HOW TO RECONE AN ANTIQUE RADIO SPEAKER

[@peterv8572]

After i read some previous comments, I wold like to point out the historical context. Those old loudspeakers had been invended in the early 1920's. Lee de Forest just a few years earlier got the first Audion tube working. In those old pioneering days, many things were still very imperfect and every improvement or new invention was celebrated as a great success. Since the tubes initially only allowed a few mA anode current, the so called "telephone" (a high impedance headphone) was still very common for listening to the radio. What a success when this loudspeaker was able to fill an entire room with sound and only required a few milliwatts of power. HIfi and Thiele-Small-Parameters was found 30...50 years later. From that point of view, Ron's repair is absolutely contemporary and authentic. Thank you so much for this great movie With best Regards from Germany.

[@tiger12506]

Thanks for this. Also, putting paper towel down to prevent the contact cement from sticking while you lined up the cone is a genius tip!

[@michaelschaub7653]

I see I am going to be spending hours and hours of my time watching your videos. I learn something with each and every video you do.

[@apexmcboob5161]

Another in your very long list of interesting videos. Would have liked to hear music through the repaired unit. As another commenter opined I wouldn't think there would be much bass response due to the rigidity of the cone. Thank you!

[@frankowalker4662]

You are so multi-talented, Ron. Brilliant.

[@michaelmiller641]

an interesting type of speaker! no voice coil, it seems to work on the same principle as an old fashioned 78 record player pickup head! that would explain why no open back either! wonderful video, as usual!

[@mikeburgess7331]

Ron, your skill is amazing!

[@michellevey9608]

You astounded me more than you ever have!!! That's saying something too!

[@bblod4896]

Nice work, thanks Ron.

[@no-ir6vu]

GLASSLINGER!!!!! May i just say that YOU are one of THE most magnificent persons whom i have ever connected with!!!!!! I LOVE your background, and your KNOWLEDGE!!!!! THANK YOU for all that you do

[@cprossu]

I have learned so many tips and tricks for keeping this old gear going and doing things in a pinch with the most basic materials. If I ever get stuck in the proverbial desert island scenario, I feel like I am set and will be able to even build my own radios!

[@joostderidder]

Thanks for this.I have one of those old speakerframes from a German "Volksempfänger" in need of a new cone. This will help me a lot.

[@ReverendFlatus]

Another great video so soon after the last one!

[@ZincFold]

Your videos are pure gold! Thank you.

[@terryblackman6217]

Really enjoyed watching you recone this speaker. You have some wonderful skills. And thank you for sharing.

[@crabmansteve6844]

Love your videos! Thanks for the upload.

[@Xotzil-Privat]

Hi Ron, thanks a lot for this video. It's allways a pleasure to watch you sharing your experience. Many regards from Germany.

[@davidk6271]

Loving the “1/5th of a mm”. Great work. Thanks for sharing.

[@hectorpascal]

Just 7.87 thou - easy to judge!

[@nitemover1]

Great informative video hope you and supervisor kitty are doing well.

[@davidstacy8314]

Another amazing video takes a professional to do a nice job on a speaker like that you got so much talent enjoy your videos and your cat may God bless you and keep you safe always your friend Dave

[@sitn9581]

My attempt to do this before I saw your results were terrible. Now I can repair several speakers that I have. Thanks, Mr. Ron.

[@LecterHuniball]

Genius Ron, I 💕 watch your video

[@batman387]

Great video. I've never seen a re-cone done before. I learned a lot. Thanks! Great to see you and Miss Kitty well. :-)

[@jamesbruno5896]

Nice job Ron!

[@matthewf1979]

What an interesting coil design. I’ve never worked on stuff that old and it’s neat to see how early speakers were made. I’ve reconed electrodynamic speakers, but they’re not too different from modern day stuff. The cone/coil/spider arrangement is nearly identical to Alnico and Ceramic speakers made today.

[@Joe-ep9lk]

Just made my day :):) Love ya and God bless

[@patmx5]

One of the other things about contact cement is it’s even easier to stick it on just _wrong._ Great video - very good tutorial on reconing old speakers. Gotta love how cats must sit on anything _differnt_ than the surrounding area. They never cease to be amusing.

[@mikeburgess7331]

Please keep the great videos coming, Ron!

[@acusticadopassado]

I'm your fan! I love old radios, I venture into repairs as an enthusiast. I have a few videos of some equipment that are in my collection. Greetings from Brazil!

[@salossi]

This is really great craftmanship! Well done!

[@clytle374]

As always I learned something, thanks for sharing.

[@Endoplasmic-Reticulum]

I love your kitty! She steals the show, doesn’t she?

[@cyndicorinne]

Great information about how these speakers work. Nice job. I love the kitty outtakes! ❤️

[@seanbryant2848]

Amazing... your techniques and your explanations, along with your careful illustration of how you do this really completely take the mystery out of something that I thought I could never, ever do. Thank you for yet another great video among all your other great videos. I've been a subscriber to your channel for years, and you have had me hooked, and on the edge of my seat so many times, especially when you made replicas of DeForest's Audion Tube so many moons ago! Your skills and talents never cease to amaze me. Thank you!

[@johnrobinson8691]

I have had to replace the foam style surround on a few of my older speakers. Paper and voice coil spider we're fine, but I used butyl rubber for durability. Voice coil shims to get it centered then adhesive the surround. As I am certain you well know, if it's old enough replacements are not to be had. So, you make some. In today's throw it away world making anything is just about unheard of. Thank you for sharing.

[@SuperMan-xy8ui]

Thanks for posting this!! I would also have liked to have heard the type of sound it makes.

[@barthanes1]

I've always wondered how to do this. It seems pretty simple. Thank you for sharing.

[@chriscimino7854]

That was an awesome repair!!! I am impressed and it takes a lot to impress me

[@TempoDrift1480]

That cat makes me happy.

[@edmaster3147]

Wonderfull, it is so simple and effective. And entertaining. Thanks Ron!

[@KB4QAA]

Contact cement, paper, gas torch; What could go wrong? :) enjoyed the demo!!

[@DeadKoby]

I've done plenty of re-cones on guitar speakers, and hi-fi speakers........but nothing this old that you can't get parts for. The system that pre-dates the voice coil is quite different.

[@salat]

Love your work!

[@shaknit]

What about the oval speakers

[@josehugobarrerasanchez4396]

Hooooooo no conocía esta forma de producir audio, a mi ya me toco la reparacion con IMAN permanente y BOBINA de magneto, buena reparacion 👏👏👍🤔

[@WBSTHOR]

Seu trabalho e incrível. Trabalho com manutenção em equipamentos automotivo(multimídias e módulos). Admiro o seu trabalho, simplesmente uma obra de arte, parabéns.

[@odonald6087]

Contact cement is the right choice. I did the same project but I used PVA and it was really hard to get it to clamp right.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

if one had a good one, it'd be lots easier to mold a new one from the spec of the cone. Congrats on the effort, Ron.

[@Dan-xf7bh]

You so much for this. I've been looking like crazy for a video to show me how to recone my vintage zenith turntable / radio cabinet. But they all show putting in a kit, and I can't find any kit for my speaker. After seeing your video, I'm confident that I could just make my own cone, which is what I was really looking for anyway. Although the center of the cone I'm going to have to figure out because there is absolutely no paper left whatsoever on my speaker, and there's no screw or anything in the middle, just a piece of fabric with a hole

[@marksmith5324]

Another amazing video how clever

[@Rev22-21]

Now that I've seen this.....I may just try it out next time. Thanks Ron

[@bevis71]

Vintage repairs, vintage dress :) Somehow it couples well xD

[@ellen4956]

It would have been a nice touch to let us hear it at the end. I'm glad to know how this is done so I can do this with worn-out speakers on some radios when I restore them. The original paper seems a little heavier than typical construction paper though. Will it get the same sound as it would have originally? Thanks.

[@glasslinger]

The construction paper actually measures slightly less than the original paper. I can't tell the sound from the original speaker, although I never had that speaker working before. Anyway, it sounds fine.

[@chriscimino7854]

I wish I had a way to make my own wrinkle edge. A paper plate is almost the same type of paper as a modern speaker and its curved on the edge and if the paper plate just happens to be the same size as the speaker then the curved edge can be used as the suspension. I thought of making a press out of wires in a circle attached to 2 round wooden plywood. I like reconeing old speakers that are hard to find. I can order new paper wrinkled cones for a 5" speaker but its like 12 bucks!! If you need a 3.2 ohm speaker I would rather restore the old one. You did a very good job on that one 👍

[@KallePihlajasaari]

You have a very good idea. If you were to graft a mould out of bent wires that you spot weld together that will interlock with each other with paper in between you could dampen your paper, heat the wires to just over boiling point and then sandwich then paper between your two wire frames between two boards and let the steam soften and then set the new shape on cooling. Definitely worth trying out. A spiral suspension might also work that might be simpler to make than a number of concentric rings.

[@jedblow]

Some you can recone and some you can't. I made numerous attempts to recone an old speaker 1936. The issue was that it was coned before and the basket was offset somehow with the voicecoil core. The coil would always rub. The old coil had insulation removed from one side from rubbing as well. It may have been dropped or purposely twisted I am not sure. But after 5 attempts and getting close I gave up. I installed an 8 ohm speaker with a compensating power resistor for the electromagnetic coil. Sounds fantastic but the resistor although heatsinked does get hot.

[@glasslinger]

I have this happen sometimes. I remove the core and machine it on the lathe to be a small (.005 inch) smaller. I also put the outer housing in the mill and do the same. The gap is much too tight in many cases. They are not "twisted" on purpose. Someone may have dropped it or it was defective from the factory.

[@malekdavarpanah4925]

Hello Ron Thank you so much for the beautiful & Very educational video. You are a great teacher. Thank you 73 Malek KI7DYM

[@atmylab]

I really like your videos, have learned tons about electronics from you, thank you for what you have done and I hope you produce many more! Question: at 18:30, is that a robot project that I see in the upper right of the screen? It looks like it could be.

[@socialite1283]

What does it sound like once it's been mounted in the cabinet? What sort of amplifier is it designed to be driven by?

[@GIBKEL]

That was fascinating.

[@someguy2637]

Great video on showing us how to recone an antique radio speaker. Have you done a segment on testing the speaker driver and repair if required? I have a couple of old speakers that need to be reconed. I would hate to put the effort in doing that if the drivers are bad. Thank you.

[@timdshader]

Ron, Nice tutorial. I have several of the RCA 100 and 103 speakers. You mentioned in an earlier comment using clear lacquer to promote longevity of the paper cone. At what stage do you spray on the lacquer? Is it after the cone is formed, after the cone is installed or at what stage? is it done on both sides or just on the inside?

[@glasslinger]

I spray after the job is finished. But you could spray it just after the cone is formed. If you do it before the cone is installed you can soak both sides. The paper I use is very porous so the lacquer soaks through the whole sheet when sprayed from one side.

[@martinharrington1896]

Love your channel, learned so much here. Speaker question, I’m restoring a Echophone EC-1B with a 4” speaker. It looks like the paper is very thin out on the edges of the cone and near the vent holes on the rear of the frame. As where you can almost see light coming through. Can it spray paint it lightly, just enough to toughen it up? Say hi to kitty, thank again.

[@glasslinger]

Ideally you want something flexible. Paint stiffens the speaker so the low frequencies are attenuated. I use rubber cement to coat the whole cone. This adheres the cone fibers and yet remains flexible. You can get rubber cement at the drug store or the office supply store.

[@jorgemellooliveira9611]

Ótimo vídeo congratulações

[@PracticallyFixed]

Outstanding. Thanks so much.

[@DaveCaulkins]

Simply marvelous 👍

[@GHILLIESARCADEANDMORE]

Very cool thank you for sharing this wish I had known this sooner

[@nozmoking1]

Watch out! Ron's got a torch!

[@hectorpascal]

Yep, and I was a bit worried he'd drop the nail right thru his nice new cone!

[@marmaly]

You're the master, but should the ring not go on top of the paper?

[@ohger1]

You could put the paper directly on the speaker frame, but the way this speaker was made originally, the cone was field replaceable and therefore the paper was on the outside of the ring. Remove the screws from the perimeter, remove the center nut, and the cone came out with the ring. The replacement speaker cone came with a new ring attached. Because Ron used double sided tape between the ring and the speaker frame, this cone won't come out without breaking the tape bond.

[@barthanes1]

My grandparents had that same carpet in an olive green color.

[@Choober65]

What is it with cats and paper?

[@lawrencenoctor2703]

Would paint help with base responce? Just a thought. I found the video very interesting thankyou.

[@glasslinger]

The problem is the throw of the armature. The throw must increase with the inverse of the frequency. The design in no way allows this.

[@lawrencenoctor2703]

I did not expect a reply in person, thankyou and God bless you.

[@chriskazaglis]

Ms. Glasslinger, I have a Sears Silvertone Console Stereo with a 1/2 inch tear in the cone. It still produces sound. Would you recone it or do a repair? What would you repair it with, if you would even do that?

[@glasslinger]

Use ordinary newspaper. Get some rubber glue or contact cement and first cut a piece of newspaper to fit over the torn part with about a half inch lap. Coat the cone around the tear and immediately press the patch to the cone sticking it flat. Then after the glue dries somewhat coat the whole area with more glue and let it dry. The cone will work like new!

[@paulwomack5866]

@@glasslinger A New York Art restorer called Julian Baumgartner uses some Japanese tissue paper called "Washi Kozo". It's not really tissue paper, it's just a thin paper - but the mulberry wood fibres it's made from are super long and strong, so the paper is thin and very strong.

[@sincerelyyours7538]

Thanks, I have one from 1926 I need to recone. The shape is not a perfect cone, however. It narrows considerably towards the magnet like an old-time megaphone. I wonder how I can reproduce that without pressing the cone in a form of some kind?

[@SeanBZA]

Probably will be easiest to make it in 2 or more cone sections, so you have a steel cone inner, then join it to a less steep cone, and finally an outer large diameter cone. Otherwise you will have to make a form, wet the paper, and shape it on the form, and let it dry to the shape.

[@lauram5905]

@@SeanBZA it's a topology problem, you just cut the radial slice as a sort of bell shape opening inward rather than a triangle outward so it bonds together into a bell shaped cone with the non-linear diameter. edit: with a bit of thought you can even use that technique to make a flat edge to bond with the speaker body rather than cutting petals like Ron did, but it requires some good math or spatial thinking

[@jeffreyyoung4104]

As a kid, I would repair old speakers with tissue paper and wood model glue. I did try to recone one speaker, but the voice coil always rubbed due to it getting bent. It finally died when the insulation rubbed off and the wire shorted out.

[@FindLiberty]

Yes, a classic progression towards technical excellence.

[@luiscarlosmarques3946]

I respect they knowlege. Restoration is wonderfull.

[@activelow9297]

I read this as "How to become an antique radio speaker". I hope to transition into an antique radio speaker someday.

[@gwcoty0715]

Do you still have your website up? I can't find it

[@tipfox9212]

So funny you are using exactly the same salvaged wooden popsicle sticks like me ;-) I own an old Telefunken speaker from the 30s - your cone looks quite authentic. You could stabilize the paper a bit by painting whith wood glue.

[@f.k.burnham8491]

Excellent tutorial, Ron. Do you have any tricks on re-coning an Atwater Kent speaker that uses the plywood cone? My cone is splintered.

[@glasslinger]

Never have seen one. Sounds like a major disaster!

[@KallePihlajasaari]

I would say find the thinnest veneer you can and see if you can form a cone, perhaps steam dampen the veneer and see if it will take the shape easier. Years ago there was a speciality product available from a paper merchant I used that was paper with a single sheet of wood laminated on one side, perhaps that could be a source for thin veneer. I would turn a wood former with the correct angle and lay up on that so the shape is correct.

[@KeritechElectronics]

Cool stuff. Does the reconed speaker have the upper suspension, or is it stiff?

[@glasslinger]

Very stiff. It does not respond below about 250 hz. Has that old fashioned telephone like sound with no base at all.

[@davidportch8837]

@@glasslinger Thanks Ron - I was wondering about that as it doesn't have any suspension to move much at the lower freqs... But brilliant job as always... keep up the good work...

[@hugovale8070]

Never deceived , thanks ron ,

[@phonotical]

I ordered a replacement cone recently, ugh a plastic replacement came in the mail, and was too narrow, pain in the ass, it also came without a dome, I'd be better off making it myself, maybe I'll follow your advice here!

[@torstengotz2118]

Very nice!👍

[@victorcarell5784]

Hi,in principle, the work went well, but there is no suspension ring that gives a bit of a run to the membrane, so instead the cone is cemented to the speaker basket.

[@originalbluebuddha]

There's enough flex in the contact cement to eat the throw of that armature, which is vanishingly small.

[@Davidjb37721]

Thanks for your time

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

you can do it all...nice

[@zundfolge1432]

some day Im going to try this

[@craignehring]

Fabulous !!

[@v12alpine]

What's the point of the removable ring if not to clamp down on the cone edge? Would spraying it with something after help with longevity?

[@Rev22-21]

In past videos Ron doped the entire cone with the same contact cement. I've done the same thing....and no, there's really not much difference in sound quality. Works especially great for repairs.

[@ohger1]

The removable ring was not there to clamp the cone, it was **part** of the original speaker cone which was field replaceable. You'd remove the perimeter screws, remove the center nut, and lift the ring out with the cone attached to it. Easy peasy. Since Ron used tape to hold down the ring to the frame, his new cone is not field replaceable so you could have put the cone below the ring if you want.

[@newhorizons1450]

Hello, I have a technical problem. When I turn on the v620 hifi sound the relay turns off.

[@glasslinger]

It's possible the output power amp is pulling too much current and the circuit shuts down to prevent more damage. Off to the shop it goes!

[@newhorizons1450]

@@glasslinger thank you

[@zundfolge1432]

will this work for any old radio speaker or just the very rigid ones of the 1920s

[@denisohbrien]

more modern "voice coil" speakers have a very different construction and therefore procedures to overhaul. Speakerfreak95 does some superb videos on more modern speakers if thats your interest.

[@zundfolge1432]

@@denisohbrien Ive always wanted to make my own cones and recone my old 1920s and 1930s radios.

[@pride293]

How long do you think it might last?

[@toddd7444]

looks like a field coil?

[@ryancamp7044]

I would like to know what tubed I need for my Atwater Kent model 20 If you have that information

[@glasslinger]

The radio uses 01-A tubes. The center tube can be a 00-A if you have one, but it works just fine with all tubes the same.

[@ryancamp7044]

@@glasslinger thanks i accidentally used the wrong voltage and blew 2 off the tubes

[@chuck0mx]

Very cool... just perfect...

[@gerryroberts662]

I have an rc 36 Bell record-o fone. /Mono Vintage disk cutter. Using a modern amp, if i turn the volume up to 5 DB the speaker starts to distort,, Should i get i reconed, or just leave the volume at under 4 DB.. its the audio monitor on the side of the unit.. The tone is fine and clear.. The speaker just doesnt like anything higher then 5 DB.. Yet i bought some vintage uhaul speakers at a swap meet and they are really loud at 3DB.. on a 1970s Sears solid circuit amp... I Like Learning how to recone speakers, but There was no class available where i live in that feild..

[@glasslinger]

I am not familiar with that disk cutter. Use an ohmmeter to measure the resistance of the speaker. If it is over 1000 ohms it is a high impedance speaker designed to work in the plate circuit of an amp. A low impedance amp will not drive it properly. The uhaul speakers likely are low impedance. (less than 20 ohms)

[@catherineladd5300]

Everyone loves The Supervisor.

[@hotpuppy1]

No suspension! I bet the frequency response isn't too good and it sounds pretty hollow. Just had to change rotted foam suspension on my stereo speakers. At least the centers were good. Just had to be careful to make sure it didn't shift.

[@nobodynoone2500]

it's a paper suspension, just like the original. The freq response was less an issue than excursion or ridgity for bass feqs. But most old speakers are tuned for sensitivity and rapid inexpensive production.

[@Rev22-21]

@@nobodynoone2500 : Indeed, but too these weren't made for high fidelity sound quality either.

[@hotpuppy1]

@@nobodynoone2500 Very little suspension as close to the rim as the cone edge was. 'Modern" speakers with paper suspension had a lot more flex built in.

[@PilgrimLad]

Ahhh...I wanted to hear it.

[@glasslinger]

Coming up in another video. It will be used in an old speaker table for a battery set.

[@chrisingle5839]

Thank you! I learned something valuable here: Cats love gravy. Just kidding! Thank you for the cone information. I'd never have thought construction paper!