How to make a "square" enclosure

[R-Carpenter]

What method do you use to build an enclosure so that everything is "square" and "plumb"? My little enclosure is a little out-of-kilter.

Coming from the professional furniture maker. Are you building just one pair of speakers or are you going to build more in the future? Are you going to be veneering your cabinets and do you want to press it properly or contact adhesive will be satisfactory to you? Depending on the desired results, there are many approaches.

 

[johngalt47]

Well, at the moment I'm going to be building different sizes as prototypes.

 

[R-Carpenter]

Ok, I guess what I mean is this. Investing in good contractor’s table saw will give you the ability to do a 45 miter joints on your boxes. It will also allow you to pre-veneer your panels prior to cutting them and with 45 miters; you will not have joints telegraphing through the veneer in the future. Something like this would do just fine.
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=5852
There’re tricks to setting up the table saw properly the first time but after you spend the day cursing the world and everything in it, your joints will come out square as a bustard.
IMO table saw is also safer then a radial arm or circular saw. Not to say that it is a toy. Every tool has to be treated with a good deal of respect.
If you decide to go with the table saw, which would be my preference, I will give you step by step instructions for proper set up and some useful tips.

If you going with butt joints on your cabinet, check out these guys.
http://www.festoolusa.com/default.aspx
Their straight edge guide is really that straight!
If this is the way you want to go, every suggestion, made previously, makes perfect sense.
I would also invest in a very good setsquare such as Starret or Toyo. Don’t get a puny 6 inch, get at list a 12 inch.

 

[Conrad Hoffman]

I used to have a radial arm saw. It was a decent one, and I spent lots of time lining it up. Great if you like to build houses or make shelving, but not ideal for cabinetry, which is more like speaker building. I sold it to a guy who put it in his barn, which burned down soon after. I bought a decent import (is that a contradiction?) table saw with a good aftermarket fence, and panels immediately started coming out square and on size. IMO, a properly aligned table saw and heavy duty fence is the best thing to have for this. Lacking that, make it oversize and trim with the router (also the best thing to have for circles and inset drivers.

 

[MJL21193]

I used to have a radial arm saw. It was a decent one, and I spent lots of time lining it up. Great if you like to build houses or make shelving, but not ideal for cabinetry

...with the router (also the best thing to have for circles and inset drivers.

Hi,
Radial arm saws are meant for cabinetry, not house building. Takes a few minutes to set up properly for bang on cuts.

Jigsaw is the best for cutting the driver hole. Router to cut the recess.

 

[rcayot]

I don't care HOW square you make your cuts, if you don't have a perfectly FLAT surface to assemble on, you will NEVER get a perfect 'box'. I use the top of my table saw, and router table to assemble 'boxes' like drawers and speakers. Without those, you are going to have to improvise.

If you have any doubts about how flat a surface is, try a google in 'winding sticks'

Good luck

Roger Ayotte