Yes, but I'm pissed/sad/angry currently. I was a bit careless on the router today when routing my pieces, and whaddaya know...disaster. I'm pissed at myself because I shoulda routed everything BEFORE I cut them up into little pieces, and now that decision has come to haunt me. Long story short, the piece dove headfirst into the bit TWICE, and I now have some divots that'll give my speakers some character....Bahumba. I don't have anymore wood so that's that.
Also, as you can probably see/guess, I routed all the pieces today. Oh, and I redid the routing/finishing on another scrap piece, and the results were nothing short of spectacular.
Brendan
Also, as you can probably see/guess, I routed all the pieces today. Oh, and I redid the routing/finishing on another scrap piece, and the results were nothing short of spectacular.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Brendan
April 29, 2008
-Sanded the routed edges today, along with the external surfaces. Rubbed another coat of oil onto my test piece.
Brendan
-Sanded the routed edges today, along with the external surfaces. Rubbed another coat of oil onto my test piece.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Brendan
Nice work! You should enjoy these for a long time.
I first used Baltic Birch ply on a pair of large horn speakers over 20 years ago. At the time I think I used a "diamond" Varathane finish (semi gloss). They still look great after all the years.
-Joe
I first used Baltic Birch ply on a pair of large horn speakers over 20 years ago. At the time I think I used a "diamond" Varathane finish (semi gloss). They still look great after all the years.
-Joe
Combined update
May 26
-Quite a while since I've updated this...I had alot of school summatives to do, so this has been put on the back burner...but FEAR NOT! I will have it done before the end of the school year. Only have to glue these suckers together now:
June 6
-Glued together, and everything sanded smooth, true and square. Ready for tung oil application.
Brendan
May 26
-Quite a while since I've updated this...I had alot of school summatives to do, so this has been put on the back burner...but FEAR NOT! I will have it done before the end of the school year. Only have to glue these suckers together now:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
June 6
-Glued together, and everything sanded smooth, true and square. Ready for tung oil application.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Brendan
June 9
-First coat of tung oil put on (seems kinda blotchy, but that disappears when sunlight shines on them), binding posts and port tube secured in enclosure, pics coming in a sec when I complete the front baffle tonight.
Brendan
-First coat of tung oil put on (seems kinda blotchy, but that disappears when sunlight shines on them), binding posts and port tube secured in enclosure, pics coming in a sec when I complete the front baffle tonight.
Brendan
June 11
-Drilled my tweeter holes, drum sanded them, did some manual sanding after. It turns out 120 grit sandpaper with a tiny jar of Tamiya model paint fills up the tweeter hole EXACTLY. A bit of sanding, and I was left with some perfect holes. One thing I don't like about the Dayton tweeters is that the body is slightly flared, so it makes it harder to get the actual diameter. Also, tweeter recesses on the back completed an holes for drivers drilled. Second coat of oil put on, but no pics of that.
Brendan
-Drilled my tweeter holes, drum sanded them, did some manual sanding after. It turns out 120 grit sandpaper with a tiny jar of Tamiya model paint fills up the tweeter hole EXACTLY. A bit of sanding, and I was left with some perfect holes. One thing I don't like about the Dayton tweeters is that the body is slightly flared, so it makes it harder to get the actual diameter. Also, tweeter recesses on the back completed an holes for drivers drilled. Second coat of oil put on, but no pics of that.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Brendan
99% DONE!
June 13, 2008
-Finally :B Still have to glue the cleats in, you can probably see the baffles are not fixed yet. First impressions: Alot of bass, hmmm, how to fix this? Will dampening improve this, as I didn't put any yet...and will sealing in the baffle decrease the muddiness?
The finish looks spectacular in sunlight, but looks like crap under regular indoor lights. The tung oil adds alot of depth to the wood.
Brendan
June 13, 2008
-Finally :B Still have to glue the cleats in, you can probably see the baffles are not fixed yet. First impressions: Alot of bass, hmmm, how to fix this? Will dampening improve this, as I didn't put any yet...and will sealing in the baffle decrease the muddiness?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
The finish looks spectacular in sunlight, but looks like crap under regular indoor lights. The tung oil adds alot of depth to the wood.
Brendan
Just spent 30min reading this thread.. really good work! I wish I had those woodwork skills when I was 16, and such a great workshop!
I notice in your pictures that you did manage to get some carpet underlay. I am assuming this is to be used as internal acoustic damping?
I'm sorry to bring bad news, but it isn't going to work. For sound absorption a material has to be porus or open cell. The only carpet underlay that is like that is 'hair felt' underlay. All modern stuff such as what you have there is closed cell foam or rubber. Its nice ans squishy, and is a good barrier to sound from one room to the other but it doesn't absorb sound which is what you need for speaker damping.
What you could do with is some fiber insulation like the compressed sheets they use in cavity walls or the more fluffy stuff for putting above the ceiling, in the loft. Alternatively if you can't get hold of that in small quantities you can buy gray egg box type studio foam from online suppliers of studio recording kit. Digital village and Studio Spares are places here in the UK. PE probably do it too.
P.S. the glass table they are on may not help the sound.
I notice in your pictures that you did manage to get some carpet underlay. I am assuming this is to be used as internal acoustic damping?
I'm sorry to bring bad news, but it isn't going to work. For sound absorption a material has to be porus or open cell. The only carpet underlay that is like that is 'hair felt' underlay. All modern stuff such as what you have there is closed cell foam or rubber. Its nice ans squishy, and is a good barrier to sound from one room to the other but it doesn't absorb sound which is what you need for speaker damping.
What you could do with is some fiber insulation like the compressed sheets they use in cavity walls or the more fluffy stuff for putting above the ceiling, in the loft. Alternatively if you can't get hold of that in small quantities you can buy gray egg box type studio foam from online suppliers of studio recording kit. Digital village and Studio Spares are places here in the UK. PE probably do it too.
P.S. the glass table they are on may not help the sound.
That makes sense. I've opened up some really expensive speakers and all i see is fiber glass or gray foam, dacron fill if it's sealed. Then again, Troels and some other competent designers use carpet foam. 
Maybe they know a source of open cell carpet foam, but I assure you that most is not.
If you kit out a new listening room and you carpet it, make sure you use hair felt underlay, don't accept foam or rubber! It is hard to find these days, but I got some for my room under the name of 'enviro-felt' since it is now only used by people who care about the environment or something!
If you kit out a new listening room and you carpet it, make sure you use hair felt underlay, don't accept foam or rubber! It is hard to find these days, but I got some for my room under the name of 'enviro-felt' since it is now only used by people who care about the environment or something!
Trust me, it's open-celled carpet padding.
Anyways, some better pics, I glued in the cleats today.
Brendan
Anyways, some better pics, I glued in the cleats today.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Brendan
Hi Cyberspyder!! really nice work!
I have used a carpet underlay avaliable here in Australia that is made from recycled plastic bottle tops ( HDPE I think ) makes a great first layer for absorbing high frequency, it is about a centimetre thick with a very open texture but I haven't seen an open foam underlay here, can you post a clear photo of the product??
I have also at times used dense foam to damp vibration in cabinet walls but thats mainly because it was there and doing nothing on my shelf, it did work tho (LOL )
Regards Ted
I have used a carpet underlay avaliable here in Australia that is made from recycled plastic bottle tops ( HDPE I think ) makes a great first layer for absorbing high frequency, it is about a centimetre thick with a very open texture but I haven't seen an open foam underlay here, can you post a clear photo of the product??
I have also at times used dense foam to damp vibration in cabinet walls but thats mainly because it was there and doing nothing on my shelf, it did work tho (LOL )
Regards Ted
If it sucks in water like a sponge it is probably open cell. If doesn't guzzle up the watter, it isn't.
The foam pictured above looks like a carpet underlayment quite common to the US market ( I have no idea about other markets ).
I've been to the factory's where it's produced, and hauled truckloads to carpet distributors.
It's made from a combination of recycled foam, foam factory cuttings, and new foam. It's open celled, and should be quite suitable.
The whole kit and caboodle is ground and mixed with the urethane resins and formed in huge bricks, then machine trimmed, cut, joined and rolled. Thats how it was done a decade ago when I was trucking over the road. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find that they've figured out how to continuously process the stuff now, no more cutting and joining labor.
John
I've been to the factory's where it's produced, and hauled truckloads to carpet distributors.
It's made from a combination of recycled foam, foam factory cuttings, and new foam. It's open celled, and should be quite suitable.
The whole kit and caboodle is ground and mixed with the urethane resins and formed in huge bricks, then machine trimmed, cut, joined and rolled. Thats how it was done a decade ago when I was trucking over the road. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find that they've figured out how to continuously process the stuff now, no more cutting and joining labor.
John
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Wet on right, dry on left
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Open-celled texture
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Water squeezing out.
Brendan
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