Tweet
Guys,
I am in the process of building my second DIY Sonosub and just like my first, it will have piano black endcaps. During my first experience in trying to mimick this look, I posted on various forums to ask how and also did some research on how to do this process. I got some great responses/information on how to do it.
Of course, on my first go around in doing this with my first DIY Sonosub, the whole process took 2.5 months for all the outer endcaps to be completed and during this time period, I was going through a lot of anxiety in asking myself, "is thing ever going to be done?"
So with the lessons learned, I decided to try something different to expedite this whole process for my second Sonosub. I took a big interest in what Terry C did for Rich's SonoMASS sub but just modified it just a tad from what I told him back then. So here's what I did:
1. Sanded all surfaces using grits 100, 150, 220
2. Clean surface off.
3. Sprayed a total of 4 coats of Sandable Lacquer Primer (Got from Advance Auto Parts). Each coat primarily consisted of spraying the ends of the endcap first and then spraying the flat portion of the cap in one direction and finally going in a perpendicular/opposite/90º angle direction. After one coat was completed and dried, I sanded with 400 grit. Repeated this four times per endcap and checking the surface for abnormalties. If there was I was used automotive putty but during this process, there was no need for it. So far so good!
**Be sure to primer the understand or any cutouts as you will be administering water onto the endcap(s).
4. Once surface is ready, clean surface with a tack cloth.
5. I applied a total of 4 coats of Black Lacquer (Again from Advance Auto Parts) using the same spray pattern I described earlier with the primer. After each of the first three coats, I wetsanded/colorsanded the surfaces with 1500 grit. The last coat got wetsanded with 2000 grit.
**When wetsanding be sure to use warm water with a dab of dishsoap, this prevents the paper from loading up. IF the paper does load up you can either clean or get a new sheet. I also used a soft sponge as sanding block during wetsanding.
6. Waited a day.
7. I applied 3M Rubbing Compound via terry cloth which I did by hand. (Lots of elbow grease involved here!)
8. I applied another coat of rubbing compound but this time I used a 6" orbital polisher (Walmart) and put the compound on the terry cloth bonnet until it was all polished away. (I didn't use that imitation sheep skin buffing bonnet at all)
9. Finally, I applied Meguair's "The Professional Show Car Glaze 7". Two runs of it. Polish on, buff off. Karate Kid better look out!
10. If the paint hasn't cured, it might turn gray ash, so polish again.
Here are the results that took since Monday to Friday (5 days).
The following images are for the top endcap.
The first image is slightly zoomed in:
Image not available
What do you think? Pretty flat, eh?
Here's the next image taken at a different perspective:
Image not available
Excuse the messy desk!Reviewing products is a neverending process!
The next image, I put the endcap on the floor and put my webcam on a tripod at its maximum allowable height, which was 55".
Image not available
Look at the detail of those ceiling tiles! WOOHOO!
The last image is a closer shot though I don't think I focused the webcam right. I might take the pic again.
Image not available
OH joy! This beats waiting 2.5 months to get the same results.
FYI, here's a pic of the endcaps from my first DIY sub: (The compression was pretty high when I saved the image back then)
Image not available
So what you guys think in 5 days of work?
Julian
I am in the process of building my second DIY Sonosub and just like my first, it will have piano black endcaps. During my first experience in trying to mimick this look, I posted on various forums to ask how and also did some research on how to do this process. I got some great responses/information on how to do it.
Of course, on my first go around in doing this with my first DIY Sonosub, the whole process took 2.5 months for all the outer endcaps to be completed and during this time period, I was going through a lot of anxiety in asking myself, "is thing ever going to be done?"
So with the lessons learned, I decided to try something different to expedite this whole process for my second Sonosub. I took a big interest in what Terry C did for Rich's SonoMASS sub but just modified it just a tad from what I told him back then. So here's what I did:
1. Sanded all surfaces using grits 100, 150, 220
2. Clean surface off.
3. Sprayed a total of 4 coats of Sandable Lacquer Primer (Got from Advance Auto Parts). Each coat primarily consisted of spraying the ends of the endcap first and then spraying the flat portion of the cap in one direction and finally going in a perpendicular/opposite/90º angle direction. After one coat was completed and dried, I sanded with 400 grit. Repeated this four times per endcap and checking the surface for abnormalties. If there was I was used automotive putty but during this process, there was no need for it. So far so good!
**Be sure to primer the understand or any cutouts as you will be administering water onto the endcap(s).
4. Once surface is ready, clean surface with a tack cloth.
5. I applied a total of 4 coats of Black Lacquer (Again from Advance Auto Parts) using the same spray pattern I described earlier with the primer. After each of the first three coats, I wetsanded/colorsanded the surfaces with 1500 grit. The last coat got wetsanded with 2000 grit.
**When wetsanding be sure to use warm water with a dab of dishsoap, this prevents the paper from loading up. IF the paper does load up you can either clean or get a new sheet. I also used a soft sponge as sanding block during wetsanding.
6. Waited a day.
7. I applied 3M Rubbing Compound via terry cloth which I did by hand. (Lots of elbow grease involved here!)
8. I applied another coat of rubbing compound but this time I used a 6" orbital polisher (Walmart) and put the compound on the terry cloth bonnet until it was all polished away. (I didn't use that imitation sheep skin buffing bonnet at all)
9. Finally, I applied Meguair's "The Professional Show Car Glaze 7". Two runs of it. Polish on, buff off. Karate Kid better look out!
10. If the paint hasn't cured, it might turn gray ash, so polish again.
Here are the results that took since Monday to Friday (5 days).
The following images are for the top endcap.
The first image is slightly zoomed in:
Image not available
What do you think? Pretty flat, eh?
Here's the next image taken at a different perspective:
Image not available
Excuse the messy desk!Reviewing products is a neverending process!
The next image, I put the endcap on the floor and put my webcam on a tripod at its maximum allowable height, which was 55".
Image not available
Look at the detail of those ceiling tiles! WOOHOO!
The last image is a closer shot though I don't think I focused the webcam right. I might take the pic again.
Image not available
OH joy! This beats waiting 2.5 months to get the same results.
FYI, here's a pic of the endcaps from my first DIY sub: (The compression was pretty high when I saved the image back then)
Image not available
So what you guys think in 5 days of work?
Julian
Comment