# Tolex repair..nicks and such



## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

My old Traynor speaker cab looks a little rough. Has anyone tried a vinyl repair kit to touch up the nicks and gouges?


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## Fader (Mar 10, 2009)

I picked up a small tube of black silicone at the hardware store. You can trowel it in small nicks with a toothpick and they just disappear.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

My amps aren't to bad that way, but a couple of my cases are--I might try that for small nicks, but I've re-glued larger ones.


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## Fader (Mar 10, 2009)

Larger damage can benefit from a heat gun to stretch the tear back into position.
I use contact cement to glue it back down and then dress the seam with the black silicon sealant.
Once the tolex is cleaned, unload some Armour-All on it. 
Then stand back six feet and try and spot the repair.


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## madkatb (May 14, 2009)

Best stuff I've found for cleaning tolex is anything that foams...tire cleaner, carpet cleaner. It doesn't leave the shine that armorall does but if you leave it till the foam dies down it gets all the grunge out of the creases. Light brushing and a wipe down, good to go. I've heard that armorall dries the tolex out and that it can crack? Any others had any experience with that?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

madkatb said:


> Best stuff I've found for cleaning tolex is anything that foams...tire cleaner, carpet cleaner. It doesn't leave the shine that armorall does but if you leave it till the foam dies down it gets all the grunge out of the creases. Light brushing and a wipe down, good to go. I've heard that armorall dries the tolex out and that it can crack? Any others had any experience with that?


Yup that works.


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

madkatb said:


> I've heard that armorall dries the tolex out and that it can crack?


As far as I know AmorAll might be detrimental to rubber products...apparently it opens the pores of the rubber and allows early aging...the solution is to continally use ArmorAll..as I did.
I don't think ArmorAll will hurt tolex...just makes it easier for cab to slip out of your hands.

PS: Never use ArmorAll on a motorcycle seat or kick starter rubber peg!!!


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## Jimmypaz (Sep 15, 2009)

Eastwood (Not the guitar company, the auto restoration people) sell a "vinyl repair system" for about $30.00 that will do an ivisible repair on tolex tears and nicks. Takes a little skill, but the results are worth it IMHO. It's what the pros use for amps and cases.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

My tech did some cosmetic work on my Hiwatt. I don't know exactly what he did, but I do know he took some tolex from the *inside* of the headbox, where it wraps around, and cut it into pieces used for patches. I also know on some of the tiny spots, he just used a marker.

Start:








Finish:


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Rather than using Armour-all, which contains silicones, Meguiar's makes an excellent product for cleaning vinyl and leather. Off hand, I think it's called "Vinyl and Leather Cleaner", but that probably would be too easy.


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