What adhesive for aluminum frames?

[kenyonbm]

Hi, I am working on a pair of 10 inch woofers with aluminum frames.

The original adhesive has dried up and failed completely on both the spider and surround.

Can anyone recommend a glue that won't dry up and that will adhere to aluminum?

I was looking at 3M weatherstrip and gasket adhesive at Pep Boys and I have seen Goop recommended.

How about Weldbond. I have seen RTV gasket material recommended but I just hate silicone.

How about construction adhesive, like Liquid Nails?

Epoxy and silicone are recommended most often for aluminum.

What have you used?

Ken

[RoyC]

What have you used?

http://www.globaladhesives.net/index.htm

Roy

[kkantor]

Aluminum is hard to bond to, in general. Make sure you clean it very well before applying the adhesives, and work quickly, before too much corrosion occurs.

Here are my recommendations for you:

Surround to frame:

- if you are experienced at assembling things, and feel confident working quickly, use a contact cement such as "Plio-bond". But, once the parts touch, repositioning is hopeless.

- if you want more work time, use an RTV.

Spider to frame:

- Epoxy is the ticket here.

-k

Hi, I am working on a pair of 10 inch woofers with aluminum frames.

The original adhesive has dried up and failed completely on both the spider and surround.

Can anyone recommend a glue that won't dry up and that will adhere to aluminum?

I was looking at 3M weatherstrip and gasket adhesive at Pep Boys and I have seen Goop recommended.

How about Weldbond. I have seen RTV gasket material recommended but I just hate silicone.

How about construction adhesive, like Liquid Nails?

Epoxy and silicone are recommended most often for aluminum.

What have you used?

Ken

[kenyonbm]

"Aluminum is hard to bond to, in general. Make sure you clean it very well before applying the adhesives, and work quickly, before too much corrosion occurs. " k

Thanks k. It seems that Aluminum IS hard to bond, as the entire cone/vc/spider assembly was completely detached from the frame. Only the leads were holding it in, on both speakers.

I wound up using 3M Scothgrip #1300 Rubber and Gasket Adhesive.

It was a little tricky to reassemble the 10 inch woofers as I was trying to glue the surround and the spider at the same time with the cone and VC attached.

I unsoldered the leads then taped up the gap to keep dirt out and sanded off the old glue and down to shiny AL. I sanded the masonite and wipe down with MEK, the solvent for the Scotchgrip.

I prized off the dust caps with a bent knife.

First I glued the spider ring and shimmed the VC. I used office binder clips to clap it and removed the shims and check for rubbing, reentering as necessary.

I glued the surround the same way and left them clamped to dry. I glued the dust caps on with white speaker glue.

I would be pretty easy to leave a stress in the spider or surround that would cause the VC to rub so clamping then removing the shims and checking for rubs is essential.

The 3M glue was easy enough to work with and pieces could be shifted for 5-10 minutes which is why I used the binderclamps. The glue seems to seal well and cleaned up with MEK.

Ken

[kkantor]

Keep your eye on the Scotch 1300. It's really wierd stuff! Although you will get a strong bond after a day or so, the joint won't be fully stabilized for several weeks. For one thing, the adhesive material itself will get harder over time, becoming almost brittle. Also, the adhesion to the substrate ("pull strength") will drop somewhat after a while. This is probably not an issue in your application, since the glue will remain plenty strong in comparison to the forces involved. However, it is worth keeping in mind.

-k

"Aluminum is hard to bond to, in general. Make sure you clean it very well before applying the adhesives, and work quickly, before too much corrosion occurs. " k

Thanks k. It seems that Aluminum IS hard to bond, as the entire cone/vc/spider assembly was completely detached from the frame. Only the leads were holding it in, on both speakers.

I wound up using 3M Scothgrip #1300 Rubber and Gasket Adhesive.

It was a little tricky to reassemble the 10 inch woofers as I was trying to glue the surround and the spider at the same time with the cone and VC attached.

I unsoldered the leads then taped up the gap to keep dirt out and sanded off the old glue and down to shiny AL. I sanded the masonite and wipe down with MEK, the solvent for the Scotchgrip.

I prized off the dust caps with a bent knife.

First I glued the spider ring and shimmed the VC. I used office binder clips to clap it and removed the shims and check for rubbing, reentering as necessary.

I glued the surround the same way and left them clamped to dry. I glued the dust caps on with white speaker glue.

I would be pretty easy to leave a stress in the spider or surround that would cause the VC to rub so clamping then removing the shims and checking for rubs is essential.

The 3M glue was easy enough to work with and pieces could be shifted for 5-10 minutes which is why I used the binderclamps. The glue seems to seal well and cleaned up with MEK.

Ken

[Pete B]

Any opinions on this E6000? http://meniscusaudio.com//e6000-p-796.html

[kkantor]

Any opinions on this E6000? http://meniscusaudio.com//e6000-p-796.html

I wouldn't recommend E6000 for speaker use, due to its very high viscosity. It tends to form lumps and ripples. Plus, the solvents in it could potentially damage a foam surround. Good for making decorations though....

-k