Yeeterkeeter
Kermit the Frog
I made sure to do that, and it’s squeaky clean now. I took a qtip and alcohol to it, and the foam and glue came right off. Works like a charm
Got a pair of free JBL Pro 4301s from my friend's mom
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Macaroonie
Super Member
Tip , once you get your adhesive do a little test a couple of times with some cereal packet cardboard and some of your junk surround if you still have any. What you are looking for is some idea of the 'tack' time. Also you need a feel for when you can make small positional adjustments..
If your adhesive is water soluble have a damp sponge on hand to clean up any visible squeeze out..
Don't start on the real job till you arecomfy with the behaviour of the adhesive.
Do the surround - cone first and once you have it nicely positioned let it set fully before you do the frame-surround .
Leave the foam gaskets till last. Before you stick them oin place check that the cone is moving freely.
If your adhesive is water soluble have a damp sponge on hand to clean up any visible squeeze out..
Don't start on the real job till you arecomfy with the behaviour of the adhesive.
Do the surround - cone first and once you have it nicely positioned let it set fully before you do the frame-surround .
Leave the foam gaskets till last. Before you stick them oin place check that the cone is moving freely.
@Macaroonie has good advice.
You also will see people who shim the voice coil: put shim-stock (paper) between the voice-coil and bore to keep it centered. Since you are not replacing the entire cone or spider but only the foam surround the bottom is fixed in position so you will be able to move the cone around and find the center position after affixing the cone to the surround and before adhering the foam to the basket/frame. I like to do this before starting to look for problems, then again after the foam-cone glue has dried. At this point look to see if the surround is centered on the frame or offset to one side when the coil is centered in the gap, you can mark the tight point on the frame or with tape at this point if there is one (some older speakers have a little sag to their suspensions), centering the foam on the frame isn’t nearly as important as centering the VC in the gap. Press the cone in and out gently as you work to ensure it is not rubbing (you will hear it) and ensure that it is centered.
For most glue, it is better to have a few spots that need more glue than too much, you should be able to roll back any edges that are not glued after the rest has dried and apply just a tiny bit more with toothpicks or other small applicators.
Best of luck, should be a nice speaker system when finished.
You also will see people who shim the voice coil: put shim-stock (paper) between the voice-coil and bore to keep it centered. Since you are not replacing the entire cone or spider but only the foam surround the bottom is fixed in position so you will be able to move the cone around and find the center position after affixing the cone to the surround and before adhering the foam to the basket/frame. I like to do this before starting to look for problems, then again after the foam-cone glue has dried. At this point look to see if the surround is centered on the frame or offset to one side when the coil is centered in the gap, you can mark the tight point on the frame or with tape at this point if there is one (some older speakers have a little sag to their suspensions), centering the foam on the frame isn’t nearly as important as centering the VC in the gap. Press the cone in and out gently as you work to ensure it is not rubbing (you will hear it) and ensure that it is centered.
For most glue, it is better to have a few spots that need more glue than too much, you should be able to roll back any edges that are not glued after the rest has dried and apply just a tiny bit more with toothpicks or other small applicators.
Best of luck, should be a nice speaker system when finished.
Macaroonie
Super Member
Once you are good to go post some pics for me Earl and Jeff so we can keep a eye on your first one.
Just in case you make a boo boo.
Its a good idea to do a dry run so that you get a feel for handling the floppy foam.
I just watched a vid on You Tube of a guy refoaming the same driver you have.
I would not recommend his method where he syringes the glue between the cone and surround.
He misses one important step which is to work your way around the cone edge and squeeze the two parts together..
If you have sausage fingers get your sister to do it. Keep doing that till the glue is tacking up and there is a clean tight join at the cone edge. At this stage you can gently sponge off any excess on the foam.
Sticking the outer foam edge to the speaker frame is easy peasy , however you do need to make sure the foam is centered wrt the frame. at this stage you should check for smooth movement with no rubbing at the coil.
Just in case you make a boo boo.
Its a good idea to do a dry run so that you get a feel for handling the floppy foam.
I just watched a vid on You Tube of a guy refoaming the same driver you have.
I would not recommend his method where he syringes the glue between the cone and surround.
He misses one important step which is to work your way around the cone edge and squeeze the two parts together..
If you have sausage fingers get your sister to do it. Keep doing that till the glue is tacking up and there is a clean tight join at the cone edge. At this stage you can gently sponge off any excess on the foam.
Sticking the outer foam edge to the speaker frame is easy peasy , however you do need to make sure the foam is centered wrt the frame. at this stage you should check for smooth movement with no rubbing at the coil.
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Yeeterkeeter
Kermit the Frog
Well, its been one hell of a journey, but I got them finished up. As I write this, I am enjoying music which I previously could only enjoy through headphones. Thank you everyone for all the help and advice, and I look forward to working on other audio projects and sharing them with you! I am extremely satisfied with my work, and they sound terrific
Yeeterkeeter
Kermit the Frog
Well, I think that the speakers look really good with the whole setup. The veneer is real walnut, and it matches with the blanket chest. The grills are simple, but very tasteful, although I prefer to leave them off at times, since I do enjoy the cyan finish on the speakers. When I get back from my trip to Iceland, I will make sure to clean them up a little bit, and possibly apply some wood finish.
I did tell my friends mom that they are working great, and I am planning on writing them a thank you letter.
Yeeterkeeter
Kermit the Frog
I suppose I should also go into detail on how they sound, they’re speakers after all, not decorations, despite looking like one. To start, the woofer is an amazing projector. It sounds good up close, but you don’t lose any of the detail from afar, which is nice when I’m working in the kitchen or doing work in my room. And there is a lot of detail to be heard. These speakers have headphone levels of detail, and are especially sharp when the surround sound function on the amp is enabled. The lows are full of oomf, but the bass doesn’t drown out the mids or the highs. It’s deep, but not scratchy or blurry sounding. When I say you can hear everything on these speakers, I do mean everything. Listening to everloving by moby is a treat to the ears (not just because I really like the song) you can hear every scratch, every little imperfection, and every note with perfect clarity. Needless to say, I am extremely pleased with these things
GD70
Lunatic Member
Being studio monitors, the sound you describe is what they were designed for. Their size is for smaller sound/mixing studios, near field listening, but they do project well in medium sized rooms. Nice work getting then singing again!