White out some Sharp speakers (GF 9191)

Hey all,

Now, do not try this at home (there is a BIG possibility that this has already been done and talked about -we are so many, it would only be logical... but here it is).

When I got my original GF 9191 I remember the speakers being nice, clean and white.

All the 9191s and 9292 and 305s I have now (and the GF 1000) all have their speakers turn brownish with time and age, and most of them (if not all) have (had) brown spots on them.

So, being that I have a few spare 9191 speakers I tried to get them to a nice (as close to) white color as possible with........ Thin Bleach!

Now, give me a few months before you try (for those who wanna try) so as to be able to tell you if the cones become hard, brittle and break!

I am, at this moment, using the whiten speaker in my GF 305SBMD (being the Bbox I use the most) to see if, with usage, the speakers' cones will Snap, Crackle and Pop...!

Here are pics of the Thin Bleach in a glass, the paper towel used to (NOT WIPE -do not wipe!) tap the bleach onto the paper cones -don NOT touch the black dust cap.

The first two speaker pics are of them, as were with age. Then the applying, the speakers 2 hours after, then a second bleaching was done... so the next pics are of the speakers 24 hours later, and very last pic is 48 hours later:







Oops.... Don't have the 48 hour pic anymore... But there was no difference in color, only the fact that the speakers were nice and dry.

later!

You could also try Milton, a baby sterilising liquid with bleach. It is a softer liquid and might take a few goes but should remove those marks and turn them white. Good job though interested to see how it turns out.

I am sure it would work as well, but as you say, may take a lot more taping on the cones to get the whiteness we have now... Little by little, trail by trail, we will see.

it works, i have done it as well. i think FD was the one that clued me in on it.

Ahhh.... Good! Someone else who has done it!

Did the speakers ever bridle and crack, or are they still functional and flexible?

How long ago was it done????

What did you do your whiting on?

Let us know, we need details....

I did it it on a trc931 long ago. I don't play it that much but i didn't notice any problem with it (but maybe it is a gamble) I blasted it pretty good quite a few times, never noticed a difference or problem. I think just making sure you don't soak them is probably important. I blotted gently not rubbed and did it about 5 times letting each time dry completely. Not perfect but definitely helped.

I use a spray acrylic paint. Works like a charm. If anyone has seen my GX-300, Fishers 460/480 (now with Llopez), RX-C100 (boomshakalooma has it now) and others, you know you can get a brilliant white if that's what you want. Off white, cream, it doesn't matter.

The main problem with bleach is that it contains minerals that will make surrounds and paper brittle over time. Acrylics are good because often they are used on fabric canvas and clothng material.

Heck if you wanted to send them to me I'd hook you up!

Hummmmmm.... It is psychological (to me) to add extra, none original stuff, things,,,, I cannot see myself painting them. Ehhhh :'-(

Now, knowing that bleach will accelerate the degradation of the paper cones, I am going to rinse them with water over a period of a week or so.....

Heck, it is a trial!

I had done the bleaching method way back when on a some white speakers that were stained. The bleach worked wonders and the stains and such disappeared and the speakers looked new.

However, it wasn't long until the original stains were visible again. I went with Freddie's paint method and used Krylon Satin Dover White. More info can be found here:

viewtopic.php?p=66780#p66780

So FD, the stains came back... but did the speakers' cones crack (mess up)?

Oh, and thanks for the link!

bredgeo said:

Ahhh.... Good! Someone else who has done it!

Did the speakers ever bridle and crack, or are they still functional and flexible?

How long ago was it done????

What did you do your whiting on?

Let us know, we need details....

Click to expand...

Thats what stinks, if the speakers are already a little thin to begin with this may completly deteriorate them. I would personally rather paint them

However, it wasn't long until the original stains were visible again.

Click to expand...

mine haven't...i guess my bleach wasn't generic

I did a little guide on painting speaker cones on s2go a couple of years ago, here it is verbatim:

I repainted my Gf-9494 speakers using acrylic paint and I'm pleased with how they came out, heres the recipe:

What you need:



Get a brush around a 13mm (1/2 inch) wide, preferably a flat one like the one above. You need a nice flat edge for even coverage, rounder ones are less precise, especially around speakers edges.

For paint use an acrylic/guache. I love Jo Sonja's paints, they thin beautifully and mix really well. For these speakers use Warm White (a slightly off-white colour that's a lot less harsh as a normal white) and Brown Earth. Also get some All Purpose Sealer (water based, preferably Jo Sonja's).

Craft/Art supply shops should stock all these, using other brands won't change anything too drastically.

Take your radio apart and check the back of the speakers for what their original colour is. Now mix up the paints, sealer and a tiny amount of water (dampened brush is probably enough) to the right shade. Test it by putting a little on the back of the speaker and seeing how it dries.

As a rule you'll find you want to make it up slightly darker than the actual speaker colour as it'll lighten as it dries due to the porous nature of the speaker cone. Mixing in the sealer will thin the paint and make it dry super colourfast so it won't fade over time and also dry with the correct finish. You can experiment with different amounts to see what looks the best of course too.

When you're happy with the colour the thin (but not watery) paint to the speaker cone in a circular motion going around and the dust cap then outwards. The paint should go on evenly, if theres brush marks it's too thick and if the stains underneath show through then it's too thin. Don't stress too much if you get any paint on the silver dustcaps or surrounds as it's easy to rub off once it's dried. Acrylic paints are always easy to remove from non-porous surfaces as a rule, use an pencil eraser or something similar.

Apply the paint as evenly as possibly and make sure you let the whole speaker dry before deciding if it needs another coat.

This is how I repainted my 9494 speakers, the results are pictured below:




I've done this many, many times since since this first go on stained woofers and have had excellent results.
No discernable change to the sound personality either.

Good luck Bredgeo!!



Rock On.

Thats just awesome

On another note, do 9595 grills come off as well?

Hey Gluecifer,

Thanks for that... But, but, but..... I don't want to add thickness to my beloved Bboxes.... I really want them to be as close to original as possible...

The technique is great and clear, but that will be for others... The bleached cones (and the whiteness they are in now) are GREAT to me (true the brown is crap, but no I could not get myself to add paint... :'-( )

Event the Bboxes I altered... I only altered them for they were dead at the get go... But I tried to leave them as close to original function and looks as possible.

If not.... For the 9595 speaker grills, yes... they comes off as well.

Later!

No problem Bryan!
I'm the exact opposite! I love putting a bit of 'me' into every one of my
boxes to make them more mine. But I do very much appreciate
the idea of keeping them 100% stock.

For the record, the 9494 grills aren't made to come off, I customised
mine slightly so that they can be removed if need be though.

To be honest, I've been looking for an excuse to repost my painting speakers
guide for ages, as it's buried in a misspelled old topic on s2go.

Hope it works out for someone else out there one day!



Rock On.

i am going to give the paint a try next time, it looks BRAND NEW! If we are still here in 20 years we can discuss what technique failed or didn't

To be honest, I've been looking for an excuse to repost my painting speakers
guide for ages, as it's buried in a misspelled old topic on s2go.

Click to expand...

Ahhhhh... See, this post came in handy for some!!!!

i am going to give the paint a try next time, it looks BRAND NEW! If we are still here in 20 years we can discuss what technique failed or didn't

Click to expand...

I am pretty sure the breach technique with be the one to fuUck up the speakers! But hey, it is cool for right now!!!

blah blah said:

i am going to give the paint a try next time, it looks BRAND NEW! If we are still here in 20 years we can discuss what technique failed or didn't

Click to expand...

I'm sure we will still be here collecting in 20 years.
Great boomboxes are like classic
cars, they never go out of style. They just get more expensive.
This might just lead to an interesting post in 20 years:
"You did what to a pair of 20000$ sharp speakers? You bleached them??? "