Secret to removing Yamaha Ns-500M squawker mesh cover?

[expatguy]

I picked up a pair of Yamaha NS-500Ms as-is at a local place for the equivalent of 25 bucks. Both midrange speakers were had dented wire mesh screens, and torn and dented domes.

Not unexpectedly, the mids distorted nastily but were easily fixed by removing them from the cabinets and gently popping the domes back out.

Now to the question. All that's left to do is to seal the tears and pop out the dents in the screens, but I can't figure out how to get the wire mesh screens off without damaging them. Any suggestions appreciated.

Regards,
expatguy

 

[morksbeanbag]

As on the NS-1000M/X and most of the 3 way Yamaha's from that period the grilles are glued into place with the outer rubber ring placed round the edge, which is also glued into place. Unfortunate, but the only way i can think of getting the grilles off without damaging them is to use some kind of solvent to loosen the glue, they may then come off alot more easily.

Anyone have any better ideas?

 

[Nat]

That rubber ring is a strip of rubber bent into shape. If you find the seam, you can push a small screwdriver down and pry it out, without having to lever against the face plate. The you can use something to poke into the screen and pry it up also -- use a piece of wood for the fulcrum to protect the faceplate, and you may have to go around, prying gently, and as low as you can, so any distortion will be hidden by the rubber strip.
I think that the damping stuff on the tinsel leads creates places where there is a lot of stress and the wires can break. They can be resoldered, which is what I assume you are trying to do.
I should add that this actually is based on an NS 760, and I am assuming that they are similar. I may be wrong, but the general ideas should work.

 

[Sage]

I have done some minor recurve on the mesh screens of my NS-1000M's with a very small allen wrench. You can leave the screen in place and gently pull them back to shape using the small side of the "L". Poke it through carefully so as not to hit the domes and then bring the small leg against the screen and gently pull it out a bit. Keep working slowly around the dented area and it will come out. Just be sure to hold the perimeter of the screen in place with your other hand our you could pull it out accidentally. It worked for the minor dents in my grills. Good luck!

 

[expatguy]

Thanks for the advice

Thanks to all for the advice. You've confirmed my initial observation: once on, the protective screens weren't meant to be taken off again. I guess some time consuming, gentle prying is the only way.

Cheers,
expatguy

 

[Nat]

I reread your first post and realise I missed the part where you described what's wrong and my comments about lead wires are irrelevant. But it may be easier to repair the tears if you can get that mesh cover off, and my advice might be helpful for that. I think it would be very difficult for someone to identify which of the pair I'd taken the cover off of, so its possible to do undestructively.