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<blockquote data-quote="Roy Andrews" data-source="post: 216720" data-attributes="member: 15263"><p>One other thing that I'm not seeing in YT videos that I always do, although ferrofluid will complicate this somewhat:</p><p></p><p>I always clean the magnetic gap before installing a new diaphragm. This is especially important if the diaphragm shattered or otherwise cracked or split (or in the case of Mylar, melted or burned). It doesn't take much dirt or schmooze in the magnetic gap to cause distortion, and one oddball thing about compression drivers is that a small piece of grit or other material can cause distortion at a particular frequency(s) meanwhile every other frequency sounds great. And it can also happen that you don't notice until it's all back together, in the cabinet, and running at concert volume, because it sounded perfect at lower test volume in your shop.</p><p></p><p>I like to get Pec-Pads - a strong, but soft & perfectly lint free cloth used for cleaning the sensors of digital SLR cameras ($12 for 100 pack on Amazon USA). Cut a small finger of thin & stiff but flexible plastic (often the clamshell packaging the diaphragm comes in is perfect for this), fold the Pec-Pad so it covers both sides of the piece of plastic, then insert that in the gap & wipe it around & around. You can wet the pad with alcohol to help pick up dirt. Use a can of compressed air (or a real air compressor with a blower handle on the end of the hose) to blow out the gap. Repeat the Pec-Pad wipe & compressed air blowing if anything still looks sus after the first round.</p><p></p><p>Only THEN go ahead & install the new diaphragm. This should ensure a prefect job that returns the compression driver to a state indistinguishable from new.</p><p></p><p>The strangest thing I've found in a compression driver so far is dried coffee with milk & sugar. How??? Just how??? That was about 6 passes with the Pec-Pads, alcohol, & blower. New diaphragm for good measure, even though the old one still looked serviceable after some cleaning. Sounded fine after repair.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Roy Andrews, post: 216720, member: 15263"] One other thing that I'm not seeing in YT videos that I always do, although ferrofluid will complicate this somewhat: I always clean the magnetic gap before installing a new diaphragm. This is especially important if the diaphragm shattered or otherwise cracked or split (or in the case of Mylar, melted or burned). It doesn't take much dirt or schmooze in the magnetic gap to cause distortion, and one oddball thing about compression drivers is that a small piece of grit or other material can cause distortion at a particular frequency(s) meanwhile every other frequency sounds great. And it can also happen that you don't notice until it's all back together, in the cabinet, and running at concert volume, because it sounded perfect at lower test volume in your shop. I like to get Pec-Pads - a strong, but soft & perfectly lint free cloth used for cleaning the sensors of digital SLR cameras ($12 for 100 pack on Amazon USA). Cut a small finger of thin & stiff but flexible plastic (often the clamshell packaging the diaphragm comes in is perfect for this), fold the Pec-Pad so it covers both sides of the piece of plastic, then insert that in the gap & wipe it around & around. You can wet the pad with alcohol to help pick up dirt. Use a can of compressed air (or a real air compressor with a blower handle on the end of the hose) to blow out the gap. Repeat the Pec-Pad wipe & compressed air blowing if anything still looks sus after the first round. Only THEN go ahead & install the new diaphragm. This should ensure a prefect job that returns the compression driver to a state indistinguishable from new. The strangest thing I've found in a compression driver so far is dried coffee with milk & sugar. How??? Just how??? That was about 6 passes with the Pec-Pads, alcohol, & blower. New diaphragm for good measure, even though the old one still looked serviceable after some cleaning. Sounded fine after repair. [/QUOTE]
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