does anyone have a cut list for fonkens? i have a local woodworker who is helping me build the cabinets but he said that his life would be a lot easier if he just had a cut list. instead of emailing dave/chris i figured i would post here in case they didnt have the list but someone else did.
obviously i am not asking people to change their calculations for me but the gentleman has only 3/4" birch so if anyone has a list keeping that in mind i would greatly appreciate it. does anything else have to be changed if the entire build is with 3/4" birch? i know that all the internal dimensions have to be exact.
as far as the stuffing goes, i have access to the following. can any of it be used? or should i just order "audiophile" stuffing from madisound?
Jute
Automotive needlepunch carpet flexform
Dacron padding (not as loose as the filling and was joined together. almost like a sheet of the dacron)
Dacron loose filling (gentleman called it pillow filling. it seemed like foam but much much lighter and not as dense)
any suggestions before i tell the gentleman to start building the cabinets?
will be using baltic birch and then staining it to a light mahogany color.
obviously i am not asking people to change their calculations for me but the gentleman has only 3/4" birch so if anyone has a list keeping that in mind i would greatly appreciate it. does anything else have to be changed if the entire build is with 3/4" birch? i know that all the internal dimensions have to be exact.
as far as the stuffing goes, i have access to the following. can any of it be used? or should i just order "audiophile" stuffing from madisound?
Jute
Automotive needlepunch carpet flexform
Dacron padding (not as loose as the filling and was joined together. almost like a sheet of the dacron)
Dacron loose filling (gentleman called it pillow filling. it seemed like foam but much much lighter and not as dense)
any suggestions before i tell the gentleman to start building the cabinets?
will be using baltic birch and then staining it to a light mahogany color.
just so i dont do something stupid...the + terminal on the driver goes to the red post and the - terminal goes to the black post, yes? does it matter what gauge cable i use to wire the driver to the binding posts? i have 22awg cable that i got from radio shack and 15awg cable coming in from madisound (the supra classic 1.5). any suggestions or trip points for the actual construction would be much appreciated. this is the current plan of build.
1. cut up the boards according to the cut plan.
2. put the boards together (minus the back panel with nail pins to make sure everything fits properly). this is only a temporary thing to see if it all fits together and to sand down any surfaces that havent been cut to spec.
3. bevel the hole where the driver is to be mounted so that it sits flush with the front baffle.
4. line the insides of the speaker with wool felt. i will stop the lining about 1" from the ports. dave said to keep that area clear of any obstructions or the bass will suffer. if i should stop farther than an inch then please let me know.
5. take the pin nails out and assemble the box with wood glue for a permanent seal leaving the back panel off for last minute adjustments.
6. solder the wire to the driver and mount the driver on the front baffle.
7. drill holes in the back panel for the binding posts (i am not using the terminal cups...just mounting the posts straight to the back).
8. glue the back panel on to the cabinet and wait for it to dry (the worst part).
the gentleman who is helping put this together is a wood worker so i am assuming he will know at what step to finish the wood. if you have suggestions on when to do this please mention it.
thanks much. cant wait until next weekend (hopefully i can have them playing some toones by then).
cheers to paul for selling me the drivers at a great price and shipping them a few hours after i paid him and packing them as well as anyone could have. thanks a ton sir. people like you make this hobby as enjoyable as it is.
1. cut up the boards according to the cut plan.
2. put the boards together (minus the back panel with nail pins to make sure everything fits properly). this is only a temporary thing to see if it all fits together and to sand down any surfaces that havent been cut to spec.
3. bevel the hole where the driver is to be mounted so that it sits flush with the front baffle.
4. line the insides of the speaker with wool felt. i will stop the lining about 1" from the ports. dave said to keep that area clear of any obstructions or the bass will suffer. if i should stop farther than an inch then please let me know.
5. take the pin nails out and assemble the box with wood glue for a permanent seal leaving the back panel off for last minute adjustments.
6. solder the wire to the driver and mount the driver on the front baffle.
7. drill holes in the back panel for the binding posts (i am not using the terminal cups...just mounting the posts straight to the back).
8. glue the back panel on to the cabinet and wait for it to dry (the worst part).
the gentleman who is helping put this together is a wood worker so i am assuming he will know at what step to finish the wood. if you have suggestions on when to do this please mention it.
thanks much. cant wait until next weekend (hopefully i can have them playing some toones by then).
cheers to paul for selling me the drivers at a great price and shipping them a few hours after i paid him and packing them as well as anyone could have. thanks a ton sir. people like you make this hobby as enjoyable as it is.
There are different schools of thought as regards finish. I subscribe to the school that says finish ALL surfaces, inside & out. This means I am applying finish before glue-up. Areas which are to be glued need to be taped off--the glue will not hold on a finished surface. Part of my reasoning for applying finish before glue-up is that if you get glue on an unfinished surface, that area will not take stain/finish properly. And if you think about those long, narrow vents: how would you finish them after assembly?
Cheers, Jim
Cheers, Jim
The bevel on the back of the driver hole is for breathing room. A rebate on the front is needed for (optional) flush mount.
Using binding posts as you are, you will not ever get at them again if you have a problem or want to swap wire.
There is a step where you make sure that the holey brace is tighly fitted to the driver (best done with a side the last piece installed)
dave
hmm...good point about the binding posts. at this stage, i can think of 4 options.
1. leave the top or the bottom panel screw on.
2. leave the back panel screw on.
3. cut the back panel into 2 pieces one of which is screwed on and the other is glued to the rest of the cabinet.
4. cut out a hole in the back panel and instead of putting a terminal cup there, just use the piece of wood itself as a terminal cup. so the circle would be screw on. i could try to ask if the circle could be made to sit flush with the rest of the panel. i think however that this might be asking for too much work.
aesthetically i would like to go with option 4 but option 3 is at the forefront in terms of ease of implementation.
ill ask the gentleman doing the woodwork if he has any ideas. i hate the look of binding post cups and would like to avoid them at all costs. i also have this inherent dislike for screw on panels as i feel that this leaves the cabinet not as structurally sound and more prone to leaks perhaps. if this is unfounded please let me know and i will just make the back panel screw on for simplicity's sake.
suggestions are welcome here.
1. leave the top or the bottom panel screw on.
2. leave the back panel screw on.
3. cut the back panel into 2 pieces one of which is screwed on and the other is glued to the rest of the cabinet.
4. cut out a hole in the back panel and instead of putting a terminal cup there, just use the piece of wood itself as a terminal cup. so the circle would be screw on. i could try to ask if the circle could be made to sit flush with the rest of the panel. i think however that this might be asking for too much work.
aesthetically i would like to go with option 4 but option 3 is at the forefront in terms of ease of implementation.
ill ask the gentleman doing the woodwork if he has any ideas. i hate the look of binding post cups and would like to avoid them at all costs. i also have this inherent dislike for screw on panels as i feel that this leaves the cabinet not as structurally sound and more prone to leaks perhaps. if this is unfounded please let me know and i will just make the back panel screw on for simplicity's sake.
suggestions are welcome here.
I left the back panel loose until I was happy with the driver brace cutout, then I glued it in place.
One other point you brought up was staining Baltic Birch. This could turn out blotchy and nasty looking according to others that have finished BB. I used varnish on mine. Another option is veneer.
Jeff
I have never liked them either. But after trying many many things we went to the least offensive cup we could find.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
2" hole (ie as small as possible), without those "ugly" solid metal posts. If necessary we can upgrade the posts. A bit tight for fat fingers, but that is better than the alternative.
Turned out that not using these properly would add about $100 to the end price to a pair of our speakers.
dave
varnish + something on top or just plain coats of varnish. the wood worker can do virtually anything to finish the wood and keeps asking me what i want. i have no clue what a finished product would looks like. i like darker colors and birch to start with is rather pale. hence the suggestion to stain it to a mahogany color. now i dont know if him being a professional carpenter will result in the stain not being blotchy. however, if the blotchyness is a function of the wood, please let me know and i will switch to varnish. i dont like veneers (guess i am far too picky =( ). the grain of the wood must be accentuated.
i might submit to the terminal cup if i havent found anything by wednesday. any crazy options? which is the panel that least impacts the sound? i would pick that one to be screw on if one had to be done. or at least part of it. perhaps the bottom panel would be good for such access. the seam would be hidden from ordinary view but i dont know if the screws will make the bottom surface uneven. also, after repeated screwing and unscrewing does the screw lose its grip with the panel? would i have to find an alternate site to screw in the panel and leave the hole there or is it a non issue?
i didnt realize how much planning went into these things. once thought to be the peak of my problems, the cut plan seems to be the least of my worries now. its fun though
i might submit to the terminal cup if i havent found anything by wednesday. any crazy options? which is the panel that least impacts the sound? i would pick that one to be screw on if one had to be done. or at least part of it. perhaps the bottom panel would be good for such access. the seam would be hidden from ordinary view but i dont know if the screws will make the bottom surface uneven. also, after repeated screwing and unscrewing does the screw lose its grip with the panel? would i have to find an alternate site to screw in the panel and leave the hole there or is it a non issue?
i didnt realize how much planning went into these things. once thought to be the peak of my problems, the cut plan seems to be the least of my worries now. its fun though
At one point we made our own "cup" out of wood that mounted flush, on a diy build it is extra work, but feasible. Since the decent binding posts usually require a skinnier mounting panel anyway, you route a rebate on the back with a centrally cut hole for cleanace of the posts, and then manufacture a removable plate that fits inside the rebate.
dave
dave
for the amount the gentleman is charging me i think it would be too much to ask for that dave. at this point i think the simplest way to have access to the innards of the box would be through the bottom panel. i could have half of it glued and half of it screwed on. the seam shouldnt be visible since the box would be sitting on it. this way i can get inside to change things (wiring, stuffing, posts etc).
if there are some important reasons why this shouldnt be done then i will just order a terminal cup =/ the trapdoor will obviously be sealed with something to make it airtight.
how about the attached picture? i dont know if adding those braces will screw up the reflections off the back panel. i dont see how it couldnt but im just brain storming here in a desperate attempt to avoid a terminal cup. this way no time consuming routing is required. just 2 pieces of wood be glued on the inside of the back panel. is this still not as simple as just making a trapdoor in the bottom panel. however it does the required job of giving me access to the inside.
if there are some important reasons why this shouldnt be done then i will just order a terminal cup =/ the trapdoor will obviously be sealed with something to make it airtight.
how about the attached picture? i dont know if adding those braces will screw up the reflections off the back panel. i dont see how it couldnt but im just brain storming here in a desperate attempt to avoid a terminal cup. this way no time consuming routing is required. just 2 pieces of wood be glued on the inside of the back panel. is this still not as simple as just making a trapdoor in the bottom panel. however it does the required job of giving me access to the inside.
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You will have trouble getting a seal on that. This is what i had in mind. You can use wood or plastic for the removable bit, a chunk of aluminum only if the terminals you use are insulated from the mounting "panel" The only dimension to pay attention to is the standard 3/4" spacing of the terminals... and that you'd like the hole to be as small as feasible.
dave
dave
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ill run that past the carpenter dave. lets see what he wants to do.
also, i have access to wool felt (have to pay for it) and dacron sheets and dacron pieces (cotton like) that i can get for peanuts/free. can i use dacron instead? i am already a few hundred dollars over my budget and wouldnt mind saving the extra pennies. if the wool felt is that much better then i will get it.
also i read a few other threads where members were talking about fonken build logs with pictures. i searched for a little and havent been able to find much. any ideas where these would be dave? thanks much for all the help
also, i have access to wool felt (have to pay for it) and dacron sheets and dacron pieces (cotton like) that i can get for peanuts/free. can i use dacron instead? i am already a few hundred dollars over my budget and wouldnt mind saving the extra pennies. if the wool felt is that much better then i will get it.
also i read a few other threads where members were talking about fonken build logs with pictures. i searched for a little and havent been able to find much. any ideas where these would be dave? thanks much for all the help
crappyjones123 said:....
also i read a few other threads where members were talking about fonken build logs with pictures. i searched for a little and havent been able to find much. any ideas where these would be dave? thanks much for all the help
lots of Fonken builds in link below
diyAudio - Search Results
jim
Each box got 4 or 5 coats of thinned spar varnish (brushed on) with sanding in between coats. Then you go over this with 0000 steel wool and a couple of coats of furniture paste wax. Obviously, it would be much easier and less time consuming to spray the varnish, but you need access to a spray booth.
And yes, the finish is on the blonde side.
Why don't you try some different stains on some scrap pieces. This will give you a better idea of how BB takes up different stains or finishes.
I'll have a go at posting a couple of pics.
Jeff
Bumping this thread as it relates to damping material and I've had a tough time picking and finding it. I'm building a set of Planet-10 Fonken's and it calls for: 1/2" Wool Felt, or 3/4" Poly-Fluff Batting, or 1" Fiberglass.
First question, is there any difference in "quality" between using the different materials?
Second, what kind of wool felt? I can only find wool felt online and there is "Pressed Wool, Woven Wool, and Needled Wool." On top of that SAE Grades, F1-F26 (I believe is refers to density and wool content%). Finally wool felt is $$$$ at least where I can find it, minimum for two enclosures would be $100+
There however is polyester felt, of similar SAE grades supposedly... I can get this for around $50.
Third, the "poly-fluff" batting referred to is also known as "Dacron Batting" or Polyester Batting," right? Its like the loose poly-fill used in subwoofer, but its woven in "sheets."
First question, is there any difference in "quality" between using the different materials?
Second, what kind of wool felt? I can only find wool felt online and there is "Pressed Wool, Woven Wool, and Needled Wool." On top of that SAE Grades, F1-F26 (I believe is refers to density and wool content%). Finally wool felt is $$$$ at least where I can find it, minimum for two enclosures would be $100+
There however is polyester felt, of similar SAE grades supposedly... I can get this for around $50.
Third, the "poly-fluff" batting referred to is also known as "Dacron Batting" or Polyester Batting," right? Its like the loose poly-fill used in subwoofer, but its woven in "sheets."
i used 1/2" dacron batting (woven into sheets). sounds just dandy. havent had the motivation or the care to want to try anything else as the fonkens sound just fine. perhaps with the suggested cotton jean fiber it sounds better. i got the dacron batting for free. so it sounds great to my ears. if you are in the us, i can mail you a bunch for the cost of shipping.
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