If you've got enough room, get the biggest compressor you can mess with. You can always use less air, but if you need more, you're screwed. Just shop around. I picked up a 20+ gallon vertical dealie marketed by Coleman at Sam's last year when it was their last one left (new in box), and the manager wanted it gone so bad that it was marked down to $160.
One of my neighbors was putting on a new roof. He was using a little tiny one. I offered to loan him mine. No take. Roof's half on, and the offer still stands, but he hasn't been over.
Duratex...
-
mike butler
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2006 4:01 pm
Well, if you just want to be sure the white wood doesn't show through if the "rat fur" rips, simply use flat black latex paint (Painters Choice by Rustoleum)...it is WAAY cheaper, goes on easy, doesn't smell, leaves a smooth finish, and you clean your brush with water. It acts as a very good primer to seal the grain of the wood so the glue doesn't I have used it to blacken the interior of all the racks and cases I have built, plus when I had time I also used it on the outside before gluing down the fabric. BUt I guess if you already own a gallon...sddj wrote:Just to note... I'm not intending to buy Duratex, just to prime... I figure I bought a gallon of it to try... so I might as well use it as a primer... since it's black, if long term the black carpet rips... the black duratex under it won't show Birch/Okoume white wood through...
Regarding the rat fur and duratex; you will regret using rat fur after a couple of load in/outs, as it will pick up way too much hair/ crap, and you'll end up ripping it off and replacing with another coat of the duratex. i recommend skipping this and doing as bill and others have said-go with the duratex first time and then the blankets or rubber stuff/ feet to solve the sliding problems!
please trust me, i have 2 cabs in my garage right now getting refinished. all my new stuff is simply duratex with a roller, someday i will switch to the hopper gun.
please trust me, i have 2 cabs in my garage right now getting refinished. all my new stuff is simply duratex with a roller, someday i will switch to the hopper gun.
-
Bill Fitzmaurice
- Site Admin
- Posts: 28916
- Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm
Hopper guns are available from $29.95 at Harbor Freight, and very adequate compressors can be had for under a hundred bucks. You can also use the compressor with a brad shooter, which cuts cabinet construction time by at least 30% compared to screws. Once you get air tools you'll wonder how you got along without them.
Just noticed some of your designs on their home page Bill http://www.acrytech.com/DuraTex.htm
Shame can't get this stuff in Oz. Hard to find anything similar.
Shame can't get this stuff in Oz. Hard to find anything similar.
Well, tonight I covered a 2x15... (yeah, yeah... I know...)
Got one coat rolled on - any hints for doing the second? I really don't wanna spray the thing. Probably gonna just foam roller it, and see how that does - I used a regular roller on the first one, and it's nice and all, but you can see a few irregularities.
I love the stuff. But I'm gonna need more. It's cheaper/easier to use than bedliner, but it still wants bulk...
And I can use it in a CLOSED garage! The projects for the next month are: finish the lines, put the Tuba HTs together, and go crazy with angles for the Omni 10s...
Got one coat rolled on - any hints for doing the second? I really don't wanna spray the thing. Probably gonna just foam roller it, and see how that does - I used a regular roller on the first one, and it's nice and all, but you can see a few irregularities.
I love the stuff. But I'm gonna need more. It's cheaper/easier to use than bedliner, but it still wants bulk...
And I can use it in a CLOSED garage! The projects for the next month are: finish the lines, put the Tuba HTs together, and go crazy with angles for the Omni 10s...
-
Tom O'Shea
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 9:06 am
- Location: Auburn, AL USA
Two things to try. First, a plain rolled-on second coat. This seems to add a look of solidity and even depth with very little paint used, and might take care of the irregularities you're seeing. And if that looks good, roll on a third... A last roll with a nearly dry roller adds some character.
Or second, use the looped-nap pattern roller you can get at Home Despot or Lowe's or any paint supplier. Duratex splatters around nicely with it, and you can get a bumpy truck-bed-liner look. But it won't be regular, because the loops are inefficient at picking up paint. To get the look you want, you might have to roll it out several times with the loop roller.
Tom O'Shea
Or second, use the looped-nap pattern roller you can get at Home Despot or Lowe's or any paint supplier. Duratex splatters around nicely with it, and you can get a bumpy truck-bed-liner look. But it won't be regular, because the loops are inefficient at picking up paint. To get the look you want, you might have to roll it out several times with the loop roller.
Tom O'Shea
-
MichaelVee
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:57 am
- Location: Knoxville, TN
Durability
How tough is Duratex?
It would appear that it's tougher than straight paint, but not as durable as materials like Line-X, or the coatings used by Dr.Bass or formerly by Euphonic Audio.
Do Duratex-coated cabs handle scrapes, pokes, rakes and drops well? Or does the cabinet wood dent and chip?
It would appear that it's tougher than straight paint, but not as durable as materials like Line-X, or the coatings used by Dr.Bass or formerly by Euphonic Audio.
Do Duratex-coated cabs handle scrapes, pokes, rakes and drops well? Or does the cabinet wood dent and chip?
-
Bill Fitzmaurice
- Site Admin
- Posts: 28916
- Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm
Duratex is as tough as anything that you can apply yourself. Line-X is tougher, but you'll have to pay $$$ to have it done. One advantage to Duratex is that any dings can be easily touched up. Even a major gouge is a simple repair job. Slap on some bondo, sand it, paint it, one hour start to finish.
-
MichaelVee
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:57 am
- Location: Knoxville, TN
Duratex still sounds like a tougher sort of paint, whereas Line-X is more like a thick, resilient, plastic shell.
I recently talked with a production engineer at Bag End, and he said they prefer Line-X coatings over Duratex. Bag End contracts with Line-X to coat commercial cabinets for outdoor applications.
From what Bill said, it would appear that Duratex is sufficient for most lighter duty speaker cab travel, particularly if your cabinet wood is strong stuff.
I recently talked with a production engineer at Bag End, and he said they prefer Line-X coatings over Duratex. Bag End contracts with Line-X to coat commercial cabinets for outdoor applications.
From what Bill said, it would appear that Duratex is sufficient for most lighter duty speaker cab travel, particularly if your cabinet wood is strong stuff.
-
MichaelVee
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:57 am
- Location: Knoxville, TN
Several people have noted how easy it is to touch up scratches, dings, pokes, etc. on a Duratex-coated cabinet.
I'll be more specific. Those of you who've used Duratex on cabinets and then taken them out on the road: how much protection from typical road wear does Duratex provide? Or do these cabinets get "boo-boos" as readily as a straight painted cabinet?
I need to contact Acry-tech directly and ask them for general info on the composition of Duratex- what sorts of plastics or polymers are incorporated into the product.
Edit: I have just called Acry-tech (11:05 AM) and someone is going to call me back. I'll post the info after the call. I've also just read the product info on their website, which says that Duratex is urethane acrylic.
I'll be more specific. Those of you who've used Duratex on cabinets and then taken them out on the road: how much protection from typical road wear does Duratex provide? Or do these cabinets get "boo-boos" as readily as a straight painted cabinet?
I need to contact Acry-tech directly and ask them for general info on the composition of Duratex- what sorts of plastics or polymers are incorporated into the product.
Edit: I have just called Acry-tech (11:05 AM) and someone is going to call me back. I'll post the info after the call. I've also just read the product info on their website, which says that Duratex is urethane acrylic.
-
MichaelVee
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:57 am
- Location: Knoxville, TN
I just spoke with a representative of Acry-tech. Those of you who've worked extensively with Duratex thus far will find this information old hat.
He said that the Duratex is very tough, although it can certainly get scratched up, and it can be penetrated by sharp objects with sufficient force. Duratex can be made stronger with multiple applications, up to a reasonable maximum of four coats. The minimum number of coats recommended is two, a base coat to cover the wood, and a top coat for protection.
As it turned out, Duratex was originally created for Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) for their professional line of enclosures.
I also asked about surface preparation. He said that the surface to be coated should be clean and as smooth as possible, which is reasonable. Glue globs and burrs should be removed either with solvents or with sanding.
Finally, Duratex is available in an almost unlimited number of colors. All one has to do is to find paint "chips" (samples) of either exterior or interior paints such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, etc., and provide the color information from the chips to Acry-tech. They will then mix up the correct colors for the Duratex batch.
Very, very interesting product.
He said that the Duratex is very tough, although it can certainly get scratched up, and it can be penetrated by sharp objects with sufficient force. Duratex can be made stronger with multiple applications, up to a reasonable maximum of four coats. The minimum number of coats recommended is two, a base coat to cover the wood, and a top coat for protection.
As it turned out, Duratex was originally created for Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) for their professional line of enclosures.
I also asked about surface preparation. He said that the surface to be coated should be clean and as smooth as possible, which is reasonable. Glue globs and burrs should be removed either with solvents or with sanding.
Finally, Duratex is available in an almost unlimited number of colors. All one has to do is to find paint "chips" (samples) of either exterior or interior paints such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, etc., and provide the color information from the chips to Acry-tech. They will then mix up the correct colors for the Duratex batch.
Very, very interesting product.