Mortiting

DON73

I bought some mortite last week thinking about doing some Monitor 7s. The mortite I got is a wide strip made up of several smaller strips that can be peeled off. Do I just place a ring of the stuff under the speaker flange or flatten it out and apply.

When I was about 20 I made pretty good money off people who got tinkeritis and tried working on their cars. I don't want to end up like them with a distorted speaker flange because I used too much mortite. Thanks.

MillerLiteScott

Take 2 strips of the mortite and put it between wax paper and roll it out flat as you can with a rolling pin (if your SO will let you) or a laminate roller. Put it around the rim of the driver flange and cut out the mortite in the screw holes and pop it in and tighten it up.

Scott

comfortablycurt

MillerLiteScott wrote: »

Take 2 strips of the mortite and put it between wax paper and roll it out flat as you can with a rolling pin (if your SO will let you) or a laminate roller. Put it around the rim of the driver flange and cut out the mortite in the screw holes and pop it in and tighten it up.

Scott

Really? I never flattened mine out before applying it to my speakers. I haven't heard of anyone else doing that either.....I also honestly think you'd get a better seal with a single bead than would with two beads, because it can settle more completely and uniformly with just a single bead.


When I put it on, I just applied a single bead of it to the back of the flange and on the inside edge of the screw holes all the way up against the basket, and re-installed the drivers. You don't want to tighten the drivers down all the way the first day though. Get them pretty tight, without killing them...and let it settle for a day. Give each screw another turn or so for the next few days until the Mortite seems to have settled completely.

It seems to me that you'd get a much better seal this way than you would flattening it out first.

Just be careful not to over tighten it right off the bat. The Mortite takes a little while to settle, and if you over tighten it right off the bat it can bend the basket.

MillerLiteScott

Trust me roll out 2 strips. Much better.

Jesse gets the credit for this method.

Scott

heiney9

I never rolled it out (good idea though) once I seated the driver I applied even pressure on the driver basket to flatten it out before tightening the screws. Then every few day for a couple weeks I checked and tightened the screws accordingly.

The next time I use it I will pre-flatten it simply because it reduces the risk of distorting the driver basket and/or stripping the screw holes in the cabinet.

H9

DON73

Thanks for the information everyone. The thing I was most concerned about is the chance of distorting the basket. You have given me the info I need to avoid that.

F1nut

First, let me say that unless your stock gaskets are damaged or missing I see no reason to use Mortite.

Do it like Scott said, roll out two strands together. This should end up being about 1/32" thick and will be the same width as the speaker flange. Interestingly, after tightening down the screws it ends up being the same thickness (1/64") as the stock gaskets.

I compared the sound using the stock gaskets verses using the Moritite. I found that the bass response was better using the stock gaskets and threw the Mortite in the trash can.

All that said, nothing beats a set of Larry's rings.

dkg999

I didn't like the mortite tweak on my M7's either. I bought some gasket material at the auto parts store that comes in an 18" wide roll, then used a compass to mark out and cut new circular gaskets for the drivers. Works great and better couples the drivers to the front.

heiney9

I had great results with Mortite, but I have Larry's rings to install in both my M5's and 1C's so it's a moot point for me. My guess is, in reality, it's somwhere in the middle of people who think it stinks and people who think it works great.

H9

Rev. Hayes

I didn't care for the mortite either. I didn't note any improvement over stock and the stuff is a mess if you are going to take the driver out more than once.

Hmmm...

I think a poll may be in order. I'm on it.

dkg999

If you have a good compass, such as the compass points that fit on a 12" metal ruler, and an exacto knife, then using some good gasket material is quicker than the mortite, even with the non-circular shapes for the tweeter and terminals. You can get good 1/64 and 1/32 gasket material at auto parts stores, I paid $7.99 for a role that would do several sets of monitors or SDA's.

Larry's rings are a great idea. Overkill for my M7's in a vintage system, but worth it if you are using monitors or SDA's for your primary speakers, IMHO.

DON73

Anyone want to buy a new roll of mortite.......will trade for gasket material:biggrin::biggrin:

heiney9

Or after 11 posts (hardly enough to persuade or dissuade) you could try it yourself and make up your own mind.

H9

DON73

heiney9 wrote: »

Or after 11 posts (hardly enough to persuade or dissuade) you could try it yourself and make up your own mind.

H9

I'll probably try the new gasket first and then the mortite. How can I tell if the boxes are not sealed properly? I've tried the push test and the mid moves freely and returns slowly.

F1nut

I've tried the push test and the mid moves freely and returns slowly.

You are fine, no need to do anything else.