mounting small pincushion (square) frame drivers?

[Stephen D]

I have a bunch of 3" drivers with pincushion (square) frames.
On the baffle side of the frame there's a bit of circle ridge that goes all way round so if this were flush against the baffle the
4 corners which take the screws would be slightly raised & be bent when screwed down so I'm thinking I should file or sand a slight recess around the mounting hole but this would be a delicate operation as there is little to no overhang of frame past that circle ridge at the sides. Any tips on mounting these things & getting a good seal would be appreciated. I have 18 of
them to mount so a method that's also fast & not to labor intensive would also help.

[Bill Fitzpatrick]

maybe you could put a washer or two between the frame and the baffle to keep the frame bending to a minimum when screwing it down.

Alternatively you could put a bead of silicon rubber around the ridge. I have used this method without screws with larger drivers, up to 10", and the rubber alone holds just fine.

[Stephen D]

Thanks Bill. I was kinda thinkin' washers myself. Seems more appealing than toiling over painstakingly sanding or filing 18
recesses!!!. I'll probably use silicone as gasket sealant on the finished project but am still kind of at the prototype test phase for now. I have some duct seal that looks like it may work alright for gasket for now (similar consistancy as plumbers putty). Any thoughts? I'd kinda like to avoid silicone just yet in case I need to remove the drivers.

[ingvar ahlberg]

Hi Stephen
A good method is to get some soft furniture quality leather, this could be found very cheaply at a saddlemakers or furniture renovator shop. Cut pieces a bit larger than drivers and glue to baffle ( contact or rubber glue) , cut out the mounting hole with sharp knife and screw down the driver. The soft leather will compress below the ring and make a tight seal before the corners are beeing bent. Will look good also if pieces are symetric and nicely cut.

[pinkmouse]

Originally posted by Stephen D
I'd kinda like to avoid silicone just yet in case I need to remove the drivers.

Just put in a thin 2mm or so bead all round, then let it set for a day or so before installing the drivers.

[Cal Weldon]

Originally posted by Stephen D
. Any thoughts? I'd kinda like to avoid silicone just yet in case I need to remove the drivers.

Hi Stephen,

Silicone is okay to use but one trick you might want to try is this:
1. Place the cabinet on it's back
2. Oil or grease (lightly but thoroughly) the basket and cabinet where they will contact.
3. Add a bead of silicone to the cabinet.
4. Place driver and set it only enough to get full silicone contact. No hard screwing.
5. Wait two days.
6. Tighten screws. (in your case only enough to compress the gasket, not to bend the corners)

Voila! a perfectly good homemade gasket that fills the air holes but doesn't stick to your components.

If you are using bigger drivers, then you don't even need screws to make the gasket, the weight of the driver is enough to compress the silicone. Screws are still required to hold the drivers in place after the gasket is set.

Cal