Hey all,
I totally restored (re-mylared) a pair of CLS Panels. I have completed one pair and sound is fantastic. Everybit as good as the CLS I have heard previously...One thing I didn't like was my choice of spacers. I went out to McMaster Carr and ordered some 1/4" wide x 1/8" neoprene strips - about 50' of it. It works good, but a little too compressible for me...
But I want to use something a little more solid the next time. This first restore was a test more than anything else - I have been listening to them for a few months already...very clean...these are with the modified Acoustat interfaces...
So what do you all use? Hard rubber, neoprene, acrylic? Where are you buying the materials?
I totally restored (re-mylared) a pair of CLS Panels. I have completed one pair and sound is fantastic. Everybit as good as the CLS I have heard previously...One thing I didn't like was my choice of spacers. I went out to McMaster Carr and ordered some 1/4" wide x 1/8" neoprene strips - about 50' of it. It works good, but a little too compressible for me...
But I want to use something a little more solid the next time. This first restore was a test more than anything else - I have been listening to them for a few months already...very clean...these are with the modified Acoustat interfaces...
So what do you all use? Hard rubber, neoprene, acrylic? Where are you buying the materials?
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Is 1/8th inch the original diaphragm to stator spacing ? Is this a full range panel ? Would be nice if you can put up a picture.
Wonder if anyone uses PVC spacers ! Maybe too compressible.
How about decorative laminate used for wood.
Here is a description for the material we get locally.
"....it is a thin hard decorative sheet (thickness usually ranges from 0.6 mm to 1.5 mm) that is a actually a blend of paper and plastic materials. Sheets of paper soaked in phenolic resin (from which plastic is made) and melamine resins are pressed together under high pressure and temperature to make decorative Laminate sheets ....
Easy to cut and use and dimensionally stable and not compressible. Easy to glue also.
Cheers.
Wonder if anyone uses PVC spacers ! Maybe too compressible.
How about decorative laminate used for wood.
Here is a description for the material we get locally.
"....it is a thin hard decorative sheet (thickness usually ranges from 0.6 mm to 1.5 mm) that is a actually a blend of paper and plastic materials. Sheets of paper soaked in phenolic resin (from which plastic is made) and melamine resins are pressed together under high pressure and temperature to make decorative Laminate sheets ....
Easy to cut and use and dimensionally stable and not compressible. Easy to glue also.
Cheers.
Yes, I measured 1/8" on the original CLS spacers. Isn't there a simple 1/4" wide 1/8" thick 6 foot long strips of acrylic, plexiglass, or solid rubber, that I could just snip and glue?
Regarding decorative laminate, when you say cut, are you saying cut the long strips or do they come in 1/8" x 1/4" and snip a required length?
Regarding decorative laminate, when you say cut, are you saying cut the long strips or do they come in 1/8" x 1/4" and snip a required length?
I have not come across a 1/4"x1/8" strips that can be used .
The laminate I mentioned has to be cut into strips using a sharp box cutter and a long steel rule. To me it looks like a suitable material though the thicknesses are not exactly what we need. Usually 0.8 mm and 1.6 mm thick in the market. They have 1mm also but I'm sure it's harder to find. They use 3 mm for commercial use and it isn't freely available.
Can use two 1.6mm stuck together.
Maybe 1.6 mm is OK for a mid/treble panel ? With a 3 mm spacer what bias voltage do you use ? Do you have any equipment to measure it ? I have a 10 KV probe I bought long ago !
You should be able to get strips of acrylic from a local plastic panel maker. Here we have several small shops but I will have to visit them to find out what they will charge. They usually have lots of waste . 3mm is a very commonly used thickness.
The usual availability is 8 feet x 4 feet or 4x4 feet. About $11 for 4x4 1.6 mm thickness
The laminate I mentioned has to be cut into strips using a sharp box cutter and a long steel rule. To me it looks like a suitable material though the thicknesses are not exactly what we need. Usually 0.8 mm and 1.6 mm thick in the market. They have 1mm also but I'm sure it's harder to find. They use 3 mm for commercial use and it isn't freely available.
Can use two 1.6mm stuck together.
Maybe 1.6 mm is OK for a mid/treble panel ? With a 3 mm spacer what bias voltage do you use ? Do you have any equipment to measure it ? I have a 10 KV probe I bought long ago !
You should be able to get strips of acrylic from a local plastic panel maker. Here we have several small shops but I will have to visit them to find out what they will charge. They usually have lots of waste . 3mm is a very commonly used thickness.
The usual availability is 8 feet x 4 feet or 4x4 feet. About $11 for 4x4 1.6 mm thickness
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I've got the same issue. I have a pair of CLSII that I bought in the early 1980s and used for many years until they needed new diaphragms. ML wanted $2900 for new ones, so I built a pair of segmented ESLs that I am thoroughly happy with. Now the question is: get rid of the CLSII or re-diaphragm them?
I was figuring on using 1/8" thick double sided foam tape as the adhesive and spacers.
I was figuring on using 1/8" thick double sided foam tape as the adhesive and spacers.
Do you use graphite powder to coat the diaphragm ? I've heard of guys using soap solution but that might not be good in a humid environment like we have here. I bought some fine graphite powder years ago to make some ESL's. I still have it including the Mylar but haven't progressed much. Did some experimental plastic panel but gave up as that wasn't good enough. Found lots of different perforated metal sheets but they had other problems. Maybe I should restart my effort to make an upper bass to treble panel. I'll keep everything below 70 or 100 Hz for a sealed sub. Maybe something like a 10"x30" panel.
I already have the transformer for the ESL !
I already have the transformer for the ESL !
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