What to do when the vinyl peels off....?

[dpowell]

I'm looking for suggestions on how to fix a problem with my subwoofer. The vinyl came loose and my 2-year old found a loose spot and tore it all the way down. It is torn in enough places that trying to glue it back is not an option. What can I do to make the bare MDF on the front of the sub more aesthetically pleasing?

[Jed Leland]

Hello Dpowell,
One approach is to remove the vinyl covering from that entire surface that's peeled. Then mask of that area from the rest of the sub and spray paint a matching color. Maybe use a primer to give a smooth surface for the top coat first? I've had buddies try and recover the missing places with vinyl plastic shelf paper and it never looks right. Just use a good aerosol spray paint and give it the same color treatment.
Jed.

[Pablo]

If you want to get fancy, you can find some real wood vener and glue that on (just be very careful around the components). If you search on-line you can find some good deals of some nice figured stuff.

[Pinky]

I've heard about people getting good results using a not to hot iron and a towel to protect from burning the vinyl. Press is and hold it for a few seconds, until the heat gets to the vinyl.

It's kind of a 'last resort' thing in my book, due to the possibility of scorching the vinyl, but hey, if it works...

[nms]

I've heard about people getting good results using a not to hot iron and a towel to protect from burning the vinyl. Press is and hold it for a few seconds, until the heat gets to the vinyl.

It's kind of a 'last resort' thing in my book, due to the possibility of scorching the vinyl, but hey, if it works...

I worked in a cabinet making shop last summer, and we would apply vinyl to the edges of shelves with an iron. The adhesive on that stuff is heat activated. The key is to move the iron constantly so you don't burn the vinyl.