How I Fix LS Series Grilles
soiset
Posts: 724
I've had many, many LS series speakers, and as most people who have had them know, the grilles are fragile creatures. The grilles have two components: an exterior plastic frame, permanently attached, and an interior cloth covered grille, that can be removed.
Both are susceptible to breaking where they attach to the cabinet.
The outer frame was attached originally with molded prongs, "+" shaped, that were pressed into the mdf baffle. These tend to shear off on the plane of the baffle. To re-attach the frame, I drilled out the broken plastic plug, and turned in a short #12 sheet metal screw with a #3 philips head. The larger head is important, because the prong won't go into a #2.
Use a dremel with a sanding barrel to grind the prongs down to flush with the frame, and put six of the sheet metal screws in the baffle, on the sides. The screw heads won't fit into the frame at the top and bottom, but six screws seems to be plenty.
Use a slower setting CA glue, preferably a gel, with a dab in each of the screw heads (the speaker should be on its back) and attach the frame.
The pegs on the inner grille commonly shear off, staying behind in the soft rubber sockets in the baffle. You can pull the pegs back out of the baffle with needle nose pliers. CA glue alone will not provide enough strength to reattach the pegs to the grille. To reinforce it, get some 1/32" drill bits from Drill Bit City, and drill the center of the peg, and the center of where the peg seats. Use an appropriate size paper clip to cut reinforcing dowels from. Set the dowels in the sheared of peg seat in the frame with CA glue, then apply glue to the seat and projecting dowel, and attach the peg.
If anyone has a better/easier method of repair, I'd love to hear about it.
Both are susceptible to breaking where they attach to the cabinet.
The outer frame was attached originally with molded prongs, "+" shaped, that were pressed into the mdf baffle. These tend to shear off on the plane of the baffle. To re-attach the frame, I drilled out the broken plastic plug, and turned in a short #12 sheet metal screw with a #3 philips head. The larger head is important, because the prong won't go into a #2.
Use a dremel with a sanding barrel to grind the prongs down to flush with the frame, and put six of the sheet metal screws in the baffle, on the sides. The screw heads won't fit into the frame at the top and bottom, but six screws seems to be plenty.
Use a slower setting CA glue, preferably a gel, with a dab in each of the screw heads (the speaker should be on its back) and attach the frame.
The pegs on the inner grille commonly shear off, staying behind in the soft rubber sockets in the baffle. You can pull the pegs back out of the baffle with needle nose pliers. CA glue alone will not provide enough strength to reattach the pegs to the grille. To reinforce it, get some 1/32" drill bits from Drill Bit City, and drill the center of the peg, and the center of where the peg seats. Use an appropriate size paper clip to cut reinforcing dowels from. Set the dowels in the sheared of peg seat in the frame with CA glue, then apply glue to the seat and projecting dowel, and attach the peg.
If anyone has a better/easier method of repair, I'd love to hear about it.
Comments
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could use pictures (story book)
what is CA ? -
I'll see about pics. CA is cyanoacrylate, or something like that. Superglue.
