I now get Baltic Birch for $60 per 3/4" 5x5' and $40 or so (I forget because I don't buy it as often) for 1/2" Baltic 5x5'. Authentic Baltic, never any voids, triple B rating. BB/B
Cuts nicely, sands and Stains great, a JOY to work with. And super strong with proper cabinet construction.
Before I was paying over $80 at one supplier for 3/4". Much happier now, and won't buy anything else.
Anyone in trip-state NY/NJ/CT area I deff recommend them. I am in no way affiliated with them, I'm just a pleased customer.
Rosenzweig lumber corp in Bronx NY.
Cuts nicely, sands and Stains great, a JOY to work with. And super strong with proper cabinet construction.
Before I was paying over $80 at one supplier for 3/4". Much happier now, and won't buy anything else.
Anyone in trip-state NY/NJ/CT area I deff recommend them. I am in no way affiliated with them, I'm just a pleased customer.
Rosenzweig lumber corp in Bronx NY.
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the dust is not the problem, the problem is that haze you see in there air. Masks won't stop that and wood workers have the highest rate of lung cancer among non smokers.
I never used plywood for speaker enclosures. The best choice so far is MDF.
Hahaha (on you)
We use the Maple faced Murphy ply (15 plies in 18mm)
dave
OMGOSH need to sand that table saw top - did you use that for the speaker builds?
Ohh and if I'm not using Baltic, for a smaller cabinet I enjoyed using poplar, or oak etc. any Solid hardwood Finishes up nicely.
There's 1,000+ dollar Velodyne out there with 5/8" mdf, or some type of composite (reportedly).
There is a really cheap multi layer 3/4" china board out there, it's really strong, but veneer is really thin. A favorite at cabinet shops in this area at $35 a sheet.
There is a really cheap multi layer 3/4" china board out there, it's really strong, but veneer is really thin. A favorite at cabinet shops in this area at $35 a sheet.
As stated above, MDF is really heavy, the dust is really nasty, and the stiffness is inferior to top quality plywood.
It does however burn really nicely, once it finally catches!
Don
Gasoline helps, just ask my right eyebrow!
MDF is really just thick cardboard. Nasty stuff. But the density difference between it and BB Ply is really high and they are both very manufacturable, which makes them an ideal pair of materials to sandwich together for really solid dead boxes. I've been building MDF boxes with BB internal ribbing and second layer for fronts and backs, with proper bracing, tapping on a set of cabinets made with that combo is like tapping on a railroad tie.
I'm not a fan of MDF, but adding it to BB Ply really is better than the sum of the parts.
Sheldon
I'm not a fan of MDF, but adding it to BB Ply really is better than the sum of the parts.
Sheldon
a laminate of 12mm BB - 12mm MDF - 12mm BB ... sure
but a lot of work, and might just as well do matix bracing
a laminate of 12mm BB - 12mm MDF - 12mm BB ... sure
but a lot of work, and might just as well do matix bracing
My subs would weigh like 400 lbs each if I did that ><
I would like to add something here, there are many grades of MDF. The really good stuff is what you'll see in Cabinet Shops, you need heavy duty carbide tools to work with that.
Here in Ohio at the box stores I see 2 kinds, the stuff that looks like powder held together with glue and the stuff that looks like wood sand. The 1st kind is very easily workable and the 2nd type is like sanding nails.
I'm not a fan of it, I'll take plywood over it every time, want to deaden plywood, coat it in fiberglass which also works great for MDF.
Here in Ohio at the box stores I see 2 kinds, the stuff that looks like powder held together with glue and the stuff that looks like wood sand. The 1st kind is very easily workable and the 2nd type is like sanding nails.
I'm not a fan of it, I'll take plywood over it every time, want to deaden plywood, coat it in fiberglass which also works great for MDF.
Yes! and thanks for posting 
now eveyone can be happy!
With composite board on the outside, can round over edges nicely and have a nice paint surface and pass the knuckle test.
Again, check out other composite boards, for a few bucks more can pick up much nicer grades without the paper like layering; the better grades use some kind of slurry process.
edit - the MEDEX brand is the easiest material I've every used, it was not hard on the tools.
now eveyone can be happy! With composite board on the outside, can round over edges nicely and have a nice paint surface and pass the knuckle test.
Again, check out other composite boards, for a few bucks more can pick up much nicer grades without the paper like layering; the better grades use some kind of slurry process.
edit - the MEDEX brand is the easiest material I've every used, it was not hard on the tools.
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Yeah lol it's a 25 year old delta table saw. The dirty painted top doesn't bother me
oh no, OSB, that's really stooping low.
mrgsr - 25years is not bad at all, sand that down and silicone/oil it, it will be safer and easier to use.
PLY vs. MDF,
The site had me wondering a long time ago, so been building them out of both materials. These two are very close in design and not hearing much of a difference.
The bass may have more detail with the plywood, but the composite set has a heavy/thick/dead sound, not bad at all really.
I tend to listen to the black pair
mrgsr - 25years is not bad at all, sand that down and silicone/oil it, it will be safer and easier to use.
PLY vs. MDF,
The site had me wondering a long time ago, so been building them out of both materials. These two are very close in design and not hearing much of a difference.
The bass may have more detail with the plywood, but the composite set has a heavy/thick/dead sound, not bad at all really.
I tend to listen to the black pair
Attachments
Purebond ply from home depot seems to be just fine to build subs from. Good quality poplar.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/PureBond-23-32-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Poplar-Plywood-770579/203335841
Be my guest if you want to lug around a flexy MDF box or pay twice as much for baltic birch.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/PureBond-23-32-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Poplar-Plywood-770579/203335841
Be my guest if you want to lug around a flexy MDF box or pay twice as much for baltic birch.
It would be nice if we could get that same stuff a year or two from now. HD hasn't always stocked/sold the same stuff over a long period. I built my first four lab horns out of Purebond back when the design first came out - then had trouble getting it. In between I've seen all sorts of stuff called "birch" - some of which I wouldn't build a temporary construction dumpster box out of. For the time being, Purebond seems to be back. The last couple sheets of araucoply I've bought have been garbage - lucky for me I was finished with my TH18 build. The next four might be Purebond - if they still sell it by the time I buy the next batch of B&C's.
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