Painting grey 4311b

[Mike F]

I`m about to embark on yet another 4311 restoration. It probably wont be as elaborate as the one I did a few years ago as the pair I`m starting with are in better condition and I wont be doing the inverted driver mod.
I have a few questions regarding the painting of the cabinets. Researching Lansing archives determined RAL 7038 to be the correct paint code but I dont see any references to what type of paint JBL used, was it oil or water based?
What puzzles me at the moment is the proper technique to apply the paint, the sides, tops, bottoms are textured and the baffles and back panels are smooth.

This is something I need to do myself with minimal investment as far as special tools are concerned i.e. I dont want to invest in a paint gun for a one-off project.

Any and all suggestions are most welcome:)

[DJ_rockett]

Without buying a spray gun I would say large nap rollers will leave a texture and many coats and sanding in between will give smooth coat, also a really good brush .... ... my 2 cents

[Goldjazz]

I`m about to embark on yet another 4311 restoration. It probably wont be as elaborate as the one I did a few years ago as the pair I`m starting with are in better condition and I wont be doing the inverted driver mod.
I have a few questions regarding the painting of the cabinets. Researching Lansing archives determined RAL 7038 to be the correct paint code but I dont see any references to what type of paint JBL used, was it oil or water based?
What puzzles me at the moment is the proper technique to apply the paint, the sides, tops, bottoms are textured and the baffles and back panels are smooth.

This is something I need to do myself with minimal investment as far as special tools are concerned i.e. I dont want to invest in a paint gun for a one-off project.

Any and all suggestions are most welcome:)


When I restored my Studio grey 4311 this is what I did: I got a spray gun (the type that allows you to attach a jar of paint you have mixed up). Got the paint made up at the hardware store, they colour matched to the original, it was just regular indoor house paint. My technique was to attach an object to the end of the nozzle of the gun so it was slightly in the path of the jet of paint, about half and inch from the nozzle tip, I ended up using a screw as that object. As the paint came out it hit the screw and kind of sputtered, had a very similar result to the texture. I had to experiment a bit to get it right. I think the colour was a pretty good match and I was happy with the texture (results below). Only thing is the paint wasn't as tough as I'd like, could get scratched a little more easily than the original. So perhaps someone else can recommend a tougher type of paint or a clear coat that will protect.

[Mike F]

I recall following your restoration a few years back GoldJazz, nicely done.
The paint that was applied by JBL turned out to be water based, that was confirmed by a swipe of nail polish remover. I lightly sanded all surfaces with 180 grit and had a liter of Sherwin Williams RAL 7038 mixed up.
The top, bottom and side panels were painted with a roller and even after a couple of coats, the original texture was still evident so I left it at that.
The baffles and back panels proved to be more challenging. A brush or roller would not have given the desired effect so they received several coats using the Preval vaporizing system, I have mixed opinions of that sprayer. I went through almost three air canisters just to do those four panels following the instructions to the letter, I believe 2 of the 3 cans weren't holding as much pressure as they were suppose to. At nearly $15 a can, I dont think I`ll be using that system for anything more than touch ups or on very small areas.
On to the crossover :)

[Goldjazz]

I recall following your restoration a few years back GoldJazz, nicely done.
The paint that was applied by JBL turned out to be water based, that was confirmed by a swipe of nail polish remover. I lightly sanded all surfaces with 180 grit and had a liter of Sherwin Williams RAL 7038 mixed up.
The top, bottom and side panels were painted with a roller and even after a couple of coats, the original texture was still evident so I left it at that.
The baffles and back panels proved to be more challenging. A brush or roller would not have given the desired effect so they received several coats using the Preval vaporizing system, I have mixed opinions of that sprayer. I went through almost three air canisters just to do those four panels following the instructions to the letter, I believe 2 of the 3 cans weren't holding as much pressure as they were suppose to. At nearly $15 a can, I dont think I`ll be using that system for anything more than touch ups or on very small areas.
On to the crossover :)

Cheera. Yeah took a lot of experimentation to get it right. I might post a video If I can dig up the sprayer. Best of luck with it.