gedlee said:
Yeah, they (US Composites) do some great stuff - but I think the shipping to the UK would be somewhat pricey. Epoxy is an amazing and versatile product, but d*mn it's messy to use. Maybe I'm just messy!
R-Carpenter said:
From what info I can find, it looks like a good glue. Couldn't immediately find a UK outlet for it though. Story of my (DIY) life - there are so many useful and interesting products in the US that you just can't get here.
I'm sure that there must be an outlet for raw epoxy in the UK somewhere. It is very messy if you don't thicken it. I always do. You can even get a paste that won't run at all. Talc works best I find. Once thickened you can apply it quit easily. Don't get the fast cure stuff though as the mixing can take some time when its thick and the thickeners seem to speed up the cure.
gedlee said:
Actually Unibond is a very good glue for joints as well. However so is regular Titebond. On the plus side, Unibiond makes for a very rigid glue line and has a very long open time (both of which makes it great for veneering). It also doesn't contain the water found in PVA glue which means less swelling of the joint, especially on the endgrain.
On the negative side though, it is more expensive for general woodworking compared to PVA glue, and requires a very long clamp time (4-8 hours) with lots of pressure. Not to mention it doesn't cure well below 70 degrees. Also since you have to mix the resin with a catalyst, it isn't nearly as convenient as regular PVA either.
So while Unibond does make for strong woodworking joints, it is much better suited for cold pressing veneer in a vacuum press where the rigid glue line, and long open time are much more important.
Regards,
Dennis
djarchow said:
Hi, Dennis.
Guys here are hell bend on having to paint miter folded and butt jointed MDF boxes, not veneer them (either because they can't, don't want to or it just can't be done nicely like in this case) and have no joint movement. This is why I suggested Unibond. It is designed for a very thin and rigid glue line.
Perhaps Dr. Gedlee will consider changing the exterior appearance of the cabinet and have a veneered version for a higher price? It would eliminate lots of work for a DIY, bring higher price and make more appealing cabinet?
R-Carpenter said:
You know if someone wants to pay the money to do this then great, I'll bite. People are just not willing to pay extra for this kind of upgrade. People who buy my speakers are interested in the best sound, not the best appearance. Pay a premium to get a lessor sound quality? I just don't see that happening.
The thing to do if you want the cabinets in wood is to cut off the radi, and glue in a solid piece of wood. Then radius it and finish off with veneer. This is perfectly doable, I've done it. But it is not worth the extra work and cost IMO. You can only do this to the sides of course because the waveguide is not going to be veneered by anyone of only resonable capability. You have to cut the baffle from a solid piece. Again, been there, done that, won't do it again.
Hey Bear, sorry, my email was wrong, an old one that is no longer current. I didn't realize I had never updated it. I will send you an email via your site.
I'm not in NY anymore either I'm afraid, I've moved to Lafayette Indiana for Graduate school, so my location is wrong too.
quick update, I have primed the cabinets inside and out with the Zinser bins. The first coat was hand painted on with a brush. It's been cold again, and I was unable to spray in the garage. Since I will be sanding it anyway, I figured it was no big deal. It worked quite well, sealing the wood and covering very well.The hardest part is the work inside.
I'm not in NY anymore either I'm afraid, I've moved to Lafayette Indiana for Graduate school, so my location is wrong too.
quick update, I have primed the cabinets inside and out with the Zinser bins. The first coat was hand painted on with a brush. It's been cold again, and I was unable to spray in the garage. Since I will be sanding it anyway, I figured it was no big deal. It worked quite well, sealing the wood and covering very well.The hardest part is the work inside.
I've asked a few and they have no interest in doing that. They are swamped and don;t want to do any sideline excursions. Others here have posted that they looked for someone to do this also, but to no avail.
If there is anyone in the Detroit area that anyone knows who would do this I'd be most interested in talking with them.
I also suspect that this would get quite expensive. That has to be seen.
If there is anyone in the Detroit area that anyone knows who would do this I'd be most interested in talking with them.
I also suspect that this would get quite expensive. That has to be seen.
gedlee said:
The shipping boxes were actually pretty good. I suspect they damage may have occurred if the boxes slid into the side of a truck. There wasn't much in the packing to prevent the edges/corners from hitting the side of the box. Some 1" thick rigid foam around the perimeter of the box would likely prevent this.
Another Update
Well I wish I could be showing you guys a finished product by now, but Hopefully all this work will lead to a better finished product. I'm now applying the second coat of primer. I've applied a first coat of sealer/primer (zinnser BIN) and then sanded that down smooth. I then patched any little imperfections with some bondo surfacing putty, sanded that, and now am applying a sprayed on final primer coat. Here are some pictures.
Sanded, filled, and ready to prime!!!
Second coat of primer sprayed on, nice and smooth
Another angle
Ok it's not perfectly smooth. I accidentally sprayed too much in a corner and got a run, I dabbed it with a brush only to end up with a rough finish. I will sand that down and probably reprime that area.
This next picture is to show you the glue line where the corners meat. You can see it through the first light spraying of the second coat of primer still. It's taking a lot of work to get this right, but at this point, its just a dark line, its smooth enough this primer will hide it. You can all see the texture of these ends, which will be very smooth once sanded.
That's all for now. These will be allowed to dry to the touch for an hour or so, then I will move them back inside to dry over night. Then tomorrow I will sand them smooth with 320 grit paper, and spray the first coat of black primer (It's probably not needed, but I bought it not realizing I wasn't going to need it). Then hopefully apply my final finish throughout the week. Then inside for some crossover assembly, final assembly, and I should be done.
Well I wish I could be showing you guys a finished product by now, but Hopefully all this work will lead to a better finished product. I'm now applying the second coat of primer. I've applied a first coat of sealer/primer (zinnser BIN) and then sanded that down smooth. I then patched any little imperfections with some bondo surfacing putty, sanded that, and now am applying a sprayed on final primer coat. Here are some pictures.
Sanded, filled, and ready to prime!!!
Second coat of primer sprayed on, nice and smooth
Another angle
Ok it's not perfectly smooth. I accidentally sprayed too much in a corner and got a run, I dabbed it with a brush only to end up with a rough finish. I will sand that down and probably reprime that area.
This next picture is to show you the glue line where the corners meat. You can see it through the first light spraying of the second coat of primer still. It's taking a lot of work to get this right, but at this point, its just a dark line, its smooth enough this primer will hide it. You can all see the texture of these ends, which will be very smooth once sanded.
That's all for now. These will be allowed to dry to the touch for an hour or so, then I will move them back inside to dry over night. Then tomorrow I will sand them smooth with 320 grit paper, and spray the first coat of black primer (It's probably not needed, but I bought it not realizing I wasn't going to need it). Then hopefully apply my final finish throughout the week. Then inside for some crossover assembly, final assembly, and I should be done.
Hey Matt, Looks good.
Where the waveguide meets the baffle, there is a small ridge that comes from the mold seating on the baffle. I would have sanded this out, it would only be about 1/32" or so. You can leave it if you want since it doesn't have any acoustical effect (not something that small) but I would worry about two things. First this may look odd once painted and second a small ridge like this would be hard to polish, if thats what you plan to do. If you are still going to go with flat then its probably not an issue. But to those who may want to polish the front baffle, this small rise could be a problem and should be sanded flush.
Where the waveguide meets the baffle, there is a small ridge that comes from the mold seating on the baffle. I would have sanded this out, it would only be about 1/32" or so. You can leave it if you want since it doesn't have any acoustical effect (not something that small) but I would worry about two things. First this may look odd once painted and second a small ridge like this would be hard to polish, if thats what you plan to do. If you are still going to go with flat then its probably not an issue. But to those who may want to polish the front baffle, this small rise could be a problem and should be sanded flush.
I did sand the area flush where the guide meets the baffle. It's probably an optical illusion. Unless you are talking about something else. I just noticed I must not have removed the mold release well enough on one of the guides and the paint didn't take. I will have to clean it off, and respray it. Oh well, live and learn.