painting woofers

[-GZ-]

so ive read a few of the posts on painting woofers. just wondering if there is a new consensus on the best way to do it. tell me what you think.

thinkin about paintin the cones on my 2 GF-8989's and my 8989II. theyve got some stains. dont know if im gonna go blue or closer to the original color. when i get back to milwaukee im gonna hook all three up to my main tv and line em up 3 across underneath it......f surround sound.

 

[weetabixears]

what sort off paint do you need too use as i would imagine it needs to be flexible for movment

 

[redbenjoe]

gz --i have just had 2 rounds of good results with DUPLICOLOR fabric spray
and then a top clearcoat --
auto stores carry these -

no need for heavy coats

 

[-GZ-]

thats kind of the way im leanin rbj. thin coats.

best way to tape off the edges and center?

 

[redbenjoe]

i will post a few pictures as soon as i find them --

for the centers --try and find an exact size bottle cap
to cover it perfectly --usually --asprin//medicine bottles
have a good range of sizes

for the outside woofers --
unless you get lucky -and find a matching size
ring --
you are screwed --as masking a circle with
tape is a tedious PITA

or -- maybe some brilliant member here will have a shortcut
masking process

 

[redbenjoe]

1st is an m90 woofer

2nd is a small sharp

 

[-GZ-]

good lookin out rbj. nice pics

good call on the bottle caps.

yeah hopefully others will post other tips in here. the thread is called "painting woofers" so this could be a good reference.

 

[Fatdog]

Here's a link to an older post of mine regarding white woofer painting:

viewtopic.php?p=66780#p66780

 

[Superduper]

If it's stained beyond acceptance, go ahead. But hi-fi audiophiles frown upon any suggestion of painting speakers because it adds mass to the cone and affects the sound. Transparency is reduced and it kills the treble. The entire theory behind using ribbon drivers and why they are so expensive, sound so good, is because the mylar ribbon weighs almost nothing, hence can respond very quickly and effortlessly.

So if possible, try using a stain that can be dissolved in alcohol. When it's applied, the alcohol evaporates quickly and completely leaving only the pigment. This method adds the least amount of mass to the cones. If painting, try to avoid making the coats too thick. Contrary to what has been said, it's not the flexibility that is important -- it's preserving as closely as possible the original weight of the cones. There is NO coating that you can apply to the surrounds that won't have a negative affect on it's flexibility.

But that being said -- we are talking boomboxes, not audiophile gear. Meaning, crude, brash, 10% THD (or more) boxes so not exactly high fidelity. If it makes you happy, just pick up a can of spray paint, mask and spray away.

 

[reptoid]

I have used the method Fatdog linked with good results. I used a lid from a mustard jar to cover the chrome dust caps like IRA suggested.

 

[weetabixears]

SUPER DUPER thats some good info as i quite liked the idea of spraying a boombox as i like to restore bmx's and other things but your reply was well informative and if i did have speakers that were soiled i would do as you said and try to clean first due to the negs of spraying but i would prob look at replacing them than spray all each to there own also can add if did change always keep originals incase of future sales or swap

 

[sean 91]

here are the sharp gf speakers i did. ordinary white primer, i used. and they look and sound perfect

i protected the caps by rolling up some a4 paper to the right size. and i masked the edges

 

[TRC-911]

I think I would paint them if they got bad enough-on most 931s it looks like a camel spit on them on the sides.

There is no real way to clean them without wearing the cones out. And paint looks waaaaay better! I will sacrifice a little sound for looks!(same goes for women

 

[stormsven]

Just love redbenjoe's tape roll cover. Genius . Should have a patent . And the mustard cover... Just love how the things are going some times. And we should have fun as well when restoring . What about using some white corrector thin layer?

 

[sean 91]

... big improvement

 

[kingrat2010]

that sharp gf 575

 

[sean 91]

that sharp gf 575

glad you like; the thread i made during the work i did id below, may be of some interest ?

https://boomboxery.com/forum/viewto...0c41d4947279755922827e4d4de801720b88d#p107873

 

[redbenjoe]

that sharp gf 575