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Cloth surround sealant


SteveP02

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Hi, old topic I know, but new for me. I see that Permatex High Tack Gasket sealant was recommended after much careful testing a few years back. Is that still the suggested stuff to use?

I'm going to need to make new cloth surround from scratch, so suggestions for the fabric would also be welcome.

Thanks

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NO!!!!

Permatex will eventually harden and ruin the speaker. That recommendation slipped through the editing process before it was thoroughly tested over the long term. The only thing to use is RoyC’s goo, sold on eBay by “Vintage AR”

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On 6/22/2021 at 10:51 AM, SteveP02 said:

Hi, old topic I know, but new for me. I see that Permatex High Tack Gasket sealant was recommended after much careful testing a few years back. Is that still the suggested stuff to use?

I'm going to need to make new cloth surround from scratch, so suggestions for the fabric would also be welcome.

Thanks

The original AR "cloth" surround was made of treated-linen material, heat-pressed in a mold for the "half-round" curvature. The initial treatment kept the material pliable but helped it retain its shape.  After attachment to the woofer cone and frame, the surround was then treated with a butyl-rubber sustance, originally not water-soluable.  Later butyl-rubber materials, such as LORD Aqualast BL-100 treatment, work equally well on urethane-foam as well as linen materials.  The BL-100 cures to a clear color, but lamp black (carbon dust) was usually mixed to make the material black.  BL-100 is relatively expensive and doesn't have a long shelf life, so getting a quantity of it might be diffucult.

Aqualast® BL-100 butyl elastomer emulsion is an anionic emulsion of butyl rubber which offers broad latitude in formulating waterborne coatings. It is used as a modifier to enhance the flexibility and adhesion properties of many anionic emulsions.  Aqualast BL-100 emulsion can also be used as a coating for a variety of woven and non-woven fabrics to enhance barrier properties, improve fabric strength and handling properties. Typical commercial/industrial applications include: awnings, tents, carpet backing, protective clothing and upholstery. Typical medical applications include: bed sheets, operating room apparel, hospital gowns and incontinence pads.

 

AR-1_Woofer_Coated_3700_Surround_Treatment_002.jpg.b07c7bfc06313c191aa14f369ee76677.jpg

Tom Tyson (ARHPG files)

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And use the sealant very sparingly. Follow the directions and use just a very light coat to start, let it dry, test it out. You may need to retouch depending on long it's been and how it sounds, but you definitely don't want to over apply and make the surround too stiff.

 

Ask me how I know this😏

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On 6/22/2021 at 10:51 AM, SteveP02 said:

I'm going to need to make new cloth surround from scratch, so suggestions for the fabric would also be welcome.

Thanks

Steve,

Making new surrounds from scratch should prove interesting. How do you plan to maintain the shape of the roll?

Roy

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Roy,

I'm going to have to feel my way on that. I'm going to try linen pressed over a mold and a lot of steam, as Tom describes, and also polyester and a heat gun. I've been browsing "permanent creases" and PVA and resins are suggested but would be a last resort.

The surrounds on the drivers I'm trying to fix look synthetic. They are awkward in having a wide half-round profile versus their diameter, I presume because they have very long throw magnets and so a lot of movement. The one has the original surround that has gone completely slack and the other has been replaced with foam which is stiff and doesn't let the cone to move much. I've had no luck finding foam surrounds that come anywhere near the dimensions and profile so am trying to get close to the original design and materials.

Steve

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Before trying what may be a futile effort, have you tried searching for new cloth surrounds? I seem to remember that Bill LeGall can replace cloth surrounds so I just googled "cloth speaker surrounds" and found some for sale. I didn't examine them all closely so I don't know if any are the half-round style. Many are pleated.

Also, maybe let us know exactly what drivers you are working on and/or the dimensions of the surrounds. Maybe someone will have a suggestion.

https://www.simplyspeakers.com/cloth-speaker-repair-edge-kits.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-speaker-surround-cloth.html

https://www.speakerrepairshop.nl/en/cloth-surrounds/g-27

https://www.springfieldspeakerrepair.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=2014

 

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Hi, they are little Goodmans Maxim 1 speakers from the 1960s. I've been in contact with all of the major refoam kit sellers I can find without any luck. The surround measures something around:

4.25"/ 110mm full outside diameter

3.75" / 94mm diameter of outside edge of half-round profiling

2.75" / 70mm diameter of driver cone

2.25" / 58mm inside edge

0.5" / 13mm half-round profiling width 

P5200136.JPG

P5200123.JPG

brochure & specs.jpg

image007.jpg

image005.jpg

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