Extreme BIB cabinet EnABL

[B00B00]

Hi Alex, Thanks for getting back to me, you said in the other thread:

You could use the same block size for the outside of the enclosure. Or if you are obsessive like me you would calculate block size based on four times baffle width.

I'm a little unsure..
So if my front baffle is 29.2 cm wide I calculate 18 block pairs to fit into 4*29.2cm?

Thanks,
-andré-

[Alex from Oz]

G'day andré,

Yes. Your block size comes out at 1.298cm x 6.49cm.
For simplicity, I would round these down to 1.2cm x 0.6cm (or 1/2inch x 1/4inch).

Main thing to remember is to plan the layout of the blocks so you get it looking nice.
Centre the pattern on the top of the baffle, then run it down the sides always maintaining a block width gap from the edge.
Refer back to the pics in the first post to get an idea of how it would look.

Cheers,

Alex

[B00B00]

Brilliant, Thanks Alex...
Going to make a template with the plexiglass and proceed in the same manner as I did for the inside panels except will use plastic wood (which is stainable) instead of plaster.

Once the pattern is down, I plan on staining the speakers and putting a coat of polyurethane on top.I'm guessing that I want a coat of acrylic floor wax on top of that as well.

-andré-

[Alex from Oz]

That should work.
Given that it's visible, I would suggest doing a test on some scrap to see how the colour of the stain effects the plastic wood. If you're happy with that then go for it.

A possible alternative to consider would be to see if polyurethane would work with the template to form the blocks. So, stain, polyurethane the speaker, poly blocks then floor polish. That would make the blocks more stealthy and if some blocks don't come out as clean as others it will be less noticeable.

Whichever method you go with, do a test on scrap just to be sure you get the look that is the most pleasing to you.

Cheers,

Alex

[B00B00]

Well, my girlfriend heard the speakers over the weekend and was most impressed.
Was even willing to put up with the size given the spectacular sound.

Funnily enough... the block sizes on the template are 1.2cm * .6cm so that works out rather well. I'm not sure if the polyurethane would work with the template. I suppose I could spray it in on thin coats in order for it not to bleed but it would take forever. I'm not crazy about the pattern on the exterior of the baffle but function first, form follows. What about clear silicone? Hmmm... that might work for the first couple of passes but I could see it getting messy pretty quick. (Same thing with epoxy and I don't see it holding it's form...)

Going to sit and think a bit if I will use the plastic wood or not.
The clear silicone would work if I can keep the template clean but would mean I would apply it post stain.

-andré-

[BudP]

andre'

Please your girl friend even more. Ask her to take you to a "girls hobby store". There you will find clear acrylic 0.003 inch thick film with a stick and peel adhesive. It comes in rolls. Girls use it for shelf protection in kitchen cabinets. It is cheap. You can cut it with a paper cutter and snip the strips to size. You can then use a simple guide to apply these pieces in an EnABL pattern to the outer edge of your vertical baffle sides.

Then you can use the tap test to find the locations on the baffle for arcs that defeat the rest of the surface problems. a meter away you cannot see these pieces and you can take them off if you don't care for them. They will not harm the cabinet finish your girl friend will like you especially well for a while and may even volunteer to help out. IT really isn't even tedious to do because, if you play music softly while applying the blocks you can hear immediate changes.

Don't wreck the finish on your boxes please!

Bud

[Alex from Oz]

Originally Posted by B00B00

I'm not crazy about the pattern on the exterior of the baffle but function first, form follows.

G'day andré,

Ah, there it is. I think you have answered your own question.

There is really no need to compromise form for the sake of function. Ultimately it's your build, so do whatever pleases you. If it was my call, I'd do what Bud suggests.

Cheers,

Alex

[rongon]

At my local Home Depot, they have rolls of thin cork with adhesive backing. Since cork is relatively soft, would this be a good idea for baffle enABL material, or should the material be hard plastic, like the 0.003 inch thick acrylic sheets from the craft store that Bud mentioned?

Also, 0.003 inch is only 0.75 mm. That is really, really thin. That's what's best to use? (Just making sure I got that right.)

I've been experimenting recently with wool felt on baffles, bought from Grainger. It's expensive, ugly, and I'm not sure it's always an actual improvement. But it is always different.

[GM]

Haven't enABL'd anything per se, but I've treated whole baffle areas around [mid] tweeters with thin cork to good effect.

0.003" = 0.0762 mm, so really, really, really thin .

Industrial wool felt is very dense, so can be a bit of a reflector at some band of frequencies depending on thickness, quality. Good for damping floor standing speakers or similar vibrating devices. My long gone manual typewriter's pad does a good job of isolating my shelf mounted computer speaker system's little boom-box 'sub'.

GM

[rongon]

0.003" = 0.0762 mm, so really, really, really thin .

I guess this means the thinner the better?