Flapping grill cloth

[guitician]

I had built this 2061cx clone, it's in my avatar, and noticed that the salt and pepper grill cloth will flap and buzz against the baffle board when a loud low note is played. Is there a technique to getting the grill cloth tight? I guess I could have wiped some contact cement on the board to hold the cloth tight against the baffle. I really thought that since this is a heavy cloth, and I stretched it fairly tight, I wouldn't of had a problem. This is my first cab build, I guess I'm still learning.

[Gibsonman63]

I have read that some grill cloth can be shrunk to tighten with a little carefully applied heat. I would test it on a piece of scrap if you have it before you do the real thing.

[guitician]

OK, I also read that you can use a damp wash cloth to moisten the natural fiber cloth to expand it a little before stapling it down, then as it drys, it shrinks, making it tighter.

I have the cloth already on the baffle so I need to add something between the cloth and the baffle to stop the flapping. I'm thinking something like some strips of black felt or thick cloth.

[pdf64]

Try running a hair dryer over it - high heat, go easy.

[Bill Moore]

One trick is to staple your cloth to a 1X4 on the end of your grill. When you fold the cloth over the grill, you have some leverage, and it will pull evenly. I don't know if it's approved, but I staple the cloth to the end of the grill when I have the tension I want. Then I staple to the back side.

[Dave Johnson]

Is your grille cloth flat against the baffle board? I use 1/8"x 3/4" plywood strips around the outside edge of the baffle board to space the grille cloth away. Learned this the hard way. Might just solve your problem. The cloth doesn't have to be that tight this way, just tight enough to not sag. Good luck.

[guitician]

Since it's an angled cab it uses a two piece baffle, and I used the angle to get tension on the cloth. But my problem seems to be the fact that the S&P was flat against the un-used surface to either side of each of the 12" speakers. I removed the speakers and took out the baffle and put some strips of extra S&P cloth I had left over between the baffle and grill in a few spots. It seems to have solved the problem. I think if I make another, I'll use strips of material around the perimeter of the baffle as a spacer. Thanks

[J M Fahey]

Yes, you need 1/8" spacer strips around the edges.

[redelephant]

I apply some beads/lengths of silicone on the inside at various places to dampen vibrations. Even a tightly wrapped cloth can loosen over time, so I always have a little silicone here and there. It can't be seen from the outside unless you really look for it.

On large cabs I try to place a brace on the middle to prevent long spans of loose cloth.

[Jazz P Bass]

"Flapping grill cloth "
I think that would make a really good name for a band!
Can I use it?

[guitician]

You're not serious are you?

[guitician]

I apply some beads/lengths of silicone on the inside at various places to dampen vibrations. Even a tightly wrapped cloth can loosen over time, so I always have a little silicone here and there. It can't be seen from the outside unless you really look for it.

On large cabs I try to place a brace on the middle to prevent long spans of loose cloth.

I guess I could have used contact cement on the baffle, and on the grill cloth where it comes in contact with baffle. That would have fixed any flapping and still looked the same. But, it may not keep looking the same after years of changes in humidity and temperature. It could start to look wrinkled in front of the speaker.

[drawbars]

The hairdryer trick worked nicely; thanks, pdf64!

Let me add a little more to the thought, based on my experience fixing a Lopo 1-12 that I just re-grilled. It was reasonably tight when I finished, but fit so tightly into the frame that it kind of pushed everything forward, loosening the cloth. I thought I was going to have to start over ...

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You need a powerful hairdryer, preferably an 1800W. Be patient, it will take some time to work. It took me about 10 min. to do that small grille (about 15" x 15"). NEVER leave the hairdryer focused on one spot for more than a second or two -- learned that on a test piece. Move the hairdryer as if you were painting the grille cloth with a solid coat of paint, starting around the outside perimeter, then the next band, etc. Maybe mowing a lawn is a better analogy. It will probably take 4-5 passes before any significant success is apparent. But over time, it works!

Regards,

-BW

Bruce Wahler
AshbySolutions.com™
Musical Products -- Neo Instruments, SM Pro Audio, MIDI Solutions, IK Multimedia, Traynor/Yorkville Sound

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Be very careful with a hair dryer and plastic grille cloth!! Yikes, the small heated area can distort the pattern right away of you are careless.
It is best to set the finished baffle board a couple feet away from something like an electric Quartz heater and rotate it 90 degrees every 2-3 mins.

[drawbars]

Point taken. I'm a bit of twit when I'm doing work like that, and I keep the hair dryer constantly moving. But the space heater is an even better approach.

Regards,

-BW
Bruce Wahler
AshbySolutions.com™
Musical Products -- Neo Instruments, TC Electronic, MIDI Solutions, IK Multimedia, Traynor/Yorkville Sound