I just got my Fostex FE126E speakers yesterday. I have started building the recommended hybrid horn/br enclosure and everything is looking good so far. My question is about mounting the driver. Do I need to flush mount or surface mount the drver? I have searched the forums and haven't found much information on a preference.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Tim
Any comments would be appreciated.
Tim
Flush mounting would be best, but tho frames on the FE126 (and too many other drivers) have a shaped flange that encorages just surface mounting thm.
dave
dave
Ok another quick question. I have all the pieces cut for the recommended enclosure. I have the sides glued up and am ready to start with the internal pieces. Any tips on how to secure the pieces while the glue dries? I am a novice woodworker and having some issues trying to clamp them on the angle.
Any tips would be appreciated..
Thanks
Tim
Any tips would be appreciated..
Thanks
Tim
If you're a novice woodworker (like me) then you probably don't have a lot of tools around, so improvisation is the only way. I glued one or two pieces at a time and used bricks to weigh them down.
For internal pieces it's hard to beat good ol' fashion wood screws. Glue and Screw. You can remove the screws after the glue dries if you like. Finish nails are an option as well.
Joe
Joe
Thanks for the tips. I have been using a stack of 5 pound weigths to hold the pieces down, its just pretty slow going. All the other speakers I have built (this is my first BLH however) have been glued and screwed. But this small 1/2" MDF box is just getting glue and no screws. I may try some finish nails though...
Thanks
Tim
Thanks
Tim
wood dowels
Another option is 1/4" wood dowels usually 1" in length with glue. Just drill a hole for them 1/2" deep in the internal angle piece, then mark the spot on the side where the dowel touches and drill a corresponding hole in the side piece. This will keep the piece in alignment and provide exceptional strength when glued. All you need is a drill. And you can cut the dowel shorter if needed depending on the thickness of the wood. Just be careful not to drill your hole tto deep and punch through the side piece!
Another option is 1/4" wood dowels usually 1" in length with glue. Just drill a hole for them 1/2" deep in the internal angle piece, then mark the spot on the side where the dowel touches and drill a corresponding hole in the side piece. This will keep the piece in alignment and provide exceptional strength when glued. All you need is a drill. And you can cut the dowel shorter if needed depending on the thickness of the wood. Just be careful not to drill your hole tto deep and punch through the side piece!
A variation on the dowel idea is to go to your friendly local woodworkers store and pick up a "dowel kit". They're usually only about $5 and are great for lining up holes for dowels.
The dowels sound like the way to go for me. Any help to not make my boxes look like swiss cheese will be good so I will go off on a search for the dowel kt.
Thanks for the tips!
Tim
Thanks for the tips!
Tim
you might also consider Miller Dowels - the small size should work well in 1/2" mdf
http://www.millerdowel.com/
http://www.millerdowel.com/
The Miller dowls are nice. That is what I am using right now to do my speakers. I will have pictures up if I ever finish them at the rate I am going now.
I am considering the FE126 and the recommended enclosure, too.
Well, how do they sound?? I know this project will be a lot of work and time in the shop and your input would be most wonderful.
Thanks.
Well, how do they sound?? I know this project will be a lot of work and time in the shop and your input would be most wonderful.
Thanks.
Re: wood dowels
Have a browse online for "biscuits" - they are like dowels but wafer shaped and thus permit a little lateral movement for alignment. I'm a newbi and found them so easy to use with impressive results. I went for a dedicated Dewalt biscuit joiner but you can buy adapters for angle grinders and routers if the cash outlay is an issue. Have a nosey on eBay... Good luck!
james_b said:
Have a browse online for "biscuits" - they are like dowels but wafer shaped and thus permit a little lateral movement for alignment. I'm a newbi and found them so easy to use with impressive results. I went for a dedicated Dewalt biscuit joiner but you can buy adapters for angle grinders and routers if the cash outlay is an issue. Have a nosey on eBay... Good luck!
Dowels, and Biscuits, and Screws, Oh MY!
I have been pouring over tool and woodworking material and even went to a used bookstore and purchased a book on making a router your best friend when I could not for the life of me figure out how to loosen the collet. (I left the expensive new books at Barnes and Nobles and have decided that there is not much new in the world of routers.)
I love all this joinery stuff but after a 20 year sabbatical from speaker building I am finding that masking tape and a couple corner clamps has eclipsed all my interest and plans to use pipe clamps, dowels and dado's. There is so little time for this stuff that my aspirations for instant journeyman status in the shop has taken a backseat to pragmatics. I have found that square cut wood lines up quite nicely with the corner clamps and for the span between, good old masking tape does great. Though, I am impressed with the idea of using old car batteries.
This Titebond III glue is fierce and loyal. I have gone back later and drilled/countersink a few holes for the MDF screws that I have put in for good measure should the boxes get pushed or moved much. I have discovered a whole new genre of drill bits and counter sink tools, some that let you come back and use little wood plugs to cover the screw head.
There are many ways to skin a cat and flush mount a speaker. I went in to the woodworking shop in town ready to implement the thoughtful suggestions I had received about using a bigger and a smaller router bit and got talked into buying a brass inlay router kit. It is simplicity itself with a bearing that guides the router around the speaker frame and then swapped out to make a template. It cost about the same as the two router bits but is quite a good hack.
But blessed are the biscuit makers and dowel users. Hats off to ya.
I have been pouring over tool and woodworking material and even went to a used bookstore and purchased a book on making a router your best friend when I could not for the life of me figure out how to loosen the collet. (I left the expensive new books at Barnes and Nobles and have decided that there is not much new in the world of routers.)
I love all this joinery stuff but after a 20 year sabbatical from speaker building I am finding that masking tape and a couple corner clamps has eclipsed all my interest and plans to use pipe clamps, dowels and dado's. There is so little time for this stuff that my aspirations for instant journeyman status in the shop has taken a backseat to pragmatics. I have found that square cut wood lines up quite nicely with the corner clamps and for the span between, good old masking tape does great. Though, I am impressed with the idea of using old car batteries.
This Titebond III glue is fierce and loyal. I have gone back later and drilled/countersink a few holes for the MDF screws that I have put in for good measure should the boxes get pushed or moved much. I have discovered a whole new genre of drill bits and counter sink tools, some that let you come back and use little wood plugs to cover the screw head.
There are many ways to skin a cat and flush mount a speaker. I went in to the woodworking shop in town ready to implement the thoughtful suggestions I had received about using a bigger and a smaller router bit and got talked into buying a brass inlay router kit. It is simplicity itself with a bearing that guides the router around the speaker frame and then swapped out to make a template. It cost about the same as the two router bits but is quite a good hack.
But blessed are the biscuit makers and dowel users. Hats off to ya.
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