Can I use an iron to remove the vinyl laminate from my CRS+'s?
nspindel
Posts: 5,343
I'm getting started with the renovation of the CRS+'s that I bought from Sal last year. At some point I'll be doing new wood veneer on the cabinets. I've read a few threads about peeling the original vinyl laminate off being quite painstaking, with a paint scraper and a heat gun to melt the glue. Wondering if anyone has tried using a clothes iron instead of a heat gun, and if that can make the job any easier?
Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
Post edited by nspindel on
Comments
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It will probably melt the vinyl and it will be even more messy. Heat gun is the way to go.
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Is that confirmed? Tempted to try it at a lower heat setting and work my way up the power levels and test it on a corner of the speaker, just to see how it goes.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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try a hair dryer on high heat with a wall paper scraper
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Using an iron is NOT the way to remove vinyl. A heat gun and putty knife is and it's really pretty easy to do.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Hmmm, maybe I just need a hotter heat gun. I tried the heat gun and putty knife and was not getting very far. The heat gun works great with shrink tube, but maybe it's just not hot enough to melt the glue.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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Start at a corner, wave the heatgun around a small area, do not let it sit in one spot. You want to loosen the glue, not melt the vinyl. Remove the heat and start pushing the putty knife into and under the vinyl. You can help the putty knife by slowly pulling on the loosened vinyl, but be careful because it's damn hot. I wear a glove. When it becomes obvious that putty knife is no longer lifting the vinyl, apply the heat again, one small section at a time.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Ok, so I've been working at the vinyl removal, and it is some seriously slow-going work. I noticed that the vinyl that simulates the end grain around the front of the speaker under the grill cover comes off very easily. Using the heat gun melts the glue, and the strip of vinyl comes off easily with the putty knife. However, the top/bottom/sides are a different story. The heat gun seems to be having no effect on the glue. I've been able to hack away at getting the knife under the vinyl and prying it up in pieces, but it's got little to do with melted glue. The heat gun does seem to be able to darken the vinyl, so it's getting it good and hot, but it's not much easier to remove the vinyl without applying heat as it is with.
And because the glue isn't really melting, the pressboard surface that I'm revealing is quite rough. I'd imagine I'll need to smooth it out with some woodfill and sanding after this is all done, before the new veneer is applied. But this is really slow-going work, that's going to take me a long time with this method.
So I'm still trying to figure out a way that would be faster to do this job... What about pushing the cabinets through a wood planer and just shaving the vinyl off? No idea if the pressboard would survive the planing process though.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance. -
some potentially useful (and more-or-less cogent) references from elsewhere...
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=88602
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=190371
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=276983
special bonus link - reattaching loose loudspeaker driver magnets (the author of this designs loudspeaker drivers and systems for a living, interestingly enough):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202963 -
I wonder if anyone has tried one of the steam machines that is used to remove vinyl wallpaper One method uses a device to go over the paper that puts tiny holes in the vinyl paper and then you use a machine to apply steam to the paper which penetrates into the holes to release the glue. I know it is two different types of glue but it might still work??
- SDA 2BTL · Sonicaps · Mills resistors · RDO-198s · New gaskets · H-nuts · Erse inductors · BH5 · Dynamat
- Crossover upgrades by westmassguy
- Marantz 1504 AVR (front speaker pre-outs to Adcom 555)
- Adcom GFA-555 amp · Upgrades & speaker protection added by OldmanSRS
- Pioneer DV-610AV DVD/CD player
- SDA CRS+ · Hidden away in the closet
- SDA 2BTL · Sonicaps · Mills resistors · RDO-198s · New gaskets · H-nuts · Erse inductors · BH5 · Dynamat
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Interesting, thanks - there was a recommendation in one of those threads to use an iron on medium heat, which was my original idea. I may still give that one a try.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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I wonder if anyone has tried one of the steam machines that is used to remove vinyl wallpaper One method uses a device to go over the paper that puts tiny holes in the vinyl paper and then you use a machine to apply steam to the paper which penetrates into the holes to release the glue. I know it is two different types of glue but it might still work??
steam plus particle board.....my guess no but YMMV
heat gun has worked wonders for me. -
All I can say is that something's got to improve here, because what i'm doing now is grueling work, and is going to take me awfully long time to finish. The heat gun just isn't doing much at all.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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Yeah my thoughts are pressurized steam and particle board is a bad idea.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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Yeah, I agree it probably won't work. I did a little digging and find that steam will quickly swell the particle board.
- SDA 2BTL · Sonicaps · Mills resistors · RDO-198s · New gaskets · H-nuts · Erse inductors · BH5 · Dynamat
- Crossover upgrades by westmassguy
- Marantz 1504 AVR (front speaker pre-outs to Adcom 555)
- Adcom GFA-555 amp · Upgrades & speaker protection added by OldmanSRS
- Pioneer DV-610AV DVD/CD player
- SDA CRS+ · Hidden away in the closet
- SDA 2BTL · Sonicaps · Mills resistors · RDO-198s · New gaskets · H-nuts · Erse inductors · BH5 · Dynamat
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You are doing something wrong. I can peel a speaker clean in under an hour and without damaging the surface. I suggest you take them to a pro.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
If this is doable in an hour then I'm definitely doing something wrong. Jesse, do you have any specs on your heat gun? Watts, btu's, anything that I can spec against mine? Maybe mine just isn't powerful enough.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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Mine is a Wagner HT1000, at high setting is 1000 degrees. 1200 watts, 4100 BTUs.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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It's a Milwaukee Model #1220, but I don't think your gun is the issue as much as your technic. I think you're getting the vinyl too hot.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Hmm I agree with you, looks like the power ratings are identical. Let me give it another try......Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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Keep waving the gun around, don't hover. Do a small section at a time. You really have to jam the putty knife under the vinyl and at a slight angle, but not to steep otherwise you will dig into the particleboard.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
That's exactly what I was doing. You're blowing the heat gun from the top downward at the vinyl? Or you're lifting the vinyl up and trying to blow the heat underneath to get directly at the glue?Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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From the top. You're trying to separate the vinyl from the glue, not so much the glue from the cabinet.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I would just convince Carissa Rosario to sit on my speakers to melt the glue off! If you are single I would get her to do even more!Polk Audio SDA CRS+ crossover 4.1TL by Trey/VR3 (Rings and custom stand by Larry)-Polk Audio SDA SRS2 crossovers by Trey/VR3Parasound HCA1500aYamaha rxa-3070 with musicast-Celestion SL6S presence,- sl9 surround backNHTsuper1's surroundMagnepan SMGParasound 1500pre- Sofia "Baby" tube amp - Monitor Audio Silver RX2 Marantz 2230/B&Kst140Technics 1200mk2 Gamertag: IslandBerserker I am but a infinitesimally small point meeting the line of infinity in the SDA universe
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Jesse, here's the question - did Polk make CRS+'s with a wood veneer rather than a vinyl laminate? Because what I'm pulling off of these things is definitely wood. It's sawdust, it's splinters, and it's definitely wooden. If there's a layer of vinyl on top of this wood, then it's not separating from it.
The "end grain" of the speaker cabinets was definitely vinyl, that came off in seconds, and it was definitely a glue coming undone with some heat. But what's coming off the top, bottom, and sides of the cabinet is a whole different ball game, and it is a **** to get off.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance. -
Yes, they did and that would certainly explain the issues you're having. Time to get the sander out. How much veneer have you removed and from what surfaces?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Hahahaha! Well, yes that does explain a lot now doesn't it! Ok, I'm glad we cleared this up now...
So far I have removed the top of one speaker, and have chipped away at both sides. Have only messed with one so far. To be honest, I've pulled away at a bit of the pressboard, it comes up with veneer in many spots. Nothing deep, more like a thin layer of it strips away still attached to the veneer. I was hoping to level that all off with a wood filler and then sand it smooth, but appreciate any advice there.
Ok, I do have a sander, and I'll be happy to use that over continuing the way I've been going, because I was definitely doing it by brute force, the heat gun had little effect obviously.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance. -
Tell you one thing, the wood I'm going to use (haven't decided yet...) is going to be a whole lot nicer than the wood that's one here now. I can see why DK doesn't like oak, this just isn't all that attractive. Looking at it I thought it was vinyl. I have oak floors in the house that are a lot nicer looking than these speakers!Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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Yes, progress....whew!
Some 80 grit will remove that veneer pretty quickly. Careful around the edges, you don't want to round them off. I'd stay away from the typical wood filler, instead use either wood epoxy or Bondo.
So, what veneer have you chosen?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Hahahaha! Well, yes that does explain a lot now doesn't it! Ok, I'm glad we cleared this up now...
So far I have removed the top of one speaker, and have chipped away at both sides. Have only messed with one so far. To be honest, I've pulled away at a bit of the pressboard, it comes up with veneer in many spots. Nothing deep, more like a thin layer of it strips away still attached to the veneer. I was hoping to level that all off with a wood filler and then sand it smooth, but appreciate any advice there.
Ok, I do have a sander, and I'll be happy to use that over continuing the way I've been going, because I was definitely doing it by brute force, the heat gun had little effect obviously.
OMG too funny
are you serious I hope the reveneer goes better than the deveneer:eek: -
I'm following this closely as I intend to follow your path. I'm pretty sure mine is all vinyl.
what veneer choices are you looking at right now?Polk Audio SDA CRS+ crossover 4.1TL by Trey/VR3 (Rings and custom stand by Larry)-Polk Audio SDA SRS2 crossovers by Trey/VR3Parasound HCA1500aYamaha rxa-3070 with musicast-Celestion SL6S presence,- sl9 surround backNHTsuper1's surroundMagnepan SMGParasound 1500pre- Sofia "Baby" tube amp - Monitor Audio Silver RX2 Marantz 2230/B&Kst140Technics 1200mk2 Gamertag: IslandBerserker I am but a infinitesimally small point meeting the line of infinity in the SDA universe
