Does anyone make their own drivers? It seems like many of us could handle the magnet, mounting, winding the voice coil. Making the cone could be an issue.
Just wondering. Compared to some of the projects around here, building a driver doesn't seem like a big deal.
Ive seen a few videos online of people making their own tubes/valves! That seems more complex.
I was just looking at drivers, and saw some 12" for over $1000, and they looked quite hand made.
Just curious........
Just wondering. Compared to some of the projects around here, building a driver doesn't seem like a big deal.
Ive seen a few videos online of people making their own tubes/valves! That seems more complex.
I was just looking at drivers, and saw some 12" for over $1000, and they looked quite hand made.
Just curious........
There are (some) people building their own speakers and discussing patents/and secrets on line, like the best pulp mix or nano carbon film for paper/other cones. You just have to look for it.
There's also a variety of technologies on Loudspeakers if you know what you are looking for:
diyAudio Forums - ESLs, planars, alternative technologies
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=54
There's also a variety of technologies on Loudspeakers if you know what you are looking for:
diyAudio Forums - ESLs, planars, alternative technologies
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=54
I believe the testing of the drivers would be the most important
part of any manufacturing process.
Qes, Qms, Qts, SPL, Le, Vas, fs etc, etc.
If I ever seriously considered building my own drivers I would
cost an oscilloscope, frequency counter, sine wave oscillator,
quality measuring meter, then take an electronics course & learn
how to use them. Then I would take an extended maths course.
Sounds simple enough
Steve
part of any manufacturing process.
Qes, Qms, Qts, SPL, Le, Vas, fs etc, etc.
If I ever seriously considered building my own drivers I would
cost an oscilloscope, frequency counter, sine wave oscillator,
quality measuring meter, then take an electronics course & learn
how to use them. Then I would take an extended maths course.
Sounds simple enough
Steve
Hopefully anyone building an amp has a scope, and who doesn't have a sinewave osc? (music synth, pc, etc)
If there was a community doing such things, you wouldn't have to figure out all of the technical details on your own.
But I get your point.
I'll take that as basically a "no" to my original question.
If there was a community doing such things, you wouldn't have to figure out all of the technical details on your own.
But I get your point.
I'll take that as basically a "no" to my original question.
It is actually something that I have given thought to, as I like coming up with my own ideas and designs for various things. I have often thought about making my own drivers, and thought about different methods of construction etc.
I once started planning a woofer that used the tuned enclosure as the actual frame for the unit, as well as some other bizarre designs, as well as home made magnet structures etc. I have yet to build any drivers, but I will sometime. I also have taken bits from different drivers and combined them, often just from different drivers that have problems to make one good one.
I just seem to like mucking around and experimenting with different things.
I once started planning a woofer that used the tuned enclosure as the actual frame for the unit, as well as some other bizarre designs, as well as home made magnet structures etc. I have yet to build any drivers, but I will sometime. I also have taken bits from different drivers and combined them, often just from different drivers that have problems to make one good one.
I just seem to like mucking around and experimenting with different things.
Someone posted here a while back about his homemade drivers -
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=138339
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=138339
I remember a chinese diyer who posted his pics two years ago , but I can't manage to find the link between 850 pages in the forum.
He attached long cones to headphones motors , probably rice paper , and was happy of the sound . Indeed they were beautiful art works , where chinese tradition in paper processing was shown . Does anybody remember him ?
He attached long cones to headphones motors , probably rice paper , and was happy of the sound . Indeed they were beautiful art works , where chinese tradition in paper processing was shown . Does anybody remember him ?
CLS said:Hi tinitus,
How about the rest of the driver? I'm so interested in all those details (I believe many others are, too). Please share more info if you can.
Thanks a lot,
CLS
Theres not a lot more to tell, at the moment
I hope it wont be too long before I can do the chassis, and there will be more facts
I have used foam polyurethene glue and some industrial dusting cloth
Its with lots of holes, and I think its made by reciecled paper stuff
I made a mold which also holds the voice coil fixed while doing the cone
Voicecoil is attachment and cone molding is done in one single process
Spider will be made with threads
Surround wil be mad from felt
Magnet assembly is parts made for a big woofer
Chassis was originally planned to be wood
But I have decided to use alu, but I need mains power on my lathe etc
It should be possible to take a woofer apart and use various parts to do this midrange
Attachments
I've made voice coils, spiders, cones and magnet systems in the past. Personally I think the hard part is designing and making tooling for producing everything. Assembling a speaker is pretty easy once you've got the parts. Of course the design details can also get a bit tricky if you want to make the speaker do something specific, but just making one is not that tough.
For example:
Tweeter diaphragm: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/tweeter/041213-diaphragm2.jpg
Shorting ring: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/random/ring.jpg
Motor system: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/060127_8537/060202_motor_parts.jpg
Driver with modified basket: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/060602_16cm/16cm_3.jpg
I also just finished a cnc router, so eventually I want to make some cone, surround and spider molds. Although I'll probably eventually do a cnc lathe which will do this better. Right now I'm using it for horns though: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/cnc/090701_320hz_lecleach_horn_sheet1.jpg
For example:
Tweeter diaphragm: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/tweeter/041213-diaphragm2.jpg
Shorting ring: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/random/ring.jpg
Motor system: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/060127_8537/060202_motor_parts.jpg
Driver with modified basket: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/060602_16cm/16cm_3.jpg
I also just finished a cnc router, so eventually I want to make some cone, surround and spider molds. Although I'll probably eventually do a cnc lathe which will do this better. Right now I'm using it for horns though: http://ldsg.snippets.org/HORNS/images/cnc/090701_320hz_lecleach_horn_sheet1.jpg
John Sheerin said:
Good evening John,
How successful were your attempts at fabricating soft parts? Of particular interest to me would be the process by which you created a spider.
I've been in contact with SpeakerBits.com in search of large diameter (11 inches OD) spiders for a pro-sound subwoofer I am experimenting with. SpeakerBits staff were nice enough, however they do not carry such a part and suggested I make it, adding there was "lots" of information about this to be found on the net. No such luck! All I managed to get out of them is the process involves adding "fabric stiffener" to your chosen spider material once it is laid out in a form of some kind.
Anyway, any information you can share on making soft parts would be greatly appreciated, if just for interests sake!
Jim Freeman
I made a 'real' spider out of carbon fiber using a mold I made. There are definitely issues with that to be overcome both in the design of the spider and of the process.
To make a conventional spider (corrugated rolls of cloth), you need a male and female mold. This can just be two plates with ridges that press the peaks and dips of the spider to the appropriate heights. Then yes, basically take cloth, saturate it with something to stiffen it, and press it between the plates and let it dry or cure or whatever. Of course there are many more details to work out - the shape of the corrugations, the shape of the mold to make that, the material, the stiffener, how much of everything, how to cure it, etc. But typical speakers use cotton, , cotton polyester blend, cotton nomex blend, or nomex for the material and some type of phenolic resin (which is really nasty) to saturate the cloth. If I remember correctly, the material is coated with the resin and then cut up and molded with the resin being cured by heat.
How you do all this can have a very drastic impact on the performance of the spider, especially over time (ie, how durable it is and how stable its stiffness is).
If you want to buy in larger quantities, try contacting Nuway. They'd probably sell you some if you bought enough.
To make a conventional spider (corrugated rolls of cloth), you need a male and female mold. This can just be two plates with ridges that press the peaks and dips of the spider to the appropriate heights. Then yes, basically take cloth, saturate it with something to stiffen it, and press it between the plates and let it dry or cure or whatever. Of course there are many more details to work out - the shape of the corrugations, the shape of the mold to make that, the material, the stiffener, how much of everything, how to cure it, etc. But typical speakers use cotton, , cotton polyester blend, cotton nomex blend, or nomex for the material and some type of phenolic resin (which is really nasty) to saturate the cloth. If I remember correctly, the material is coated with the resin and then cut up and molded with the resin being cured by heat.
How you do all this can have a very drastic impact on the performance of the spider, especially over time (ie, how durable it is and how stable its stiffness is).
If you want to buy in larger quantities, try contacting Nuway. They'd probably sell you some if you bought enough.
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