If you like the look, use it in veneer form, or as 'thick' veneer (ie cut with a bandsaw to 1/8" - 3mm - thickness) bonded to a stable medium like mdf.
Regardless of how stable a hardwood, or softwood, is supposed to be, there is still too much movement for an item like a speaker. That is why furniture is designed to accommodate movement in wide panels, which is detrimental to speaker cabinets.
Regardless of how stable a hardwood, or softwood, is supposed to be, there is still too much movement for an item like a speaker. That is why furniture is designed to accommodate movement in wide panels, which is detrimental to speaker cabinets.
Veneer suggestion
If you go the veneer route, have a look at (Australian) silky oak.
Cardwellia sublimis (sp?)
http://picasaweb.google.com/rvworksinwood/ClassWork#5685984890509046082
Beautiful!
Cheers
Doug
If you go the veneer route, have a look at (Australian) silky oak.
Cardwellia sublimis (sp?)
http://picasaweb.google.com/rvworksinwood/ClassWork#5685984890509046082
Beautiful!
Cheers
Doug
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Very cool looking. If you go the veneer route it needs to be thin, about 1/16", or you will get cracks. If you use solid make sure you think about the expansion across the grain. Top bottom and sides in solid grain all going the same way and the box grows front to back. Plywood front and back stay the same and don't force the box apart.
The sides of the briefcases are solid wood, but the top and base are veneered on both sides. So no probs.
cheers
Doug
Speakers can be successfully built from solid. It is tricky thou and you need to know what you are doing.
Hopefully some of the guys who know will chime in (i'll ping Bernie for you)
Unfortunately this is one of those situations where if you have to ask the question you are not ready... but you have to ask to get to thet point...
dave
environmental conditions could certainly have a lot to do with that - kitchens are not know for carefully controlled heat / humidity
as a veneer bonded directly to a plywood or MDF/PB core, or even applied post fabrication of carcass would likely be less problematic - it's the potential movement of solid hardwood cabinet panels that can cause the problems - some species far more than others.
It doesn't matter if wood is open grain or not (ie maple) it always moves across the grain from moisture, and no finish in the world will prevent that (a finish will only slow the process)
Real wood and stuff
Hello guys:
I work with real wood a lot and have made quite a few sets of speaker cabinets from Douglas-fir, Yellow Cedar, Big leaf Maple, etc.
here are few principles I follow:
Kilm dry the wood to 6% moisture first. If possible leave the lumber in the same room as the finished product is going go for a few weeks or months. This will allow the wood to restabilse to the same moisture content as the room. If not leave in the house somewhere to come back up to house moisture content This ususally around 15% for me. It is dried to 6% to colapse the tilosis and ensure all water bounded to the resins is driven off. The kiln temperature is different for each wood with the more resinous ones being a bit warmer.
I generally use only tight grained wood with the grain on edge or at 45' to the surface. I do not use wood with knots or really wide grain for cabinets.
For large panels I rip the pieces and laminate with biscuits alternating the cup direction. Ripped pieces are usually not wider than 4 inches.
Once the box is constructed I seal all surfaces inside and out with Varathane natural oil. Any other oil that has susupended plastics and driers will also work. The objective here is to ensure the rate of moisture exchange is same on all surfaces.
I expect a little bit of shrinkage so I leave a bit of slack when installing braces I use chaulk to glue the braces in place. (this was learned the hard way, with a fonken split in my fonken)
I spray on Eurothane finish but any other finish will work fine.
Just for sport I put stone bases on most of my work.
For me the secret is to ensure the wood has been properly dried to get as much moisture out as possible. I like 6%, then allow to come up to house humidity. Air dried lumber does not work for me. It moves too much.
A well designed, well constructed cabinet is a pleasure to listen to and stare at.
I hope this helps
Hello guys:
I work with real wood a lot and have made quite a few sets of speaker cabinets from Douglas-fir, Yellow Cedar, Big leaf Maple, etc.
here are few principles I follow:
Kilm dry the wood to 6% moisture first. If possible leave the lumber in the same room as the finished product is going go for a few weeks or months. This will allow the wood to restabilse to the same moisture content as the room. If not leave in the house somewhere to come back up to house moisture content This ususally around 15% for me. It is dried to 6% to colapse the tilosis and ensure all water bounded to the resins is driven off. The kiln temperature is different for each wood with the more resinous ones being a bit warmer.
I generally use only tight grained wood with the grain on edge or at 45' to the surface. I do not use wood with knots or really wide grain for cabinets.
For large panels I rip the pieces and laminate with biscuits alternating the cup direction. Ripped pieces are usually not wider than 4 inches.
Once the box is constructed I seal all surfaces inside and out with Varathane natural oil. Any other oil that has susupended plastics and driers will also work. The objective here is to ensure the rate of moisture exchange is same on all surfaces.
I expect a little bit of shrinkage so I leave a bit of slack when installing braces I use chaulk to glue the braces in place. (this was learned the hard way, with a fonken split in my fonken)
I spray on Eurothane finish but any other finish will work fine.
Just for sport I put stone bases on most of my work.
For me the secret is to ensure the wood has been properly dried to get as much moisture out as possible. I like 6%, then allow to come up to house humidity. Air dried lumber does not work for me. It moves too much.
A well designed, well constructed cabinet is a pleasure to listen to and stare at.
I hope this helps
not sure what to take from this thread.
the wood is in ply form and i think also larger boards, its reclaimed (will be selecting the bits i want) so presumably any major shrinking etc would have already occurred?
is it possible to get a sticky somewhere with a list of tried and test build materials outside of MDF and birch ply?
the wood is in ply form and i think also larger boards, its reclaimed (will be selecting the bits i want) so presumably any major shrinking etc would have already occurred?
is it possible to get a sticky somewhere with a list of tried and test build materials outside of MDF and birch ply?
will report back with some pictures of what they have at the yard and see what everyone thinks out of the choices.
thanks to all that replied so far.
actually UK but i can't figure out how to change my location in the user profile part.
my end plan once i've played with cheap drivers and various enclosures will be to make a nice BLH with some uber drivers, a double mouthed thing carved from a solid chunk of something. until then i'm just learning stuff you guys already know from past mistakes and experiences.
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