Guitar Tube Amp

Step 17 The Cabinet, Outer Covering

The cabinet was skinned with a roll of black vinyl that's been laying around here forever. Contact cement is the best adhesive for this application.

Apply the cement to both the wood and the back of the covering material. Let dry according to directions. 20 minutes worked well for me.

Carefully place the two pieces together. Work from the center outward, pushing any air bubbles out with a brayer.

Cutting and gluing the corners

Here's a quick tutorial on the corners (there may be other types, but this technique worked OK.)

-- Glue the front of the piece, wrapping the vinyl over the edges and around the back. Be careful to avoid any gathers, etc. To form the corner, first remove the excess by making two cuts.

-- Cut the excess overlap, outward toward the back of the edge (cut #1.)

-- Continue removing the excess by cutting inward to the back of the edge (cut #2.) A square of excess is now removed.

-- Create the edge flap by cutting parallel (cut #3) to the previous cut, along the front of the edge.

-- An optional fourth cut trims a little excess off the outer "back flap" by cutting at a shallow angle.

-- Apply the contact cement.

-- Fold the edge flap inward.

-- Fold the outer back flap over the edge flap, to the inside of the panel.