Plasti Dip spray, vinyl laminate repair wonder.

FAU5TU5

Fix peeling, curling, shrinking, cracking vinyl, plastic laminate on LS and RT series speakers with Plasti Dip.

This is just in case it hasn't been beaten into the ground. I cant imagin it not being a common knowledge thing, but I looked around here and never found it mentioned. (Probably a sticky somewhere that say "first things for rookie speaker restorers to know")

Anyway I figured I would toss it up for others like myself that didn't know.

For many of the older Polks (and other speakers mine are LS70s, LS50s, and RT7s, and RT5s, etc.) the lamination often starts to peal.. Not the wood laminate so much but the plastic/vinyl black laminate. Mine were peeling and curling around the 45degree bezels especially.

Many try to just glue this back down, and that can work, but not well or for long usually. And much of the time there is at least a little shrinkage so that even glued down it's not pretty close up.

Some just peel it all off and paint it.. better, but you can tell its painted.

Anyway, I had been itching to try using Plasti Dip Spray, and finally went ahead and did it. http://www.plastidip.com/ (get it at Home Depot in the paint section). Just peeled off the old curling laminate and cut along the bezel area as the face of the speakers was fine, only the 45degree bezel was peeling. Taped it off, and sprayed it like you would any spray paint, with just a bit more (or less) finesse.

I have to say I am RIDICULOUSLY pleased! it is about the easiest way I can imagine to have an almost identical look feel to the original. No I actually like it better. It's not going to be as rugged as the original vinyl laminate, it will gouge chip or scratch just as easy as paint.

Ok.. I won't drone on about this because, again, I'm sure this is old news. I just wanted to put it out there for rookies like myself.

Neskahi

I wonder if it might make a decent coating for sound deadening inside of speaker cabinets?

FAU5TU5

I cant say for sure about deadening reflection, but it sure does seem like it would be helpful with preventing rattling, especially if used between components. But to be fair, I dont know what it's long term durability are yet or its breakdown rate. But I am sure up to try it more liberally.

ben62670

Neskahi wrote: »

I wonder if it might make a decent coating for sound deadening inside of speaker cabinets?

I used a rubberized latex driveway sealer for mine. My speakers are a little over 7 feet tall, and required too much material to use the "real stuff" so I went off to Lowe's, and Home Depot. The driveway sealer deadened the cabinets dramatically. It went from a ring to a thud when hit with a hammer.

Neskahi

Hammer?

Neskahi

I do know what you mean though. That stuff [latex] would surely be cheaper and deserves a look. Good idea.

dorokusai

I've used spray on truck liner for the interior of a couple loudspeakers. Is the Plasti-Dip rated for wood application? It's not a bad idea I guess, and I didn't know they had it in spray form.

ben62670

I used a test piece. I don't know if you have seen the speakers I built, but I was not about to risk coating them with an unknown coating without doing a test on a piece of MDF. I was worried about swelling, and the material not adhering properly.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=646809&postcount=119

Neskahi

Saw your speakers in their early stage. Whow! Alot going on there. Any recent pictures?
Somehow I missed the finished product.

ben62670

No. I just moved my stuff to GA, and I am still here in Fla. I didn't want to finish them till they were where they were going to be for a while. It was inevitable that something, or someone was going to get damaged moving them. Will post pics fairly soon. Mat Polk emailed me a while ago (when I was actively building them) with some suggestions on the XO. When I get something done with them I'll keep you guys posted.