DIY speaker cone repair

[mojoworker]

i recently paged through a gerald weber book on tube amps. i ran across a recommendation in there for repairing damaged speaker membranes with no less than elmers glue and one ply paper towel scraps. at first i thought little of the idea. but after a youtube search yielded similar tutorials, i tried it on a damaged old paper cone jensen that i have been waiting years to have reconed, figuring if it didn't work, i would have to recone anyway.

i am blown away by the results. i have only been able to test it so far with the signal from my stereo, but as far as my ears can tell there is zero evidence of tonal loss or distortion. i closed a Y-shaped tear totaling 2.5-3 inches. i am baffled by how it appears to have worked, but am hesitant to think that is on par with professional repair. has anyone else tried this? any thoughts or experiences on how long this lasts, or other problems that occur later would be appreciated.

thanks -

chris

 

[KindaFuzzy]

I tried it with tissue paper and elmers, and it worked great on an old p12p. Haven't put it through a lot of high volume testing, but works great years after I did it.

 

[GearHeadFred]

Yes I've used it.. but not on anything that large... Contratulations!
This method was also recommended by speaker guru Ted Weber (RIP).

 

[Patrick620]

I have had great results with black RTV silicone as well.

 

[Tele Wacker]

Here we go again! I've never used tissue paper. I use thin, black construction paper. The glue softens it and I apply it from the back, over the crack, tear or rip. I apply pressure from front and back with my fingers. Wipe off any excess glue and the repair is hardly noticable. I posted a couple of pics of my method soon after I joined this forum. If I can get the nerve, I'm going to make a video of it.

 

[Patrick620]

Here we go again! I've never used tissue paper. I use thin, black construction paper. The glue softens it and I apply it from the back, over the crack, tear or rip. I apply pressure from front and back with my fingers. Wipe off any excess glue and the repair is hardly noticable. I posted a couple of pics of my method soon after I joined this forum. If I can get the nerve, I'm going to make a video of it.

I like it, but already seen it years ago via the "search" option.

 

[corn husk bag]

Here we go again! I've never used tissue paper. I use thin, black construction paper. The glue softens it and I apply it from the back, over the crack, tear or rip. I apply pressure from front and back with my fingers. Wipe off any excess glue and the repair is hardly noticable. I posted a couple of pics of my method soon after I joined this forum. If I can get the nerve, I'm going to make a video of it.

I use actual old speaker cone material. Thin the edges of it and lay it over the damage with some glue. A lighter gauge cone paper works best.
Best Regards,
Steve

 

[LarryN]

I use speaker repair glue, which stays a little flexible without dampening like silicone. It's the white stuff, but doesn't dry hard like Elmers. I think I got it from Orange County Speaker Repair. Most repairs I've done were rips and didn't require additional material. None have given up after years of use. I had an old greenback that had a huge tear and it sounded wonderful and never gave up until an EV slipped onto it.

I do have an old 60 watt Celestion 10" that someone glued huge chunks of speaker cone paper onto and it sounds amazing.

 

[guitarcapo]

Usually what I will do is line up all the fibers in the tear and then just hit it with a fine line of thin cyanoacrylate glue. It wicks into the seam and makes a perfect instant permanent seal

 

[Tele Wacker]

I've been using the method I am using for over 35 years. I just came up with it myself. Heck, there were no good places to find out how to do this 30 or 35 years ago. I have also used old news papers and used the black from a picture. Works good too. The first on I ever patched was for a hole I punched in a speaker with a screwdriver. There are several ways to patch a speaker. I've patched 'em with several big rips, like from the surround to the dust cap and had no problems at all.

 

[CA_Dan]

Great thread - I learned something new today!

 

[Ramblin Hymns]

I use rolling paper. No problem.

 

[hank57]

i reconed a JBL K120 and it sounds great!

 

[Prairie Dawg]

I use spent fabric softener sheets from the dryer. They're made of very tough material.