Tolex adhesion

[Andy]

What seems to be the best product and method to get the Tolex adhered to the cabinet? I did the first cabinet with 3M 77 and it seemed to work good, but I dont know the long term effects. Then I moved to DAP Weldwood and its hit and miss. Most often, Im not getting it to stick well, particularly in corners and edges.

I apply to the sanded cabinet, let it sit for a few minutes, then assemble. Perhaps I am sanding too fine at 220?

[Robin]

After trying several different adhesives, I’ve been using the tolex glue from Antique Electronic Supply with good success. It is far easier to work with than the Dap type contact cement. Letting it dry (like 30-45 min.) really well before putting the surfaces together is an important key to success. If you find bubbles under the tolex after it’s been applied for a couple of hours, the cement was not dry enough when the surfaces were stuck together. It’s easy to roll out the bubbles if that does happen, but not having it happen in the first place is better. Excess glue at the joints can be removed by applying Gaffers tape (duct tape) over the dried glue and when you pull the tape up, the tolex adhesive comes right off with no residue.

I’ve found that sometimes the seams, where tolex overlaps tolex, does not stick that well. When that happens, adding a bead of Zap-a-Gap cyanoacrylate adhesive (gap filling super glue) solves the issue. The really great thing about the AES glue is that you can work the corners together (sometimes with a little heat) and get nice clean joints.

[JohnG]

I used contact adhesive on my first cabinet. Other adhesives I tried tended to melt the tolex. Corners were tricky. Not easy the first time cutting the tolex to match correctly. More practice needed. 9 months on, the tolex is adhering well. However, I’ll try Robin’s suggestion for the next cab, as I found I had to work quickly due to the fast curing time.

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[JohnG]

Speakerbuilderssupply.com have a helpful message board which I have found helpful. Try this link:

file:///users/johngilroy/Documents/Music/Amplifiers%20&%20Effect%20Pedals/Amp%20Cabinets/retolexing%20project%20-%20speaker%20building%20message%20board.webarchive

This article is about recovering an amp, and has some tips on adhesives.

[JohnG]

Speakerbuilderssupply.com have a helpful message board which I have found helpful. Try this link:

http://jam4jmessageboard.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=2378719

This article is about recovering an amp, and has some tips on adhesives.

[Robin]

Adhesive update.

I just started using the Wilsonart H2O adhesive and can report it is vastly superior to any other product I’ve tried. It’s easy to apply, it is forgiving to work with and sticks much better than the “Tolex” glue sold by other amp building supplies houses. Wilsonart H2O was difficult to find and is expensive (because you have to buy a gallon at a time) but it’s worth it. If you’re tired to having to superglue overlapping Tolex seams and corners, this is the glue for you.

[Author]

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