[Boatanchors] Speaker repair

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

Good thoughts Gerry! Thank you sir.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gerry Steffens" <gsteffens at pitel.net>
To: "'boatanchors'" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 11:24 AM
Subject: [Boatanchors] Speaker repair


>
> I have been repairing some old speakers.  In this case it is repairing 
> torn
> cones.
>
> Some years ago I got a large medicine bottle of a glue-like substance to 
> fix
> torn speaker cones from a speaker repairman.  It works great.  It looks 
> like
> Elmer's white glue and is about the same consistency.  But, he told me it
> has particulate matter (probably fiber glass) mixed in to help firm up the
> repair.  It dries pretty much clear and DOES NOT HARDEN completely like 
> glue
> (nor is it tacky), such that one can repair the flexible suspension 
> portion
> of the cone if necessary.
>
> I have glued together some really horrid looking, torn up cones and even
> patched in some larger holes, returning the speakers to service without
> noticeably affecting the sound.  While this probably would drive the
> audiofools crazy and it most likely does affect the sound to some degree,
> but for boatanchors and other old radios it does a great job, although the
> repaired speaker cone is no prize-winning looker as the glue is very 
> visible
> as darker portions where it is applied.  Generally, I apply the product to
> the tear and then line up the seam and let it dry.  Follow-up is a couple 
> of
> more coats, feathering it out to provide extra support for the damaged 
> area.
>
> It brushes on nicely and the brush cleans up with warm water.  I have not
> yet attempted to thin it with water but if I get desperate I plan to try.
> He told me he buys it in gallon quantities and it does dry out on him
> sometimes.  He is no longer in business and I was too dumb to ask about it
> before he quit.
>
> Now the question.  What is it?  Has anyone ever heard of or seen such a
> product?  If so where can I get more?
>
> As long as the voice coil is not damaged and is mostly connected to the 
> rest
> of the cone (for position purposes), this stuff has almost always fixed up
> any speaker I have used it on.
>
> Thanks,
> Gerry
>
> Gerald Steffens P.E.
> Radio Historian, collecting & restoring
> E.H. Scott, McMurdo Silver, Hallicrafters,
> National, Zenith Transoceanics & any other
> interesting radios & classic Oldsmobiles
>
>
>
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