Could I, Wood Eye

[brucegseidner]

I like the look and strength of mortise and tenon joints. There is a 'tongue', (the tenon) that slots into a "hole" (the mortise) cut in the mating piece of wood.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...89-30-40AM.jpg

In seeing the innards of Gregory Chang's Mikasa build I had the wild hair thought that this internal baffle structure could be assembled and then the side and rear panels mortised out so it could lock in place when assembled. Conversly, the panels would be mortised first and the baffles asssembled. Six of one.

The contrasting woods would give some hint as to the the fun going on inside. Acrylic is expensive and does not suffer error, that tools like me, introduce gladly.

You would expect a Minotaur to jump out of this monitor modestly magnified. (Don't try this alliteration at home, I am a professional.)

Better yet it could be part of the Fantastic Voyage movie of the 70's set in the speaker. I would have to leave a note for my wife though, "Honey I shrunk myself and Raquel Welch and we are touring the internals of the Miksa for a bit, be back for dinner." WAF on this?

The wood working wouldn't be withering. (I'll stop) it is just be a matter of patience, clamped guides, and a sharp router bit.

But while the panels can be quality plywood, what would be the effect of using hard wood boards for the baffles. Their end grain is much more attractive than the end grain of plywood. Of course it would be a simple matter to use one inch hardwood end caps for the individual baffle end/sides that would function as the tenons. Just some simple glue ups.

It would be easier to use hard wood board rather than to go to the trouble of gluing up the baffles. My sense is that because the front is so glued up and laminated that this would cancel potential resonance. Maybe only the long individual pieces would need to be mostly plywood glued up and laminated to hardwood strips.

Does anyone think using some nice Ash or Maple hardwood boards for the internals of the Mikasa would add too much color sonically? It is my intension to add some contrast and interest to the external cabinet at present. I will mock this up (in both the sense of simulation and potential humor, with some plywood and stain-paint the tenon lines to see if it is aesthetically inspired or whether it will look like it has fallen down some stairs and was scared and sutured badly.

But is there enough baffle to worry about being hard wood and not composite or laminated plywood?

[chrisb]

Bruce- I think you'd be asking for a world of pain trying to machine and assemble that many panels with M&T or even CNC dowelled / dadoed joinery.

A few years ago we did a flat-pack kit for the original FrugelHorn using the latter; it was more than a bit tricky to mix a combination of very accurate CNC machined dadoed gables (vertical sides) and internal panels of BB ply - even slight variations in thickness of the sheet goods can make for quite a wrestling match when trying to apply the second side.


but then I guess there's more than a little bit of self-flagellation involved in this hobby

[brucegseidner]

Chris, the challenge of fitting the boards aside, what are your thoughts about the composition of the boards? Would it be problematic to use hardwood boards for the internals? I can get the size and thickness pretty consistent with a jointer and a thickness planer or thickness drum sander.

Do you anticipate any untoward resonances from using hardwood rather than plywood for the internal baffle materials?

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by brucegseidner

Chris, the challenge of fitting the boards aside, what are your thoughts about the composition of the boards? Would it be problematic to use hardwood boards for the internals? I can get the size and thickness pretty consistent with a jointer and a thickness planer or thickness drum sander.

Do you anticipate any untoward resonances from using hardwood rather than plywood for the internal baffle materials?

resonances, not so much - the number of pieces involved adds a lot of bracing, and I think the total glue surface area is more than adequate for the strength required

but think that even with deadly accurate dimensioning and cutting of material, you might expect some problems with movement

[brucegseidner]

Yea, in the light of day mortising the the side panels is over the top. But I am going to use hardwood board for the front and very visible baffles. I have been using some very nice Cherry veneered plywood and finding Cherry hardwood boards to complement the plywood carcass should be a piece of cake.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving or whatever y'all do north of the border.

Bruce

[planet10]

Originally Posted by brucegseidner

Have a Happy Thanksgiving or whatever y'all do north of the border.

We had Thanksgiving 6 weeks ago

Hopefully this WE will be breathing a sigh of relief as the 1st snow is washed away by the incoming rain.

dave

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by planet10

We had Thanksgiving 6 weeks ago

Hopefully this WE will be breathing a sigh of relief as the 1st snow is washed away by the incoming rain.

dave

our friends in Edmonchuck and Winterpeg must be ROTFLAOF at our whining over 4-6" accumulation over 3 days

[Charles Darwin]

Just thinking aloud… but ash and maple are very popular woods to make solid-body electric guitars from. Solid-bodies sustain a tone a lot longer than hollow-bodied guitars. Not as loudly mind but really a lot longer. I guess sustain is a set of sympathetic resonances within the wood.