CAD modelling of waveguides for CNC milling?

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
Jump to Latest
soongsc

soongsc

Member
Joined 2005
John Sheerin said:
For CAD I'm using Pro/E for complicated stuff (like elliptical waveguides), and AutoCAD for simple stuff. I'm using Visual Mill for CAM. The machine controller isn't really important as long as your CAM program has a post processor for it, but I use Mach3.

I am planning to make CNC waveguides (and horns, and cabinets, and whatever else I feel like). I've been planning on it for about the last year, which is about how long it took me to research, design, and build my own CNC router. I've been doing aluminum bits for my motorcycle with it for the last few months, but I'm switching the machine back to wood at the moment. I'm just finishing up my dust collector before I start so I don't make a (bigger) mess of my garage. My first horn is going to be a 320Hz LeCleac'h for a JBL 2435 which I already have programmed (see below). This elliptical waveguide will be after a midbass horn which will hopefully give me time to get it finished and programmed, but I'll probably do the woofer cabinet first and set the LeCleac'h horn on top of that for a while until I get some other horns designed.

2435 horn:

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.



...
Click to expand...
I was going to do something like that with the last waveguide I tested, but the shop thought it was quite difficult to do on a 3-Axis machine. I suppose you are going to make a special fixture as well? The lower back side of the lip seems pretty difficult to get to.
 
Wayne Parham

Wayne Parham

Member
Joined 2004
PiSpeakers.com
John Sheerin said:
From looking at their webpage, the Shopbots have the option of adding Vetric CAM software when you buy the machine. That's what does the conversion of cad file to g-code. That's one of the software packages that I looked at, but it was not sophisticated to do what I wanted. Then there's a machine controller that runs the machine using the G code. I'm not sure what Shopbot uses for that.
Click to expand...

Gotcha, yeah, the Shopbot was the first table and isn't as sophisticated as the Thermwood. It does a good job though, still very useful.
 
D

doug20

Member
Joined 2009
Just to revisit this discussion about mass producing quality waveguides and selling them for less then $100......

Erich H said:
Here's my thoughts on the injection molded parts. They'd be well under half the price of fiberglass, unless we had even more made up, then the price would drop further.

1000 parts sounds like a lot, but it's not. That's only 500 people....probably less.

Wayne from Pi could use them, maybe PE could sell some, I've been in contact with all these guys. 50 pair here, 100 pair there. 50 pair on each audio forum, etc. We could do this.

Bill W said these were the best waveguides he's ever tested. At $30 or less, why would you buy something else? 500 pair? It's probably not even enough.


These could be even cheaper if done in Asia, but do we want that? The company I spoke with is in Kentucky. They'll have the mold. If more are needed, there's no wait.


Somewhere around the $25 - $27 mark. Thicker than the $35 QSC, better looking, and better testing. So around $25k or so for 1000. Set up 1 month of preordering, donations, Zilch tributes, whatever. If the word got out to 4 DIY audio sites, this would not be hard to do at all.

There's a website out there somewhere that will track these type of project "fund raisers" to get something like this done. Like I said, it sounds like a lot, but broken down, it's not bad. Certainly within reach.

If I can move these Deltalites and get the Autotech waveguide money in, that's over half of the whole project paid for right there! But I've never taken any money up front on any of these group buys, including the Autotech parts.

I'm going to delete the following info later in the week, but figure you guys should know how this was working.

Back when Zilch and I were planning some of this stuff, I set money aside to make these different group buy projects happen. I'm not even close to being rich, FAR from it, but it's a passion and figured why not see what happens. There's $30k to "play" with. $7 or so is in the Deltalites that were going to be for a package deal on the fiberglass SEOS units. $8-$10 is in the Autotech pallet stuff right now. $7-10 will be in those flat packs being done right now. By fall, I won't have to put out large sums of money for flat packs. I now know they'll be cut in much smaller runs and have about 30 designs to cut. So that will free up a lot of money to "roll" into other projects.

I could add $5k or more to the pot if needed. I had to do that when the MFW's and JBL stuff happened at the same exact time. I won't mention the cheap 18" subs that are being worked on behind the scenes right now either........

Eventually this may get to the point where I have to pay one of my current landscape employees part time to help package and things like that. I mentioned it to my sister as well. Right now, I'm doing all of this myself.....in my spare time. But the 100% main goal is to get DIY projects made and available and keep prices in check.
Click to expand...

:D I guess my posting saying its doable was actually true :D No doubt $$$ is involved but I was just in mississippi gambling/golfing with guys that spent $50K for the weekend (I only had $5K for fun). $$$ exists in the real world we just have to tap it :D

It awesome to see a DIYer set aside $30K to be one of the most important people in DIY in 2011. What EricH is doing is incredible IMO, if you consider all the flat packs, low cost driver solutions, etc.
 
Last edited:
W

whgeiger

Member
Joined 2004
Rhino

fb said:
Anybody have any experience modelling waveguides and getting them CNC milled into wood? I'm thinking multiple sheets of plywood stuck together for the depth.

I've seen the oblate spheroidal equation, how would one go about putting this through a CAD program? I've got sketchup....

How about a non-axisymmetric profile? Like the 18sound XT1086 but bigger to match bigger woofer...

Ta :) :smash:
Click to expand...

Here is some software to consider
Modeling tools for designers

Regards,

WHG
 
J

jzagaja

Member
Joined 2004
instagram.com/stettinerhorn/
Asymmetrical OS waveguides are very good choices for compact world class studio monitors. Their mid/highs are open, powerful. Perfect for DSP. Imaging dependent on toe in/out. OUT= imaging behind speaker, IN = stable imaging between them when moving outside sweet spot (stereo triangle).

Horns

I designed SEOS 6"-18". Earl prototype seems even more asymmetrical - looking at picture.
 
T

TN Allen

Member
Joined 2012
I was looking for information regarding milling waveguides and came across this thread via Google. I skimmed it, so I don't know the full content, but wonder if any elongated waveguides were designed, milled and tested. If so, I would like to communicate with people who have done so, or perhaps, even those who would like to do so. I have designed and milled elongated as well as round guides, have access to a 5 axis Haas CNC machine, and am inclined to undertake interesting projects without expectation of payment.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
Top Bottom