Yea, regular plywood, aka veneer core, not MDF core. MDF core is just as bad as MDF in my opinion (as far as working with): Plywood types
Granted, the more plys the better, but stardard VC is free for me as cut offs from the shop (and ocasionally from stock). I have some 15 ply hidden away for some unknown project.
And yea, it is more resonant, but MDF isnt totally inert. I don't mind the trade off. Bracing/panel dividers are always a good idea either way. I know that i've read about the virtues of MDF vs Ply, but I'm not totally convinced (I've been known to make speakers out of solid wood
). Personally I think it boils down to personal taste and again tradeoffs. Other's tastes and ideas will vary, but ultimately its the sound that matters, not wether the box is pine, VC, or MDF. I once heard a really good speaker that was made of drywall 
Talk about not wanting to get something wet.
I contenplated sand dampening cabinets at one point after reading a bunch of stuff on enclosure resonance, but then I built a sub with an 18" driver that easily does 25Hz built with VC. It's the largest speaker box i've built (24 X 26" cube, slot vented) in sheer volume, and I've never detected a resonance to my ears. I find that most of the time its the drivers that I don't care for before the enclosure material.
I admit to being biased, I ABORE MDF in all its incarnations. I guess that's what 10+ years of working with the stuff will do to you.
-D.
Granted, the more plys the better, but stardard VC is free for me as cut offs from the shop (and ocasionally from stock). I have some 15 ply hidden away for some unknown project.
And yea, it is more resonant, but MDF isnt totally inert. I don't mind the trade off. Bracing/panel dividers are always a good idea either way. I know that i've read about the virtues of MDF vs Ply, but I'm not totally convinced (I've been known to make speakers out of solid wood
). Personally I think it boils down to personal taste and again tradeoffs. Other's tastes and ideas will vary, but ultimately its the sound that matters, not wether the box is pine, VC, or MDF. I once heard a really good speaker that was made of drywall Talk about not wanting to get something wet.I contenplated sand dampening cabinets at one point after reading a bunch of stuff on enclosure resonance, but then I built a sub with an 18" driver that easily does 25Hz built with VC. It's the largest speaker box i've built (24 X 26" cube, slot vented) in sheer volume, and I've never detected a resonance to my ears. I find that most of the time its the drivers that I don't care for before the enclosure material.
I admit to being biased, I ABORE MDF in all its incarnations. I guess that's what 10+ years of working with the stuff will do to you.
-D.
fine Canadian Whiskey and box materials
There is no such thing as "fine" Canadian Whiskey. I used to work at a distillery, who make several brands of "whiskey" for the US market (and the domestic one too). If you only knew the crap that gets put in there:
"orange wine " made from rotting Florida oranges to increase the "American content" and skirt around duties and taxes.
Carmel.. yup, good old burnt sugar (ok, "browned sugar")
Fake whiskey flavouring, colouring-- don't know the exact make up but it can't be good
Ethyl Glycol--good old food grade antifreeze
Grain nuetral spirits, read "vodka" made from corn --not even Canadian corn, mixed with the above contents
"aged in burnt oak barrels" (that at least is proper). Then they take it out of the barrels, mix it with water (no "special treatment" ) to dilute from about 85% to 40%.
And here's the "kicker" : years ago, the standard whiskey was 20 years old, then 15, 10, and now 5 years old! And that's not the age of the whole "blend" of whiskey coming out of the barrels. Something as "young" as 15 or 16 months "old" make it in there. The oldest whiskey need only be 35 % (or so, I can't remember the number) of the total Whiskey used prior to mixing with water.
As far as speaker box materials, I am pro "Baltic Birch". It is void free, machines like solid lumber, looks good finished. Is it better than MDF ? As stated before, all speakers need some bracing, and personally I'd rather make something that is made from solid wood veneer, that something that is held together with formaldahyde and other glues and processes.
There is no such thing as "fine" Canadian Whiskey. I used to work at a distillery, who make several brands of "whiskey" for the US market (and the domestic one too). If you only knew the crap that gets put in there:
"orange wine " made from rotting Florida oranges to increase the "American content" and skirt around duties and taxes.
Carmel.. yup, good old burnt sugar (ok, "browned sugar")
Fake whiskey flavouring, colouring-- don't know the exact make up but it can't be good
Ethyl Glycol--good old food grade antifreeze
Grain nuetral spirits, read "vodka" made from corn --not even Canadian corn, mixed with the above contents
"aged in burnt oak barrels" (that at least is proper). Then they take it out of the barrels, mix it with water (no "special treatment" ) to dilute from about 85% to 40%.
And here's the "kicker" : years ago, the standard whiskey was 20 years old, then 15, 10, and now 5 years old! And that's not the age of the whole "blend" of whiskey coming out of the barrels. Something as "young" as 15 or 16 months "old" make it in there. The oldest whiskey need only be 35 % (or so, I can't remember the number) of the total Whiskey used prior to mixing with water.
As far as speaker box materials, I am pro "Baltic Birch". It is void free, machines like solid lumber, looks good finished. Is it better than MDF ? As stated before, all speakers need some bracing, and personally I'd rather make something that is made from solid wood veneer, that something that is held together with formaldahyde and other glues and processes.
Absolutely. I completely agree that you can get good results with other materials, but ultimately it comes down to what you enjoy working with and what sounds good to you.Dozuki said:
Now let's argue some more
D): Though I adore working with solid wood for most applications, for structures in which I don't want movement or resosance I can't really get things right. I know that plywood is indeed more dimensionally stable (one problem down), but I don't really notice a difference between working with MDF and Plywood. In terms of workability, I like MDF a lot better. If you get void-free plywood it is extremely expensive (might not be a problem for you, but it is for some of us! ) relative to MDF, the verneer is extremely fragile limiting sandability later, and the machinability is lower IMO. The only thing I don't like about MDF is the dust, but I have a pretty good dust collection/management stragtegy, so it isn't too hard to keep that under control.
I must admit quite the opposite. Good MDF is about the easiest stuff to work with I have ever known! The dust is the ONLY thing I don't like about it.
Anyway, like you said, this is ALL about preference. You should be able to get quality results using whatever material you want as long as you take your time and pay attention to details.
David
Re butt joints
Butt joints are the weakest of all the joints in cabnetmaking, dovetails are the strongest but the most time consuming.The thing that makes dovetails the best is the increased surface area that you can apply glue.So any joint that that increases glueable surface area is going to be better than a butt joint.
nkg
Butt joints are the weakest of all the joints in cabnetmaking, dovetails are the strongest but the most time consuming.The thing that makes dovetails the best is the increased surface area that you can apply glue.So any joint that that increases glueable surface area is going to be better than a butt joint.
nkg
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