Help with baffle board and tygan cloth replacement

[Eastray]

Hi all,
I am attempting my first cabinet restoration on a little Ultra FM 950 which seems by virtue of its very small and simple construction an ideal place to start.Nearly all of these I have ever seen for sale have the same problem in that the tygan covering on the top section of the plywood baffle board which houses the speaker has considerably shrunk back clear of the outer bezel. My first attempt at replacing the cloth obtained from Sid and Russell Chaplin did not go according to plan in that the adhesive used out of a tube produced a patchy effect due to me not being able to apply it evenly. It would seem that a spray adhesive is a better way to go as folding and fixing the cloth would make the board larger than the aperture in which it sits. The plywood baffle board was sealed with a very durable black paint or other substance and if anybody could enlighten me as to what was used for this purpose in the late 50's early 60's I would love to know. I have since removed this coating, rightly or wrongly as it was a mess with glue build up and had to power sand it off plus, my new cloth was visually brighter over a white background. What would you suggest for preparing a bare plywood baffle board? As most spray adhesives contain petroleum by products I was thinking of using a water based white paint, even white emulsion then spray adhesive for attempt number two. All advise would be gratefully received.

[vidjoman]

Use a staple gun to fix the cloth. easy to remove if it's not straight and no mess from the glue. Fold the cloth over the edge and staple on the back. Manufacturers can get away with glue during assembly but it's not so easy to replace when it gets old.

[David G4EBT]

I haven't any experience of recovering cabinets, but certainly for fixing speaker fabric I’ve found that by far the best product is an adhesive which is aptly named ‘STUK’ rapid spray fabric adhesive. It’s colourless and comes in a 500 mL aerosol can with a nozzle to adjust the rate of delivery from low to high. You spray the board – not the fabric, and although it has excellent ‘grab’ it does allow you time to stretch the material taut and to adjust the horizontal and vertical patterning of the fabric so that it looks just right. The coverage of a 500 ml can is stated as 60 sq ft.

I've attached a couple of pictures - one showing the adjustable nozzle.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUK-Rapid...-/371182119175

Stuk's own website is here:

http://www.stukproducts.com/products.php?scat=Adhesives

The COSHH Data Sheet is here:

http://www.stukproducts.com/download...ray%20Glue.pdf

Hope that's helpful.

Good luck with the restoration.

[Eastray]

Thank you both for the replies. Vidjoman, I had thought of your method to fold and staple the cloth but the baffle board is a fairly exact fit in the front of the cabinet recess that this method would increase the boards size, as the cloth is quite thick, to the point that it would not fit.
Your spray glue sounds some good stuff David, does it dry clear?

[Nuvistor]

I have used a spray adhesive, it worked well, may have a different make though.

Frank

[GeoffK]

Originally Posted by vidjoman

Use a staple gun to fix the cloth. easy to remove if it's not straight and no mess from the glue. Fold the cloth over the edge and staple on the back. Manufacturers can get away with glue during assembly but it's not so easy to replace when it gets old.

I would agree with this method, small metal staples used for paper or tacks can be used, these would not take up much room, then very gently heat the Tygan to stretch into place.

[frankmcvey]

A forum member posted a similar question some time ago and had some success by pre-stretching the cloth on an embroidery hoop. Thread here

Obviously you need room to manoeuvre!

Cheers,

Frank