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Thread: Refoam Advice in NJ

  1. #1
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    Refoam Advice in NJ

    Hi All,

    I am new here -- first post -- great forum.
    Was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction. I live in Northen NJ and I need to get a 2245 refoamed.
    Does anyone have experience with or know of a quality service center that can repair this driver? Or at least, can someone guide me as to how to go about finding a place that does quality work.

    Thanks,
    Steve

  2. #2
    Senior Member Fangio's Avatar
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    http://www.jblproservice.com/service/index.html

    click NJ – some local members should be able to recommend one or two..

  3. #3
    Senior Member brad347's Avatar
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    hey-- I'm also in north NJ and I have a pair of 2245H that need refoaming.

    I want to follow up on this and see if the OP found someone he was happy with.

    I've used Gabriel Sound in Pompton Lakes (www.speakerrecone.com) and while they did an excellent job both times I used them (4 drivers total), they are VERY expensive.

    I think it was $150/pair for my 122a and $110/pair for my LE-8s.

    Extrapolating that, I'd bet at a minimum that the pair of 2245s would be north of $200 and I just can't stomach that.

    Any other good options?

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    Gabreil Sound

    Gabreil Sound is very capable and I have used them many times. Erik just finsihed a re-cone of some Altec 416s with GPA kits.

    If you have some time to visit the shop it is an interesting place.

  5. #5
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
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    Well, JBL never made replacement foams ... so anyone reFOAMing them is doing so with aftermarket parts anyway. Its not real hard to do, just real messy and time consuming.
    I've refoamed a 15 woofer and a pair of 10s - 18s ought to be a piece of cake to refoam yourself - just get parts from Rick Cobb - his parts are well spoken of around here -
    http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ent-Foam-Rings


    Quote Originally Posted by brad347 View Post
    hey-- I'm also in north NJ and I have a pair of 2245H that need refoaming.

    I want to follow up on this and see if the OP found someone he was happy with.

    I've used Gabriel Sound in Pompton Lakes (www.speakerrecone.com) and while they did an excellent job both times I used them (4 drivers total), they are VERY expensive.

    I think it was $150/pair for my 122a and $110/pair for my LE-8s.

    Extrapolating that, I'd bet at a minimum that the pair of 2245s would be north of $200 and I just can't stomach that.

    Any other good options?
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  6. #6
    Senior Member brad347's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by robertbartsch View Post
    Gabreil Sound is very capable and I have used them many times. Erik just finsihed a re-cone of some Altec 416s with GPA kits.

    If you have some time to visit the shop it is an interesting place.
    Yeah, I've been to the shop both times. Both times they did outstanding work.

    however, both times they also semi-quoted me a price on the phone, then when I got there it was a few dollars more.

    For example, with my LE8s, on the phone they said "about 50 bucks apiece." Then when I got there it was "that's $55 each, and we'll need 50% as a deposit." I guess technically that is "about 50 bucks apiece," but I wish they would've just said "$55 apiece" on the phone and told me about the deposit ahead of time so I was prepared. Similar thing happened with my 122a pair, though I don't remember the exact 'soft quote.' IIRC, they gave me a "range" and the actual quote was about 5 bucks more than the range. What's a few dollars, so I didn't argue because I'm easy like that, but if it happens more than once it gives you pause.

    Neither time were they overly friendly-- I didn't get much of a positive vibe while I was there, but I'm pretty sensitive to interpersonal type stuff. May not bother most people, but if I'm paying more than anyone else charges for the same thing, I not only want the best work but the best service, as well. It is an interesting place.

    If it's truly the best game in town, I'll bite the bullet and pay what seems to be top dollar again. I wouldn't say I had a "negative" experience there, but I certainly wouldn't say I had a "positive" one.

    That's just ONE person's experience.

  7. #7
    Senior Member brad347's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Well, JBL never made replacement foams ... so anyone reFOAMing them is doing so with aftermarket parts anyway. Its not real hard to do, just real messy and time consuming.
    I've refoamed a 15 woofer and a pair of 10s - 18s ought to be a piece of cake to refoam yourself - just get parts from Rick Cobb - his parts are well spoken of around here -
    http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ent-Foam-Rings
    I'd love to give it a try myself, but I just don't want this very nice pair of drivers to be my "guinea pig."

    I'm a pretty handy guy, especially with electronics repairs, although this doesn't really qualify-- so I really should just give it a try on my own.

    There are so many threads on various fora and so many tutorials with conflicting information, each side more opinionated than the last about the proper way to center the voice coil in the gap, etc. It has made me a touch gun shy. If there was one clear 'best way,' I'd give it a go.

    What are the consequences of failure and the typical pitfalls? If it doesn't come out perfect the first time, can I remove the foam and try again without great risk of damage to the cone? I understand the two most common methods of centering the VC in the gap, but is there a proper method for determining the 'starting height' of the cone, if that makes sense? I mean I'm sure the voice coil has to be hung at a relatively particular spot to have the right amount of travel as the speaker compresses and rarefies?

    Maybe I'll start with cleaning the old foam off, and if I have good success with that step, I'll decide if I want to proceed myself.

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    Senior Member brad347's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SEAWOLF97 View Post
    and yes,,,if you do a bad one, they can be removed and re-done...s/b no damage.
    I'm gettin' an itchy trigger finger.... really feeling like diving in and doing this pair.

    I know I can do it. It just seems like each pair that needs done I say "not this pair... they're too nice."

    Either I buy a crap pair of speakers I don't want just to prove to myself it's easy, or dive right in.

    I'll do some more reading, but right now I'm leaning in the "dive right in" direction. I bet I would be more careful than anyone else, anyway, since they're my speakers and I care about them.

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    Senior Member herki the cat's Avatar
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    Redo a refoam

    Quote Originally Posted by SEAWOLF97 View Post
    If I were in your shoes...wud locate a cheaper pair needing refoam, practice on those...when you find out how easy it is and have some confidence...tackle the big ones.
    and yes,,if you do a bad one, they can be removed and re-done...s/b no damage.
    herki:
    Without cutting the dome cap off, how do you remove the the cap from the cone to access the gap to use shims? GordonW recommends shims only!

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    Moderator hjames's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by herki the cat View Post
    herki:
    Without cutting the dome cap off, how do you remove the the cap from the cone to access the gap to use shims? GordonW recommends shims only!
    you don't cut the dome off and shim it - you remove the old foam, clean the frame, glue the new foam ring to the back of the speaker ONLY, let it set up slightly, then glue it to the speaker frame and play the test tones to be sure its centered. Once you are sure you let the tones play while its drying ...

    But - don't follow me, Bo posted the whole directions here as a sticky, I did the 15 in my B380 based on his notes,
    and lots of us have followed his directions since he posted it!

    http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...d-Step-by-step

    be sure to start with Post #1 and read forward ...

    And if you like, buy a cheap 12 or 15 and practice on that before working on your 18s ...

    Honestly, the bigger the ring, the easier it is to work on ... 8s and 10s are tougher than 15s

    Here's one of Bo's pix showing his cleanup work on a 10 inch woof ...

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  11. #11
    Senior Member brad347's Avatar
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    OK, I'm doing it. Ordering the kits today.

    Why not jump in feet first.

    I'm a reasonably smart, careful person and I love doing stuff myself. I always love a good project.

    Will order the kit today from Rick Cobb.

  12. #12
    Senior Member rdgrimes's Avatar
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    I've done the LE14s, they are the easiest I've ever done. The surround is narrow and the cone nearly centers itself. the 18s are very similar and should be fairly easy to do.

  13. #13
    Senior Member brad347's Avatar
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    Kit from Rick Cobb ordered.

    Thanks for the encouragement.

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    Senior Señor boputnam's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by brad347 View Post
    OK, I'm doing it. Ordering the kits today.

    Why not jump in feet first.

    I'm a reasonably smart, careful person and I love doing stuff myself. I always love a good project.

    Will order the kit today from Rick Cobb.
    Give it a go.

    We encourage a full recone when possible / affordable - it is the only proper way to go. But in the interim, unless you're all thumbs and sloppy, you will not harm the critical bits of any driver/motor doing a simple re-surround.

    Be careful on your cleaning efforts - it's easy to get impatient. Use MEK sparingly, but repeatedly, to deal with the gooey areas on the frame (and the cone, too) that prove difficult. And, follow Rick's instructions to the letter - USE THAT 30Hz TEST TONE DURING THE DRYING STAGE and do not leave the workbench until the glue has dried clear. Keep an ear for voice coil rubbing - it's quite a distinct (and gut wrenching) sound. .

    I did a neighbor's vintage pair of '75 Bose 301's this week. Oh, stop it! They were HIS! Rick's kits fit super and the job was done in +6-hrs elapsed time.
    bo

    "Indeed, not!!"

  15. #15
    Senior Member brad347's Avatar
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    boputnam, what is "improper" about a re-surround, in your opinion?

    Is driver performance compromised in any clear way?

    I still plan on doing this, but I'm just curious.

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