HOW TO RECONE AN ANTIQUE RADIO SPEAKER

This session we see how easy it is to replace a damaged cone on a 1920's radio speaker. The job is not as easy as a modern speaker since we cannot use easily available replacement cones. The depth of the cone is substantially greater than that of modern cones. No problem though as you will see!

[@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!

[@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!

[@ReverendFlatus]

Another great video so soon after the last one!

[@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.

[@bblod4896]

Nice work, thanks Ron.

[@michellevey9608]

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

[@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!

[@mikeburgess7331]

Ron, your skill is amazing!

[@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!

[@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.

[@LecterHuniball]

Genius Ron, I 💕 watch your video

[@Joe-ep9lk]

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

[@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

[@crabmansteve6844]

Love your videos! Thanks for the upload.

[@ZincFold]

Your videos are pure gold! Thank you.

[@jamesbruno5896]

Nice job Ron!

[@nitemover1]

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

[@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.

[@davidk6271]

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

[@hectorpascal]

Just 7.87 thou - easy to judge!

[@TempoDrift1480]

That cat makes me happy.

[@salat]

Love your work!

[@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.

[@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.

[@terryblackman6217]

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

[@DaveCaulkins]

Simply marvelous 👍

[@salossi]

This is really great craftmanship! Well done!

[@mikeburgess7331]

Please keep the great videos coming, Ron!

[@clytle374]

As always I learned something, thanks for sharing.

[@Davidjb37721]

Thanks for your time

[@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.

[@cyndicorinne]

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

[@marksmith5324]

Another amazing video how clever

[@KB4QAA]

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

[@jorgemellooliveira9611]

Ótimo vídeo congratulações

[@chriscimino7854]

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

[@edmaster3147]

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

[@Endoplasmic-Reticulum]

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

[@barthanes1]

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

[@GIBKEL]

That was fascinating.

[@PracticallyFixed]

Outstanding. Thanks so much.

[@torstengotz2118]

Very nice!👍

[@chuck0mx]

Very cool... just perfect...

[@WBSTHOR]

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

[@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. :-)

[@fabiofernandes517]

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!

[@craignehring]

Fabulous !!

[@braveheart5280]

Excellent !

[@Ale.K7]

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.

[@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.

[@activelow9297]

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

[@nobodynoone2500]

Nice job.

[@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

[@luiscarlosmarques3946]

I respect they knowlege. Restoration is wonderfull.

[@Rev22-21]

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

[@jonbergstrom4078]

Thank you

[@bevis71]

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

[@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!

[@hugovale8070]

Never deceived , thanks ron ,

[@SuperMan-xy8ui]

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

[@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 👏👏👍🤔

[@zundfolge1432]

some day Im going to try this

[@GHILLIESARCADEANDMORE]

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

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

you can do it all...nice

[@malekdavarpanah4925]

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

[@protox07]

I like your videos

[@barthanes1]

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

[@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.

[@celsoneves2368]

Vídeo great!.

[@_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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@catherineladd5300]

Everyone loves The Supervisor.

[@user-cm4ym3ei3u]

احسنت

[@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.

[@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.

[@jamesballock1768]

Good job! I would have taper sanded the edges of the paper, and used a lazy Susan for a turntable as a rotating bench.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@monfrig6959]

my friends father was the head of the speaker development dept for RCA

[@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!

[@gwcoty0715]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@adrinathegreat3095]

Must have been the angle, but to me it looked like the blow torch was very close to the paper cone covered in contact adhesive. I was also half expecting kitty to jump up and put a paw in the contact adhesive. Lol

[@pride293]

How long do you think it might last?

[@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.

[@Choober65]

What is it with cats and paper?

[@iflan2000]

Woohoo i was the thousandth like

[@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...

[@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.

[@loyeantleyjr.8646]

🥰😍🥰

[@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.

[@dr.detroit1514]

If you work with things long enough, you get what's called a "micrometer eye".

[@glasslinger]

I only managed to get "blurred eye." :)