FAU5TU5
03-29-2008, 05:17 PM
Fix peeling, curling, shrinking, cracking vinyl, plastic laminate on LS and RT series speakers with Plasti Dip.
This is just in case it hasn't been beaten into the ground. I cant imagin it not being a common knowledge thing, but I looked around here and never found it mentioned. (Probably a sticky somewhere that say "first things for rookie speaker restorers to know")
Anyway I figured I would toss it up for others like myself that didn't know.
For many of the older Polks (and other speakers mine are LS70s, LS50s, and RT7s, and RT5s, etc.) the lamination often starts to peal.. Not the wood laminate so much but the plastic/vinyl black laminate. Mine were peeling and curling around the 45degree bezels especially.
Many try to just glue this back down, and that can work, but not well or for long usually. And much of the time there is at least a little shrinkage so that even glued down it's not pretty close up.
Some just peel it all off and paint it.. better, but you can tell its painted.
Anyway, I had been itching to try using Plasti Dip Spray, and finally went ahead and did it. http://www.plastidip.com/ (get it at Home Depot in the paint section). Just peeled off the old curling laminate and cut along the bezel area as the face of the speakers was fine, only the 45degree bezel was peeling. Taped it off, and sprayed it like you would any spray paint, with just a bit more (or less) finesse.
I have to say I am RIDICULOUSLY pleased! it is about the easiest way I can imagine to have an almost identical look feel to the original. No I actually like it better. It's not going to be as rugged as the original vinyl laminate, it will gouge chip or scratch just as easy as paint.
Ok.. I won't drone on about this because, again, I'm sure this is old news. I just wanted to put it out there for rookies like myself.
This is just in case it hasn't been beaten into the ground. I cant imagin it not being a common knowledge thing, but I looked around here and never found it mentioned. (Probably a sticky somewhere that say "first things for rookie speaker restorers to know")
Anyway I figured I would toss it up for others like myself that didn't know.
For many of the older Polks (and other speakers mine are LS70s, LS50s, and RT7s, and RT5s, etc.) the lamination often starts to peal.. Not the wood laminate so much but the plastic/vinyl black laminate. Mine were peeling and curling around the 45degree bezels especially.
Many try to just glue this back down, and that can work, but not well or for long usually. And much of the time there is at least a little shrinkage so that even glued down it's not pretty close up.
Some just peel it all off and paint it.. better, but you can tell its painted.
Anyway, I had been itching to try using Plasti Dip Spray, and finally went ahead and did it. http://www.plastidip.com/ (get it at Home Depot in the paint section). Just peeled off the old curling laminate and cut along the bezel area as the face of the speakers was fine, only the 45degree bezel was peeling. Taped it off, and sprayed it like you would any spray paint, with just a bit more (or less) finesse.
I have to say I am RIDICULOUSLY pleased! it is about the easiest way I can imagine to have an almost identical look feel to the original. No I actually like it better. It's not going to be as rugged as the original vinyl laminate, it will gouge chip or scratch just as easy as paint.
Ok.. I won't drone on about this because, again, I'm sure this is old news. I just wanted to put it out there for rookies like myself.