If you had read through the thread thoroughly, you would have found that I have absolutely no intentions of stuffing the box and never did. It has dual vents and 15 cubic feet of internal volume. It's a loudspeaker intended to be used for live sound for band use. The last thing it needs is batting.
I simply intend to damp the rear, top and bottom panels to minimize sound projection where it isn't needed as well as throw in some bracing to tame cabinet expansion and vibration.
The thread was started to get some opinions based on personal experiences of building the type of loudspeakers I have. There are many different ways to brace a cabinet, many different designs, many different dampening materials and philosophies on all of the above.
I am located in Ohio and if you're in one of the other midwest states, you'll probably be able to hear these speakers from there
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Yup. Illinois.
I saw the box. Slot ports? There's many ways to brace an enclosure. Someone had suggested dowel rods and I'd can agree with that method 100%. I've used it before. When I did, I counterbored the locations with a spade bit and the rods were installed when the panel was. This helps prevent the rod from splitting when you run a screw into it and also gives more surface area for glue. It's not very intrusive to the sound either. If the box is already assembled, you can run a strip of wood 3~4" wide perpendicular across the panel. This does a pretty good job of keeping the panel from flexing but is a bit more intrusive to the sound waves in the enclosure. If it's 'aimed' towards the vents (long ways across the back) it will have little effect on the wave inside.
I saw the box. Slot ports? There's many ways to brace an enclosure. Someone had suggested dowel rods and I'd can agree with that method 100%. I've used it before. When I did, I counterbored the locations with a spade bit and the rods were installed when the panel was. This helps prevent the rod from splitting when you run a screw into it and also gives more surface area for glue. It's not very intrusive to the sound either. If the box is already assembled, you can run a strip of wood 3~4" wide perpendicular across the panel. This does a pretty good job of keeping the panel from flexing but is a bit more intrusive to the sound waves in the enclosure. If it's 'aimed' towards the vents (long ways across the back) it will have little effect on the wave inside.
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I will likely just use a T brace system running side to side and rear.
1 in the top and 1 in the bottom above and below the vents and one in the center. I'll just be using 2x2's made from split pine 2x4's and screws will only be a superficial hold since I will be using polyurethane gorilla glue as the permanent bonding agent.
If they fail, I'll spend 4 bucks and replace them with full 2x4's.
I had initially planned to use a rib cage bracing structure then add a couple cross beams which would surely be the most effective method and make the cabinet even stronger but the weight is already absurd as is.
This is why I split the 2x4's to begin with.
1 in the top and 1 in the bottom above and below the vents and one in the center. I'll just be using 2x2's made from split pine 2x4's and screws will only be a superficial hold since I will be using polyurethane gorilla glue as the permanent bonding agent.
If they fail, I'll spend 4 bucks and replace them with full 2x4's.
I had initially planned to use a rib cage bracing structure then add a couple cross beams which would surely be the most effective method and make the cabinet even stronger but the weight is already absurd as is.
This is why I split the 2x4's to begin with.
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Would work. Anything is better then a large thin board held only by it's edges. What are you powering this with? I have a niche for compressive sounding bass. The type that punches you in the chest. PF - Run Like Hell
One of several prototyping brace designs I conceived had a beaming running direct center vertically but I don't want to divide the sound waves so I won't be tying the T braces together vertically either, if I even use them.
This is the original design which I think I will probably stick with since the reflector panels will also serve as braces.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Some swear it won't work but, I"ve done it a few times now and the perceivable volume increase projected out the ports is bold while giving a very distinct change in sound character to the box.
The original cabinet I did this to had adjustable reflector panels to make the guess work of what sounds best and ducts sound through the vent most effectively a painless process. The center braces are fixed at 135 and 225 degrees while the exit duct braces need to be able to swivel until you find a position you like which is usually a bit steeper.
Within the next few days I'll dampen it, install the center panels then start playing with top and bottom reflectors until they do what I like but with this design being so straight forward I suspect 45 and 315 degree angles will prove best.
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