Here's a shot of a dry fit showing the chamfer behind the driver. I did the solid as well as the ply.
I will definitely put a brace from the front to the back, but since the cabinet is small and the solid wood is well solid I don't feel a brace will be necessary from side to side. Leaving it out will make it easier to reach into the cabinet to install damping. What do you guys think?
More to come.....Evan
I will definitely put a brace from the front to the back, but since the cabinet is small and the solid wood is well solid I don't feel a brace will be necessary from side to side. Leaving it out will make it easier to reach into the cabinet to install damping. What do you guys think?
More to come.....Evan
Attachments
And please remember Evan:
1. The braces should not be centered to the driver, they should be slightly offset on one side - say by 20 mm or so (width of the ply/wood)
2. the brace should make contact with the rear of the driver magnet, but should not so tight that they stress the basket.
Have a good day!
-Zia
1. The braces should not be centered to the driver, they should be slightly offset on one side - say by 20 mm or so (width of the ply/wood)
2. the brace should make contact with the rear of the driver magnet, but should not so tight that they stress the basket.
Have a good day!
-Zia
Evan,
In the attached pic I see you've left some of the wood behind the mount hole without chamfer - is that for the driver screws?
AFAIK you need to chamfer the whole circumference - don't worry about the screws. The basket depth of the MA EL70 is 6 mm, so even after rebate and chamfer, you should have enough wood/ply board left for screws to go in and hold the driver.
If you have any doubts/concerns, I suggest try it out on a spare piece of wood first.
-Zia
In the attached pic I see you've left some of the wood behind the mount hole without chamfer - is that for the driver screws?
AFAIK you need to chamfer the whole circumference - don't worry about the screws. The basket depth of the MA EL70 is 6 mm, so even after rebate and chamfer, you should have enough wood/ply board left for screws to go in and hold the driver.
If you have any doubts/concerns, I suggest try it out on a spare piece of wood first.
-Zia
Attachments
zia,
Thanks again for the good info. Yes, I was aware that the brace should be off center. I do not have the drivers Von.ah has them and they will not be installed until I deliver the cabinets. I was planning on leaving the brace a small distance from where I measure the magnet to be and then installing a second piece which will touch the magnet when I bring the cabinets to him. I am unsure about chamfering the whole diameter of the plywood. To my woodworkers eye ther does not look to be enough material for a secure attachment. On the solid wood It would probably be OK. Should the magnet get some adhesive on it at final install to secure it to the brace? As with all of my work I want to be sure that the customer gets the best product possible.
Thanks, Evan
Thanks again for the good info. Yes, I was aware that the brace should be off center. I do not have the drivers Von.ah has them and they will not be installed until I deliver the cabinets. I was planning on leaving the brace a small distance from where I measure the magnet to be and then installing a second piece which will touch the magnet when I bring the cabinets to him. I am unsure about chamfering the whole diameter of the plywood. To my woodworkers eye ther does not look to be enough material for a secure attachment. On the solid wood It would probably be OK. Should the magnet get some adhesive on it at final install to secure it to the brace? As with all of my work I want to be sure that the customer gets the best product possible.
Thanks, Evan
Evan - I'd leave them as they are.
Even the smallest models of Mark Audio drivers have thick enough flanges that when rebating for flush mounting there can be very little material remaining for screws. You want as much core thickness as possible at those points, whether using wood screws or threaded inserts.
If you're applying any damping material to the areas surrounding the cutouts, leave a little extra margin immediately adjacent to the screw mounting holes to prevent clogging of bit when drilling pilot holes or woods / machine screws that will likely penetrate.
It'll be fun to watch the project progress through to completion - and as I (only partly) jested earlier, you may need to update your website to include "Bespoke Custom Loudspeaker Enclosures"
what do you listen to yourself?
I listen to a pair of olson designed ariels I built some years ago. Not much bass, but excellent otherwise. I am now using a tubelab se amp with 45 tubes.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubelab/157491-pictures-your-tubelab-amp-14.html
Sounds great, but I need a more efficient speaker. I am trying to decide what to build. Leaning towards a multiway with pro audio drivers....
Evan
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubelab/157491-pictures-your-tubelab-amp-14.html
Sounds great, but I need a more efficient speaker. I am trying to decide what to build. Leaning towards a multiway with pro audio drivers....
Evan
Well, wait 'til you hear van's Pensils, but of course as absofugginlutely gorgeous as 45's can sound, you'd need a wee bit more power (mind you a P/P could be interesting)
That's very interesting about the Ariels - it was Lynn's project that first got me going in the DIY speaker thing about 10yrs or so ago. The complexity of the XO was probably the only thing that disuaded me, so I built a much simpler 2-way (still using that wonderful Vifa mid-bass driver). A couple of years after that I got a chance to hear a pair of Ariels at a VSAC craftsman demo, and while they do a lot of things very well, they certainly do need help in the bottom.
Good call on the damping clearance, chrisb, thanks. I'll hopefully be picking up some Ultratouch at the local HD with which to line the cabinets.
Similarly, what precautions should I take with fitting the thin gasket CSS ships with these drivers? Is there a common technique to prevent the gasket from binding up when mounting the drivers?
BTW, I have the supplied M4 hex screws, for which MarkAudio recommends a 2.8mm pilot hole. Which is .1102" or between a #34 and #35 bit.
Similarly, what precautions should I take with fitting the thin gasket CSS ships with these drivers? Is there a common technique to prevent the gasket from binding up when mounting the drivers?
BTW, I have the supplied M4 hex screws, for which MarkAudio recommends a 2.8mm pilot hole. Which is .1102" or between a #34 and #35 bit.
Thanks, Evan.
For the next unresolved issue, I'm trying to drum up the best idea for grilles over the drivers. These will ultimately live in my home, so protecting the drivers from little fingers (or errant objects like cups or books) is very important.
I have these from Madisound which fit entirely around the driver: https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=404_297_302&products_id=717
But I think there will be unavoidable edge diffraction issues.
My next idea is to incorporate steel screen into an otherwise normal frame-and-fabric grill. That would probably look best, offer the most protection, and could be removable for critical listening. I could get custom size screens from this place:
http://www.speakerworks.com/Custom_Steel_Speaker_Grill_Black_p/cg2b.htm
What do you knowledgeable chaps think?
For the next unresolved issue, I'm trying to drum up the best idea for grilles over the drivers. These will ultimately live in my home, so protecting the drivers from little fingers (or errant objects like cups or books
) is very important.I have these from Madisound which fit entirely around the driver: https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=404_297_302&products_id=717
But I think there will be unavoidable edge diffraction issues.
My next idea is to incorporate steel screen into an otherwise normal frame-and-fabric grill. That would probably look best, offer the most protection, and could be removable for critical listening. I could get custom size screens from this place:
http://www.speakerworks.com/Custom_Steel_Speaker_Grill_Black_p/cg2b.htm
What do you knowledgeable chaps think?
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Thanks, Evan.
For the next unresolved issue, I'm trying to drum up the best idea for grilles over the drivers. These will ultimately live in my home, so protecting the drivers from little fingers (or errant objects like cups or books
I have these from Madisound which fit entirely around the driver: https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=404_297_302&products_id=717
But I think there will be unavoidable edge diffraction issues.
My next idea is to incorporate steel screen into an otherwise normal frame-and-fabric grill. That would probably look best, offer the most protection, and could be removable for critical listening. I could get custom size screens from this place:
Custom Steel Speaker Grills Black - Made to Order Black Steel Metal Speaker Grill Covers
What do you knowledgeable chaps think?
I really like using recessed neo magnets - usually buried under veneered baffle, but with a clean brad point drill bit can even be mounted flush on solid wood/bamboo etc.
I use 1/4 x 1/4" magnets, usually 4 to a small frame is more than enough grip, and 1/4" MDF for the frame. If you want to use thicker material, either use more or larger magnets. Alignment is critical of course, but the process for laying out sounds more complicated than it is in practice. Essentially, cut the frames first, tape them to the baffles and drill both at the same time with depth stop on drill press set to approx 1/32" or so deeper than the magnet - then install magnets and use a block of wood to flush them with baffle face.
The little magnets will want to stack themselves by polarity, which makes it fairly easy to keep track, but if you're detailing an edge on the grille frames, do pay attention.
I've never damaged a Mark Audio driver after [/b ] it was mounted in the box, but if you want more protection than simple fabric would provide, how about aluminum hardware cloth instead of steel?
Von.ah,
No problem. since the drivers are recessed the madisound grills will not work. Magnets are a good idea, but we are not veneering so the magnets will show when the grills are removed. How old are the kids? I would think a fabric grill would do the job by covering the "target" and taking away the natural attraction kids seem to have to poking speakers. My own kids seem to understand not to touch the stereo stuff, and I expect visiting little ones to be policed by their parents......but that's just my house.....
Evan
No problem. since the drivers are recessed the madisound grills will not work. Magnets are a good idea, but we are not veneering so the magnets will show when the grills are removed. How old are the kids? I would think a fabric grill would do the job by covering the "target" and taking away the natural attraction kids seem to have to poking speakers. My own kids seem to understand not to touch the stereo stuff, and I expect visiting little ones to be policed by their parents......but that's just my house.....
Evan
The magnet-brace interface can be a PITA....
Evan, I'm sure you've already thought about this but the front-to rear brace ending up a little shy of the driver magnet is a lot easier to deal with than too much mat'l. I stapled felt to the holy brace in my half changs; it allows a bit of compliance between the magnet and the brace (the driver is still loaded hard against the brace compressing the felt quite hard, but you do not have to be within a few thousandths of an inch with a layer of hard rubber or felt). Perhaps Von.ah can ship you one of the drivers for fit check?......
Evan, I'm sure you've already thought about this but the front-to rear brace ending up a little shy of the driver magnet is a lot easier to deal with than too much mat'l. I stapled felt to the holy brace in my half changs; it allows a bit of compliance between the magnet and the brace (the driver is still loaded hard against the brace compressing the felt quite hard, but you do not have to be within a few thousandths of an inch with a layer of hard rubber or felt). Perhaps Von.ah can ship you one of the drivers for fit check?......
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