Build a small horn

[apleschu]

Last time I was on the madisound website ordering some other stuff I saw an interesting speaker for about $3.50 a full range 3.5, so I said to myself: WTH I spend $15 for less fun and ordered 4 of them.

So then I had the problem: What do I do with 3.5" (relatively mediocre) speakers? Come to mind my stepdaughters b-day is coming up sometime soon, and I wanted to try a build from bamboo floor planks anyway, ... and so I started.

At first I wasn't sure what kind of speakers to build, the fonkens looked kind of interesting and it's a tried and true concept, but they are so BORING ... another bookend speaker. Just exactly something I don't want. SOOOOO, off I went looking for plans and designs that at least look as if they could work. and then I stumbled across this japanese site. Not that I can read japanese, but I can plans, even if they are in metric. There they had a small horn built into a 420x420 enclosure to be hung at the wall (or so I imagine) JUST what the Dr. ordered.



So just from looking at the plan this I could see working. So, off I went and bought a pack of floor planks of bamboo to the tune of $45 (about 23sqft) which is approx as much as a full 4x8 sheet. Now granted the floorplanks are 5/8 and the sheet of plywood would have been 3/4 thickness, but then the plan only called for 1/2 plywood, so I figured I would be OK.

After a while cutting and glueing and after a few days in the workshop today I was finally ready to give it a try. Yesterday the back lid was glues on and today all I had to do was to cut the hole for the speaker and hook it up. So when all was said and done here is how that cabinet looks IRL



Looks nice? I thought it does. Certainly different than your shop bought speaker.

Something I was immediately able to tell was that it was as good as the store bought bookshelf cabinet on the right side. Now that I was listening to it for most of the PM I can with good conscience say that it has as much bass as the 4.5" two way Polk Audio cabinet, and much clearer much more transparent middle and highs. (mind you, my hearing stops at about 10k) I am definitely going to build the second one.

One thing I learned from that test build with bamboo: Bamboo is *MUCH* harder than anything else on the market I have worked with so far. On most everything you can correct minor oops with a clamp in the next stage, not with bamboo. This thing is as stable and heavy as you can only imagine. And that for about $2/sqft. Can't beat that in my opinion. Just make sure, damn sure, you saw in angled correctly!

[Richard Ellis]

That is SO cool!!! You couldn't pick a more difficult wood to work with?......From perusing the plans....I couldn't decipher how deep in mm the enclosure is. Perhaps you could tweek it to be an all bamboo creation with the Tang Band full-ranger with the bamboo blend driver cone!

__________________________________________________ _____ Rick.........

[apleschu]

it *IS* all bamboo.I saw the depth SOMEWHERE on the site, but it basically worked out to be just one plank with the tongue and the groove cut off. I know that after I have them both built I will have to put some real drivers in them, not just $3.50

[planet10]

How deep is the cabinet?

Nice use for the bamboo.

dave

[apleschu]

Originally Posted by planet10

How deep is the cabinet?

Nice use for the bamboo.

dave

1 plank, about 3" to 3.5"