Birch plywood is better construction material. In case you can reinforce it with fiberglass do it. Can afford cover entire box by a graphite composite even better.
Aluminum honeycomb panels +graphite composite would be an extreme implementation.
However Sonus Faber favors plain wood and they are making speakers that are very well regarded among audiophiles.
Aluminum honeycomb panels +graphite composite would be an extreme implementation.
However Sonus Faber favors plain wood and they are making speakers that are very well regarded among audiophiles.
otab:
Many of us here have built a few speakers in our time, and I already gave you my best advice - save yourself a $hitload of time and ignore the noisome technical debate of an issue on which there will never be consensus . In less time that it'd take to read all the threads on the subject, you could just build an identical pair with different materials. I did exactly that quite a few years ago now, and while it was revelatory for me, not all who listened to both heard the same things, or reached the same conclusions.
Frankly this is one of those subjects, like "speaker wire" that have become rather fatiguing after over 40yrs, and the pursuit of "technical perfection" that for some folks borders on OCD can too easily distract from the enjoyment of the music..
Many of us here have built a few speakers in our time, and I already gave you my best advice - save yourself a $hitload of time and ignore the noisome technical debate of an issue on which there will never be consensus . In less time that it'd take to read all the threads on the subject, you could just build an identical pair with different materials. I did exactly that quite a few years ago now, and while it was revelatory for me, not all who listened to both heard the same things, or reached the same conclusions.
Frankly this is one of those subjects, like "speaker wire" that have become rather fatiguing after over 40yrs, and the pursuit of "technical perfection" that for some folks borders on OCD can too easily distract from the enjoyment of the music..
Once built identical cabinets in mdf and 700 density flooring chipboard; the chipboard pair sounded better. Doesn't help with the birch ply question, though. However Russian birch was prettier than Finnish birch, but less dense and wider grain pattern. This was over 30 years ago, mind.
More 'Best Advice' 🙂
Frankly this is one of those subjects, like "speaker wire" that have become rather fatiguing after over 40yrs, and the pursuit of "technical perfection" that for some folks borders on OCD can too easily distract from the enjoyment of the music..
I build with MDF for my speakers, always have, always will, I put on my fancy dust mask, turn on the vacuum and plow away. Not that BBP is bad, its just MDF is my preference (ie. I'm cheap). If you build using one material or the other and dont build identical to compare, who cares. You will never know what the other sounds like so what you built will sound awsome. Just MY 2 cents worth. 🙂
You need to use a mask whatever you machine and I repeat most hardwoods are toxic. Lung and nasal cancer were common among woodworkers who were exposed to fine dust. It is strange how emotive this prosaic subject (MDF vs BBP) is to people, it's like religion.
ah yes - preach to the choir brother
But at well over $200 per sheet, and the cost of tooling to work it cleanly, the better grades of ply are beyond a lot of folk's comfort zone.
And to be only slightly alarmist, dust is only part of the issues with most wood products, solid or otherwise - especially in the case of engineered MDF/PB or plywoods still fabricated with UF glues. These can off-gas for a lot longer than the time it takes to fabricate them, and a simple NIOSH N95 particulate mask won't protect from those or solvent based adhesive & finishing product vapors. Of course the irony here is that between coffee and lunch breaks, over half the guys in our shop (and no doubt in a lot of other trades that worry themselves sick over such issues) smoke at least 1/2 pack a day.
Well, didn't say it's cheap. But it is beautiful and strong. 🙂
Finding good, dense, void free ply isn't always easy.
Of course, I've built speakers out of OSB. That's cheap! In California it comes in thicknesses over 1". Not 'round here, tho.
Finding good, dense, void free ply isn't always easy.
Of course, I've built speakers out of OSB. That's cheap! In California it comes in thicknesses over 1". Not 'round here, tho.
Sorry for the hijack as i wouldn't contribute much to the discussion since i'd never consider MDF. So, can you tell me more about the tooling (specialty or otherwise), for bamboo ply, iirc it burns thru saw blades fast, how about carbide router bits? If not worth doing for a small monitor i have in mind, i'll stick with BB Plywood.
Good point on the dust mask type, I wear one that has two filters that take care when I cut mdf, rubber seal around face, sealed googles. so yes type is important.
yes, the activated charcoal or welder's type are fine, and with exhaust ports to prevent fogging of glasses also helps
Got slight stubble?
If you have, no mask will seal properly - period!
And that 5yr old mask with 5yr old filters sat in the bottom of your tool box....... chuck it out, the whole thing, the valves will be well past it as will the filters.
If you have, no mask will seal properly - period!
And that 5yr old mask with 5yr old filters sat in the bottom of your tool box....... chuck it out, the whole thing, the valves will be well past it as will the filters.
Once again, working in a commercial shop I'd never consider anything but high tip count carbide saw blades and router bits for cutting anything but dunnage.
I've only used about 3 different brands, and found that not all bamboo ply is equal in terms of it's density - the Plyboo stranded is particularly more so than the other types. The most notable issues with duller tooling will be burning in any direction of cut, and chipping / tearout on cross grain cuts.
I've built close to a dozen pairs with different varieties of the material, and would definitely not say it's not worth it - you just need to take your time, particularly with complicated joinery, and with grain matching / wrapping of the highly figured patterns.
It just struck me:
We're banging on about looking after our lungs but NOTHINGS been said about ear protection!
We're banging on about looking after our lungs but NOTHINGS been said about ear protection!
sorry, did you say something?
I use both the cheapie little 3M orange foam plugs, and a pair of custom molded noise blockers, and franky find the former have more isolation - but are certainly not as comfortable after 8-10 hours.
Then they need more and longer smoking breaks, You dont get far under two packs a day.
For routing in bamboo, or birch and oak for that matter, i allways use ss routers whit negative spiral, they´re sharper than anything else and the negative spiral prevents all splintering, carbide/diamond routers are totaly useless if You want a really clean cut, they last long for shure.
I prefer to use tools that You can get sharpened once in a while and get the result anticipated.
Ingvar
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Here's an article in Dutch with some measurements,
translated with google in English
You can see that bracing has a huge impact, also the use of sandwich panels.
Me, I use birch with lots of bracing.
The main reason is that I like the look of birch, a box in MDF without a paint job is awful.
translated with google in English
You can see that bracing has a huge impact, also the use of sandwich panels.
Me, I use birch with lots of bracing.
The main reason is that I like the look of birch, a box in MDF without a paint job is awful.
Couldn't agree more. I use the 'tampons' for short term and the 'oysters' for long term. Funny thing is, even though your ears (the nose is sometimes included) are the one organ on your body that never stops growing, the oysters still fit after 25 years.
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