RichardP Posted January 9, 2005 Share Posted January 9, 2005 Regarding the cracked black glass tops mounted on my 83 Cornwalls, I tried some of the removal tips you guys gave me a few days ago. Here is what I found: The glass tops were mounted not with adhesive tape (I wish!), but unfortunately with a lot (and I mean a lot) of some type of tough liquid adhesive. Enough was slathered on to cover about 40% (!)of the entire top surface of the speaker, and appeared to have been applied out of a squeeze tube or even a caulk-type cartridge. Clearly, the glass tops were not meant to come off. The adhesive is dark green, and as I heated it, it smelled very strong, of something petroleum based (probably not petroleum, but strong chemical smell nonetheless). To remove the glass, I had to heat a section with an iron, then get a round knife blade under an edge, work it under the glass as far as possible, and then lift enough to break off a piece of glass. There is so much adhesive on the top, that I could not do it any other way. Fortunately, it looks like I did not damage the plywood very much. Small scratches are the least of my worry now. It is also fortunate that the glass was not tempered, or I probably could not have broken off pieces of it. What is left is a huge amount of adhesive still stuck to the speaker top, now embedded with many tiny glass fragments and shards. I will have to use something like De-solve it, or Goo-B-Gone, or else get a heat gun, and scrape it up with plastic putty knife. The birch plywood speaker top, while previously finished (by a previous owner) in an attractive walnut or dark cherry, seems to have a naturally occuring blemish on the top, kind of like a knothole, that did not take the finish well; one area is too light, and an adjacent area is too dark. The owner must have decided to mount the glass to cover it. I guess my plan now is to replace the glass, once I scrape off the old adhesive. I cannot imagine doing the other speaker. I could use advice on an adhesive method that would hold the glass on under most conditions, but could be removed more easily than what I encountered today, should I decide to refinish the top someday. Thanks again for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 That really sucks! To remove the adhesive, you may consider a solvent, but I would try it first on an inconspicuous area to test the resistance of the existing finish ( like the bottom of the cabinet ). Laquer thinner will dissolve quite a few adhesives, but it must be used with care. It is very flammable and will be absorbed through the skin. If a test determines that it will not dissolve the existing finish, then wet a rag, and place it on the adhesive to see if it will soften it, so that you can scrape it off. You must do this either outdoors, or a very well ventilated shop. Another method would be to use a heat gun to heat the adhesive, to see if you can scrape it off. Definately use a plastic scraper! I would also recommend that you soften the sharp edges first with sandpaper, so that it will not scratch. Either invest in a box of disposable latex gloves, or better yet if you can find nitrile gloves ( either blue or greenish in color ), buy those instead. The nitrile gloves will last the longest, when in contact with laquer thinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSJ Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 MEK will remove most any glue. No smoking and have plenty of fresh air. Will not harm the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 Glad you're making progress, sorry to hear the result to the speaker. If the other glass is in good shape, replacing the damaged unit is probably your best bet. As I posted previously, most glass table tops are not held on with adhesive, but simply rest on small, thin nickel-sized clear plastic discs. Your glass cutter will have these. Just place em on the speaker top, one on each corner and maybe one in center of each edge, place glass on top. I'd recommend having your glass cutter finish the edges with a radius and tempering the glass. THis will be more costly, but will give the finished 'furniture-grade' appearance that you probably desire. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 Sheesh! What are some people thinking when they do things. I guess the last guy was worried about someone stealing his glass, not replacing it if it ever broke. Whatever you do Richard, go slow and patiently, not the way I would do it; like a bull in a china shoppe. Michael's right, have a piece of tempered glass cut and use the clear "thingies". Accidents happen, no need to go through this again. I hope that you were enjoying some tunes on your Corn's while you were working, if for no other reason than to keep the rest of your family from hearing all the cuss words. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 If you can re-finish, why not do that and either mount the glass with suction cups or small pieces of velcro? dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 The former owner probably put the glass tops on to set equipment on so that the equipment would not damage the finish. Used lots of glue so it would not rattle. One way is to sand it off with the new type DA's with the holes in the discs and electric powered being carefull then refinish as it looks like you will have to anyway. Or apply some veneer over it. The problem is the glue is bumpy and irregular so it must be removed. Nice project. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardP Posted January 10, 2005 Author Share Posted January 10, 2005 Thanks for all your interest. I will try some of your suggestions this week. That adhesive is a smelly, gooey mess. Once I get it off, and if it appears that the plywood defect/knothole can't be made to look any better, I will just replace the glass. Remember that the glass is opaque smoked/black, so whatever the speaker top looks like, it won't be visible. I just want to mount the new glass securely enough so that it won't fall off if the speaker is tipped on its side. As far as the type of glass to use, I am not yet certain. I was stunned by the cost of tempered glass in my area. Just a month ago I inquired about a tempered glass sheet to put on top of my RPTV, which is supporting the weight of my Quartet center speaker. I needed one about 50"x14"x 1/4"; the cheapest estimate was $45, another was $65. I ended up using a particle board shelf ($4), and painted it to match the TV cabinet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 ---------------- On 1/10/2005 11:54:43 AM RichardP wrote: Thanks for all your interest. I will try some of your suggestions this week. That adhesive is a smelly, gooey mess. Once I get it off, and if it appears that the plywood defect/knothole can't be made to look any better, I will just replace the glass. Remember that the glass is opaque smoked/black, so whatever the speaker top looks like, it won't be visible. I just want to mount the new glass securely enough so that it won't fall off if the speaker is tipped on its side. As far as the type of glass to use, I am not yet certain. I was stunned by the cost of tempered glass in my area. Just a month ago I inquired about a tempered glass sheet to put on top of my RPTV, which is supporting the weight of my Quartet center speaker. I needed one about 50"x14"x 1/4"; the cheapest estimate was $45, another was $65. I ended up using a particle board shelf ($4), and painted it to match the TV cabinet. ---------------- That's about the cost here in Western New York. Kind of makes you wonder. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 You can get 1/4" plate glass with the finished edges. Tempering the glass makes it stiffer so it can support more weight if you have it freestanding as a shelf. Not really necessary in your application. It'll save big $$ to go non-tempered (Tempering involves your local guy cutting and edgeing the glass, then shipping it to a place with 5000 degree oven, 'tempering' it, then shipping it back to you) Don't try to attach the glass to the speaker. You now HATE the last guy that did that. Just use the plastic thingies, then move the glass separately when you move the speakers. How many times you gonna lug around Cornwalls anyway? Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Mobley Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 What Michael said. Just leave the glass loose. If you're going to tip the speaker over you'll have to remove anything on top anyway, just set the glass aside. But, like the man said, how often are you going to be tipping those Corns? You don't really need to do that on corns, if you need to get inside it's just as easy to do with box standing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 RichardP: I was unable to reply to your P.M. as the system kept crashing. Are you looking to paint the inside or the outside surface of the glass? I would recommend trying to paint the inside of the glass, then attaching the replacement glass to the cabinet. That way, the paint cannot be scratched. However, if the original was painted on the topside, then you may want to do the same. Etching the glass will improve adhesion considerably, this can be done with hydrofloric acid. Also, using a refinish paint that has a good, tough resin will improve it's scratch resistance. Look for a paint that uses solvents such as tolulene, benzene and xylene, rather than a paint that has cheap slow drying solvents. Usually the best resins are tougher to dissolve, necessitating stronger solvents. You may also look into a local bodyshop supply house, they can advise you on choosing a paint, they may also be able to supply a spraycan of good quality, such as an alkyd or an acrylic enamel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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