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Cleaning Bextrene drivers?

TellMeWhy

TellMeWhy

Active Member
Hi! Does anyone have any tips on how to clean old, dirty, bextrene bass drivers and even better how to return the old, faded colour to a new-looking black? I'm thinking damp cloth with fairy liquid as a start. Crazy part of me wonders how "back to black" car tyre restorer would go... ???
 
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I believe Bextrene is a mineral-filled polystyrene (PS), which according to reactivity charts is not affected by chlorine, ammonia, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, citric acid, or other weak acids so most household cleaners should be fine.

Plastic reactivity charts are readily available if you want to compare a cleaner to the charts for this (or any) plastic.

Solvents however, definitely avoid.
 
You are speaking of the "paper cone" surfaces, as opposed to the (hopefully still) flexible surrounds, correct?
 
I would think a wet sponge or cloth spritzed with a little of that fairy liquid would do it. :thumbsup:
As for alcohol, Jon seems too intelligent to waste good booze on speaker cones. Am I right? :beerchug:

I'm not sure how to darken the color (if you still want to) on this type of surface. I've heard of a 'wet-look' product that has been used on paper cones to make them black and shiny, but it may not stick to Bextrene. Personally I'd clean them and leave them as is.
 
Hmm, I recall using rubbing alcohol on some old bextrene woofers, and it melted away the top coating leaving streak marks. Perhaps it was not the actual bextrene, but beware regardless. It was a long time ago lol.
 
I am not sure if the driver's I have seen are Bextrene, but they sure look like them. I achieved good results using Howard's Feed- N-Wax, YMMV
 
JimPA said:
Bexttrene cones are coated with plastiflex to dampen resonances.
Applying alcohol will remove the plastiflex from the cone.

I have used Armor All since the early 1980's to clean Bextrene cones and keep the PVC surrounds from dry rotting on Audax and Dalesford woofers.

https://books.google.com/books?id=SOqCbh2ESOgC&pg=PT323&lpg=PT323&dq=isotropic+bextrene&source=bl&ots=7lB4vYSwwi&sig=HiJutQTFKuZ8D6E3qvSjOx0n3-Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiWicCHzsjTAhWHOCYKHeLjC5IQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=isotropic bextrene&f=false
Click to expand...
+1
 
doctorolds said:
I am not sure if the driver's I have seen are Bextrene, but they sure look like them. I achieved good results using Howard's Feed- N-Wax, YMMV
Click to expand...

There are only a few companies that manufactured Bextrene cones.
Kef is pretty well known so is Audax and Dalesford.
The Focal Neoflex cones are Bextrene.
Seas also made Bextrene cones but I have never seen any mention of this on the internet.
 
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