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The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products


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    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles?

    Luddite
    Luddite


    Posts : 233
    Join date : 2009-02-04
    Age : 73
    Location : Texas

    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles? Empty Removing Dynaco A10 grilles?

    Post by Luddite Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:09 pm

    I just received a pair of Dynaco A10 speakers from an Ebay auction. I am planning to re-finish the cabinets, replace the capacitors in the crossovers, and possibly upgrade the tweeters. I have discovered that the grilles are very securely fastened (glued?) to the front baffles. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get these loosened and removed, without harming the cabinets? I don't mind damaging the grille frames and/or grille cloth if that is necessary. Those are simple enough to replace. Thanks and

    Best Regards,
    Charlie
    DynakitParts
    DynakitParts


    Posts : 215
    Join date : 2008-11-30

    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles? Empty Removing A-10 Grills

    Post by DynakitParts Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:17 pm


    Hi Charley,
    I refinished a pair or A-10's some years ago which did come out quite
    well. The removal of the front grills was a bit difficult as compared to the A-25's
    but both were secured to the speaker cabinet with this nasty black adhesive. It did
    appear at least on my pair of A-10's that the amount of adhesive used was more than
    needed to hold these grills in place. Anyway, if you plans include replacing the
    grill cloth...then I would suggest cutting away the grill cloth with a razor blade
    and prying off the grill frames from the inner perimeter of the frames. Small wood
    wedges will assist in the initial release of the grill frames from the cabinet until
    you can get a finger grip on the frames to finish the removal.

    I now use velcro at each corner to hold the grill frames.

    Regards,

    Kevin @ Dynakit
    Luddite
    Luddite


    Posts : 233
    Join date : 2009-02-04
    Age : 73
    Location : Texas

    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles? Empty Re: Removing Dynaco A10 grilles?

    Post by Luddite Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:22 pm

    Thanks Kevin, I'll do just that. I don't plan to save the grille cloth and if the frame(s) break, no problem, I'll just make more. After all, I used the "Fender Oxblood" grille cloth on my A25's (looks pretty cool!). I'll probably do the same with the A10's. BTW, do the drivers come out easily and do you have any suggestions on removing them?

    Best Regards,
    Charlie
    DynakitParts
    DynakitParts


    Posts : 215
    Join date : 2008-11-30

    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles? Empty A-10 Drivers

    Post by DynakitParts Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:31 pm


    Charley,
    Unfortunately, the drivers also have this same kind of adhesive. Remove the
    woofer first which will allow you to reach into the cabinet to apply pressure to
    remove the tweeter. I did damage the partical board somewhat removing the woofer and
    had to patch this up with wood putty. Flat black paint concealed this very well.

    Kevin
    Luddite
    Luddite


    Posts : 233
    Join date : 2009-02-04
    Age : 73
    Location : Texas

    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles? Empty Re: Removing Dynaco A10 grilles?

    Post by Luddite Thu Aug 09, 2012 11:35 am

    Thanks again Kevin. One more question please. Did you replace any capacitors in the crossovers, or just leave them alone? If these speakers check out fine and sound good, I may just mask off the front panels and do the re-finishing. I plan to use them in a "Dynaquad" set up with the A25's I already have.

    Best Regards,
    Charlie
    DynakitParts
    DynakitParts


    Posts : 215
    Join date : 2008-11-30

    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles? Empty A-10 Speakers

    Post by DynakitParts Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:08 pm


    Charley,
    Speakers sounded fine as is...so no upgrades were made to the crossovers.

    With my A-25's I replaced the crossovers with new versions from I believe Madison
    Sound.

    Kevin @ Dynakit
    avatar
    JohnV


    Posts : 1
    Join date : 2021-06-11

    Removing Dynaco A10 grilles? Empty Re: Removing Dynaco A10 grilles?

    Post by JohnV Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:13 pm

    A note as to removing the grilles on the A10

    FIRST REMOVE THE DYNACO BADGE: it's just a metal plate glued to a woodscrew (like the A25) .
    You should be able to simply rotate it anti-clockwise until it is free.

    the grillecloth and frame is a bit of a trick...
    The grillecloth frame is simply-built... with the LONG side frame piece going fully top-to-bottom.
    This is important later in levering the thing off the glue, without breaking/separating the frame pieces from each other.

    FIRST THING TO KNOW: the frame is both marginally GLUED (which means the folded-around-the-back grille cloth WILL be partially stuck to the speaker front panel... )
    AND secured with TWO small brad/nails. These were a clever easy hidden idea... and thus an annoying trick to get the thing off.

    These brads are (on mine anyway) ONLY placed on the upper-left and lower-right corners.
    (directions as if the speaker is VERTICAL with the tweeter above the woofer)

    MOST IMPORTANTLY they are NOT driven in STRAIGHT, but driven in at a specific EXTREME angle and so CANNOT be simply leveraged/pried off straight without breaking something. I could NOT locate them from the front thru the grillecloth.
    (if YOU can find them and get a grip to pull them out AT AN ANGLE, without damaging the grillecloth... I salute you)

    The idea seems to be that you loosen the grille frame as best you can WITHOUT trying to loosen it on those 2 brad-held corners,...
    they will NOT move, and will break the frame rather than come away being pried straight-up.

    You initially work your way from the OTHER corners, with a small putty knife as a lever (it reduces compression damage to the front verneer lip) gently applying pressure to break the glue bond (do NOT do this initially on the short frame piece as it can break where it joins the long frame piece) , then feeling your way along to ALSO get whatever grillecloth WILL be staying stuck to the FRONT PANEL rather than coming away with the frame.
    Once most of the frame and grillecloth has its glue bond broken from the front panel, you can get the brad-corners out differently:

    the trick I found was to lift the free corners out a bit so you can push sideways on them, and GENTLY apply tool leverage on the brad-held corners WHILE PUSHING SIDEWAYS (leftwards on the top... rightwards on the bottom) ON THE FRAME so that the result is to pull along the axis of the slanted brads.
    It feels VERY risky as you do it... it takes considerable pressure to break the last of the glue AND get the brad to come out with the frame.

    The previous owner for my pair had tried getting the grille off and managed to break a frame corner-joint and gave up. I had read a mention somewhere about 'nails' on the A10's but saw none on the loose part of that grille. I managed to get it off without further damage and thus found the brads on diagonal corners.
    Removing the other speaker's grille on that evidence worked well.

    hope this is of help

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