How to refoam a woofer - the basics

Refoaming for the 1st time? This will show how to refoam a woofer that has a large gap and doesn't require shims or a regulated supply

[@GrosvenorAudio]

Thanks for not adding any music or fast forward... just hands on in real time!

[@stevencohn61]

I just watched this video on speaker repair and have enough confidence now to re-rubber my 8 inch speakers from my stereo console. I went to the Springfield speaker website but they are asking me for make and model for my speaker, but it has no markings on it. What do I do by the way I find your videos to be very informative and easy to follow. You don’t spend all of the time with useless chitchat, you’ve helped me quite a bit working on Stereo Console’s. Thank you.

[@cpfb68]

Thanks for the great vid! I really needed the explanation of the “sweet spot” as I’m about to do a pair of Baby Advent II’s that need new foams. Your vid has been the only one that really explained the reasons to take time, be patient, and make sure the clearance is perfect. Thanks!

[@NathanMaharaj]

Great video. Convinced me to take my FIL's Mirage SM-1s to a pro. He tried this repair but seems to have missed the sweet spot, no doubt due to not having KZbin as guidance back when he gave it a go.

[@InterMeanderedDespondence]

Ron Swanson refoams speakers, good stuff

[@CherylCold]

Limited for space in a tiny sportscar, I have a collection of 6 speakers all blown. Its either fix or bin time. This video is super helpful. Now I just need to find a supplier in Romania for foam.

[@ericvillano5729]

Now I am ready to repair my Advent Legacys and Baby II's. I'm glad you mentioned Advent as ones that are easy to do.

[@scottlind9488]

Great video, I think I will try doing it. Was looking to bring it to someone, but your video changed my mind. Thanks for the great how to video.

[@user-mv5bu2kk8b]

Nice to see you back to work, J.P.! Nice refoam job. :)

[@robertcrouch7328]

Watching your video I am almost ready to gamble on repairing my woofers! Most people make mistakes on the first try but no videos I find point out what those typical mistakes are and more importantly what to do to help fix those mistakes ! Video was well done!

[@TheJTcreate]

Thanks for the note. I am thinking of creating a video channel on speaker repair techniques as I worked for a facility that has been in business since 1939. You're right. People don't point out what to do when it comes to mistakes.

[@Groove1024]

Excellent video fast work and well done!

[@audioeeze8396]

Great video! It's the little things that matter, and you covered those things, This is the best video compared to the ones you normally find.

[@mikeshobbiesandrandomstuff]

The ones from simply speakers are good to.

[@jamesm90]

Great videos JP keep em coming!

[@quiksr20]

Great video, helped me refoam my design acoustics..

[@tectalabyss]

Great how to. Thank you J.P

[@chadphelps7464]

Great video on how to do this. Best one I’ve seen. I’ll be doing this for the first time on 2 KFC-W2512 kenwood subs. It will be a learning experience for me.

[@XJLuxury]

Best refoam video out there thank you so much!

[@chrisburn7178]

Great video. I did use solvent (cellulose thinners) to remove the gunk on the basket of mine as it's painted steel but definitely not on the cone. Haven't actually started the refoaming yet 🙄 Some vintage British 5" mid/bass units from an (I think) late 70s/early 80s bookshelves.

[@byronbridges213]

Great job Ron! Indeed!👍

[@AsianBlackR3501]

Thank you for detail instruction. My Paradigm PS-1200A sub woofer has rotten and I just ordered the kit from Springfield Speaker.

[@billwendell6886]

Shimshiminy Shimshiminy shimshim sharu........best vid yet.

[@santi0797]

Great video man, i've been searching around for a video like this, and most of them were vague or didnt explain very clearly, yours is perfect, keep it up!

[@Bart_Depestele]

nice tuto amigo, thank you

[@drummerdem50]

great job jordan

[@josegallardos4265]

I like this way better than the one you have to cut the dust cap etc. etc etc. You did it the easy way. Thanks for sharing the video.

[@Dobrovinskiy]

Cool, thanks for your advice ☺️

[@codebeat4192]

Nice tut! I was thinking of center the cone with a short sweep tone, let's say 10hz to zero to auto center it. After this press carefully the outer edges.

[@eznAnze]

Best video on the subject on KZbin! The whole thing, well done and with good tips. No cuts or bullshit! Subscribed right away! Thanks a lot! :)

[@aanon2550]

very helpful, thanks, subbed

[@Radiowild]

I did my first one a few months back and it worked and came out good (surprised myself). How's the Rambler?

[@r0bertfrank]

that was fantastic, thanks so much!

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

would it be worth it to recone, also recoil a pair of 12" alnico magnet speakers? thrift store has them and the coils are rubbing badly.. maybe worth 2$? no foam on the perimeters -all paper.

[@Therain75]

Very good job

[@polaris911]

watching you revive that hopeless speaker was oddly satisfying

[@MixturaGlobal]

hello Jordan, what happens when the yellow layer under the speaker membrane is peeled off? I have a m-audio Bx5a monitor, it sounds bad when I turn up the volume but the amplifier is fine. do you think it could be because of that?

[@gampaha1861]

can you tell me the name and type of the Glue you using? Thanks for the great DIY video.

[@JordanPier]

This stuff: www.springfieldspeakerrepair.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BSC

[@PyroRob69]

I never realized how easy it is. I have a pair of Mach 1's that the foam is crumbling on the 15" woofers.

[@maaaslo81]

hello, I just watched your video and am very impressed by the result. I'd like to ask for an advice. family member has a pair of Paradigm ultracube 12 woofers. both drivers and all the radiators need repair. I guess I could find parts for drivers, but have absolutely no idea where to get foam for the radiators. would you be able to point me in the right direction? thx in advance

[@JordanPier]

Usually the radiators are a common size like the woofers. Parts Express may have surrounds in generic sizes for your application

[@maaaslo81]

@@JordanPier thank you. I will look into it. I also read somewhere that it would be a lot wiser to just replace the radiators for different ones, due to the adhesive not holding on properly and foam tearing due to the weight of the metal radiator. what would you suggest to be a better approach?

[@redrevo_117]

working on a speaker from my dad its a Vestax ms-12a, it was in some rough shape, he told me hes had it since like the 80s, it was covered in duct tape volume knob was smashed in input jack smashed over its rough. but anyway it has a small 4 inch driver that im gonna try to refoam, it has no ring left

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

Taken on the toil of refoaming a Kenwood 10.. powered sub. managed to remove most of the shiny film from the paper *does that matter? should I now dope this whole cone face?.. it's a very wide coil chamber, so I think it should be fine, ?BUT the foam was glued to the BEHIND side of the cone.. does this pose some other problem? so should I stick the new also behind? or can it go to the face. (sounds like a bedroom code lol)

[@JordanPier]

Gluing behind the cone provides extra strength. I would stick to stock

[@djijspeakerguy4628]

The first time I did this, I just put the glue on the cone and the frame and set the surround on there. The glue was sort of a mess, but it totally worked, which was good because this was for a customer. Luckily, the woofer mounted from the inside behind a fixed front grill, so my sloppy job couldn’t be seen.

[@sauravpatwardhan8765]

Hi, could you please help me? My yamaha satellite speaker fell down from the wall onto the floor. It's working but when I shake it, I can hear components moving inside. And the volume changes as I shake it. There is a slight buzzing sound. Volume is as loud as other speakers. I think something has come loose inside the speaker. They are only 4 months old

[@cbpriv]

You forgot to poke the cold chisel into your fingers, thats what I usually do. It gives me a chance to improve my swearword language :)

[@gefflynn7171]

Do you have a reforming vid of a JBL? I have the JBL L36 I need to reform. thx

[@1959Berre]

I have refoamed a number of drivers with perfectly fine results. Now, I have a very nice 10' driver with a fried voice coil. I wonder if 'recoiling' is an option, without removing the cone. I have never seen that been done.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

sounds too 'ship in the bottle' to me.

[@MaxCaissie]

You need to take the come out to put a new voice voice

[@mr.blackhawk142]

I use an OZONATOR for air purification and I have to set it on low bc it CORRODES rubber! 2 speakers in my infrared sauna had to be replaced bc I have an ozonator in there. The speaker closer to the ozonator was MUCHO worse than the other one which was about 4 ft farther away. I should have taken photos but that was about 5 yrs ago.

[@breezebenitses397]

Great video. Can this be done without taking the woofer out of the speaker? Sorry if this is a stupid question. Thanks

[@JordanPier]

Probably, but why? Lessen the probability of error and remove it

[@breezebenitses397]

@@JordanPier haha I wasn't sure how to get it out. Just picked up a vintage Hitachi system for £10. Cleaning 40 years of grime and started on the speakers. Disintegrated foam. Going to have a go from your video👍

[@christopherk10]

How do i know what size to buy? What do i measure?

[@Cl-hm3tz]

My dad has a pair of Rogers LS8a speakers, but the surround has deteriorated (more like powderised). It appears I will have to do a DIY repair to refoam the surround of 4 drivers (which are 6.5 inches / 165 mm each). Can I seek guidance on: 1) where I can buy good quality surround foam and the glue for the repair work; 2) the type or material of the surround I should buy for these speakers (I believe it's the foam type instead of the rubber type). The concern is if I use the wrong type it may affect the sound of the speakers; and 3) I believe do not need to refoam the tweeters (sorry if this is a naive question), hence seeking confirmation on this. I reside in Malaysia. Thank you in advance or any guidance provided. Best regards

[@JordanPier]

I typically purchase from simply speakers, Springfield speaker repair, or speaker exchange. You may have to call them with measurements but one of the three will likely have what you need

[@Cl-hm3tz]

@@JordanPier Thanks Jordan for the quick reply, will try to contact them. Best regards.

[@sauravpatwardhan8765]

Hi, could you please help me? My yamaha satellite speaker fell down from the wall onto the floor. It's working but when I shake it, I can hear components moving inside. And the volume changes as I shake it. There is a slight buzzing sound. Volume is as loud as other speakers. I think something has come loose inside the speaker. They are only 4 months old

[@CB-bo3tm]

Pardon my ignorance on speaker basics - would like a tiny direction for my problem. I bought a 8inch 50 watt woofer (not sub woofer) about 15 years back, used it for few hours and it sounded good. I opened it today and connected it to my amplifier and it outputs too little volume. I gently pushed the cone and spider up, and the volume goes up and it vibrates well. How can I fix it? The spider feels hard... the soft rubber on the outer edge of the cone is soft/flexible...

[@artprince9163]

try reversing the wires on the speaker contacts. If they are on the wrong polarity it will give you less bass on a woofer.

[@justnoted2995]

Thank you.. but some unnecessary OCD practiced here in centering the coil

[@kendrekmarrero5585]

Hey Jordan, are you located in Arizona? I’m looking to get my mark levinson sub refoamed

[@JordanPier]

So cal, but for mark Levinson stuff its best to contact either George Meyer A//V in los Angeles, or pyramid audio in austin, tx. Ml stuff is not common and you usually need contacts with ML, which both have

[@kendrekmarrero5585]

Sorry just now seeing this, thanks for the feedback!

[@robpars2000]

Good tutorial , I am going to replace my surrounds and this is a good one , but like 99.9 % of people that's all I'm doing so I'm going to do more speakers , I'm only doing one ...🙄

[@gregc3614]

Just curious about the type of glue you’re using and where to get it.

[@JordanPier]

Springfield speaker repair, pro grade adhesive www.springfieldspeakerrepair.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BSC

[@gregc3614]

Jordan Pier Thanks... and great video!

[@pay9011]

The foam kits usually are skimpy with the glue. I found out many people use 'Aleene's Original Tacky Glue'.

[@gladememmott3001]

I'm going to be restoring my 12 kicker I got for $5 because the foam was torn. What was the name of the company you said that made the quality foam kits? Thanks 😊

[@JordanPier]

Simply speakers Springfield Speaker Repair Midwest Speaker Repair Speaker exchange All have good kits

[@gladememmott3001]

@@JordanPier thanks 😊👍👌

[@gladememmott3001]

Thanks again bro 🎉 I nailed it and have a brand new speaker!!!!!! Awesome 😎

[@artprince9163]

Thinking of refoaming a set of BA A60 speakers. If I mess it up will a pro be able to fix it? the cabs for these speakers are a bit damaged so they aren't worth as much for reselling if I no longer need them but for my personal use as a spare stereo setup they should be fine. However I am a little concerned about the whole "voice coil rub" issue. I don't really know what speaker rub sounds like. Maybe it will be evident if I mess it up though. Can the foam be easily taken off by a pro for refoaming if I mess it up?

[@JordanPier]

It can be corrected if you mess it up. When you remove the old foam just get a feel for where the voice coil is. Rocking the cone will show you where the limits are. Just try and keep it centered while the glue is drying.

[@artprince9163]

If I get glue on the cone a bit, (I did) should I clean it off somehow?@@JordanPier

[@artprince9163]

Also, do I glue the gasket to the foam or can it go in dry? I'm guessing glue. @@JordanPier

[@JordanPier]

@@artprince9163 ya

[@JordanPier]

@@artprince9163 glue to foam after dry.

[@DonziGT230]

I have a pair of Infinity Reference Series 12" woofers and the plastic cones have separated from the surrounds. The cones & surrounds look good, it appears that the glue just separated. Do you know what king of glue to use to re-bond them and what solvent should be used to clean them before glueing?

[@JordanPier]

They usually separate because the foam is weakening. No sense in regluing them when they'll fail again in couple months as they degrade further. Refoam them

[@DonziGT230]

@@JordanPier The surrounds are rubber, not foam. The surrounds appear to be in perfect condition and none of it is stuck to the cones. The glue just let go.

[@JordanPier]

Ok, in that case you can use the pro grade black adhesive that Springfield speaker repair sells. Works well and sticks to anything. I usually just carefully scrape away the old glue with an exacto knife. Make sure you keep the voice coil centered while the glue sets. Otherwise the voice coil will rub and eventually short out against the magnet. If you can forgo cosmetic concerns and you're not good at kinesthetic memory, you can cut about 90% of the dust cap away and install 3 shims 120 degrees apart. I will use camera film with the feeds cut off and about 2" long. About 3 laminations worth should keep it centered.

[@JordanPier]

www.springfieldspeakerrepair.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BSC

[@DonziGT230]

@@JordanPier Thank you! The suspension seems to be doing a good job of keeping them centered. If I press the center they move without scraping. My thought for pulling the cone away from the surround to apply glue, then pushing it back into place to adhere is to apply a few volts to it then reverse the polarity. I *think* that should pull/push the cone evenly and help keep it centered...? I'll test that theory before I start gluing, unless you have a better idea. I'm not too concerned with keeping them pretty, but these have a hard plastic dished dust cover so cutting them without causing damage seems like it would be difficult.

[@participantparticipant506]

After having done over 20 sets of speakers myself, I have several questions and comments: - Can you really get all the old glue off the cone simply by scraping? Shouldn't the new surround be glued entirely to the cone material with no old glue remaining? - How do the various combinations of old/new glue work or fail? The sample in your video after scraping looks nearly identical to the Genesis woofers I just scraped myself, but with a fair amount of glue remaining. I can "tease" it off with needle nose tweezers, but it's very tedious. I had to do that with a set of Epicure Fives. They had so much old glue that I initially mis-measured the cones for replacement surrounds. After looking closer I realized that a full 1/8" of the cones "edge" was old glue. I had to gently pry it all off with said tweezers. I've encountered multiple formulations of old glue, some so brittle that it indeed scraped off, others still fully tacky and flexible. I can't easily remove it without isopropyl alcohol. I gently pried off and tested some samples of this typical stuff from a pair of Genesis woofers and the alcohol is the only solvent that dissolved it, albiet slowly. Mineral spirits, Goo Gone and naptha had no effect. - When gluing the new surround on, don't you have to have 100% surface contact to avoid "flapping" at high volumes/cone excursion? I've been using the "clear" glue from Simply Speaker with good results, making sure I press the edge so I can see glue seeping out just a bit. - I always let the glue on the cone set overnight before doing the rim. - What's your opinion of the white glue? I tried it on a few drivers and it works, but takes forever to set. - I've never had to remove the dust cap and use shims. I use the mini-clamp signal centering method. The only time that didn't work was on a defective driver where the spider itself was off center and large excursions had rubbing. Much thanks for any input you have on these talking points!

[@JordanPier]

When I can get to a desktop on Monday I'll be able to address this. Phone doesn't let you see the whole message while replying

[@SavingMyFoot]

Hey, I followed your video to re-foam my Boston Acoustics HD5 speakers, actually posted the process as part of my most recent vlog. Subscribing to get more DIY tips. Thanks!

[@360Soundwave]

Hi sir, what is the name of the black glue for the speaker?

[@JordanPier]

Springfield speaker repair professional black adhesive

[@KG-sy2vs]

Do you have to worry about the bits falling in to the speaker?

[@JordanPier]

Only if.tou decide to cut and pull up the dustcap

[@KG-sy2vs]

@@JordanPier ok thank you 👍

[@mwdaniel]

Why did you not need a tone generator to center the speaker?

[@JordanPier]

Kinesthetic memory

[@mrhobs]

Seems like several videos I've seen show the inside edge of the foam going directly on top the driver cone. On mine the inside edge gets tucked underneath the driver cone. Hmm...

[@JordanPier]

Depends on the manufacturer

[@mrhobs]

@@JordanPier Yeah, seems that way. I did notice that it probably could have worked either way on mine, but I went with the original style for cosmetic reasons. (Just glued it down hope it's lined up well enough ha. Oh well, I'll just get better speakers if it doesn't work.) Anyway, thanks for the quick response, and I did find your video helpful so thanks!

[@TheJTcreate]

Not a bad job, but there are some errors. First you scraped the cone at an angle. You don't want to do that as you risk slicing into the cone and damaging it. The foam doesn't take much effort to scrape off. You also don't need to be that rough. Keep your blade vertical 90 degrees, and scratch at the foam. For cleaning the basket, give the OD a brief soak with acetone before you scrape the foam. You also risked jabbing your hand the way you were scraping the basket. You use the correct technique, which is to apply the glue to the ID of the edge, not the cone. You did that correct, but your glue bead was too thin. Don't be afraid to go glue heavy so that a symetrical bond is true, and there is no chance of any part of the foam flaps when you crank the bass. You also don't want the foam to separate later. So go glue heavy. When I was training a coner once, he had 4 returns in two weeks. He got lazy. 1 was foam separation from weak gluing, and three were from flapping sounds when the woofer was cranked up because the bound wasn't symetrical. Its hard to assure a proper coil alignment without a signal generator, however not a bad job for the first time.

[@bracr]

Is the size dimension the outside diameter of the speaker paper?

[@chrisburn7178]

No it's an arbitrary measurement. 5"/6"/8" speakers can have different overall measurements and vary considerably in size. The measurements you'll need for foam/rubber surrounds are the outermost diameter of the surround where it's glued to the basket, the diameter of the outer roll, the cone diameter and the inner diameter of the surround where it's glued to the cone.

[@groovechampion1462]

Powersupply??!! i use a signalgenerator set at 30Hz works perfect.

[@giuseppenapoli5371]

How long will they last once refoamed

[@JordanPier]

Depending on air quality of the environment 10-15 years.

[@mjnc3672]

I've done a number of surround replacements over the years, and no matter how much clearance is in the voice coil, I always use shims. It is not worth the chance of a buzzing speaker. It doesn't add a significant amount of time to the total job.

[@sauravpatwardhan8765]

Hi, could you please help me? My yamaha satellite speaker fell down from the wall onto the floor. It's working but when I shake it, I can hear components moving inside. And the volume changes as I shake it. There is a slight buzzing sound. Volume is as loud as other speakers. I think something has come loose inside the speaker. They are only 4 months old

[@adancaro754]

Where do i buy the glue?

[@JordanPier]

Springfield speaker repair. It's their professional grade BSC black adhesive

[@kippercat123]

Any reservations to using Gorilla glue ? thank you.

[@JordanPier]

Use elmer's glue all if you don't want to buy speaker glue. Gorilla glue will destroy the speaker when you have to remove it

[@kippercat123]

@@JordanPier thank you !

[@kippercat123]

@@JordanPier after using some speaker glue for the first time I noticed that it's got to be model airplane glue. It sticks and smells like the same stuff.

[@JordanPier]

@@kippercat123 they key difference is that speaker glue must dry flexible. A hard, brittle bond will fail due to vibration

[@joseespinoza9956]

What can i do if i cut into the cone???

[@JordanPier]

Glue from the backside

[@joseespinoza9956]

Thanks

[@TheMilford]

Why not the test tone method?

[@JordanPier]

Gives too much confidence in my opinion. You can still be off axis and not rub until excursion limit. I'd rather use shims or kinesthetic feedback. It works for me, your mileage may vary. Do what works for you

[@darrencrevar119]

I'm much mor confident replacing my surrounds on my HD-8's !

[@jojo-pu4fj]

Can you refoam a set of speakers for me

[@JordanPier]

Yes, but I cost alot more than doing it yourself

[@georgedooman727]

1:42 AM Do U repair speakers. Let me know. George

[@JordanPier]

Mostly. Depends on what speaker and what failure

[@somebodypeculiar]

That is a wood chisel, not a cold chisel.

[@PHAESTOS64]

Kinda sloppy but the work's done

[@Thajerkstar]

...Just deal with it. 😄

[@zawatowski]

I hurt myself today

[@TrainFlood]

The number of adds in this video make it almost unwachable.

[@DouglasEKnappMSAOM]

get ad block plus

[@jefffederman3573]

D.C. on speakers very bad

[@rd264]

phones ringing

[@craig8295]

All these guys are doing it wrong . Foam always goes on the back of the cone. Experts? Nope.

[@SurnaturalM]

True. Only the part on the paper goes outside. The part on the basket go inside.

[@tristanblack6609]

I love the video, but the fucking Adds !!! Grrrrr!!!