DIY Aging Silver Grill Cloth
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2022 1:57 pm
Hey Y'all quick Non-scientific DIY process for you all. I purchased a Deluxe clone and wanted to change out the grill cloth. I really love the ambered/Tan grill cloth you see on BF fenders from the 60's. The plan was to pull off the existing Grill cloth and replace it with an "aged" grill cloth.
Like this:
I started with the grill cloth already on the amp. I mixed Water, Tea, Alcohol, and a few drops of amber & Cordovan transtint into a plastic cheapo spray bottle and sprayed outside (just the baffle separated from the amp. Below is the before & after of the now Original Aged Grill Cloth (OAGC)
BEFORE
AFTER
I liked it but didn't love it. I ended up ordering "aged" grill cloth from Speaker builder supply. It was ok, but felt like a better base to do my experiments than regular silver. I cut some test strips off and did a few different experiments, its hard to see but I PROMISE! there's difference between all of them. tho the difference is slight
1. Original
2. Tinted Lacquer spray (from the underside.)
3. Tea Stained 1.5 hrs
4. Water, Alcohol, Transtint, Spray & Tea Soak.
5. Tinted lacquer (directly on top.)
#5 was stiff, unworkable, and perhaps to heavy handed. Lacquer pooled up between fibers, and part of me wondered if this would have an affect of the sound of the amp. Tho it looked great, had a dulled appearance common with amps of this age. It wasn't going to work. below is the OAGC and the newly sprayed replacement cloth
Right now I'm deciding to go with Method #4. Its a little easier, but requires a little more attention to mixing consistencies, between amber and cordovan. So far I've got the fabric soaking in a 5-gallon bucket with 5/6 teabags in hot water. 2.5 hours. then spray with #4 solution minus the tea. let dry between sprays, and then at night, I'll probably let it soak in the bucket again to brown up some of the yellow. if that doesn't work. I'll hit it with diluted cordovan mixtures.
More to come!
Like this:
I started with the grill cloth already on the amp. I mixed Water, Tea, Alcohol, and a few drops of amber & Cordovan transtint into a plastic cheapo spray bottle and sprayed outside (just the baffle separated from the amp. Below is the before & after of the now Original Aged Grill Cloth (OAGC)
BEFORE
AFTER
I liked it but didn't love it. I ended up ordering "aged" grill cloth from Speaker builder supply. It was ok, but felt like a better base to do my experiments than regular silver. I cut some test strips off and did a few different experiments, its hard to see but I PROMISE! there's difference between all of them. tho the difference is slight
1. Original
2. Tinted Lacquer spray (from the underside.)
3. Tea Stained 1.5 hrs
4. Water, Alcohol, Transtint, Spray & Tea Soak.
5. Tinted lacquer (directly on top.)
#5 was stiff, unworkable, and perhaps to heavy handed. Lacquer pooled up between fibers, and part of me wondered if this would have an affect of the sound of the amp. Tho it looked great, had a dulled appearance common with amps of this age. It wasn't going to work. below is the OAGC and the newly sprayed replacement cloth
Right now I'm deciding to go with Method #4. Its a little easier, but requires a little more attention to mixing consistencies, between amber and cordovan. So far I've got the fabric soaking in a 5-gallon bucket with 5/6 teabags in hot water. 2.5 hours. then spray with #4 solution minus the tea. let dry between sprays, and then at night, I'll probably let it soak in the bucket again to brown up some of the yellow. if that doesn't work. I'll hit it with diluted cordovan mixtures.
More to come!
