Foam surround treatment

[pdul]

Do any of you guys know, if there is some kind of goof to treat foam surrounds, to prolong their lifespan?

 

[pdul]

bump.

 

[KaffiMann]

I have no idea.

But I've seen certain manufacturers promote their foam drivers as superior to others because they use a UV resistant layer. So if I where to guess, I'd say they just coat them with a resin of sorts with some UV dampening qualities.

Maybe you could just apply factor 50 sunscreen on a regular basis? :-D

Edit:
Most any layer will dampen UV to some extent, maybe a fine, elastic plastic film will do? With a very thin layer of flexible glue to hold it in place?

I am clueless, but I would also like to know the answer if anyone has it.

 

[Hylle]

The manufactures use a waterbased thin glue, that does not get hard. It must end up being light and thin. So it will not change performance of the driver.
A thinned slicone glue-product might work too. I guess something black might be best to protect agains UV light.

 

[phase_accurate]

A former workmate once used diluted silicone sealant for that purpose that he applied with a small paintbrush. I can't remeber whether he used alcohol or benzine for dilution. Maybe someone would like to experiment.

The other solution would be to leave it as is and exchange the thing when it is rotten. There are many sources for foam surrounds on the WEB.

Regards

Charles

 

[speakerdoctor]

Just about anything you put on the foam to extend its life will stiffen and reduce your bass extension.
Your best bet is to refoam DIY or use a pro and be done with it.

 

[pdul]

In my actual case, it is a mid, so no problem with bass extension.
And yes, i know the style of replacing the car with a new, when the ashtray is full
My question is born from the fact, that the techniqe used is lesser now than before. JBL and others used some kind of cloth in the old days, of which a lot of it still works today, bass unit in JBL 100 Century etc.

 

[speakerdoctor]

In my actual case, it is a mid, so no problem with bass extension.
And yes, i know the style of replacing the car with a new, when the ashtray is full
My question is born from the fact, that the techniqe used is lesser now than before. JBL and others used some kind of cloth in the old days, of which a lot of it still works today, bass unit in JBL 100 Century etc.

Sorry, to dissapoint, but stiffing a mid's foam surround will also affect its sound.
Does your problematic mid have a cloth surround?

 

[acefromspace]

Not sure about treatment, but I can tell some things to avoid:
sunlight (maybe cover or turn speakers away from light when not in use)
"ozium" air freshener (that's what destroyed my foam)
air purifiers that generate "ozone", "ionizer", ect.
Just a guess, but someone mentioned silicone... how about "armour all" (very popular for cars) I don't know what kind of solvent it has, so be careful.
I think this is one reason "butyl rubber" is popular... lasts longer, but I also still like foam, so prevention is the key.

 

[pdul]

Thanks for your feedback. I have an old bottle of some sticky Dynaudio goof meant for speaker treatment. I will try to thin it, and use a paintbrush.

 

[vacuphile]

I put silicone on the foam surround of some speakers about 1995 based on the thought that this would slow them from crumbling into fine dust. It just doesn't work. They are long gone. So that's not the solution.

 

[mattlong8]

I wonder if Poly-Vinyl-Alcohol that is typically used as a release agent would work. If it doesn't you could probably just peel it off.