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Help -- exploded diagram of taking the top hat apart?


LarryC

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Hi -- can anyone help me on this -- I have an expert restorer/refinisher who is willing to refinish my 1962 mahogany lacquer B-style K-horns.  These are the ones I almost ruined by applying Murphy's Wood Soap a few years ago.  He's going to do a lot of cleaning and sanding, and 

 

I understand that this is best done on the tops by disassembling the top hats.  Can anyone send me a diagram of how they come apart?  Any special tips on how to do it and pitfalls to avoid?

 

THANKS!

 

LarryC 

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The earlier khorn top hats (pre 70s) are attached by a ton of screws. When I bought my 67 khorns, we tried to disassemble the top hats, and then gave up. The mid-range horn needs to be removed and I think the crossover covered a hidden screw.

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15 hours ago, Don Richard said:

They are screwed to the bass bin from the top, It's been a while but there are 4 screws, IIRC. Look inside the top hat for the screws that hold the tops down.

 

I finished a decorator model and used wing nuts to secure my top hats.

I believe that just fastens the top hat of the B-style as a complete unit to the bass bin.  My interpretation of what others have said is that the top hat of the B-style like mine is made up of 3 or 4 veneered slabs or layers, tightly bolted and/or screwed together, to form the in- and-out steps of the top hat as a tight unit as seen from the front, sides, and rear.  The C-style looks much simpler, without the in-and-out steps.  Gary's is a C-style, and I suspect dtr20's is, too.  Those tops look like they are not detachable, hence the "ton of screws." 

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First take out the six silver colored screws (from underneath) shown in this picture, lift off the top panel and then the four screws that hold the motorboard / grill assembly, (and the horn support bracket screw and two screws in the crossover board), in this order, so the grill cloth staples do not scratch the finish when removing the motorboard.

 

IMG_9383.JPG.7697891692845fc43e6103bb17629a3e.JPG

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After the motorboard, grill, horns and x-over are out, you can unscrew the two upright side panels. If just refinishing the surface, that may be as far as you need to go. If you are re-veneering everything, remove a few more screws to separate the bottom panels of the tophat.

 

58efcdb2bd998_IMG_9675-Copy.JPG.2a6ddca3412b0e19791c77e468a4817d.JPG

 

 

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Thanks KornuK -- Really helpful!

 

NOW:  where are the "few more screws to separate the bottom panels of the top hat"?  I think that's what I've bin looking for, because a previous restorer apparently soaked the top hat in mineral spirits, and the new one may want to separate those bottom panels.  A couple other forum members in this thread apparently have done thet.  I and the new restorer may need to know how to do it.

 

Larry

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