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Thread: What is Aquaplas

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    Senior Member tweeter's Avatar
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    What is Aquaplas

    What is aquaplas and what are the benefits?
    Why are woofers aquaplased in the front or the rear?

    Thanks.

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    Super Moderator yggdrasil's Avatar
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    Johnny Haugen Sørgård

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    Senior Member lgvenable's Avatar
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    aquaplas

    From the top of my head, without searching for any old posts I participated in....which is where all answers lay.

    Aquaplas is an acoustic treatment for JBL speaker cones. I guess I see it's main function in improving the tonal qualities of the cone; while damping resonance. While others will speak to the acoustic function more authoritatively; I can speak to the composition > since part of my career as an industrial chemist was spent designing pigments and applied coatings of one type or another.

    Aquaplas is made essentially with silica and clay; more than likely with some type of bulking agent. It may also contain a set of secondary pigments to aid in the bulking structure. No doubt the clay(s) used might be to give both structure and rheological characteristics, allowing the proper viscosity for the fluid to allow spray application.

    It would also have a binder (of which I never tried to analyze), some surfactants in it for wetting; and to maintain suspension of the clays/minerals; as well as an anti-settling agent.

    It is available as a thickened paste. (What I always referred to as "bag bottom paste viscosity" > since it is trowel-able. I got the sample from Blanchford Chemical (sp?). However, the materials available to the user are very thick. I'm sure JBL's version is covered under an NDA, and hence is not available; unless you took the thickened suspension and cut it to get the correct rheological characteristics to spray.

    Too bad in doing that you mess up the pigment volume concentration and the way it consolidates. Then again, JBL and their supplier already knew that.

    Larry
    Integra DHC80.1,3x 4636LF, 2360-2446J 2404H,12 x 8340 Surrounds, 2 x4645B, BGW 250D's,250E's,& 750B's 16 amps...7600 watts

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    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tweeter View Post
    What is aquaplas and what are the benefits?
    http://www.blachford.ca/products/index2.html

    It is used to dampen resonances as well as to add mass to woofer cones. For compression driver diaphragms it is sprayed on very lightly to reduce the inherent resonances.

    Quote Originally Posted by tweeter View Post
    Why are woofers aquaplased in the front or the rear?
    I think it is a matter of aesthetics. The aquaplas coating has been applied on the front and colored white or gray for various JBLs and even tinted green for the drivers they sold to Heathkit.

    Typically these days they put it on the back of the cone to conceal it. For some cones it is only applied to the outer portion of the cone near the surround.


    Widget

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    Member ROSSO's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    ...and even tinted green for the drivers they sold to Heathkit...Widget
    I would concur with everything except the Heathkit tint part - I have two pair of Heathkit LE-14A's and those babys are spray painted green over the Aquaplas - cone, frame - everthing but the Lans-a-loy surround.

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    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ROSSO View Post
    I would concur with everything except the Heathkit tint part - I have two pair of Heathkit LE-14A's and those babys are spray painted green over the Aquaplas - cone, frame - everthing but the Lans-a-loy surround.
    I see that they did paint the frames green, but I'd be surprised if they painted the cones after they were aquaplased. I bet they used tinted aquaplas since painting them would add a step in the manufacturing process. They certainly didn't paint the finished woofers... the dustcaps are the normal black color. Here are eBay picks of LE14As and 123As


    Widget
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    Senior Member tomt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post



    Here are eBay picks of LE14As and 123As


    Widget
    Kinda like the way they look.

  8. #8
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    I just followed the old threads and the old link for Blachford is dead.
    Here is a new link for those that may be interested:

    https://blachfordacoustics.com/product/damping-liquid/

    BTW: The product has a guaranteed shelf life of one year, so if you bought it years ago another order should be placed.


    Widget

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    Has anyone here tried coating speakers with Rustoleum as suggested by Simply Speakers? https://www.simplyspeakers.com/jbl-r...K-JBL2213.html

    Can use Rust Oleum "American Accent Stone Creations" spray paint to add weight and the look of Aquaplas if desired.

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    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Can use Rust Oleum "American Accent Stone Creations" spray paint to add weight and the look of Aquaplas if desired.
    Gotta love these guys!!! LOL

    So how much weight will you be adding???

    Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Robh3606 View Post
    Gotta love these guys!!! LOL

    So how much weight will you be adding???

    Rob
    Well. I don't know. It would depend on how many coats. How much needs to be added?

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    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Well. I don't know. It would depend on how many coats. How much needs to be added?
    Hello rwwear

    Exactly! I certainly don't know. I doubt they do. You need to match the moving mass assuming the rest of the kit is "correct" minus the coating. Even if you did it would be trial and error to figure out an application process that will give you an even coat like the original which was also sprayed on. Here is a picture of a 129H cone kit front and back.

    Hey Edgewound

    Have you ever tried adding mass to an aftermarket kit using a spray on instead of say a mass ring??

    Rob
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    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Robh3606 View Post
    Hello rwwear

    Exactly! I certainly don't know. I doubt they do. You need to match the moving mass assuming the rest of the kit is "correct" minus the coating. Even if you did it would be trial and error to figure out an application process that will give you an even coat like the original which was also sprayed on. Here is a picture of a 129H cone kit front and back.

    Hey Edgewound

    Have you ever tried adding mass to an aftermarket kit using a spray on instead of say a mass ring??

    Rob
    Rob.

    Wouldn't it be trial and error if you used the real Aquaplas coating as some on this forum have tried or wanted to try?

    Robt.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Robh3606 View Post
    .....Hey Edgewound

    Have you ever tried adding mass to an aftermarket kit using a spray on instead of say a mass ring??

    Rob
    I'm pretty sure he sprays on a coating to the aftermarket 2245h kits to closely match the weight of the originals.

  15. #15
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Wouldn't it be trial and error if you used the real Aquaplas coating as some on this forum have tried or wanted to try?
    Yes it would. You would have the same issues of not knowing how much and coming up with a repeatable application technique. Much of the aquaplas applications done on the site were from an former member coating HF diaphragms for compression drivers. I this case we actually had the correct material JBL used for this. Coating a woofer cone is a different thing entirely! Much more volume and thicker application on a paper based substrate.

    Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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