Cornwall grills

[Kriton]

Ok, I have researched this ad nauseum, but I still have a follow up on the grills to my Cornwall II's. Ihave kind of sorted out the refinishing problem, and now I need to fix the grills.

The fabric is the woven type bamboo colored grill material and it is in stellar shape, even with cats in the house, no rips or tears on the facia, however, the fronts warped outward, and pull away from the face of the speaker drastically on one side.

I read where someone suggested taking a hot irom to the underside of the grills and straightening them out, but...the substrate looks like simple plastic to me under the grill cloth, what precatuions might I need to take to make sure I don't ruin the grills, fabric or my wife's iron?

Also, while the grill cloth is in excellent shape, it is coming off (peeling away from) the back of the grill substrate, the glue is old and crusty...how can I glue the grill cloth back onto the substrate (I think someone said is what melamine, or masonite or something?) How glue gun? epoxy? folded over and then clamped with a shop clamp? How do I keep the shop clamp from sticking during the cooling process?

FYI, put in new B. Crites crossovers in these things, replaced the tweeters with titanium, and they are kicking some serious fanny...need to spend some more time with them before I can say how much.

I have a few other questions, but will ask those in another specific thread...

Thanks alot guys,

K

[Budman]

my first thought is to add more velcro to the speaker and the grill. as far as the glue, buy a can of 3M super 77 adhesive and spray the back side that over laps with the glue. let it set up and press it with your fingers or you can use clothes pins. should help that problem.

[greg928gts]

Carefully applying just a little hot-melt glue will help with the cloth sticking to the frame. Be careful though, you don't want it to squeeze through the cloth on the front. Just a little dab 'll do ya.

I agree with trying more velcro to hold the frame to the speaker.

Greg

[Kriton]

I have tried that, but the adhesive won't stick to the grill, and the grills pull away, leaving both strips of new velcro on the speaker face (as the vecro is stronger than the adhesive,apparently - and this is the "industrial strength velcro too!)...I think if the masonite (or whatever it is - see question posed in first post!) wasn't warping outward, I would need the velcro to hold down the grill, just to keep the grill in place...

SO, any answers to ironing the masonite to make it straight? At some point I want to get new grills from Russ, but right now, I want to save these originals, as they are very nice..just curling like chips!

K

[Budman]

take the grills off and lean them up against the wall at a 45 degree angle for a couple of days. as far as regluing the cloth on the back side, take a putty knife and try to pry up the cloth and use the spray glue and reinstall it. i've done it, it works. let the glue set up for 5 minutes before you work with it

[Jay Registrar]

Hey Budman, What brand of spray glue?

[Guest David H]

If the velcro is coming off the masonite or the speaker itself, clean the effected area with alcohol and reattach the velcro with some thick superglue. Just be careful not to get the glue on anything else. This should hold the velcro nicely.

I don't think ironing the masonite will help at all, especially with your wifes iron. I use an iron when I make new grills to help flatten grill cloth and to heat set the adhesive. A new iron for garage use is less than $10 at many local retailers.