quickly becoming my favorite thread
Curbed Rectilinear - Now what ...
- Thread starter drbiggles
- Start date
Oh yeah baby! That was fun. As it turns out the fancy trim on the front of the speaker was a lot easier to get down to bare wood that I had expected. Unfortunately, as near as I can guess the veneer was kinda dry when Thing 1 or Thing 2 decided to spray them with black paint. The grain soaked up a tad of the paint and it shows, if you look. I'll give those areas a little more attention, but I don't want to go too far. Besides, these speakers are not only really old, but I found them by the curb. I cannot restore them to "mint" or NIB , it's not going to happen. They're going to have some "character" to them for sure. But with some care, patience, good stain and a few hand rubbed coats of bees wax, and they'll look just fine for years to come.
I'll figure out what to do with the midrange drivers later. Sleuthing out electronic based failures is not my forte.
xo, Biggles
I have 2 pairs of Highboys and 1 pair of Lowboys. they are IMO one of the better sounding vintage speakers, but the midrange covers a LOT of territory (something like 250-4000 Hz) so you will not know what they are capable of until they are fixed. The good news is the midrange drivers are not blown. Are there controls for midrange and treble on the back? If so it's possible the pots are dirty. The crossovers are pretty simple 1st order affairs so parts are pretty cheap.
If there is a midrange pot, you can check it with a meter to verify it's working.
Well worth your effort IMHO.
If there is a midrange pot, you can check it with a meter to verify it's working.
Well worth your effort IMHO.
That's good news, because even as is the speakers sound pretty darned okay. So, with those mids back and maybe some new caps these suckers should be well worth my time.
Yes, the speakers have pots for the midrange and treble. I don't have a meter, but I can borrow one at any moment. Please excuse my ignorance, but what should I set it to and be looking for? Resistance?
Biggles
Hay,
I borrowed a meter, set it to 200 for resistance. I'm going to go ahead and call the pots bad. I measured the resistance on the two outter hoohahs got .6 on both the tweeter and midrange pots. With the probes on the midrange pot, one on the outter and one touching the center one, set to MIN on the dial, I measured .2 and as it turned over SLOWLY to MAX it went from 1, straight up to 8.8 immediately. Then it went back to 3.7, 4.0, 4.2, then back down to 3.6, then jumped back up to 8.3 at MAX. Whereas the tweeter pot started out at .2 and went up linearly to 8.3/8.8.
The tweeter pot moves cleanly and smoothly. The midrange pot is lumpy at best for both speakers.
Biggles
I borrowed a meter, set it to 200 for resistance. I'm going to go ahead and call the pots bad. I measured the resistance on the two outter hoohahs got .6 on both the tweeter and midrange pots. With the probes on the midrange pot, one on the outter and one touching the center one, set to MIN on the dial, I measured .2 and as it turned over SLOWLY to MAX it went from 1, straight up to 8.8 immediately. Then it went back to 3.7, 4.0, 4.2, then back down to 3.6, then jumped back up to 8.3 at MAX. Whereas the tweeter pot started out at .2 and went up linearly to 8.3/8.8.
The tweeter pot moves cleanly and smoothly. The midrange pot is lumpy at best for both speakers.
Biggles
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bryana
You have my stapler!
Owned a pair of lowboys and a pair of highboys just like yours. Recap them, the tweeters are very delicate and hard to source replacements. When you are done you will be rewarded with an excellent pair of vintage speakers. Should you have need of a midrange pm me I have some extras...no charge just pay shipping.
I would try cleaning the pots with some deoxit to see if some or all of that jumpy resistance behavior can be eliminated. The readings you describe could indicate dirty/oxidized pots. If after treating the pots with some Deoxit, it doesn't help, you may want to look for replacements. If you get to the point you think the potentiometers need replaced, I may be able to help you out. I bought a few spare parts for the Low Boys and the new owner didn't want the extra parts.
As the other posters have commented-- your "Curbed" Rectilinears have a lot of potential. I think it's possible the intermittent pots are preventing your midrange drivers from working. You can try simply sweeping the pots back and forth a couple dozen times to see if that helps too. I would think if you "wipe" the pots as you listen, you may hear the midrange come and go confirming they are the problem. Sounds like you have sources for some drivers if you need them too. Excellent. Your wood working refurb looks very good. Those real walnut veneer cabinets are beautiful to look at while you listen too. Keep the momentum going. :thmbsp:
As the other posters have commented-- your "Curbed" Rectilinears have a lot of potential. I think it's possible the intermittent pots are preventing your midrange drivers from working. You can try simply sweeping the pots back and forth a couple dozen times to see if that helps too. I would think if you "wipe" the pots as you listen, you may hear the midrange come and go confirming they are the problem. Sounds like you have sources for some drivers if you need them too. Excellent. Your wood working refurb looks very good. Those real walnut veneer cabinets are beautiful to look at while you listen too. Keep the momentum going. :thmbsp:
BrocLuno
Lunatic Member
Yup, DeOxit and Faderlube for the pots. Or QD contact cleaner, or whatever you can scrounge.
They are not working now, so any way you can get them to work will be a blessing
You can replace the pots with new cheap enough if you can't get them working, but need to know the values :scratch2:
I'm following your progress - fun project
They are not working now, so any way you can get them to work will be a blessing
You can replace the pots with new cheap enough if you can't get them working, but need to know the values :scratch2:
I'm following your progress - fun project
Thank you all so much for your time and input, it's greatly appreciated!
When I plugged in the speakers the other day, I worked the pots a bit, but not many times. There was NO sound, not even scratchiness coming through. They was dead, but now I'm second guessing myself. Considering the effort it took to open up the cabs and remove the midrange driver, I'm going to hook up the other speaker again tomorrow and try again.
I may have a line on a free can of DeOxit or equivalent, I'll head out first thing tomorrow morning and have a poke around (I have to return the multimeter).
As far as keeping the momentum going, I want that too. And since I don't have to get up and go to work every day, I've got no excuse to keep moving! I also need to find me some nice stain, am leaning towards something that will bring out the red in the wood.
xo, Biggles
When I plugged in the speakers the other day, I worked the pots a bit, but not many times. There was NO sound, not even scratchiness coming through. They was dead, but now I'm second guessing myself. Considering the effort it took to open up the cabs and remove the midrange driver, I'm going to hook up the other speaker again tomorrow and try again.
I may have a line on a free can of DeOxit or equivalent, I'll head out first thing tomorrow morning and have a poke around (I have to return the multimeter).
As far as keeping the momentum going, I want that too. And since I don't have to get up and go to work every day, I've got no excuse to keep moving! I also need to find me some nice stain, am leaning towards something that will bring out the red in the wood.
xo, Biggles
Some day I will be doing the same, some day soon.
This is a mounting hole for the woofer's screw that's failing.
Happy Tuesday!
All in the name of keeping my momentum going, I decided to work on the speakers today. Who here has experienced 40 year old speaker particle board that's been falling to pieces for years, raise your hand. Excellent, I thought as much. You know the type, all you have to do is move them or brush against them and the bits fall like dandruff from your head? Yeah, that's the stuff. Well, the base of these Rectilinears are pretty darned worn and funky. Even the board that the speakers mount to is brittle. The holes for the woofer are dicey at best. Two of the screw holes are already stripped and I would imagine by the time I finished with the project, there'd be more. Not only are the holes embiggening, but the bridge between the mounting hole and the speaker hole is failing too.
Today's project would be to solidify the old particle board and get that back on track. So, earlier today I started soaking them in Smith & Co. Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. It's a 2 component epoxy system that's about the consistency of water. Hooyah !!! The following 2 images are after the soaking of the first application. I'll probably do 2 more over the next 2 days and that will take care of anymore problems. The epoxy will glue the wood bits back together, making it whole again. BLAM, just like that.
And then just the corner of the bottom support.
Happy Tuesday!
All in the name of keeping my momentum going, I decided to work on the speakers today. Who here has experienced 40 year old speaker particle board that's been falling to pieces for years, raise your hand. Excellent, I thought as much. You know the type, all you have to do is move them or brush against them and the bits fall like dandruff from your head? Yeah, that's the stuff. Well, the base of these Rectilinears are pretty darned worn and funky. Even the board that the speakers mount to is brittle. The holes for the woofer are dicey at best. Two of the screw holes are already stripped and I would imagine by the time I finished with the project, there'd be more. Not only are the holes embiggening, but the bridge between the mounting hole and the speaker hole is failing too.
Today's project would be to solidify the old particle board and get that back on track. So, earlier today I started soaking them in Smith & Co. Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. It's a 2 component epoxy system that's about the consistency of water. Hooyah !!! The following 2 images are after the soaking of the first application. I'll probably do 2 more over the next 2 days and that will take care of anymore problems. The epoxy will glue the wood bits back together, making it whole again. BLAM, just like that.
And then just the corner of the bottom support.
What...wait......there's HOPE for my pitiful Epicure Model 20 boxes??
I didn't realize that could be done! Damn, I'm off to get some of that like yesterday.
Great work. Don't get discouraged, you're in the home stretch now. Any luck with that mid problem?
I didn't realize that could be done! Damn, I'm off to get some of that like yesterday.
Great work. Don't get discouraged, you're in the home stretch now. Any luck with that mid problem?
off topic, but...
Brocluno, your avatar...is that somwhere near where you live??
In my sig, is a pic of my teenage home's front yard. I captured a fabulous Kentucky spring day in that photo...
okay, back to the wreckedilinears....
Brocluno, your avatar...is that somwhere near where you live??
In my sig, is a pic of my teenage home's front yard. I captured a fabulous Kentucky spring day in that photo...
okay, back to the wreckedilinears....
Freds.Bands
Live Music Listener
You will have a great sounding classic speaker system when done.For decomposing particle board, just like you I almost always use penetrating epoxy. Keep brushing it on until the wood stop absorbing it. Next day, ready to work
You have the drill down pat
I had Rects (different model) long ago, and their pots were noisy from the beginning, but not intermittant.
I used the penetrating epoxy from West Marine on another project recently. If you keep on filling those holes (I used a plastic eyedropper) for a few hours until they cannot take any more and let it set for 24 hrs or so; you'll have a very strong, drillable and sandable wood section. Put a non-absorbing, tight backing on any thru-holes and keep the surface horizontal. Great stuff for repairing old flaky wood. BTW great macro shots of particle board.
BTW those grill cloths are original. Someone on ebay a couple of months ago was parting out a pair of Rect III's and may still have some parts.
First thank you for the previous comment regarding using the CPES on the enclosures! I was feeling pretty good about it!
As far as the mids go, I know at least one tests fine. It's an assumption of mine that the other works as well since they both don't work exactly the same way. I tested a midrange pot yesterday and it's FUNKY, both pots FEEL lumpy. Tomorrow morning I'll head out and get to work on cleaning the 1 midrange pot to see if I can get it to jump back in to service. If that works, then I'll do the other one tomorrow as well.
For real badly deteriorated wood, you're going to want to do more than 1 or 2 applications. The first application goes the deepest, make sure the wood soaks up what it wants to the first time around. You want to let that first application sit for no less than 24 hours, 2 days would be better. Then, do another, then just let it sit for a day. Do that until you get a thin, even, shiny film over the entire piece. That means that the wood has absorbed what it wants to. Once the solvents have evaporated, then you can start with your wood filler or whatever else you need to do. DONE.
xo, Biggles
I checked fleabay the other day, I'll keep my eyes open! And thank you for the kind words about the macro shots. For the other ones I just used my little point and shoot, but for those I had to pull out the big guns.
I didn't go with the west marine brand because I wanted a pot life of multiple hours, not 10 minutes, give or take. The CPES is approximately consistency of water and with that long pot life will travel exceptionally far in to soft wood. It's a 1:1 mixing ratio and you can be off about 20% with the mix and still get a reliable cure. And once cured, it's somewhat flexible. It'll bend and move with the wood during temperature and moisture fluctuations. Oh, and it doesn't develop an amine blush when it cures. No sanding to get anything to stick well later on, pretty darned nice engineering there. I'm sold on the stuff for sure.
xo, Biggles
Hmm. Well, I stuck live wires down in to the crossover to bypass the pot and the midrange worked fine. I ran the midrange pot back and forth repeatedly. And the entire speaker came to life, even the midrange. So, for this speaker I'm calling it done!
The midrange is held in with caulk only, am in the process of getting all the edges clean and will be reinstalling here in a few. Button that sucker up and move on to the other one. And since it seemed to have failed in the same way, I'm going to just "work" the midrange pot and see of that brings everything back too.
xo, Biggles
The midrange is held in with caulk only, am in the process of getting all the edges clean and will be reinstalling here in a few. Button that sucker up and move on to the other one. And since it seemed to have failed in the same way, I'm going to just "work" the midrange pot and see of that brings everything back too.
xo, Biggles