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re-foam your old speakers

by andrea biffi on January 30, 2014

Table of Contents

re-foam your old speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: Re-foam your old speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Is it really to trash? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: The replacements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 3: Cleaning process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 4: Removing big domes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 5: And little ones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 6: Centering the cone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 7: Pour glue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 8: Gluing edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 9: ...glued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 10: Gaskets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 11: Gaskets glued on subwoofers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 12: ...and on squawkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 13: Dust caps... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 14: ..glued on subwoofers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 15: ...and glued on squawkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 16: Refinishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 17: Final breaking in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 18: Ready to play! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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 Author:andrea biffi www.andreabiffi.com
I'm an Italian freelance structural engineer, graphic designer and photographer. I'm also investigating electronics, robotics and science in general. I enjoy
hacking and disassembling as much as designing... I love cycling, running, hikink, traveling in any way and taking spherical and gigapixel panoramas of
cityscapes and landscapes. I would have enough time to turn into instructables every my brainchild... but I still have to create the time-machine!

Intro: Re-foam your old speakers

In last years it happened to me to run across ruined speakers more often than we would think. I love those old heavy and huge black speakers typical of '90 years. I
obtained this pair for free, I decided to repair it and this time I supported the process with a full photographic documentation and a detailed instructable for your pleasure
;-)
The re-foam process is the same for squawkers and subwoofers, but since I fixed both you can see the entire repairing dynamic for both cases. I also documented
myself before planning my first speaker refurbishing attempt, and I found a good guide on decware.com . After some successful realizations I can tell that's a useful
reading.

Step 1: Is it really to trash?

As you noticed from the first image the speakers appeared in a very bad situation. Actually you wouldn't tell, but this is an ordinary situation for a 20 years old woofer,
indeed the edges (made of foam or rubber), after many years crumble. The tweeter's cone doesn't need to move as much as the woofers so there is no edge which could
break. A speaker in this state usually emits a very low sound, and it's practically useless, many people throw it away, since a refurbishing professional service could be
expensive. I explain to yopu how to bring them back to life with a 15$ investment.

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Step 2: The replacements
All you need are the substitutes for your speaker's surrounds. You can choose either foam or rubber edges from eBay . To choose the right size unfortunately is not so
simple as to choose between S, M or L. You have to measure the external diameter of the cardboard cone, and the inner diameter of the steel frame. Practically you need
the exact inner and outer diameters of the bumping central stripe of the surrounds. The inner and outer diameters of the full rubber/foam piece could vary a little bit.
Measures are usually specified in inches, so if your meter use metric system, I suggest you to convert it in imperial units. Some surrounds sellers let you to choose
between flat and sloping cone border, so choose that feature after inspecting your speakers, that will affect the slope of the surround's inner stripe. I bought these an
these replacements for my speakers.

Step 3: Cleaning process

Once obtained the replacements, first action is to remove old surrounds and clean cone and frame, so to obtain a smooth surface. As tool you can use a flat blade cutter,
scratch out the foam and glue remains, ant pay attention to not cut the cardboard cone.

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Step 4: Removing big domes
To center the cone during the gluing, wee need to obtain access to the central steel core. Since it's usually covered by a convex cardboard plate which protect the core
from the dust, we have to take it off. With a cutter, paying attention to NOT CUT THE CONE, detach the dust cap from the cone. In the case of the subwoofer this parts
are glued to the cone and with a small pressure they could be detached. We'll see that it's not so simple for the midrange speakers.

Step 5: And little ones

Indeed for these smaller speakers, the dust caps are glued much more tighter, and I learned that trying to unglue them could ruin the cardboard cone surface. So I
decided to cut them at an inner circumference, as you can see in pictures. But please try not to cut the power wires which lay at the bottom of the cone.

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Step 6: Centering the cone
The paper sheet is needed to form some paper stripes, so that they can act as spacer to isolate the cylindrical core from the metal tube connected to the cone. This
thickness is not constant for every speakers, and you have to try with more sheets and lengths.
I made a mistake here since with my 80 g/m2 sheets I had to make one and half turns to reach the exact thickness. That results in a not centered cone, because the
spacer on one side is double than on the opposite side. By the way this mistake doesn't affect the speaker functioning in my case, but choose a different sheet thickness
if you encounter in a similar circumstance.

Image Notes
1. one and half turn, this is not good, read description

Step 7: Pour glue

As glue any vinylic glue is good, but I suggest you to check that it will become completely transparent, some of them remain white after drying. With the paper cylinder
well into position place the foam surround over the cone, so to see if it fits right. You can also remove the speaker from their wood case, but I find useful to have a so
handy stand.
Add glue all around both frame and cone, try to pour the right amount of glue and to diffuse it uniformly.

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 Image Notes
1. one and half turn here too, try to obtain an integer number of turns

Step 8: Gluing edges

Now add the foam edge pushing it gently over the glue. Avoid forcing the cone on one side or the other, since it has to remain centered. With your finger spread the
excess glue, don't worry if it appears to be too much.

Step 9: ...glued
Indeed when the glue will dry any excess will magically disappear. You can now remove the inner paper spiral. Now make a constant pressure on the cone with your
hand and check that there is no friction at all between core and metal ring. If you feel friction, and you are sure it's not due to an unbalanced pressure from your hand, you
can unglue the external stripe of the surround, and glue it again letting it free to position.

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Step 10: Gaskets
Now set up all the foam gaskets cleaning them from any glue remains, by the way if your work is not accurate nobody will notice that ;-)
These gaskets are supposed to keep the front cover far from the surrounds, and to protect these from any accidental bump, anyway they are not essential.

Step 11: Gaskets glued on subwoofers

Add some vinylic glue on the outer stripe of the surrounds and also on the metal frame circumference, then place the four parts of the gaskets so that they match with the
holes and between themselves. Push them over the glue and let them drying.

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Step 12: ...and on squawkers
As you notice the foam gaskets for the midrange speakers are too tight and the make an interference with the new surrounds. This could be easily fixed cutting away a
stripe of gasket from the inside circumference.

Step 13: Dust caps...

If you arrived to this step with no mistakes you can be proud of yourself, since the worst is left behind.
Gluing back in place the dust caps is not easy but could not affect the behavior of the speaker, so proceed serenely ;-)
I used a pair of adhesive tape to handle the domes better, but use paper tape, since in my case this ruined a little bit the cardboard.
Place some glue all around the disc border, don't leave any interruption along the glue trail.

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Step 14: ..glued on subwoofers
Place the cone in his original position, push it gently trying not to leave big lacks of glue, and leave it drying. Any small split with appear without glue will be filled
spreading it with your finger. Place a weight (not too much of course!) over the cardboard dome until it's dry. Any further split in the gluing will be filled after.

Step 15: ...and glued on squawkers

For the midrange speakers the process to glue back in place the cover caps is identical to what you did for the subwoofers. Also in this case use paper tape, you will have
less damage to your caps when you'll take it off.

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Step 16: Refinishing
When the glue around the caps is dry you can check there are no splits, and you can add some more glue just to be sure. Spread it with your finger and let it dry. The
white will disappear if the glue is transparent enough, if not you can paint it with a black marker.

Step 17: Final breaking in

Assemble everything back, screw tighten each screw.
Your speakers are not ready to be placed around your hi-fi... you have to wire them but you have to wait some more time before hearing them in all their new shape, but
don't worry, all the exertion is done.
Indeed when you'll turn the hi-fi on, the sound will be horrific, that's because the new surrounds need to work some time to loose their rigidity.
To do this process in the shorter time place speakers one face to the other, connect the wires of one of them reversed (positive wire on negative connection, and negative
on positive), and let them working with music at high volume... not too high depending on your neighborhood ;-) By the way one speaker will cancel the sound of the
other, and you will hear a low music.
After one hour, more or less, you can connect both speakers with right polarity and place them at your hi-fi sides.

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Step 18: Ready to play!
Place back in position also the two covers, obviously after washing them. I had also to glue four new velcro pieces at their corners, because old velcro didn't work well
anymore.
Now I can enjoy my new stereo system! Do you recognize another interesting project in the picture? ;-)

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