Completed these a few weeks ago, complete with semi-matching Center speaker. The Alpair 7.3's have about 150 hrs on them and they are sounding very nice! I am enjoying the detail found in the upper range... the decaying ring of a tri-angle or a snare-drum hit.
Building these was an exercise in vacuum bag laminating some raw walnut crotch veneer, that I purchased from Goby Walnut, to 3/4" BB. This wasn't a quick process for my meager skills, but I am pleased with how the finished result looks!
Building these was an exercise in vacuum bag laminating some raw walnut crotch veneer, that I purchased from Goby Walnut, to 3/4" BB. This wasn't a quick process for my meager skills, but I am pleased with how the finished result looks!
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Very classy,one of the best looking builds posted. You probably know this already but walnut, wich I've used quite a bit over the years, changes colour significantly over time especially when exposed to sunlight. It gradually lightens and ends up the colour of straw as opposed to that rich sable brown it starts off as, so unless that's the way you want to head, keep them in the shade.
I appreciate the compliments on the finish guys! Thank you Planet 10 Dave, Chris, Scottmooose, (and others?) for designing the FH3! I have no idea how to design speakers. I have built speakers where the primary goals were to be inexpensive and quickly-built. Those quickly-built speakers now reside in my garage. These days I try to apply the tips and tricks that some of you great builders share to make speakers look as good as they sound...my trusty Rockwell/Beaver table-saw and I are still working on this.
Doubtingthomas, yes, the roundover is a strip of walnut I cut and laminated-on. I initially tried to roll the veneer over the rounded baltic birch panel in the vacuum bag, but I didn't even come close to getting that to work. The strip of walnut was plan B.
Pete
Doubtingthomas, yes, the roundover is a strip of walnut I cut and laminated-on. I initially tried to roll the veneer over the rounded baltic birch panel in the vacuum bag, but I didn't even come close to getting that to work. The strip of walnut was plan B.
Pete
even the most flexible paper backed veneer (which wasn't the case here) would be a challenge to wrap around that small radius with conventional methods
and if you didn't tell us about "B", we'd have assumed it was your original plan
very tasty work - and, yes, the 7s have something magical going on from around 3K & up
Gychang,
The finish is: Filled the open grain with the sanding/slurry method. followed by a touch of red, yellow, and brown dye. followed by about 10 coats of polymerized Tung oil. After the tung oil, I was liking the finish except I was wanting more gloss so I added three coats of Formbys (wipe-on varnish).
Also, I agree they look better without grills but with two toddler grandsons, prudence calls for grills. Dented Alpair 7's are less attractive than grills.
The finish is: Filled the open grain with the sanding/slurry method. followed by a touch of red, yellow, and brown dye. followed by about 10 coats of polymerized Tung oil. After the tung oil, I was liking the finish except I was wanting more gloss so I added three coats of Formbys (wipe-on varnish).
Also, I agree they look better without grills but with two toddler grandsons, prudence calls for grills. Dented Alpair 7's are less attractive than grills.
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