Slightly O/T How to pull out pushed in cones?

[WayneN]

In my Avatar is an actual picture of my vintage 1978 Sansui SP-X8000 4 ways that I bought new sometime in 1978.

As I am upstairs sweeping up debris from ripping out the carpet and underlay and planning for the renovations, I hear this faint giggling coming from downstairs I thought to myself they’re up to something?

I go downstairs and I see that my 3 year old grandson and 1 year old grand daughter thought it would be fun to pull the grills off and push in the cones on both speakers , is there a way to pull these out

Thanks

WaynN

[howard]

I have used masking tape and vacuum cleaner successfully but they were not as bad as yours. Can you get new pieces and replace the dome?
howard

[stevec]

My 2 year old has done that a couple of times.... I have use a vacuum cleaner also...very gently!

[bolland83]

A paper towel tube and some suction provided by your lungs might work, it's a bit more gentle than the vacuum cleaner method. I wouldn't try it with anyone around watching me, might look a tad odd, but it's an idea that may work without destroying things further. I guess it would depend on how thick the dust caps are on those bad boys. The same thing happened to some drivers I had, I just blew into them from the back, of course they had vented poles so that probably isn't an option in your case.

[rone]

regular scotch tape has worked for me in the past. Smooth it on and yank sharply, supporting the edge of the dustcap, you may wish to start at the outside and work in, or vice versa, experiment to see what works best. Metal dustcaps seem to be easiest. Fabric/paper dustcaps tend to crease worse / less reversibly.

[philiparcario]

remember dust caps can be cut out and replaced. be glad it was not tweeter domes.

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...er=dust%20caps

[WayneN]

remember dust caps can be cut out and replaced. be glad it was not tweeter domes.

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...er=dust%20caps

I thought of that as a last resort, I would like to keep them in original condition if possible.

Thanks,

WayneN

[WayneN]

A paper towel tube and some suction provided by your lungs might work, it's a bit more gentle than the vacuum cleaner method. I wouldn't try it with anyone around watching me, might look a tad odd, but it's an idea that may work without destroying things further. I guess it would depend on how thick the dust caps are on those bad boys. The same thing happened to some drivers I had, I just blew into them from the back, of course they had vented poles so that probably isn't an option in your case.

You might have something here? If there was a way to somehow have rubber on the end of the tube so it would seal and I would still use my shop vac it has a high and low switch. If my family came home and saw me with a paper tube in my mouth I would never hear the end of it, they are the type that would quietly take a picture and post it in our town paper

Thanks,

WayneN

[WayneN]

remember dust caps can be cut out and replaced. be glad it was not tweeter domes.

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...er=dust%20caps

I wonder if there are silver colored dust caps available?

WayneN

[philiparcario]

Here is another link for dust caps plus they will repair speaker cones if you don't want to diy them yourself. I have purchased kits and merchandise but never had a repair from them, but some of us on pe's forum have used them for repair. Maybe they can give you an idea for sliver caps.

http://www.speakerrepair.com/mm5/mer...=DUST-CAP-KITS

[nordhaven]

If vacuum fails you can always pull them out with a needle. I had to do this once. Find a super thin needle and bend the tip about 60 deg half way up. poke it into the cone and pull out the dents. Creases will most likely still be left. good luck.

[WayneN]

Just a quick update for anyone that is interested..

What I did was buy 3 different sizes of suction cups at the Michaels Arts and Crafts Store and they’re made by Adams Manufacturing.
http://www.adamsmfg.com/index.php?op...d=26&Itemid=60
I took out the hooks and drilled a 3/16” hole in the middle of the 1 1/2” suction cup, a 1/4“ hole in the 2 1/4" suction cup and a 5/16” hole in the 3 1/4” suction cup. I took my shop vacuum and used the wand with an air flow valve to regulate the amount of suction. I placed the suction cup on the end of the wand and opened the valve so to only produce a small amount of suction put the suction cup over the mid range and slowly moved the valve over to close and create more suction and wow it worked. Two of the midrange dust caps look almost like new; the other two I will have to try something a little different tomorrow night when I get done with the chores.
The dust caps on the woofers I will need to find bigger suction cups or come up with an alternative, maybe a piece of plastic pipe with a balloon over the end so that I have some form of a seal? The tape trick didn’t work and I am not ready to try the bent pin trick yet.

As a last resort I will have to buy new dust caps but until then we have to try the alternatives, got to try and keep them as original as possible

Sorry about the pictures I had to use my Black Berry, the better half has the digital camera.

WayneN