Packaging drivers for safe shipment?

[Guest tom h]

I'm planning to send out my AR9's 4x 12-inch and 2x 8-inch drivers for surround re-foaming ... and I am at a bit of a loss for how to package the drivers for safe & EASY shipment.

The shop suggested I pack drivers face-to-face and then tie-wrap or screw drivers together ... but that doesn't see a good idea. The foam surrounds protrude above the metal frame, and will get squashed.

I was also warned NOT to use foam peanuts, as the peanuts work themselves in between the frame * cone, and can puncture the cone.

I'm possibly going to package the drivers using multiple layers of open-cell foam that's been cut-out to form "nests" for the drivers, plus something to hold down the drivers' front faces by the edge.

But this seems very time consuming and tedious.

Any clever tips for packaging will be appreciated.

[roundhome]

>I'm planning to send out my AR9's 4x 12-inch and 2x 8-inch

>drivers for surround re-foaming ... and I am at a bit of a

>loss for how to package the drivers for safe & EASY

>shipment.

>

>The shop suggested I pack drivers face-to-face and then

>tie-wrap or screw drivers together ... but that doesn't see a

>good idea. The foam surrounds protrude above the metal frame,

>and will get squashed.

>

>I was also warned NOT to use foam peanuts, as the peanuts work

>themselves in between the frame * cone, and can puncture the

>cone.

>

>I'm possibly going to package the drivers using multiple

>layers of open-cell foam that's been cut-out to form

>"nests" for the drivers, plus something to hold down

>the drivers' front faces by the edge.

>

>But this seems very time consuming and tedious.

>

>Any clever tips for packaging will be appreciated.

do it the way the said your replacing the foam anyway then wrap them up in bubble wrap they will send them back with spacer so the new foam won't get smashed.

[tysontom]

>>I'm planning to send out my AR9's 4x 12-inch and 2x

>8-inch

>>drivers for surround re-foaming ... and I am at a bit of

>a

>>loss for how to package the drivers for safe & EASY

>>shipment.

>>

>>The shop suggested I pack drivers face-to-face and then

>>tie-wrap or screw drivers together ... but that doesn't

>see a

>>good idea. The foam surrounds protrude above the metal

>frame,

>>and will get squashed.

It is also a good idea to short the input terminals of each woofer with a shorting strap (a piece of wire across the terminals). This acts as a "shock absorber" of sorts, keeping the very compliant cone from banging down against the bottom plate during the wild ride they are likely to encounter during transit. Shorting the terminals causes the the coil to be shorted within its own magnetic field, and the back EMF retards the movement of the cone.

--Tom Tyson

[Guest tom h]

>It is also a good idea to short the input terminals of each

>woofer with a shorting strap (a piece of wire across the

>terminals). .......

>--Tom Tyson

Interesting suggestion ... A sort of "regenerative braking" for the voice coil !

After reading prior suggestion from 'roundsound', I think I may jigsaw cut a plywood spacer, attach speakers face-face with screws, and insert at least 4" bubble-wrap on all 6 sides.

Some 15 years ago I bought brand-new AR drivers for the same crumbling foam-surround problem ... not knowing I could re-foam.

Too bad I didn't keep the original driver shipping boxes ... they had custom-fitted styrofoam inserts, etc.

Despite occasional, mild, fishwifely nagging, I have kept the original large AR9 shipping boxes, believe it or not

[roundhome]

>>It is also a good idea to short the input terminals of

>each

>>woofer with a shorting strap (a piece of wire across the

>>terminals). .......

>>--Tom Tyson

>

>Interesting suggestion ... A sort of "regenerative

>braking" for the voice coil !

>

>

>After reading prior suggestion from 'roundsound', I think I

>may jigsaw cut a plywood spacer, attach speakers face-face

>with screws, and insert at least 4" bubble-wrap on all 6

>sides.

>

>Some 15 years ago I bought brand-new AR drivers for the same

>crumbling foam-surround problem ... not knowing I could

>re-foam.

>

>Too bad I didn't keep the original driver shipping boxes ...

>they had custom-fitted styrofoam inserts, etc.

>

>Despite occasional, mild, fishwifely nagging, I have kept the

>original large AR9 shipping boxes, believe it or not

Good for you on keeping the boxes I stll haave my AR9s in the boxs they have only been out for about 30 days back in the early 80s now that i'm out of the Navy they will be out and refoamed to listed to

Jim

[dynaco_dan]

Hi there;

Take this advice from someone who has received packaged woofers.

An AR woofer, not the only 1/2 roll woofer, requires a spacer between the frame and the, hopefully, plywood base.

I used to suggest zap straps or wire to fasten the woofer to, usually cardboard base, zap straps cut through as well.

Two woofers arrived face to face with copper coloured aluminum wire from FHP motors and quite probably lasted until the seller packaged the woofers only, before shearing off.

Wire, well, I received a woofer with voice coil wire once, not even the tinsel lead, voice coil wire, to hold the woofer to the cardboard frame.

When I saw them inside of the carton, I thought it was red thread pieces in the bottom of the box.

Fortunately, that woofer was undamaged.

The next woofer was still attached by a few threads, otherwise I would not have known that they both were fastened at all.

I could see the steel frame of this woofer sticking out the cardboard carton on my front porch, about 20 plus feet away.

I now recommend, for example, just for the AR-3A woofer, a minimum 1/4" - 5/16" nut and bolt with a minimum 1/2" spacer, either nuts or steel washers, or steel spacer and plywood base.

Two AR-3A woofers, face to face with a minimum of 4 equal spaced, or more, nuts and bolts or steel spacers, a 1/2" - 3/4" or more space between the face to face aluminum or steel frames.

You wouldn't believe after writing my requests, how many arrive with just crumpled newspaper or peanuts in the inside of the carton.

Imagine the worst possible treatment in transit and package for that trip, because that is they way it is going to travel.

If you pack to my standards you have a better chance of woofer survival.

Asking a seller to do it, is a wishful dream.

They can always ask for the additional hardware costs, I certainly do not want something for nothing.

There is also a very thick cardboard which may work as well with large washers.

Always remember, once you package a woofer, it is not just going to sit under the Christmas tree, it will be abused.

[Guest tom h]

After further research on where to get my AR9's re-foamed, I opted to go with Orange County Speaker:

http://www.speakerrepair.com/OCSreinf.html

As they are only 35 miles from my home, I just drove to their shop with the drivers. I packed the drivers simply, with a few layers of bubble wrap to prevent drivers from jostling around inside the ordinary cardboard boxes I used.

So, I've "dodged the bullet" in this case ... thx for all your responses ... I may not always live near a speaker rebuilder!

[ironlake]

I received my replacement woofers from advent with the woofers mtg face to face with bolts and two nuts in between woofers for spacing holding them together and they just put them in a box and they arrived finel.