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converting oiled walnut to "rosenut" color

I have a pair of Snell Type A-III's that I'm freshening up(new woofer foams and maybe some crossover updates).

I'd like to change the existing oiled walnut to a rosenut color. Overall, the walnut veneer on both speakers is in excellent condition and really needs no work. I'm reasonably adept in a woodworking shop and in wood finishing. I'm considering wiping them down with General Finishes Georgian Cherry gel stain. It has the right dark-wine color.

Has anyone done this before? Any suggestions for changing to color to rosenut? How about top finishes?..I don't want to use any heavy topcoats. I'd like them to appear as natural-original as possible. I know the refinish may impact their value, but I'm not too concerned about that.

thanks..
fishboat

Showing 2 responses by hififile

hififile
236 posts
 
I would not recommend using bleach or alcohol. You could dissolve the adhesive that holds your existing veneer onto the base wood. If your veneer is over particle board you could wind up curling the ends and corners of the veneer. Or causing the veneer to separate.

If your speakers have an existing oil finish I would suggest products from DOF (danish oil finish). It requires detailed work and is labor intensive. How do you plan to protect the speakers in the cabinet and the guts of the speaker? I would empty the cabinet, noting wiring and even marking the screws.
hififile
236 posts
 
Good luck with you project. You have a lot of work ahead. But for a little elbow grease and a few bucks you will have a very nice pair of speakers. By the way the post above makes a lot of sense. A new veneer job would be my choice. You could pick out the exact wood you like, have both speakers matched, and not deal with refinishing. I used to sell the Snells in my father's stores a long time ago and they make fine speakers.
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