I want to run a bead of caulk / sealant on all the interior joints of my speaker cabinet to seal them up. I know that there are many types of sealants out there, some water based, solvent based, silicone, urethane, etc. I want to ensure that I select one that will remain in place and not crack after a few years and I do not want to have contamination issues with painting or glueing (silicone is a concern here). I also want to make sure that I pick one that has zero emissions once cured so that I do not damage the surrounds or any other component of the speaker.
So...what should I use?
So...what should I use?
Silicone should not have an issue with painting, given that it is on the inside of the box. Not sure why you would say that it might, unless ur box has pretty big gaps that run to the outside. You would caulk after the joint has dried and hardened fully...
Assuming a good glue joint, there won't be that much to seal. In the case of a ported enclosure it's a non-issue with a decently built cabinet. For a sealed box or PR enclosure, then yes, the leaky-ness of the box could be an issue, imo.
I don't know of any solvent based caulks still on the market...
Liquid nails type materials are not suitable for caulking, they still have solvent.
Foams are NG.
The rest are acrylic or silicone afaik. Silicone likely has the longest life, and won't shrink or crack over time. But you have to let the silicone set and dry, since most consumer silicones emit acetic acid when curing...
Maybe the best choice is a "high build" PVA glue, they sit up and are thicker than "white glue" and "Tite Bond" (which are also PVA), but are not generally sold over-the-counter to the public, afaik.
Fwiw, most "20 year" or "30 year" acrylic window caulks or bath caulks should work fine... especially since they are not being exposed to UV or weather...
_-_-bear
Assuming a good glue joint, there won't be that much to seal. In the case of a ported enclosure it's a non-issue with a decently built cabinet. For a sealed box or PR enclosure, then yes, the leaky-ness of the box could be an issue, imo.
I don't know of any solvent based caulks still on the market...
Liquid nails type materials are not suitable for caulking, they still have solvent.
Foams are NG.
The rest are acrylic or silicone afaik. Silicone likely has the longest life, and won't shrink or crack over time. But you have to let the silicone set and dry, since most consumer silicones emit acetic acid when curing...
Maybe the best choice is a "high build" PVA glue, they sit up and are thicker than "white glue" and "Tite Bond" (which are also PVA), but are not generally sold over-the-counter to the public, afaik.
Fwiw, most "20 year" or "30 year" acrylic window caulks or bath caulks should work fine... especially since they are not being exposed to UV or weather...
_-_-bear
OSI, still makes and sells solvent based caulks but I am not sure who else does...
I am just generally paranoid about silicone (maybe paintable silicone is ok), no matter how hard I try to be neat, it ends up with small contamination in my shop (rags, hands, etc all carry it and can cause fisheyes in paint or glue failure)
I use white carpenter's glue. (white glue, as mentioned)
Dries clear, shrinks while drying, no odor, very strong.
Available in hardware stores and lumber stores "everywhere".
Fingers water washable.
🙂
Dries clear, shrinks while drying, no odor, very strong.
Available in hardware stores and lumber stores "everywhere".
Fingers water washable.
🙂
kooshball, i never had a problem with silicone that way... i work carefully, wear gloves, and don't touch stuff...
_-_-bear
_-_-bear
Use this stuff. http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx?product_id=2
Cheap
Available everywhere.
Easy bead laying and tooling
Low VOC
Quick clean up.
If this causes problems I will build you a new set of boxes with nice tight joints so you don't need caulk. 😉
Cheap
Available everywhere.
Easy bead laying and tooling
Low VOC
Quick clean up.
If this causes problems I will build you a new set of boxes with nice tight joints so you don't need caulk. 😉
And there is plaster of Paris mixed with plastic paint if you happen to have any open tins of acrylic paint that need using up, beware of the very short working time tho
Alex Plus made by DAP- water based for easy cleanup, stays pliable, etc. good and cheap. I disagree with using glue or glue mixed with anything. Glue is for holding things together- period - caulk is for sealing. I've been building competition sub boxes for Car-Fi for years with zero problems. Silicone is acceptable but costs more is messy and stinks (spit on your finger when fingering it) At any rate, I've used many types and brands of caulk through the years - If I had to choose a 2nd favorite it would be "Ultima" Tubes out awesome and self levels.
That looks like a great choice! What proportions do you use?
What about hot glue?
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