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Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14437] Sun, 26 September 2010 16:43 Go to next message
braud357 is currently offline  braud357
Messages: 154
Registered: July 2010
Location: Louisiana
Senior Member
I have a recently-acquired 3-12 cabinet, and I am in the process of cleaning it up. The grill cloth is perfect - no snags, holes, or tears. But, it is kinda dirty ! What do you fellows suggest to clean it up, shy of tearing it apart completely ! What say you, kind gurus ?? THANKS ! Philip
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14440 is a reply to message #14437] Sun, 26 September 2010 20:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LesS is currently offline  LesS
Messages: 477
Registered: December 2002
Senior Member
I use windex. Spray it from the side so you don't get windex on the speaker cones. Let it soak in for about ten minutes and then clean with a soft cloth, and repeat at least five times.
If it is real dirty, you can clean it with a soft brush and then use the cloth.
-Les S.
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14441 is a reply to message #14440] Sun, 26 September 2010 21:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
oren hudson is currently offline  oren hudson
Messages: 274
Registered: March 2008
Location: Gastonia, NC
Senior Member
If you want to do the best job, remove the speakers. Go to Lowes, Home Depot etc. and get a product called Krud Kutter. Spray the cloth real good. Let it soak. Hose it off. If you still have dirt, repeat and use a brush. This stuff will clean nearly anything and is also kind to other surfaces. To restore sheen, I use Armour-All type stuff. Again, soak it, brush it, let it dry - looks brand new. Cool
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14442 is a reply to message #14441] Mon, 27 September 2010 05:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
pleat is currently offline  pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
All good suggestions. I've posted a few times before, how I clean the grills. I remove the speakers, ports, name badge and completely remove baffle board from the cabinet. Head to the car wash and use the high pressure washer, wash and rinse, vaccuum off the excess water and let it dry in the sun for a hour. I'm not sure it's more work, but it removes dirt from the baffle board as well. It also gives me the chance to make sure all the nuts and bolts are tight when I reassemble, and you can really clean the dust on the T&R around the area that the baffle board is against. I use a paint brush to clean off dust and crud from the speaker cones, just be careful if the speakers have aluminum dust caps, the dent really easy.
pleat
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14443 is a reply to message #14442] Mon, 27 September 2010 06:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
braud357 is currently offline  braud357
Messages: 154
Registered: July 2010
Location: Louisiana
Senior Member
Thank you, sirs ! All are good suggestions - I was thinking along the same lines. It is not TERRIBLY dirty - I just want to freshen it up. I WILL take the speakers out before I do anything. And Pleat, I know all about those aluminum dust caps. A LONG time ago I was installing some Altec 421A's into a PA cabinet, and a "friend" proceeded to smash the caps all to hell, as he was checking them out. I was NOT a happy camper !! Thanks for the help !!
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14446 is a reply to message #14443] Mon, 27 September 2010 09:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
I just cleaned my "new" red K100 yesterday. I first removed the speaker and amp chassis. Then I used Spic and Span in water with a brush to clean the entire cabinet and then scrubbed the grill cloth with the bush. Then I used my Bissel steam cleaner to spray and vacuum the grill. After I finished the cleaning, I used an Armorall type product to make the cabinet all really shiny, and slippery too. But then I found 1 darker streak on the grill from the Armorall. I never thought to use Armorall on the grill, too. Thanks Pleat. Then I installed a JBL E140 into it and it really sings.
Conrad
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14454 is a reply to message #14446] Mon, 27 September 2010 20:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
pleat is currently offline  pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
Glad to see everything on the cleaning end turned out good.
I'm sure the JBL really brought the amp to life. The problem with the stock 15" speaker, Kustom was using a 16 ohm speaker in the cabinet and the amp wanted a 8 ohm load. So the models that came with the 115 cabinet were not that strong gain wise because of the wrong inpedance speaker. I'm assuming the CTS 15" speaker you have for sale is a 16 ohm.
pleat
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14455 is a reply to message #14454] Mon, 27 September 2010 21:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rockzombie is currently offline  rockzombie
Messages: 12
Registered: September 2010
Location: biloxi ms.
Junior Member
What a coincidence,I pulled the grill cloth/frames out of my acoustic 371 cabinet by simply removing the 12 large bolt screws and back panel and pushing the grill frames out toward the front, EASY! Soapy water, a soft bristled brush and a garden hose and there clean. Then I look at my collection of Kustom cabinets, most of which have grill cloths that have never been cleaned and I think of all those wonderful little wood screws (41!) on the tall cabinets, not to mention that terrific goo sealer on the back panel(only gasoline or mineral spirits will clean up that horrid mess) not to mention the risk of a total interior disassembly and reassembly, and I did the logical thing, I opted to live with dirty grills. If you cannot reach both sides of the cloth and use water pressure to blast em clean, then they are never really clean. But I do have a 2 15" 15" siren horn cab. with bad cloth that will end up a winter project. My question: who has the exact speaker cloth? There are a few different mesh styles and I have 1 cabinet that has the silver thread cross hatch 1/2X1/2 inch pattern. I would keep bad cloth before installing the wrong cloth.

"turn up the volume and the distortion some more dude" is for players that may be hiding something.
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14458 is a reply to message #14455] Tue, 28 September 2010 08:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
It isn't the baffle removal that I despise, it's the insulation. That stuff is horrid. I can even deal with the black shmutz, a scraper, mineral spirits and lots of paper towels. But lo and behold, not all cabinets have it. Why, I don't know. The insulation after all these years just falls apart and is really itchy. But then, what do you replace it with, New acoustic insulation is not black. Just paint it??? Why not, I guess. Yes, all of the speakers that I am listing are 16 ohm. I guess I forgot to mention that.
Conrad
Re: Cleaning grill cloth ?? [message #14462 is a reply to message #14437] Tue, 28 September 2010 12:12 Go to previous message
chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
Conrad, you're making me itch just reading this.

Some of the earlier cabinets that I've seen, have what looks like typical yellow fiberglass insulation that has been sprayed black around the inside of the port areas.

I would guess that that was standard procedure until they had the Kustom black insulation from the factory.
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