Dust Caps falling off!!! Re-cone or Re-Glue?

[mattprestler]

My Mesa roadready cab (4x10 600watts) has a weird issue with the dust caps. During my last gig I noticed my tone went to sh!t near the end and I assumed I blew a speaker. I was pushing the cab pretty hard btw. After taking a closer look I found the dust caps were falling off all four speakers! Its not a clean break either as you can see in the pics. The dust caps are pulling material from the cone off as well. Can these speakers be saved by carefully re gluing new dust caps or am I going to need some re-coning? Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[staindbass]

i would glue them first to see if you can save them. you must have been jammin !

[billfitzmaurice]

Run a bead of gel Superglue around the joint, then spritz it with spray cure accelerator. Then go buy a second cab, you're pushing this one too hard.

[PilbaraBass]

You can try gluing the dustcaps back on..you should try this, first. But don't be surprised if you haven't done more significant damage.

[exmaxima1]

Originally Posted by mattprestler

The dust caps are pulling material from the cone off as well. Can these speakers be saved by carefully re gluing new dust caps or am I going to need some re-coning? Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Since you are having delamination of the cone, it would be best to remove the dust cap and first fix that issue. I would not use anything that cures too brittle (such as super glue) as it may act as tiny shards to make the problem worse. I have had good luck with wood hardener products (MinWax makes one I know) that are intended to strengthen rotting wood. It soaks in and strengthens the pulp of the cone, and should stop it from happening again. I've fixed Eden drivers, notorious for weakening near the surround, with that stuff. Or you can try some thinned out acrylic nail polish, as long as it is thin enough to soak in. Or, in a pinch, even some watered down Elmer's wood glue, though water-based products might swell/blister your cone.

To glue a dust cap, I would use Eclectic E-6000 adhesive (similar to Shoe Goop) available at most home stores. It cures flexible and won't make any funny noises. I've glued many thousands of speakers with E-6000 and it lasts.

Good Luck.

[eastcoasteddie]

I reglued a dust cap with LocTite super glue GEL, as per BFM's recommendation. Worked like a charm.

[beans-on-toast]

I've also used superglues on dust caps and they work well.

I've used a black colored CA from Bob Smith Industries IC-2000 with rubber in it that stays pliable. I've also used the Loctite 410 rubber based CA. Both are good products.

[exmaxima1]

Originally Posted by eastcoasteddie

I reglued a dust cap with LocTite super glue GEL, as per BFM's recommendation. Worked like a charm.

A gel CA will not adequately saturate the surface to bond the delaminating cone. If you insist on a CA, use something with a much thinner viscosity, a 500 centipoise or less (a 5 would be as thin as gasoline and bond the layers, but too thin for a dust cap).

[Robby Hoinsky]

Wow, all 4 dust caps in one gig? That deserves some sort of medal. Actually that is a pretty great design if the dust caps fail right before the cones/voicecoils do. Much easier to repair/replace than the whole assembly.

Robby