Guest jcmjrt Posted March 22, 2005 Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 I've been trying to get hold of Layne Audio and haven't been having any luck. I'm getting a constant busy signal and I've tried putting it on auto redial for a couple of different times for an extended time.Is Layne Audio still in business? having problems and will be back to work soon? or..?One of a few things that I wanted to talk about was the recoating material for the paper woofer/mids for my model 5s. I don't know if he's carrying it anymore. If he doesn't then I was hoping to get the number for the supplier and maybe just bite the bullet and order a quantity myself. Does anyone know a contact for his supplier?and would anyone else be interested in getting some of the recoating stuff if Layne isn't carrying it and I get some? I'm guessing that there are other speakers besides the model 5 that could benefit from being recoated.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrdb Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 Two years ago, Stephen at Layne recommended Aleene's Tacky Glue diluted 4:1 with water as a coating. I put on three coats and now the system resonance is 65Hz instead of around 45Hz, where it should be. When I wet the surround, the resonance falls right into the mid 40s. Maybe one coating would have been sufficient, but I have no more woofers to experiment on. I would not use this again. By the way, the midranges also need edge treatment. Lord Industries makes a coating, but it is sold in gallon containers for upwards of $100, if I remember right. See my write-up in the KLH section.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcmjrt Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 Hi Bob,Thanks for the write-up. Since you've had the problem with the Alene's I would prefer not to go that route too. Thanks for passing on the hard earned knowledge. Do you have a number/contact to get hold of Lord Industries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 I've tried various materials including the tacky glues, rubber cements, and some "sealant" sold by Simply Speakers. They all exhibit the same problem as the tacky glue...not flexible enough and stiffens the surrounds.I have been experimenting recently with something called Performix "Liquid Tape" (electrical). I found it in the auto section of Wal-Mart. It dilutes with hexane (found in crafts stores) and remains flexible when dry. Although it doesn't stay tacky like the stuff of old, it stays very flexible and seals well. Its much better than anything I've tried to date on cloth surrounds. I'm not sure of the optimum dilution yet, but a little goes a long way. Its nasty, smelly stuff.Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcmjrt Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 Roy, that sounds promising. So has it not changed the frequency characteristics of your woofer/mids? 20Hz doesn't seem like it would be a lot of difference...and wouldn't be in the tweeter range but in the woofer it's pretty significant. It's neat that you're trying out some different products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 I tried it on some "lesser" woofers with, to my ear, better results than with the other materials. The test will be when I get the nerve to use it on my extra pair of Model 5 woofers. As Bob pointed out above and as we have discussed in the AR forum, the old acoustic suspension woofers were very dependent on their compliant suspensions to provide the classic deep bass response they are noted for.Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palomar Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 I sealed the surrounds on KLH 6's latex caulk diluted with warm water. I don't know what the ratios were. All I did was squirt a little of the caulking compound into a paper cup, and then add just enough water to make it the consistency of a cream-type soup (e.g. tomato soup). Then I used a foam brush (I just happened to have one - any brush will do) to apply it.I don't have any measurement data, so I can't say whether it raised the resonance or not. It appears to be similar to an AR2a that I have, and my guess is that these two speakers had reasonably close resonant frequencies.I have no idea whether there are negative long-term problems awaiting me, but so far it seems to have worked well.Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joelongwood Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I did the same thing as Gary.......a very thin mixture of latex caulk and water. I used a clear latex that was white when applied, but dried clear. Like Gary, I have no way to measure the resonance frequency and if it was altered in any way. I first tried the mixture on a scrap of cloth, and after it cured I noticed it retained its flexibility.......and it's still flexible weeks later. I'm assuming it has maintained the same flexible properties on the cloth surrounds. All I can say is that, to my ears, these stunning looking speakers now make some beautiful music. Nice tight bass (not quite as deep as my AR3as, but where these things really shine is the wonderful upper midrange...they seem much more alive than the 3as. I just picked up another Kloss design, the Advent 300 Receiver. Even though it's only rated at 15 watts per channel, it's more than enough for my type of listening in a smallish room. I think the 5s and the 300 like each other.I'm really getting a kick out of these vintage pieces.........thanks to all the helpful advice on this board.:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 The latex caulk and water sounds like a great idea and less messy than the toxic stuff I've been playing around with...I owned the lesser known Advent 350 receiver for a number of years in the 80's and still remember it as one my all time favorite pieces of equipment..Unique to look at, "stringless" tuning dial, black before black was "in" and a big sound; having no problem with low impedance speakers. I've recently rediscovered 70's vintage Sansui receivers (some only rated at 20 to 30 watts per channel) as a nice match for classic speakers. They are built like tanks and, sonically, remind me of the Advent receivers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcmjrt Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Well, I may have to try this latex caulk mixture. Any particular brand or just anything that says latex caulk? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joelongwood Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I think any latex caulk would work. I used Ace Hardware brand Window & Door Siliconized Acrylic Caulk. It comes in a squeeze tube, so you don't need a caulking gun to use it. I used "clear," because I didn't want the surrounds to be white. I worried at first because the caulk comes out white..........but it dries absolutely clear. I also treated the midrange drivers with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palomar Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I would agree that I think any Latex caulk would work. I happened to use DAP Dynaflex 230 'Elastomeric Latex Sealant', but I didn't really pay much attention when I bought it. I was really just looking for a reaonably priced latex caulk at the home center.I do like the idea of the squeeze tube instead of the caulking gun (which I used). It just makes things easier.Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcmjrt Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 Thanks guys. I think that I'll try this out. I even have an Ace Hardware close by and the squeeze tube does sound handy....now I just wish that my caps would arrive... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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