mustang1 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I have a Sunfire sub, the manual says one should treat the large rubber surrounds with MINK OIL to keep them soft and supple for 20 years or more. Do this once a year, if you live in dry conditions, more frequently. Does this make sense and should/could this be done on the Klipsch surrounds??? Sounds ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I believe that theEAR mentioned this months ago. It is NOT ridiculous, although I don't remember what he said aout Klipsch surrounds. Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 It seems odd to me that rubber surrounds need any treatment. I'd think that the so called mink oil which is used to waterproof boots does anything for synthetic rubber. Can this possibly be derived from minks? I doubt it. But come to think of it, what does happen to the rest of the mink after the, umm, coat process? One use could cause mad mink disease. Also, you can only get to one side of the rubber surround. In any case, the surrounds on many Klipsch bass units are pleated paper. I've never heard of any treatment for them. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 "MINK OIL Mink have a thick fatty layer just below the skin. This fatty layer is recovered after the pelt is removed from the carcass and is then rendered down to make mink oil. It is the closest known oil to human skin oil. In highly refined, purified form, it is used by many people for the treatment of skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema and acne. It penetrates quickly to the epidermis layer of the skin to help prevent fine lines and wrinkles, and also works as a natural sun screen. Mink oil is also used to protect leather products" Source:http://www.furcommission.com/Biology/oil.html It's from mink allright. I thought otherwise too Gil. Live and learn! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Nice work 3dz. I'm impressed. However what the heck is the surround on the sub made of that it needs mink oil? There are some horrifying implications. Smile. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogman Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 "Modern" surrounds will last 20 years or more if you don't do anything. Most products sold over the counter as "mink" oil contain silicone and a lot of other crap. Once you start these types of "treatments" it is often the case that you then can't stop. Analogman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Mink fat is not oil. Can you imagine the smell in 20 years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 ---------------- On 1/24/2005 9:20:18 PM William F. Gil McDermott wrote: But come to think of it, what does happen to the rest of the mink after the, umm, coat process? One use could cause mad mink disease. ---------------- Any one care for a side order of Link of Mink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Man Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Sunfire does indeed tell you to treat the surrounds with mink oil. The surrounds arn't rubber, but they look like 1/4" thick rubber. Sunfire says that you can even punch the driver with your fist and probably not hurt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Dudes, natural rubber out-gasses until it is a dry husk, becomes brittle and finally crumbles into dust (more or less). Essentially, the oils evaporate. Especially foam-types which actually are air-blown "honeycombs" which are very thin walled air cells stuck or pressed together. The non-rubber petroleum "rubber-like" products even out-gas until they become brittle and inflexible. It certainly depends on the material, but if it flexes, it is dependent on a certain amount of oil (fluid) content. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 BUT.. If you dont watch what your doing the oil will leatch into the cone. Paul klipsch found this out in the early years when he was using a special chemical on the surrounds to lower the resonence of the woofer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KT66 Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 Does a Mink have a say in all this ? Tried silicon grease instead? BMW recommended it to preserve rubber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 Silicone grease will cause some adhesives to release.That would not be a happy time. Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richinlr Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 My only contribution is that mink oil makes the soles of cowboy boots last forever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcoker Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 Yes Sunfire recommends Mink Oil. There surrounds and center are a very thick and hark rubber material. A lot different the material Klipsch uses. If Sunfire recommends this proceedure I would hesitate to do it. ( Oh by the way I have had my Sunfire for two years and have not treated it ) On second thought..I take it all back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 This was so wacky that I checked the website and found the manual which does indeed suggest mink oil. What!!!? My guess it that it is bogus whatever the personal beliefs of the author. It probaby a mindless tweek. I have not seen this sort of suggestion for any natural (latex) or synthetic rubber in any application. The mink oil from Kiwi can't have much mink in any case. Grrr. Just nonesense in my view. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 whaddabout the ... inside of the surround ..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
126mhz Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I've been a fan of Bob Carver's for a few years, he's always been a renagade...I've had quite a few pieces of his stuff including some Phase Linear too. I still think his C4000 pre amp with two twenty watt amps built into it for background delay speakers is a very good sounding pre amp and a lot of fun to play with as well. That being said, Bob Carver is a very weird individual... Bill Woodward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak Nasty Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 Pure MINK Oil is the best thing you can get to treat any ind of leather, but most of the stuffs the claim to be mink oil are not pure. They contain a few other oils and some chemicals like silicone,... I have tried Pure Mink oil on my sunfire sigs and it made the surrounds a lot softer than when i bought the sub. I don't know if it's a good thing, i supposed it should help the rubber last longer, since that's what the manual says. Just in regards, i noticed that all my leather garments looks and feel better after treating them with any mink oil. I tested a few old shoes, that i was not using for a long time, that went all hard and crunchy, i can honestly say that applying the oil it just absorbed so much of it and was like alive again and look like new. I tried other leather treatment and conditioners but none works as good as the mink. I say just try and learn for yourself, it;s that simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted June 17, 2005 Share Posted June 17, 2005 ---------------- On 1/25/2005 12:09:23 AM analogman wrote: "Modern" surrounds will last 20 years or more if you don't do anything. Most products sold over the counter as "mink" oil contain silicone and a lot of other crap. Once you start these types of "treatments" it is often the case that you then can't stop. Analogman ---------------- Concur. Last year, similar threads mentioned the Sunfire suggestions. Klipsch support, however, told me nope - not suggested. Unless you leave your drivers directly exposed to sunlight alot (for many years) - anyone should be fine. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.