Speaker Cabinet Restoration, Oil or Varnish?

I've been asked by a couple of people whether they should Oil or Varnish their speaker cabs.

Well the answer depends on what state your cabs are already in but ultimately you want Oil not Varnish. Varnish is a quick and cheap way to give a hard wearing protective surface but over long periods of time can flake and crack. It also doesn't feed the wood, the veneer is left underneath getting dryer and dryer. This can result in the veneer itself flaking off. Oil will feed the veneer, help prevent flaking and enrich the colour tone and depth. However oil will require more work and regular polishing to keep it at its best.

If your speakers are already varnished but in good condition with no flakes coming off, then there is little to be done. You can oil them, they will go shiny but then dull as the oil drys. The oil will sit on top of the varnish and wont feed the wood. You can varnish them again but in my opinion the best option here is to leave them alone, a regular polish will keep them nice.

If you have cabs with old varnish flaking off then you can strip the old varnish, rub them down (very lightly) and then build up layers of oil. When stripping I tend to go less paint stripper and more elbow grease. You can find elbow grease at any local hardware store... If that sounds like too much work for you then adding oil to the flakes and cracks will help the general appearance and the use of a good bees wax polish after will do wonders.

The speakers below had slight cracking in the varnish but the oil and bees wax helped a lot.

If your cabs have no varnish on them, the fun can begin straight away. A quick rub down is still advised as this will freshen the surface ready for the oil to soak in. It can also help hide any light marks and scratches.

But which oil should I use? I hear you cry.

Teak oil: Its good stuff but tends to be a bit expensive and is quite thin.

Danish oil: Another good one, very poplar, again, can be expensive but buying in bulk helps.

Linseed oil - Double Boiled: The oil of school workshops, its thick, its good value, its safe.

Personally I use Linseed Oil, it must be the double boiled stuff for the best results though. Its the thickest oil I've found and really gives a good finish. After oil the veneer has more depth, 3 dimensional glistening and improved colour tone. It also leaves a film over the whole speaker which helps protect and continues to feed the veneer. Any of the above oils, and others, will work well but after a few coats have been applied and set we must move to the next stage.

Beeswax Polish.

This is were we receive the fruits of our labor. Apply a small coating over the speaker and leave it for 10 minutes. Now buff away the residue to reveal a glorious shine, buff in the order you waxed. The longer you leave the wax on the more elbow grease you will need, hopefully you have some left from earlier.

So there you have it, bye bye varnish and hello oil. You cant beat oiling speakers on a hot sunny day!