Blu-Tack vs. (yellow Handi-Tak)
Peter
John Kennekam wrote:
> Blu-Tack is just a sticky compound. I have used Bostik's Prestik to the
> same effect. All it does is to reduce vibrations between speakers and the
> stands. If you use spikes, you will not need it.
> Greg Hergott <her...@user.rose.com> wrote in article
> <5u1m8p$5...@agate.berkeley.edu>...
> > I have often seen references to Blu-Tack being used between speakers
> > and stands to damp resonances. Living in Canada, however, I have never
> > seen this product. I would like to arrage to purchase some from the
> > US, but I have no clue where to look for it since I'm not sure of it's
> > "real" purpose. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
Purchase "Handi-Tak" (made in the USA) which is available at hardware
stores, and is much, much cheaper than products made especially for
the audio market. It is yellow in color.
One of its main uses here in California is to fasten "breakables" down
so that they will not fall off shelves during earthquakes. According
to the package it "replaces tape, pushpins and tacks, won't dry out,
safe, non-toxic, can be used over and over again."
The material is readily reusable. I wish I could send you a small
sample via e-mail. I believe that I paid less than $2.00 for quite a
large package, so this might be of considerable interest to
audiophiles in general.
Stewart Pinkerton
Peter <p_ul...@ix.netcom.com> writes:
>John Kennekam wrote:
>
>> Blu-Tack is just a sticky compound. I have used Bostik's Prestik to the
>> same effect. All it does is to reduce vibrations between speakers and the
>> stands. If you use spikes, you will not need it.
>
>> Greg Hergott <her...@user.rose.com> wrote in article
>> <5u1m8p$5...@agate.berkeley.edu>...
>> > I have often seen references to Blu-Tack being used between speakers
>> > and stands to damp resonances. Living in Canada, however, I have never
>> > seen this product. I would like to arrage to purchase some from the
>> > US, but I have no clue where to look for it since I'm not sure of it's
>> > "real" purpose. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
>
>Purchase "Handi-Tak" (made in the USA) which is available at hardware
>stores, and is much, much cheaper than products made especially for
>the audio market. It is yellow in color.
Just to be clear about this range of products, the original Blu-Tack
is a Bostik brand name and is not a high-priced 'audiofool' product,
it's generally available in office supply stores, as is its Sellotape
brand equivalent, Sellotak.
A couple of dollars will buy you enough to attach all the components
and speakers in any normal hi-fi or HT system, with plenty left over
for the kids teen-idol posters! The debate rages over whether spikes,
sorbothane or Blu-Tack are the 'best' method of dealing with
vibrations in audio equipment.
--
Stewart Pinkerton | Music is art, audio is engineering
A S P Consulting |
(44) 1509 880112 |
GerryE123
<Stewart Pinkerton Wrote:
<The debate rages over whether spikes,
<sorbothane or Blu-Tack are the 'best' method of dealing with
<vibrations in audio equipment.
Hi Stewart- After several years of using top plate spikes for my
mini-monitors, I just switched to using Fun-Tak (another Blu-Tack
substitute). My initial impression is that the sound is no better and may
be a little worse! Of course a change like this is very subtle.
My stands are the Sanus Ultimate Reference Foundations and maybe they just
work well with the supplied top plate spikes.
Care to comment?
Thanks,
Gerry
Bjorn von Haartman
GerryE123 wrote:
> <snip>
> I just switched to using Fun-Tak (another Blu-Tack
> substitute). My initial impression is that the sound is no better and
> may
> be a little worse! Of course a change like this is very subtle.
> My stands are the Sanus Ultimate Reference Foundations and maybe they
> just
> work well with the supplied top plate spikes.
The theory goes that the more you are able to reduce the speakers
movement/vibration the better. According to Harley's book "The
complete guide to High End" Stereophile apparently conducted tests
using laser to determine cabinet movement with different setups in a
standmounted speaker. The least movement was detected using spikes
between stand and floor and Blu-Tak between the speaker and the stand.
Just my 5 cents.
/Bjorn
Mike Chaszig
Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
>
> Peter <p_ul...@ix.netcom.com> writes:
>
Alright, I'll have to clear all this talk up about Blu-Tak.
It is known most popularily by a name I haven't seen in this newsgroup
yet, and that is 'Fun Tak'. It is a product made and marketed by Lepages
and I know this for a fact as I am a Lepages distributor for many of
their products in a non-audiophile based business. We sell a large
bubble packed slab for under four bucks (and that's Canadian, too!)
Steven R. Rochlin
Dudette/Dudes,
Just did an article on this subject for my lame ww site. Here it
is:
(Said like Tweety Bird)
Neeyap, i taught i saw a Putty Tat!
Ok, so again the cheapskate in me looks though a catalog and see
Blu-Tac selling for $10 plus
shipping. TEN BUCKS FOR STICKY PLASTIC?!?!?! Man-O-MAN, there's
gotta be
something cheaper! So off to Home Depot hardware store for some
research. Ya know, some
great ideas come from traveling to really big hardware stores. New
high quality power outlets
at real-world prices, cable ideas... But let's get back to this
tweak. So as i get to the paint
section there's this stuff called Mounting Putty by Manco Inc. WOW,
it's just like Blu-Tak and
a two ounce package will set ya back only $1.47!!! Oh joy oh joy
:-{)+ . Rapture! All ya gotta
do is simply roll an appropriate sized ball of it between your
fingers until warm and then stick it
where it's needed. No muss, no fuss. It will kinda leave a small
oily spot when you remove it
from the bottom of your stuff, but they're usually made of wood or
metal. Using some Old
English polish (or light oil) easily removes all of it (and isn't
it about time you carefully dust off
the bottom of your equipment anyway). The cool thing here is using
this stuff to attach
tonecones to the equipment! Yep, just use a small ball of it to
firmly attach those tonecones and
your music reproduction system may sound even better! Used this
trick for the tonecones under
my turntable and she sings sweet songs better then ever. One
package of this stuff should do
your entire system too. So forget those high priced 'audiophile
approved' products and save
some of that extra cash for a new snowboard. Suckerin' sukatash,
winters just around the
corner!
Manco Inc.
32150 Just Imagine Dr.
Avon, OH 44011
voice 1-800-321-0253
Enjoy the music,
Steven
Tweaks, free stuff, tube lust page, articles,
humor, anarchy, recommended recordings,
MES/CES show reports.... and stuff like that:
http://top.monad.net/~enjoythemusic
It's the www site your mother warned you about :-{)+
Fang300
First the "handi tak" I bought some at a Dollar General store in
Nashville TN for , of course...1$, more than enough to do my computer
desk speakers, a pair of Optimus LX's. Thought about putting some
under my Meridian 500 and 518....naaaahhh
also,
Mr Pinkerton you wrote..."music is Art, Audio is
engineering...........". I am a musician who has witnessed many"
Artistic" engineering feats from that other side of the
console.....this is for all those guys out there who spend the time to
get the "Artistic" music to sound good in our"big audiophile systems"
I have found your engineering to sometimes be quite "artistic" thanks
Christopher Nieto
bloodlog90 aol.com
Chatr Suchinda
fan...@aol.com (Fang300) writes:
>First the "handi tak" I bought some at a Dollar General store in
>Nashville TN for , of course...1$, more than enough to do my computer
>desk speakers, a pair of Optimus LX's. Thought about putting some
>under my Meridian 500 and 518....naaaahhh
I have good result out of "Stick Tack" from Ace hardware store.
Putting it between the speaker and the stand really helps. I
think any similar product would result the same. Why pay
$10+shipping for something that you can buy local for a buck.
--
Chatr Suchinda, Ph.D. Candidate
e-mail:gt0...@prism.gatech.edu