# Speaker repair? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709 "2002-10-24T15:54:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709/1 "2002-10-24T15:54:56Z")
what type of glue should be used for repairing a speaker with a poly cone? was told plain old elmers, but i did not believe it would stick to plastic. TIA, steve ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709/2 "2002-10-24T16:38:04Z")
A decent electronics parts shop can sell you either a general purpose repair glue or a special purpose speaker glue. I use GC Electronics Radio-TV Service Cement, 10-302. This is really handy glue, useful to have around in general. See section 6.5 of [Sam W.'s audio repair faq](http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_audiofaq.html). I note that Elmer’s is mentioned but I prefer stronger stuff. (It sounds like they are talking about repairing antique drivers that way. They were made of light paper, etc. vs. modern heavier materials.) For poly cones, it doesn’t seem likely to be strong enough. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709/3 "2002-10-25T02:39:06Z")
Back in the old days (the 80’s) they used to use silicone caulk. Of course paper cones were the order of the day back then. Still, I would suspect that it would still work fine. ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709/4 "2002-10-25T03:33:06Z")
Back in the really old days------20s,30.s 40s------minor cracks in the cones were repaired with nail polish. The amount of movement is minimal------unless you’re trying to awaken the dead. But for typicasl home use it did the trick. Then again.if you’ve got a lot of stock in a hearing aid outfit and want to deafen the neighborhood------just buy a semi load of speakers and rotate them in and out. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709/5 "2002-10-25T04:43:35Z")
Back in the “moderately” old days 50s 60s and 70s they were repaired with model airplane cement and kleenex. These were tube burner radios and paper speakers. The cement was spread over the torn section and a kleenex patch was applied. It worked OK since the listener wasn’t used to the sound or the volume we are experiencing today. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709/6 "2002-10-26T04:07:36Z")
Thanks guys, The cone has come unglued in places from the foam surround. The parts of the speaker are in excellent condition. It just seems that they ran out of glue when making the speaker!?! ---
**Author:** ![emolson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@emolson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emolson)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaker-repair/133709/7 "2002-10-26T04:33:27Z")
Sounds like a problem I had one time. I used rubber cement to reattach the cone to the surround. I suspect that yours originally had plenty of glue; it just cracked or delaminated due to age or stress.