10" woofers from RS II - Are they hard to re-foam?

Sonance'84

moe.ron
Subscriber
I have 4 woofers from the original Infinity RS II's...they all test good, but need new foam.

I've never re-foamed woofers. Are these a bad place to learn? I'm pretty DIY capable when it comes to electronics, just never got around to any woofers.

They seem pretty simple as far as the stamped frame is concerned, where you'd glue the foam on the lip. Using shims doesn't look possible, so I assume using a 30Hz tone would be the other option to keep the voice coil centered.

Anything special about the way these need to be re-foamed? Any particular foam to use? What glue for the clear cones? Any tips would be appreciated.
 

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I had simply speakers in Fl. Reform my 4 woofers

I have 4 woofers from the original Infinity RS II's...they all test good, but need new foam.

I've never re-foamed woofers. Are these a bad place to learn? I'm pretty DIY capable when it comes to electronics, just never got around to any woofers.

They seem pretty simple as far as the stamped frame is concerned, where you'd glue the foam on the lip. Using shims doesn't look possible, so I assume using a 30Hz tone would be the other option to keep the voice coil centered.

Anything special about the way these need to be re-foamed? Any particular foam to use? What glue for the clear cones? Any tips would be appreciated.

From my RSII, they did super job, if you are squimish about doing them your self.
 
Thank for all the link moinau!


From my RSII, they did super job, if you are squimish about doing them your self.

I've been wanting to try re-foaming some woofers but I haven't really had an opportunity. If these frames are pretty simple to work with (which they seem to be), I might just give it a try. Mine have the clear bullet style cones, which I've read to just leave attached.
 
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Leave them, since I'm not sure you can find replacement for them. Use the 30hz tone method instead.
 
If you want to try use Aileens glue.
It dries very slowly and give the impression it's not going to work because the surround will keep lifting.
Only at the very last stage of its drying time will they finally hold.
The beauty of Aileens is that if a mistake is made carefully moistening the surround lip will separate it from the frame.
Once it has been done properly the glue seems to hold very well in my neck of the woods.
 
I'm familiar with Aileen's glue...I've used it when I replace grill cloth and on a dustcap repair once. I might try that on the frame...then use the proper poly cone glue for the other side.

I'm going to give it a try...my attention to detail is pretty high. I've had woofers "professionally" redone by somebody who was recommended which came out looking like crap and one had a rubbing voice coil. Since then, I've wanted to try it out myself.

I guess I better order the foam...
 
Easy, peasy, you will want to try to save the 1/4 inch foam ring that is on top of the surround. It should just peel right up with a razor blade.
 
angled or flat inner edge?

So I ordered a foam surround 4-pack from Simply Speakers, specifically for the RSII among other Infinity RS models, which arrived today. Their inner edge is flat...but I've prepped one woofer so far and it looks angled; no flat lip on the cone.

I noticed that Midwest Speaker Repair has an identical re-foam kit, but theirs have an angled inner edge. Both companies state the kits are for the RSII with poly cones and bullet style dust caps, just as my woofers have.

Will the flat ones still work the same? Is the only benefit to the angled inner edge for the ease of installation, easier to glue down? :scratch2:

I know Simply Speakers offers angled foam too, so please advise if I need to return these flat ones or if they will be fine. I appreciate the help!
 
Never buy surrounds based upon vendors depicting the surround as being "Infinity:, "JBL" etc.
All surrounds sold today are generic and not endorsed by those companies.
They are good surrounds but vendors selling them must provide exact dimensions and lip types before I buy.
This includes the favorite vendors.
 
I hear ya. Both vendors did happen to specify the dimensions, which were almost identical, but only one stated if it was flat or angled. I bought from the one that didn't and gave them the benefit of the doubt, only because I had bought from them before.
 
Well, I just checked my receipt and then the website to make sure I ordered the right kit, which I did...but noticed that they DID in fact list these as angled. They still sent me flat. Dang it!


EDIT: They contacted me back and said that they are in fact angled, but the lip flattens out during shipping. They said the lip can be angled up or down with this particular foam, which isn't possible with flat lipped foam. I even sent them pictures to confirm the proper foam was sent.
 
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I need help.

I'm about ready to give up, since it's apparently impossible to remove the old glue from the cone. I've tried goof-off, brake fluid, acetone, brand new razor blades...nothing works well. All of those solvents just make the glue gummy and a pain to work with. It gets on everything!

I've got a few clean spots, but this is after way too much time spent. Obviously I could take 12 hours cleaning the glue from each woofer, but that is ridiculous. There's a video on youtube of a guy refoiming this exact woofer in about 5 mins.

I swear the person at the factory went crazy with the glue, because it took me at least 1 hour with a new sharp chisel and razors just to get the gasket off and clean the frame as best I could. It still looks like crap. It did not just peel right up.

Does ALL of this old glue need to come off? Or can I glue over the old glue? :scratch2:

It seems the gluing of the foam is easy, but not the cleaning of the old glue. A lot of people have trouble with this glue and consider the RS woofers a PITA to do. I wish this would have been pointed out before I started this project.
 
this is why i have someone else do my refoaming...rebuilding crossovers, cabs etc, no problem but refoaming can turn into a nightmare...

sorry...
 
I'm about ready to give up, since it's apparently impossible to remove the old glue from the cone. I've tried goof-off, brake fluid, acetone, brand new razor blades...nothing works well. All of those solvents just make the glue gummy and a pain to work with. It gets on everything!

I've got a few clean spots, but this is after way too much time spent. Obviously I could take 12 hours cleaning the glue from each woofer, but that is ridiculous. There's a video on youtube of a guy refoiming this exact woofer in about 5 mins.

I swear the person at the factory went crazy with the glue, because it took me at least 1 hour with a new sharp chisel and razors just to get the gasket off and clean the frame as best I could. It still looks like crap. It did not just peel right up.

Does ALL of this old glue need to come off? Or can I glue over the old glue? :scratch2:

It seems the gluing of the foam is easy, but not the cleaning of the old glue. A lot of people have trouble with this glue and consider the RS woofers a PITA to do. I wish this would have been pointed out before I started this project.


Took me about an hour and a half to do two 8" woofers from an RS-3001 pair. The recap took 10 minutes in comparison.
I feel your pain, but have all those methods really not worked on all four of the woofers? I used a knife and a cheap soldering iron to work the glue and after a while just called it good enough.
 
I feel your pain, but have all those methods really not worked on all four of the woofers?

I've only tried one woofer so far...but yeah, I tried all those methods on it. Haven't even touched the other ones yet. I'll give them a shot tomorrow.
 
In regards to the glue on the frame, I use a couple different methods that involve a sharp chisel and muscle or disc sander:)
99 cent store rubbing alcohol and an Exacto knife rids the cone of glue.
To a degree, stubborn residue should not be an issue.
 
After your ordeal ,glad I had Simply Speakers reform mine

I've only tried one woofer so far...but yeah, I tried all those methods on it. Haven't even touched the other ones yet. I'll give them a shot tomorrow.
.it was 10 years ago, I sent them my 4 woofers, via UPS , they reformed they an returned via UPS. About $ 140 total,perfect workmanship, perfect packaging, worth it for me. Foam price has not increase,I am sure UPS charges have .just an option .
 
Okay, so I tried again today with much better results. I started with the other three woofers, just taking the gaskets off, then scraping the glue off the frame. That part seemed easier since I already had a method I used on the first frame. Took about 10-15 minutes per frame.

After that, I went in for the glue and foam on the cones. The first one I tried peeled right off, after smudging it up on the edge so I could grab it. No solvents or anything, just dry old glue and my fingernail! The glue came off clean, in one piece like a snake, which you can see in pics 1-2. :wtf: The other two cones peeled up in one piece also, but they didn't come off so clean like the first one, since the previous owner used hot glue or something like it to try a repair those ones years ago (Sse pics 3-5).

Now I just need to clean the old glue off the three cones, which will be much easier now that most of it peeled off. Acetone and/or alcohol should be plenty to get the glue remnants off them. The first of the four woofers that I had so much trouble with yesterday will be the only one I have to go back to with an xacto knife, which I borrowed from a friend. That will be much easier than my utility knife.

Today was a total turn around from yesterday, which makes me think I can get these done after all. I'm pretty happy so far. Thanks for the extra tips and motivation. :thmbsp:
 

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