B&W 8xx series cabinet servicing question

[watchthewaves]

Has anyone experienced this -- the wood veneer at the back of the curved cabinet, where the wood veneers join/meet up, starting to separate. In other words, a gap develops at the point where the veneer meets up. Can be seen as a straight line running from the top to the bottom of the cabinet back. Can of course be felt too when you run your fingers from side-to-side of the cabinet back.

If you have, appreciate if you could let me know what solution had been suggested to you to remedy this problem. Seems to me that patching up with wood putty is just a temporary cover up job only that may not last for very long. But what else can be done? Must the cabinet be replaced?

Thanks in advance.

[Race Car Driver]

Ive seen that several times on the 803s and 804s
It splits right below the speaker termnials to the bottom of the cab.

[watchthewaves]

Yup, it is a more pronounced line at the bottom of the speakers, after the connectors.

From pictures of how the cabinet is formed on the B&W website, I gather that it is plywood that is bent to form the cabinet. So the part where the veneer splits should simply be the veneer joining only, and that directly under the split, the wood is a continuous piece and not joined there.

What would your dealer do? Wood putty?

[beden1]

Yup, it is a more pronounced line at the bottom of the speakers, after the connectors.

From pictures of how the cabinet is formed on the B&W website, I gather that it is plywood that is bent to form the cabinet. So the part where the veneer splits should simply be the veneer joining only, and that directly under the split, the wood is a continuous piece and not joined there.

What would your dealer do? Wood putty?

I had issues with veneer separating from some interior cabinetry in one of my boats. I found that the veneer is glued to the surface underneath. I used to use my hair drier to heat up the veneer and press it down, then tape it, and in about an hour . . . all was good. On really bad sections, I actually used a lighter to heat the surface and then tape, etc, but, you have to be careful not to burn the surface.

[mjb]

Interesting! I have an old HMV gramophone player, and the veneer is separating on that too. I've wondered about using a clothes iron to repair it, but perhaps the hair dryer idea is better.

[beden1]

Interesting! I have an old HMV gramophone player, and the veneer is separating on that too. I've wondered about using a clothes iron to repair it, but perhaps the hair dryer idea is better.

I think the clothes iron would certainly work. You would have to use some material in-between so the surface doesn't get discolored or burned.

[watchthewaves]

I think I'll try the hair drayer method first. The clothes iron sound a bit scary to me

Is the theory that the heat expands the veneer back to cover the gap, and also softens the glue so that it glues the veneer back to the cabinet again? Is that why just taping it down for a bit works and you don't need to apply glue?

[wettou]

Has anyone experienced this -- the wood veneer at the back of the curved cabinet, where the wood veneers join/meet up, starting to separate. In other words, a gap develops at the point where the veneer meets up. Can be seen as a straight line running from the top to the bottom of the cabinet back. Can of course be felt too when you run your fingers from side-to-side of the cabinet back. If you have, appreciate if you could let me know what solution had been suggested to you to remedy this problem. Seems to me that patching up with wood putty is just a temporary cover up job only that may not last for very long. But what else can be done? Must the cabinet be replaced?

Thanks in advance.

How old are the speakers!!! I have seven year old B&W and they are all good! Do you live in a very humid place?:E