XPL200 Rehab

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By now everyone knows about the XPL200s I got for $360. They had been advertised on craigslist, the Recyclcer, and eBay for months, starting at $1150 and eventually going through two bidless auctions on eBay at $499.

They were a basket case: rotted foam, crushed 095Ti, destroyed grilles, filthy, filthy cabinets, missing pieces, etc.

Over time, I'll try to show the progress as they come back to life. My goal is to have a very nice pair for a total investment of under $600.

So first, out came many of the drivers for testing and repair. The 2214Hs went for a more thorough testing and refoam to Don Ramon's shop.

Here's one of the nearly bare cabinets.

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The cabinet veneer has been through a lot, but as part of my under $600 program, it cannot be replaced, so I'll do what I can for it. It's bone dry and much abused. Here are some representative views.

A top:

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One of the top edges:

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Junk on the side:

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The most exciting part is the bubbling of the veneer. In this bottom-lit shot, the shadows tell the story. This stuff is lifted in many places.

This was almost the deal breaker for me, when I saw these large patches of loose veneer.

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My two favorite tools for this kind of work are an Olfa® knife and some 3M blue painter's tape. Here the first bubble has been prepped for surgery.

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Using some kind of straight edge as a guide is a must. This has to be one cut, in a straight line, in the direction of the grain. A freehand cut is an invitation to disaster.

I make the cut in the middle of the tape strip so the veneer is protected on both sides of the incision, plus I have a "sterile field" around the opening.

(Yes, there's some dirt under my thumbnail. Also, it's a bitch trying to get a picture of some of this stuff. I need another hand!)

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I like to whittle off the tips of waterproof matches to make my insertion tools. The paraffin makes for easier insertion and clean up.

Sometimes a thin blade or even the tip of an Olfa® knife is needed to get started. Careful! No tearing please.

The blade goes in:

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The custom wooden shims go in.

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A third matchstick whittled as a tiny paddle helps with getting the glue into the opening. On some of the larger bubbles, I'll use a plastic paddle that comes with hair color products to mix components together. It'll slide right under the surface and has a range of an inch or more.

Again, camera in one hand, trying to demonstrate with the other while taking the picture. You do the math...

The tape does its job protecting the veneered surface from my ministrations.

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Once the shims have been pulled, then reinserted under the other side and the glue applied under that side, the seam is pressed down, the excess glue is removed from the tape surface, and the tape itself is removed.

Do not leave the tape on any longer than necessary, and for heaven's sake don't use regular masking take, duct tape, or anything other than the blue easy release tape. Even at that, the blue tape will remove a small bit of the surface color of the wood, but in this case where I'll be redoing the surface anyway, that's okay.

Once the tape's off, then cover the (former) bubble with a thick, partial cotton fiber, white, paper towel; get out the iron, set it on stun...oh, I mean 1 or 2, and press the wood gently as you speed set the glue. Pressing too hard is a no-no; you'll compress the grain in the area you're ironing.

If the white paper towel starts to turn yellow or brown, your iron is too hot.

Also, I shouldn't have to say this, but make sure there's no water in the iron and don't use the steam settings even if the water's been taken out. Otherwise

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The finished product. Tight, flat, and smooth with a hint of a tattoo from the tape. No glue stain anywhere.

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Here's the finished product. Well, not finished finished, just bubble removal finished. You know what I mean.

For comparison, check out how it looked when I started.

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The gouges, nicks, and chips get some stainable filler. I use the 150 Fine Grit sanding pad to smooth everything and to clean it up before restaining.

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While waiting for the wood putty to set up and the wood cleaner to remove the darker stains, it's time to take stock of the drivers.

Here we see the 095Ti and 046Ti getting ready for a check up.