15 minutes	13. Start with 120-grit sandpaper...        read full caption 13. Start with 120-grit sandpaper until the surface texture of the primer is removed, creating a flat surface. Follow up with 220- and 400-grit sandpaper.
14. Blow or wipe the dust...        read full caption 14. Blow or wipe the dust off the enclosure. Then, spray it down with a good grease remover like this PCL Aero Prep. Wipe the Aero Prep with a clean rag and repeat until no dirt shows on the rag.	15. Just before painting,...        read full caption 15. Just before painting, wipe a tack cloth over the surface to remove any remaining dust or rag lint. Be sure to wear latex gloves to avoid getting hand oil on the surface since this will prevent the paint from adhering properly.	16. We use BASF Glasurit paint,...        read full caption 16. We use BASF Glasurit paint, and this is the color coat, or basecoat. Mix two parts paint, silver in this case, with one part reducer. Use a paint strainer when pouring the paint into the paint gun to avoid contaminates.
17. Spray two to three wet...        read full caption 17. Spray two to three wet coats of color on the surface, allowing 10 minutes between coats.	18. Clearcoat is the next...        read full caption 18. Clearcoat is the next step, providing protection and shine for the color coat. This BASF R-M clear is mixed four parts clearcoat, one part hardener, and one part reducer.	19. Spray two to three wet...        read full caption 19. Spray two to three wet coats of clear over the color coat and allow 12 hours to dry. We wet sand and buff the paint most of the time, but it's not necessary in this case since these enclosures will be on top of a 10-foot roof.