DCM Time Window Overhaul

[bfstrysik]

Here we go. TW number 2 is dismantled. SInce I had a plan from the first one, this one went much quicker and smoother to take apart. It took about 3 hours but I have the tweets and mid woofers free from the BLACK DEATH. Woohoo!! What a PITA that stuff is. Have to be patient, use some heat and they eventually come out. The end caps are removed and the top and bottom of the cabinets are cut off. Went thru 3 jigsaw blades cutting them off. So one of the mid woofers is dead on this one as well. I checked them once they were removed with a multi meter and one is not working. When I hooked up the rebuilt TW and the not rebuilt TM before I started to take apart #2 the rebuilt sounded stronger/louder. I didn't give it much thought other than the c/o had been refreshed. So, apparently there was a bad mid woof in each cabinet. Actually pretty excited to hear them when they are both working properly. I will send the bad driver off to be rebuilt and continue with the rest of the renovation.

 

[bfstrysik]

Getting close on number 2 TW. Rebuilt 6" driver arrived today. The bottom of the cabinet is back in place. C/o is rebuilt. End caps are refinished. I should have this one back together in the next few days.Pretty excited about having this project completed and hearing how they sound! Will post some pics when things are completed.

 

[bfstrysik]

Finished up number 2 Time Window except for installing the sock. End caps came out nice. A couple of very, very minor dings. This project was a lot of labor, but I am glad I did them. Listening to Steely Dan's Aja as I type. Hopefully this thread will be helpful to others that want to rebuild their Time Windows.

.

 

[Blue Shadow]

You really should separate those speakers a bit more.

but on a serious note, the TW tops, the ones before the TW1a sure do respond well to a refinish. Originally they were kinda European Walnut looking, you know the light less-figured walnut of many aDs speakers. Refinishing brought out the grain on the first pair I redid and compared to original...much better.

Those look great.

 

[GD70]

Finished up number 2 Time Window except for installing the sock. End caps came out nice. A couple of very, very minor dings. This project was a lot of labor, but I am glad I did them. Listening to Steely Dan's Aja as I type. Hopefully this thread will be helpful to others that want to rebuild their Time Windows.

.View attachment 1164867 View attachment 1164869

They look great! Well worth the effort!
Yeah, try to get at least 6 feet apart!

 

[bfstrysik]

Thanks for the kind words. They were just close together for pictures.

 

[gib48189]

Great job on these, it almost inspires me to rip into mine:...........Maybe next month

 

[AlTinkster92]

Finished up number 2 Time Window except for installing the sock. End caps came out nice. A couple of very, very minor dings. This project was a lot of labor, but I am glad I did them. Listening to Steely Dan's Aja as I type. Hopefully this thread will be helpful to others that want to rebuild their Time Windows.

.View attachment 1164867 View attachment 1164869

You did a great job on those and I hope you get years of enjoyment from them! Mine are going to Arkansas for a total rebuild... Best Al

 

[Eibwen]

Does anyone have any Idea where he got that light grey color foam sock material??? I'm restoring my timewindows a1's also and cant find that color sock anywhere!!! I found black and dark charcoal but nothing that light of color. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[GD70]

Does anyone have any Idea where he got that light grey color foam sock material??? I'm restoring my timewindows a1's also and cant find that color sock anywhere!!! I found black and dark charcoal but nothing that light of color. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Some ducting air filter companies also promote the foam filters for speaker grills. Do some Googleing, you may find the grey color you seek.

 

[GD70]

Finished up number 2 Time Window except for installing the sock. End caps came out nice. A couple of very, very minor dings. This project was a lot of labor, but I am glad I did them. Listening to Steely Dan's Aja as I type. Hopefully this thread will be helpful to others that want to rebuild their Time Windows.

.View attachment 1164867 View attachment 1164869

I've been listening to mine all day, and one of the things that's so great about the TW's is the off axis sound. Sitting directly in front of them is outstanding, but when walking around, the sound barely changes. A truly great designed speaker.

 

[northpaw]

I found black and dark charcoal but nothing that light of color.

The two close photos of the speaker in post #33 do indeed look light grey, but in the last photo, where the L and R speaker are the same distance from the camera, the R one looks more like a charcoal grey. Based on my own experience taking photos of my TW1, closer photos with a flash make the foam material of the sock appear light grey. I wonder is a similar effect is present here. Only bfstrysik will be able to tell you.

 

[metsno1]

About to dig in to a pair of these myself. Rescued them recently with two dead tweeters. I have replacements ready to go in, and am not looking forward to dealing with the black death, but it can't be avoided.

Nervous about using the heat gun, but I'll just take it slow and steady and see what happens!

 

[Blue Shadow]

Pulling a tweeter wasn't too bad. I just kept digging until I had most of the stuff out of the tweeter opening and off the tweeter before trying to pry it out. Good luck
@metsno1

 

[bfstrysik]

New sock foam came from thefoamfactory.com.
@metsno1 - using the heat gun really made removing the drivers from the black death much easier. Just proceed cautiously so you don't melt a tweeter.

 

[GD70]

New sock foam came from thefoamfactory.com.
@metsno1 - using the heat gun really made removing the drivers from the black death much easier. Just proceed cautiously so you don't melt a tweeter.

The key is first removing as much of the black adhesive as possible. By now, it's very brittle, and breaks up pretty easily. Make sure to dig out as much as you can in the tweeter plate screw hole openings. Then use a hair driers heat to soften what ever is left under the tweeter. It should lift out pretty easily. Some of the particle board may come out with the tweeters. There will also be remaining black goo in the opening, so remove it with a paint scraper, then smooth the surface, and coat with a thin viscosity epoxy to solidify it. I use ZPoxy finishing resin for this type of repair work. It soaks into the particle board, making it much stronger than original.
Cheers, Glenn

 

[Gsi]

Hello all, this is great post. I own a pair. The serial number is 44620 and 44621. Di I have the TW 1a's?

 

[Gsi]

This is how the drivers look

 

[Moon_Man]

Hello all, this is great post. I own a pair. The serial number is 44620 and 44621. Di I have the TW 1a's?

You can tell the 1A's by the back. If you have a metal plate at the bottom that encompasses the input jacks, and says "Time Window 1A", you'll know what you have. If, however, your inputs at the bottom have no plate, and the sock is held on by two strips of vertical molding, then you have Time Window 1's. Since you have the round DCM mid-woofers, which replaced the Phillips octagon woofer in the originals, what you have would be designated as TW 1's, "Second Series".

I'm sure there are other differences between 1's and 1A's, including, I believe, the tweeters in the 1A's are Vifa, which replace the Phillips tweeters in the earlier models.

Then again, knowing what we do about the DCM manufacturing process, there could be all sorts of deviations to some of this.

 

[Gsi]

You can tell the 1A's by the back. If you have a metal plate at the bottom that encompasses the input jacks, and says "Time Window 1A", you'll know what you have. If, however, your inputs at the bottom have no plate, and the sock is held on by two strips of vertical molding, then you have Time Window 1's. Since you have the round DCM mid-woofers, which replaced the Phillips octagon woofer in the originals, what you have would be designated as TW 1's, "Second Series".

I'm sure there are other differences between 1's and 1A's, including, I believe, the tweeters in the 1A's are Vifa, which replace the Phillips tweeters in the earlier models.

Then again, knowing what we do about the DCM manufacturing process, there could be all sorts of deviations to some of this.

Thank you much. I don't have metal plates at the bottom. So guess it is 1's. Looking at my serial numbers i thought i may have the 1a's. Once again thanks a ton.