I've been building speakers on and off now for almost 15 years. For me it's been the same formula of MDF, clamps and glue. I have a couple TB W3-871's in boxes looking for a home, but I'm looking for something different than the traditional boring MDF box.
I've searched the forum and found a thread on spherical enclosures which is kind of neat, but that's about it.
Has anyone done anything with unconventional enclosures and been happy with the results?
I've searched the forum and found a thread on spherical enclosures which is kind of neat, but that's about it.
Has anyone done anything with unconventional enclosures and been happy with the results?
Double wall Stainless steel 316? with 2" tangband (actually a small stainless steel coffee cup)
6 mm massive aluminium? with 3"tangband (actually a small flower vase fo approx 1.9 liters)
The double wall stainless steel are in pogress
I've got some other more or less wild ideas wich I will put into practice like Terazzo stone balls etc.
6 mm massive aluminium? with 3"tangband (actually a small flower vase fo approx 1.9 liters)
The double wall stainless steel are in pogress
I've got some other more or less wild ideas wich I will put into practice like Terazzo stone balls etc.
I used pvc pipes and had great results. ( See my thread below). It took a lot of adhesive and bondo but had fun doing it. I ended up with a solid and heavy cabinet. I thought of this method trying to figure out how to make curved sides.
Not sure how it would work on larger boxes, might be too cumbersome.
Not sure how it would work on larger boxes, might be too cumbersome.
Here is my PVC TL with an NSB. Line is about 1/2 to 2/3 stuffed with sacraficed pillow internals. Cat5e cable soldered to connectors. Baffle is cardboard. Legs now attached look like rocket fins.
http://photobucket.com/albums/b81/fprep2ndgenrx7/?action=view¤t=P1010065.jpg
http://photobucket.com/albums/b81/fprep2ndgenrx7/?action=view¤t=P1010065.jpg
Perhaps a bit close to boring MDF, but a while ago I was playing with laminated MDF, laminated with an acrylic rubber mastic. (Actually used as a roof sealer - it is water soluble and contains no solvents - but sets to a very nice lossy reasonably hard rubbery material.) I did some measurements of the resulting damping properties of the sheets and was really impressed. Some of the best were simply three sheets of 8mm MDF laminated with about a 0.5mm layer of the rubber material.
Easy to make, and very tempting as a box material.
Easy to make, and very tempting as a box material.
diydave said:
They are not yet fixed, when all is said and done they will be glued. I first will have to fill the cup in between the walls with a high density damping material. Probably bitumen or silicones which will be injected under pressure through a small hole in the bottom of the cup. The inside will be cladded with Felt/bitumen. I will have to make a bassreflex tube as well in the rear as these babies are laid out to go down to 220Hz but I need BR to do it. It will need a small sub too (idea is in progress)
Offtopic:
The cup's will be driven from an Class D (41Hz Amp3) amplifier and a M-Audio transit external soundcard from my laptop
The amp is done (except the Volume knob) and is tested in my main system. It sounds very very good. The backplate with all connections is now also mounted
Edit: the speakers in my avatar are also not made of MDF except for the bracing. They are multiple layers of curved birch plywood.
If I ever won the lottery, I would make speakers out of this stuff. 
Possibly a bit OTT
Typical neutron shielding panel, for nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Approximate size 2200mm x 1000mm x 60mm thick. Weight around 200kg. Manufactured from densified wood with a core of 6mm lead plate.
Can be CNC'd
http://www.lydwood.co.uk/serv03.htm
Possibly a bit OTT An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Typical neutron shielding panel, for nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Approximate size 2200mm x 1000mm x 60mm thick. Weight around 200kg. Manufactured from densified wood with a core of 6mm lead plate.
Can be CNC'd
http://www.lydwood.co.uk/serv03.htm
Ouch! that stuff would cost more than Norplex-Micarta’s phenolic or MMA Zodiac cast quartz. But, if anyone wants a source for it you would be looking for C-K Composites in Mount Pleasant, PA 15666 USA ph # 724- 547- 4581. “Insulam” is their tradename for densified phenolic resin-impregnated wood. I don’t suppose they’ve ever had a request for a speaker cabinet before; but they also do CNC machining so if you have a design in mind. . .
PS. “Permali” is a competing product by Permali Dehoplast Ltd. UK
PS. “Permali” is a competing product by Permali Dehoplast Ltd. UK
quickshift said:If I ever won the lottery, I would make speakers out of this stuff.
http://www.lydwood.co.uk/serv03.htm
How can you tell if it's a DIY speaker? It glows in the dark
Scottmoose said:
How can you tell if it's a DIY speaker? It glows in the dark
This is one material I think I would insist on buying new.
Mind you, I'm sure that there is a marketing person out there somewhere who would tell you that gamma particles magnetically align the acoustic waves to add transparency and authority to the sound produced by speakers made of "pre-owned" material....
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