deskthority

Hi!

I"m about to order foam to rebuild my Model F XT boards

I tried to order 2mm as this seemed to be most commonly recommended.

However the supply company only has

• 1/16 inch (1.6mm)

• 3/32 inch (2.3mm)

Which one should I get. I wonder if the 1.6mm might be too thin.
Also, the foam they offer is "2A1 Neoprene blended foam"
Will the blended neoprene be acceptable. One supplier told me the lifespan of the blended neoprene will be shorter than pure neoprene. Suggestions?

I have to order a big roll, so I'll have more than enough for a few boards, plus pieces left over to use for sound insulation on the back plate.

At these sizes I'd just go with the 2.3mm foam, you're talking a difference of only 300μm from the 2.0mm you've been recommended. For reference, a strand of hair is usually around 100-150μm wide.

Where are you ordering from?

I'm ordering from Canada Rubber Group. The price seems OK

Thanks for the advice on the foam thickness. I'll go with the 2.3mm.

Any ideas on if blended neoprene will be OK?

Any advice on the type of foam?

I would honestly just go on eBay and buy some standard neoprene foam at a size of 3mm. As it will make the assembly tighter. Also another reason to go with standard neoprene is to avoid the possibility of the foam in the assembly degrading again.

Hope that helps.

Make sure the foam is soft, otherwise you will have an absolute nightmare of a time getting the plates back together. I actually had an easier time getting the F122 back together (multiple times) and successfully with quite firm foam. The XTs however... none of the foam replacements worked with the stuff I bought from Ebay, which is way too thick and will not compress. I tried all sorts of thicknesses of neoprene and even art foam, but every single time the plates just wouldn't mate and would bend out of shape. The backplate would bend inwards and the barrel frame outwards, resulting in an extremely inconsistent sound and feel.

As much as I want to agree with Fkazim, I'd double check that the stuff you're buying will compress sufficiently like the original material.