[Vintage-Audio] OT? Speaker re-coning

[JM/CO]

This is good advice. I have run a repair biz for over 30 years, and have
seen this problem many times. You  would be amazed at how many otherwise
good speakers show up at the local recycling center with this problem. This
"foam" stuff is made from OIL, and after about 20 years, reverts back to
from what it came from. Two options: Replace drivers, or re-foam. From my
standpoint, cost is about the same. One way, more labor costs, the other
way, more parts costs. Big factor is whether original drivers are still
available. Sometimes, newer drivers can be installed with a net improvement
in performance. Sometimes not.
Chuck N1LNH
-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Tanton <n4xy@earthlink.net>
To: Vintage-Audio <Vintage-Audio@mailman.qth.net>
Date: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 11:36 AM
Subject: [Vintage-Audio] OT? Speaker re-coning


>I don't know if this is OT or not... but thought I'd mention that I am
>in the process of 'reconing' (it really should be called: "refoaming")
>my AR-91 speakers. Old speakers with foam surrounds (it's a circle of
>foam that connects the main cone to the edge in the largest speaker
>[woofer/etc] in a so-called "bookshelf" speaker) have them 'rot' (that's
>what they call it-the foamed plastic stuff literally disintegrates) and
>hence fail. I let mine sit for several years after they did this, and
>finally got my courage up and bought a replacement kit (~$30 for the
>pair.)
>
>You can do a search on "speaker reconing" or, I dealt with:
><http://www.simplyspeakers.com/2doityourself.htm>. Their phone serrvice
>and subsequent kit was very satisfactory. A small generic pamphlet on
>how to do it, the 2 foam surrounds specifically for my speakers, and
>more than enough glue for the job. Commercial estimates on this job
>seemed to be over $100 each plus shipping.
>
>Wow. It's not that hard to do, and works like a million. I just wanted
>to put this out for others who may have thought they had to junk a
>perfectly good-otherwise-set of expensive speakers.
>
>73  Ed Tanton  N4XY  <n4xy@earthlink.net>
>
>Ed Tanton  N4XY
>189 Pioneer Trail
>Marietta, GA  30068-3466
>
>website:   http://www.n4xy.com
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