Woofers glued to cabinet! Can I still refoam?

mikey3117

mikey3117

Victory is mine!
I have these RTR towers with 2 woofers each that need refoam. Removal of the screws didn't dislodge them. Thinking they were in "tight", I removed the tweeter to gain access to the cabinet so I could push the woofers out. They won't budge! Am I out of luck or can these still be refoamed somehow? It's the speakers on the right in the pic...

pic here: http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=19620
 
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Okay, I have talked to my local speaker repair shop where I can get the replacement surrounds... He says it's possible but more difficult. How can I apply pressure all the way around the frame without using clothespins, etc.? Am I going to have to fabricate something to do this??
 
Well, a fairly easy way to do it would be to use another speaker, inverted... if you happened to have another driver of the same size.

I use contact cement for most refoams. This will bond permanently essentially on contact "when used as directed". There's no need to keep pressure on the bond once the surround's been positioned and smoothed into place.
 
What exact glue is it? My local speaker shop usually supplies me with a nice glue but it doesn't set that quickly...
 
It's a contact adhesive from Loctite, available at (sigh) WalMart. Gary Kaufman recommended it to me. I've done several surrounds with it and it worked very well. Apply the adhesive to both surfaces and let dry, then gently & carefully position surfaces together and press/smooth into place (fingertips). With contact adhesives, there's not really any second chance!
 
You may have a gasket that has 'bonded' with the frame of the woofer. Try prying the driver out. It may just pop out.

Ron
 
mikey3117 said:
Okay, I have talked to my local speaker repair shop where I can get the replacement surrounds... He says it's possible but more difficult. How can I apply pressure all the way around the frame without using clothespins, etc.? Am I going to have to fabricate something to do this??
Click to expand...

I did an Infinity 10" a little while ago, and the recessed surface in the basket that the surround was glued to was a little too deep for my spring-clamps (or clothespins!) to reach down into. I was looking around in my garage and found a length of vinyl tubing (1/4" I.D., I think, clear stuff like is used in an aquarium only bigger) that I cut to length and laid in the groove on top of the freshly-glued surround. Then I was able to clamp with 16 spring clamps, but it could just as easily have had a board laid over it and books or bricks stacked on top. You might look into that technique. I need to do the other woofer, and I want to take pictures of the process, so maybe I can show better than explaining it.

--Bob
 
Actually there is glue residue around the frame....:( I was hoping with a little effort I could get them to pop out but I don't want to ruin the "mint" front baffle...
 
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