Who has done this ?........ ( Older ALTEC Woofers )

**RonSSS** · January 10th, 2014, 03:38 AM

If you have a dud cone, I would try automotive brake cleaner.
Both the chlorinated and unchlorinated. I use it for cleaning all sorts of stuff.
Also try spray carb cleaner.
Perhaps try, toluene, or lacquer thinner.
I'd also be tempted to get a bag of the wooden Qtips.
Although they might put more stuff in the goo.
Bill at GPA may know what removes it too. He puts the stuff on!
Ron

**mikebond** · January 10th, 2014, 05:29 PM

Hello!
I did it many times, maybe before Per Hasling

The best liquid is nitro solvent (based on acetone) for nitro paint. Here in Russia it called "646" Solvent. This solvent leaves no spots on the speaker's cone. I use medium hard brush.

Regards, Mike

**604man** · January 10th, 2014, 05:50 PM

I use Toluene and a natural 1/2 in. wide paint brush trimmed 1 in. long to clean the accordion.

apply for 20min. Toluene is the solvent for the goop...........GC

**mah** · January 10th, 2014, 10:20 PM

FYI: Tannoy K3809 - hardened cloth surround issue - solved - diyAudio

**LowOhms** · January 11th, 2014, 12:25 AM

WOW, PROGRESS.

Posts #6,8,9 and 10 have given anyone interested a "handle" on what to do.

My immediate thought is to find the proper USA - source, equivalent to the USSR 646 nitro solvent. Also, we need to study Toluene, and its properties as per 604man's post. Then, determine if we DIYers can purchase same ( or equivalent ) in small amounts, and if necessary, ship it safely to our homes by standard shipping services.

Humm, more research work needs to be done.

Any Chemists amongst us? ( I know a PhD in St. Louis, "the Disc Doctor." )

If others have any good ideas and want to chime in, please do so in this thread.

Personally, I have come a very long way in a short time from "guessing" to use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol on my first 515B - last month.

ANY older ALTECS with 15 inch cones - displaying migrated and uneven tar, particularly outer surrounds with "c l u m p s" as Per Hasling calls them, will be rejuvenated by this process. It was quite audible ( to me ) driving a 515B full-range-direct, so it SHOULD also apply in to the vintage 604s, which by design, cross over high.

I'm thinking, " linear dynamic drive of the cone's outer periphery is a GOOD thing."

Additional contributions from other Forum Members? Can we take this further? Can we really NAIL this ?

Many Thanks - to those who contribute.

Jeff Medwin

**604man** · January 11th, 2014, 01:02 AM

Jeff, The goop is Altec part #54007-1 pint ..It contains Toluene and Hexane. I use Toluene to
clean the surround and thin the goop out for easy application...As per my reply, You can go to
Walmart to get a wood/natural bristle brush....Don"t use a Q-tip!...I have the glue for the VC
which uses MEK as solvent and the spider glue...I don't have the cans & PN# handy ,Hiding in
the basement some where. Altec supplied all three glues in tooth paste style containers with
their re-cone kits.....GC

**LowOhms** · January 11th, 2014, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by 604man

Jeff, The goop is Altec part #54007-1 pint ..It contains Toluene and Hexane. I use Toluene to
clean the surround and thin the goop out for easy application...As per my reply, You can go to
Walmart to get a wood/natural bristle brush....Don"t use a Q-tip!...I have the glue for the VC
which uses MEK as solvent and the spider glue...I don't have the cans & PN# handy ,Hiding in
the basement some where. Altec supplied all three glues in tooth paste style containers with
their re-cone kits.....GC

GC,

Thanks, I've been looking it up since my last post. Yes, the cotton can fall off the Q-tip and lodge in the pleated cloth surround. I agree !!

"Wiki - Toluene ( as a solvent ) - wrote this, which is looking good to me initially :

Solvent

Toluene is a common solvent, able to dissolve paints, paint thinners, silicone sealants,[12] many chemical reactants, rubber, printing ink, adhesives (glues), lacquers, leather tanners, and disinfectants. It can also be used as a fullerene indicator, and is a raw material for toluene diisocyanate (used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam) and TNT. In addition, it is used as a solvent for carbon nanotubes including fullerenes (the color of the toluene solution of C60 is bright purple). It is also used as a cement for fine polystyrene kits (by dissolving and then fusing surfaces) as it can be applied very precisely by brush and contains none of the bulk of an adhesive. Toluene can be used to break open red blood cells in order to extract hemoglobin in biochemistry experiments.

This is great, SO as I read you, Toluene is IN the "goop", AND it can be used as a solvent.

Are you thinking ( or knowing ) one can get the surrounds as clean as what Per shows on his web site ?? His story is here : http://www.haslingaudio.com/Altecsur...ory/story.html

Do we want the surrounds to look "perfectly clean", or, is it important to recoat them after extensive use of Toluene, to protect them over future decades?

If recoating is advisable, Would you suggest a thin even layer of the ALTEC goop, applied evenly, OR, say, something like that water soluble RC56 glue, that dries clear, shiny, and totally flexible?

Can you tell us all what happens if the cloth surround was not recoated, left bare, over time ?

Learning, learning . Many thanks.

Jeff Medwin