Installing Grillecloth

From okric–(at)–ol.com Sat Feb 20 13:32:03 CST 1999
From: okric–(at)–ol.com (OKRick)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar.amps
Subject: Re: need help with grille cloth
X-Admin: new–(at)–ol.com
Date: 20 Feb 1999 18:56:43 GMT
Xref: geraldo.cc.utexas.edu alt.guitar.amps:160392

>
>Does anyone have a good technique for stretching grille cloth over a
>baffle so it comes out even and tight?
>
Ok, grille cloth 101……. Start with making a center mark on the top and
bottom of the baffle back. Fold the cloth in half and mark or cut a center
mark on top and bottom of cloth. Most cloth has a grid like pattern, this mark
should be in the exact center of one of the squares of the grid or on one of
the lines. Start at top and align center marks and shoot a staple on each side
of the center mark . Now go to the bottom and stretch and staple bottom to its
center marks. Cloth should be very taught but don’t get carried away, if you
see the threads stretching and distorting the pattern and pulling from the
staples you have stretched too much, you just want it tight enough that it
doesn’t visibly move from speaker air when playing. Now check to see if the
center looks straight, and if ok, evenly stretch another inch of cloth each
side of center and shoot two more staples each side of center on top and
bottom, again check for straightness. Keep a pair of sharp pointed diagonal
cutting pliers handy for pulling staples out if you need to adjust. Now go to
the center of the sides and pull evenly side to side (an extra pair of hands
can come in handy here) when pattern looks straight and even shoot a couple
staples at center of each side. Now take another look and if everything looks
straight, start working from the center of each side, pulling evenly, and
shoot two more staples alternating side to side, top to bottom, working toward
corners and constantly checking for straightness and making adjustments.
Staples should be installed about every 1 to 1 1/4″. I can’t think of a way
to explain folding the corners when you get to them, just look at the old cloth
to get an idea, this area usually doesn’t show anyway as long as there is no
obvious fraying. Good luck, you can do it.
OKRic–(at)–OL.com