[Vintage-Audio] Re Repairing Foam Suspension Speakers

[Ed Tanton]

It IS a little tricky. The thing I realized by my second speaker was that 
you should not be sparing with the cement. I know that seems contradictory 
to what you just wrote, but it is true. Once you have cleaned up the 
remains of your surround thoroughly, lay out the surround WITHOUT GLUE and 
get confident that the surround is the right one, and pointed in the right 
direction. Which, by the way, is simply that direction (IN or OUT) it fits 
best without rubbing the frame.

Then and only then do you apply the glue. A bead size that is greater than 
1/8" but certainly less than 1/4" all around the inner edge-ONLY-is about 
right. Resist the desire to mess with the glue after it's down. It won't 
matter a bit, and you will indeed make a mess. look all around to see that 
the surround is centered, and that it won't rub against the frame-now wait 
5 or 10 minutes for the 1st ring of glue to set.

The important thing here is that you have a 100% seal-on BOTH the inner and 
outer edges. If air somehow leaks through, your resulting audio will 
suffer-probably seriously. Do the outer ring of glue... about the same 
sized bead. The contact cement used dries very rapidly-but not so fast that 
you cannot add some on that outer edge-if necessary-but use enough to start 
with, and avoid having to fool with it.

Wait half an hour for it to set up and check the cone travel causing the 
surround to rub against the frame. By then it's too late to help it, but as 
long as you have it apart, you can try again. That's another point: this 
isn't rocket science, and isn't set in stone. Granted, if you screwed up, 
it's a wasted $10-$15, but that's ALL it is. Your speaker isn't ruined, and 
I'm sure your next try will be better. I am not the handiest person in the 
world mechanically, and if I got it right the 1st time, so can you.

Again, see the photos on my webpage 
<http://www.n4xy.com/SPKR_Reconing.html>, or read the facts at 
<http://www.simplyspeakers.com> (or whoever else you have found selling 
surrounds. I was very pleased with these guys-prompt shipping, and not in 
to big a hurry to answer my questions.



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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