Speaker Cone Finish

[sab]

Hello everyone,

Wondering if anyone has successfully sprayed etc.... a cone to make it look better and newer?

I have a pair of Pioneer HPM-100's that sound amazing but I'm kind of pizzed off at amount of aging and I want to protect them as well as seal them from further wear and tear. I also want to give them a fresh look without changing the sound.

I've heard of Hairspray, Lacquer, Dura-Flex, Magic Markers, dye.....

Again, I don't want to change the sound.

Thank you.

[ratitifb]

Again, I don't want to change the sound.Probably (and unfortunately) you'll have to close your eyes :D

[cooky1257]

10;1 dilute pva brushed on to a paper cone gives it a new lease of life-looks wise and as it's only a light brushing shouldn't add any appreciable pva mass to the cone.
Don't lay it on with a trowel!!

[BMWCCA]

10;1 dilute pva brushed on to a paper cone gives it a new lease of life-looks wise and as it's only a light brushing shouldn't add any appreciable pva mass to the cone.:confused:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_alcohol :dont-know

[edgewound]

Wondering if anyone has successfully sprayed etc.... a cone to make it look better and newer?

I have a pair of Pioneer HPM-100's that sound amazing but I'm kind of pizzed off at amount of aging and I want to protect them as well as seal them from further wear and tear. .

Do they have the grey "aquaplas" type coating?

You can spray them with 3M Scotchgard* outdoor formula.

That will protect them without "audibly" changing the sound.

[cooky1257]

:confused:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_alcohol :dont-know

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_acetate
Paper glue to most people.
Cooky

[sab]

Hey guy's,

Sorry for not replying back sooner but thank you for the replies.

[Soundwave]

interesting... would Pva glue be a sufficient way to fix a half inch tear in my woofers cone?

[hjames]

interesting... would Pva glue be a sufficient way to fix a half inch tear in my woofers cone?
Your concern is to not change the mass or balance of the cone appreciably.
If the tear isn't substantial, its not at the edge of the cone near the surround, and you can push the edges of the cut/tear together,
perhaps using a small strip of onionskin paper if you have to bridge a gap.
You can apply the patch to the rear of the cone, if thats possible (just for the looks).

[indycraft]

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4275&highlight=painting+cone There used to be pictures with this thread.

[hjames]

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4275&highlight=painting+cone There used to be pictures with this thread.

Yes, the darned shame is - if folks don't upload the pictures to the site here but just link to them on some outside site, they may go away over time ... just like ebay images are temporary ... Such a shame.

[cooky1257]

interesting... would Pva glue be a sufficient way to fix a half inch tear in my woofers cone?

Heather's on the money, just bridge the tear on the rear of the cone with some fine paper.The pva will do a good job of sealing the cone tear too-no air leaks.

[Soundwave]

Nice one!

ill post some pics...after I get the courage to perform the surgery.

[lgvenable]

You need to use something like Elmers, as the glue some of us use for gluing surrounds is a softer more cohesive type (specifically a co-polymer type), where Elmers is a homo-polymer. Best thing to use is some Airflex 400 from Air Products. As word to the wise, the use of PVA on a cone will cause it to gloss up slightly if you apply too much and the glue sits up on the surface. A small amount will strike into the paper surface without too much notice, a large amount will consolidate on the surface. Likewise the use of PVA in the tear to fill it up etc, will create a shiny streak where the tear is, and make it very stiff, unless you're very careful to use the absolute minimal amount.

PVA is also thermoplastic, so unlike aquaplas, it adds a layer of a softer (less stiff) coating to the cone surface., so I stay away from anything like that for a surface treatment. It is ideal for gluing a tear though.

Since all these type PVA glues are also heat seals, it means that the application of a hot iron can help seal the tears edges. I'm not referring to an iron as in clothes, but rather a small iron used to put monokote onto RC airplanes (apply and heat shrink the film). The use of this smaller hot iron will allow you to adhere the tear edges on the cone nicely, using the method I describe below.. If you feel uncomfortable with filling it, then just use the paper repair method.

The way I repaired a small tear was this:

1. Cut a small piece of low basis weight paper (20 to 30 gsm), which once wet will conform to the cone surface nicely. It needs to have wet strength, or it will just disintegrate. It needs to be slightly larger than the tear (l1/4 in to 3/16 wide and the same shape as the tear.

2.Saturate the back of the thin paper, apply a small patch on the back of the cone (where it is out of sight). It might take a couple of practice runs, but you can use tweezers to apply the paper over the tear. B4 placing on the cone, you should also add a small amount of diluted glue to the tear back edges with a modeling brush, so your small repair will easily stick to the cone. If the back is dry, it will wick water from the saturated paper patch and interfere with adhesion.

3. Heat seal and firmly adhere the paper to the cone rear. (if applied saturated, it will already be sticking, since it was essentially glued down. Heat sealing allows you to line up and make the best looking repair of the tear.

If you don't want to heat seal it, time is your ally, as the application of the wet patch onto the wetted cone back (in the same area the patch will apply to), will adhere fine once it is dry. And> just like in surrounds, keeping using your finger to press the repair patch onto the cone rear. Once it conforms to the cone back, cover the tear completely, then leave it alone and allow it to dry completely (overnight).

If the cone has aquaplas coating, (which is a silica based acoustic coating), here's what I did to make the tear disappear)

4 Apply a fast drying hole patch compound (low water content! and not the flexible type) with a toothpick into the tear edges.

5 Smear it out and remove any excess, if you do this right you will not add any weight, as this is just for cosmetics.

6. Let dry, use a wet cloth to remove any of the patch filler that is excess. The correct repair will be barely discernible as a tear.

7. You then Use a variation on Steve Gonzales's re-newal treatment of aquaplas.

To completely renew the cone color, you can also mask of the dust cover and the cone first, and apply a flat black onto the cone to make it look new, Again, mist on the paint after masking the entire cone with blue painters tape which will release very easily after the repair is complete. Use a small modeling paint brush to apply black paint to the VC leads. You can also mask them to make hand painting easier.

You then need to color the cone surface to hide the repaired tear. You can either put Kilz on (to keep any discolorations from seeping through your newly painted cone surface or not. It mainly depend on if there is any goo from a surround which might seep through the repair and cause new discoloration in time.

No Kilz Used:

Pass up the application of Kilz to the surface. Use a very fast drying flat acrylic paint. Apply blue painters tape to mask off everything. Lightly apply the paint as a mist onto the cone. The tear will virtually disappear if done right.

Kilz's Used:

You can also use Kilz underneath like Steve suggests, but not all of my cones had surround goo discoloring them. I did find that when using Kilz's to prevent any seeping of goo that the dilution of the Kilz's from 50%, down to 25 to 30% allowed it to be misted on like the acrylic spray paint. I found that brushing it on gave too high a add-on weight.

Since Kilz is water based, (unlike the solvent fast drying matte's you'll use to make the cone look brand new again), you need to spray it on gradually, so that it is applied in thin films, and never so much that the surface looks wet (like you would when you normally paint) Be sure to mist it on in several small coats to get complete coverage. Afterwards you can use the matte paints as I described.

The key is to use the minimum amount of paint. I tested this on an old 2213H cone prior to modding Steve's method, and it worked great. There was negligible mass added, and the speaker cone looked brand new. I have since done this with all mt L100A's and 4213's, and they now look brand new.


I use a Graco spray gun (N-700), but I don't remember the setup (for the fan pattern), as I set it up like 18 years ago, and have used it only a few time.

If you need, make a test cone and practice your technique. Once you start remember, done right, in a couple of nights the tear will disappear, but it requires multiple passes of very low add-on weights when applying the repair materials. The reward is no real mass is added to the cone and after painting it looks virtually brand new, with the tear just minimally visible.

I have some 25 to 30 gsm wet strength paper in my lab, here in the states, which is printed with a wood grain on the back. (it is used to laminate to pressed wood to make all the cheap shelves they sell at Menard's or Home Depot etc.) However you could easily mist on the fast drying flat back paint to hide the printed side.


If you decide to use the method, PM me I'll give you my address, and you could mail me a letter with a self addressed stamped envelope in it, and I'll send you some A4 sheets to use.

Cheers and Good Luck
Larry