Mylar diaphram replacement?

[Gliding Dutchman]

Anybody ever tried replacing the mylar diaphram in a Martin Logan speaker?

What is the thickness of mylar used in the CLS? and what is the coating?

GD

 

[C.A.P]

Its not just as easy as replacing the Mylar(If you can get any). You need to coat it (ML has a proprietary method), Then you will need to disassemble the stators which is not easy with out damaging them. The spars are stuck to the Mylar with a high stress glue. I see no way of getting them free to re ,they play the important part of keeping the 2 stators from touching. Any twist of hidden bend could hamper the powder coating and change the voltage to that stator. I hate to say it , Its NEW panels time from Martin Logan. No one I have known has re done a stator panel. There have been some cleaning and washing but not re doing.

 

[twich54]

The cost of making the jig to properly tension the mylar alone would not justify doing it. I agree with CAP....makes no sense at all, odds are it would look and sound like crap.

 

[Rich]

We watched them putting the mylar on at the factory. Getting the tensioning right is as much an art as a skill and takes people years to learn. I agree with the above sentiments. This is not worth the time, effort, and money. Just buy new panels from the factory and go from there. For a little extra money, you will have speakers that perform like new for very little effort.

 

[eknuds01]

It took ML MANY years to get this design down straight. Those people in the factory are more than just hand laborers pulling a lever and tightening screws. Each panel is put together by hand using a variety of tools, skills, and processes.

Yes, it certainly is possible for you to reverse engineer the panel and try to fis/modify it yourself. However, as others have already posted, this is very involved effort.

 

[Craig]

It's not only the method and techniques used to apply the coating but the coating is also a proprietary formula that's evolved over the years.

It would be a challenging thing to try and interesting to know how it works out. If you can afford the time and expense I'd say go for but let us know how it works out.

This would be one of those things that would require practice, trial and error.

 

[Gliding Dutchman]

Hi all

If I may: "O ye of little faith!!" - Everything on this planet is fixable - after all, us humans designed them machines...

After arriving back home from an excellent weekend away I fired the babies up.

The one panel plays 100% but the other is about 10dB softer in volume and sound is a bit distorted. I have switched the electronics around but the fault seems to lie with the ELS panel...

Also have sent JP at ML a message.

Thank you

GD

 

[Gliding Dutchman]

Craig,

I like your attetude towards this "problem"... why not try it myself?

GD

 

[Rich]

If I may: "O ye of little faith!!" - Everything on this planet is fixable - after all, us humans designed them machines...

Ummmm, with that logic why fix them at all? Why not just design and build your own ESL speaker from scratch? I understand DIY and commend your positive attitude. But I expect it will be more difficult than you think. Replacing some electronics in a module is one thing, but re-mylaring a panel is something else altogether. Even if you find some usable mylar and create your own coating for it and somehow get it stretched properly across the stators, you would likely get different performance between the panels and have to do the other one as well.

Good luck with it. Let us know what you find out from JP. Perhaps there is a way to fix the problem without re-mylaring the panel.

 

[C.A.P]

Have you tried washing them first . Do a search. I have had 1 panel down 10 db before and it needed to be cleaned. If you live in a humid area or smoke or dust can play havoc on them too. It cant hurt now. If not then do what you may.

This I can tell you is that time is $$$ and it will take you at least a week to totally disassemble and re assemble these with the jigs and things you will need to make. That is if you can get them apart with out wrecking them. Then getting them withing +-1 db of each otther . Its not that you could not make them once you get the proper set up. Its that the first pair or prototype set is the most costly to make. I just cant see spending time to make a $900.00 USA $ , set of panels that MAY work and MAY not. When you can buy them and be done back to new speakers.