[drrenaud]

Hello All,
The Philco 40-200 radio has a 1/8" hardboard that the grill cloth attaches to.  I don't want to staple the new cloth to the board because the shortest staples I can find are 1/4".  It looks like Philco originally glued the cloth to the hardboard.  My first thought is to use 3M contact cement but I'm concerned that the cement will bleed through the cloth.  Can someone recommend a type of glue I can use for this job?

[Ron Ramirez]

Hi,

3M Super 77 will get the job done and won't bleed through - that is, unless you spray the entire can onto the board

[drrenaud]

Hi Ron,
I have a can of 3M 99 high strength contact cement, will that work?

[Ron Ramirez]

I'm not familiar with 99, but - probably. Just don't go overboard with spraying the stuff on. Do it outdoors if possible, in a garage with nothing around that you don't want to get the stuff on otherwise - and WEAR A MASK OR (preferably) RESPIRATOR.

Oh, and don't use it in cold weather. Don't ask how I know that. The ambient temperature should be above 60 degrees, warmer is better.

The hard part is geting the cloth on after spraying the cement. You can work with Super 77 for a short period of time, but it is very tricky to get the cloth stretched just right. I still don't have the "knack" of doing it perfectly.

[Patrick]

I use 99, and it does bleed through most grillcloths. so you can only spray the perimeter. But that's all you need anyway. I spray water on all cloths before I mount them. That allows them to stretch. They then shrink when they dry, eliminating any wrinkles. A lot of the grill cloth out there is thin, and will rip easily when wet, so you really have to be careful. I always take a spare piece of cloth to see how it will react to both the adhesive and the water. I've ruined a few cloths by not taking that precaution.

[Ron Ramirez]

Thanks for chiming in, Patrick. Good info to have. I've never used 99 so I did not know. I do know Super 77 doesn't bleed through when applied properly.

[Patrick]

I think I'm going to try some 77 since you said you can work with it for a small amount of time. Once 99 makes contact, it's really hard to do anything with it. I started using it before I found the trick of wetting the cloth, because it would hold fast, and I just never tried anything else. Thanks, Ron.

Oh, and Spotnails stock #87002 staples are only 1/8". They're also great for the occasional plastic dial cover. You just have to reduce the air down to about 30psi or they'll go right through the plastic.

[Arran]

I've noticed that a lot of grill cloths were cemented on with what looks like some sort of hide glue, which is heated before use, then painted on with a brush. I suppose you could also use white glue around the perimeter, it dries clear, but the spray adhesive is probably the easiest way.
Regards
Arran