MGM Audio Posted March 4, 2020 Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 I have some ( used ) black speaker cloth and wish to use it for my AR18s. Do Forum members have advice on how to go about fitting ? Glue (which kind ? ) or glue and staple ? Any advice will be most welcome... Martyn G Miles Oxford England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted March 4, 2020 Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 Welcome Martyn Did your 18s originally have foam grilles? If so you need to make some wood frames. That's exactly what I plan to do next month with a pair of AR-11s. My plan is to make the frames, sort of like the one below that I made for some DIY speakers. For the 11s I plan to make a 45° bevel around the perimeter, to mimic the shape of the original foam. Or take a look at this page on making grille frames: https://www.humanspeakers.com/howto/grill.htm This page shows how to apply the stretchy cloth using 3M contact adhesive: https://www.humanspeakers.com/howto/grill-cloth.htm In the past I've used linen, fastened with 1/4" Monel (stainless steel) staples. But for the stretchy material the glue may work better. Kent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted March 5, 2020 Report Share Posted March 5, 2020 13 hours ago, MGM Audio said: Glue (which kind ? ) or glue and staple ? You might want to post a pic or two to show your specific situation - - some of the European products have minor differences from the U.S. versions with the same model number. The AR-18s (not AR-18) from the U.S. employs a very thin stretchy brown fabric over a molded plastic grille frame - - definitely no staples involved. Attached pic shows Euro version of AR-18s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike tarelli Posted March 5, 2020 Report Share Posted March 5, 2020 Hello Martyn I always use Copydex for new fabric. Worked fine on my AR 18s. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted March 5, 2020 Report Share Posted March 5, 2020 Thanks Mike. I had to Google Copydex but that "fishy glue" may be a better choice than the 3M product recommended by Human Speakers. I also did a little searching and found Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac Glue. I wonder if that might be even better/more forgiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGM Audio Posted April 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2020 Thanks, guys. I have rather solid chipboard frames and it looked like staples wouldn’t be a good idea. My Wife, who teaches textiles technology, suggested a glue ( Gutermann ) she uses at school for attaching different types cloths. I worked perfectly. The ‘18S speakers look excellent with the new black cloth attached. Martyn Miles Oxford England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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