Speaker front panel - to glue or to screw?

[quercus32]

Hi,

I'm building some fairly simple bass-reflex cabinets to try out some Audio Nirvana full-range drivers.

The build is pretty straightforward, with rectangular boxes made of 18mm MDF and a single central brace bar between the front and back of the cabinet.

But I'm undecided about whether to glue the fronts on, or whether to drill pilot holes and screw them on initially, in case I want to subsequently add more acoustic wadding or change something else such as bracing internally.


Has anybody faced a similar dilemma and come up with an answer? And if anybody has decided to screw the fronts on speakers to make them removable (or found another clever way of making removable panels), do you have any advice on how do do it and get a decent seal, especially with the challenges of screw-holes deteriorating from repeatedly screwing / unscrewing into MDF?


Any wise words from past experiences greatly appreciated!

[doubtingthomas]

Screw them on and use a bead of Blu-Tac as a temporary gasket. Which drivers? I'm rather interested in Audio Nirvana, you must share your experience.

[cogitech]

If you haven't already assembled the rest of the cabinets, I would suggest making the back panel (or even the bottom panel) removable by installing cleats around the entire inside perimeter of the back (or bottom) and then inset the panel so it is attached to the cleats. Make the cleats out of plywood so the screw holes do not deteriorate so readily. To get a good seal, add 1/8th inch closed-cell weatherstripping to the entire perimeter of the cleats before installing the inset panel.

The issue, of course, with making the back or front panel removable is that you cannot glue the interior brace to the removable panel. It is for this reason that I was persuaded by others here to make my bottom panel removable (since no bracing comes into contact with it). Depending on the size of the speakers, this could make re-packing the stuffing a bit more challenging, but it still can be done with some effort and creative thinking.

[quercus32]

That sounds a good option (although I'm wondering if I should just have faith and glue them - hey, if it doesn't work, it's just a sheet of MDF, and I can do it again, right...?!).

Yup, will let you know how I get on - I'm building at the moment with a pair of their 6.5" neodymium drivers. First off, I'm trying them out in a 1.3 cu ft cabinet, but will probably put them into a smaller "micromonitor" box once I've had a good listen.

I also bought some 8" neodymium and 8" cast frame drivers from them, with a view to building one of their "2.8 ambience" enclosures, when I find a bit more time. That's probably not going to be until next year, though.

[doubtingthomas]

That's a better idea.

[quercus32]

Hmmmm, agree, the cleats idea on the back panel sounds good, as does the removable bottom panel. Thank you for the suggestions!

Unfortunately, I've already built the backs of the boxes, so neither of these are an option at this stage for these ones. I had wondered about drilling a hole for the central brace, too, and just putting an extra screw in there, if I was going to screw on the front.

However, I think I'm probably just going to bite the bullet and glue them together this time around. The build is mainly to get a feel for the sound of the drivers, and I can always build another pair of cabs if I decide I want to make a "tweakable" pair. If I want to change the wadding, I'll have to fight with it through the 6" driver hole!

[doubtingthomas]

Use the Blu-Tak if there are no other options, I've commited myself in the past and regretted it.