Adhesive For Aluminum Foical

[cooperj]

Hello!

This my first post on this wonderful site and I must thank all the contributors who have helped make it so great. I've had JBL on the brain ever since I discovered the site about a month ago.

I'm posting to get some help identifying a good adhesive to re-glue my original 4311 foilcals. Both have started to lift on one end and it looks terrible. The metal is starting to develop a fold so I need to attend to this quickly. I'd appreciate any recommendations for properly preparing the surface as well.

Thanks so much for your help.

Jeff

[markd51]

Hello!

This my first post on this wonderful site and I must thank all the contributors who have helped make it so great. I've had JBL on the brain ever since I discovered the site about a month ago.

I'm posting to get some help identifying a good adhesive to re-glue my original 4311 foilcals. Both have started to lift on one end and it looks terrible. The metal is starting to develop a fold so I need to attend to this quickly. I'd appreciate any recommendations for properly preparing the surface as well.

Thanks so much for your help.

Jeff

Welcome to the forum!

Do you intend to fully remove one or both first and then re-apply an adhesive to the entire foilcal and re-affix?

I'll assume like many JBLs, under these Foilcals are screws for access to the L-Pads?

If so, I then wouldn't want to use a glue that would be very difficult to deal with at some future point should you need access to those L-Pads. In other words, crazy glue, Elmer's glue, contact cement would not be a good way to go IMO.

What I'd be inclined to use would be double faced tape. And no, I'm not talking about the thicker type that 3M commonly sells in auto-parts stores, home depot, etc. That would be too thick, and the foilcal will look improperly attached with a gap between it and the front baffle.

I'm talking about a double faced tape that is as thin, or even thinner than simple cellophane tape. This tape is sticky on both sides, usually comes on a roll, it is peeled off the roll, cut to size, attached to the foilcal, then the other backing paper exposed is then removed, and then re-attach to the baffle.

You might have to gently and carefully massage the foilcal into being flat first. This will help insure the foilcal won't lift again at some future point, and in the future event of needing to remove, a simple hair dryer should be able to release the bond.

Where you might likely find this tape, would be an Arts and Crafts Store, or somewhere like Staples, or Office Depot.

[Old Dude]

I used magnets. I flush drilled two small steel screws into the front baffle. Then got two small round magnets and painted them black. Positioned the flat Foilcals and positioned the magnets. Can not see the magnets and makes future maintenance easy

[Mr. Widget]

My suggestion would be to follow the instructions posted elsewhere on this site for removing the foilcals then spray a medium heavy coat of 3M Super77 on the back of the foilcals and reattach them.


Widget

[cooperj]

Thanks for responding with great suggestions. I'll follow up on all options.

thanks,

Jeff

[markd51]

To think how JBL originally attached the Foilcals, let's chime in folks, and give me your take on how?

My take is a spray, or a hand application to the rear of the Foilcal, then slap it on? I don't think so.

And like I mention earlier, and sure, such glues will bond the Foilcal, in fact will bond it too well. And like I mention, prove very difficult in the event of a needed future removal, and I doubt with any contact adhesive sprays, or any other glues, would one be then able to remove them without severely damaging-destroying them.

I would assume in manufacturing, sure, a machine, and the sheet of double faced adhesive I speak of earlier is basically the same material that was used that I touch upon, but perhaps in a larger industrial (machine) format in production, a larger, wider sheet roll of basically that exact same material is applied.

Then prior to installation at the factory, the Serial Number stamped into the Foilcal, the Adhesive Backing Paper removed by human hands, and the Foilcal is merely pressed onto-affixed on the front Baffle in the final assembly stages.

[SaturationPt]

I agree that the original foilcals were likely pre-applied with adhesive-back by the manufacturer, they were peel-and-stick at JBL.

If your foilcals are curling up and have a crease that means that someone had removed them previously, not very well, and didn't completely flatten them before re-applying. You will likely need to remove them completely and flatten them before re-applying to your speakers. A good time to service the crossovers.

I plan to R&R the foilcals on my Summits, and have already obtained the double-sided tape (looks like ordinary acetate-backed desktop tape but double-sided) which will work fine, provided both surfaces are clean and dry (and smooth).

[script56]

Heat with blow dryer to reactive original adhesive

[cooperj]

Hello,

Back in April I posted a question inquiring how to remove the foilcal from a JBL 4311 and what adhesive to use to reapply it. One response suggested I use double sided tape instead of adhesive in case there's ever a need to remove it again. This made sense to me so I contacted 3M Industrial Division and they recommended 3M Double Coated Tape # 9832. I asked the customer service rep if this is a good choice for metal and wood and was told it is.

It is easy to work with and I had no problem cutting out the holes for the presence and brilliance knobs. Two months later the tape is holding fast with no sign of the foilcal lifting. Of course only time will tell if it's a long term solution.

Here's a link to the website in case anyone wants to check it out. I purchased it from R.S. Hughes.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40072052/

[markd51]

Hello,

Back in April I posted a question inquiring how to remove the foilcal from a JBL 4311 and what adhesive to use to reapply it. One response suggested I use double sided tape instead of adhesive in case there's ever a need to remove it again. This made sense to me so I contacted 3M Industrial Division and they recommended 3M Double Coated Tape # 9832. I asked the customer service rep if this is a good choice for metal and wood and was told it is.

It is easy to work with and I had no problem cutting out the holes for the presence and brilliance knobs. Two months later the tape is holding fast with no sign of the foilcal lifting. Of course only time will tell if it's a long term solution.

Here's a link to the website in case anyone wants to check it out. I purchased it from R.S. Hughes.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40072052/

Yep, that's the baby! I'd bet my last dollar this is exactly the same product that was used by JBL.

Please accept my apologies that I didn't search a little for you back then, and find and link to this exact product that you used. And just like what they used, I foresee having no problems down the road.