I was watching a video on how Bowers & Wilkins creates their "real wood" veneers, which essentially was just using extremely thin cuts of real wood that were applied to the MDF of the actual speaker enclosure--correct me if I'm wrong on this. This sort of seems to be the common practice of mainstream speaker companies (assuming they even use real wood). Put super thin real wood (or laminate) on MDF. I would assume they do this for easier consistency in sound/cheaper production costs?
Yet in the DIY world, real wood (not MDF) is used for the entire cabinet, right?
I was also wondering, when looking at some B&W speakers with apparent "real wood" veneer how they managed to keep the grain continuous from one side to the top to the other side. Is the veneer really that thin, or did they make cuts in the bottom of the corner pieces of the wood so it could be "folded"?
Any thoughts on this would be super appreciated!
Yet in the DIY world, real wood (not MDF) is used for the entire cabinet, right?
I was also wondering, when looking at some B&W speakers with apparent "real wood" veneer how they managed to keep the grain continuous from one side to the top to the other side. Is the veneer really that thin, or did they make cuts in the bottom of the corner pieces of the wood so it could be "folded"?
Any thoughts on this would be super appreciated!
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Many of the people on this forum use MDF and wood veneer. This is a very common practice amongst DIY speaker builders. You will also find many people who just paint over, or otherwise finish MDF and skip the veneer entirely. However, there are also quite a few people (especially in the full range world, it seems to me) who swear by plywood over MDF. But it's true that plywood is a much rarer thing to find in consumer hifi.
Consider Troels' comments on this project:
QUATTRO
In the consumer world, MDF/veneer is undoubtedly used for, as you suggested, consistency of product primarily.
Consider Troels' comments on this project:
QUATTRO
And later:
In the consumer world, MDF/veneer is undoubtedly used for, as you suggested, consistency of product primarily.
Have a look at furniture making!
Wood veneer has been around for hundreds of years. Either glued to cheaper non-matched wood planks or ply-wood then mdf.
Real veneers are actually planed off a trunk of wood, about 1mm thick so that adjacent sheets are almost identical. These can be arranged in a variety of ways to give pleasing "mirrored" patterns.
Finely cutting out shapes in different woods (light, dark etc) gives marquetry effects.
Wood veneer has been around for hundreds of years. Either glued to cheaper non-matched wood planks or ply-wood then mdf.
Real veneers are actually planed off a trunk of wood, about 1mm thick so that adjacent sheets are almost identical. These can be arranged in a variety of ways to give pleasing "mirrored" patterns.
Finely cutting out shapes in different woods (light, dark etc) gives marquetry effects.
There are many ways that veneer is removed from the stock. This might give you an idea how the grain matching is done.
Cutting Methods
Cutting Methods
Real wood is not particularly good for speaker cabinets. There is something about that on this BBC research paper from the 1970s
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1977-03.pdf
At the time plywood came out as the most suitable for their use (which in addition to sound quality included economy of construction and lightness). The modern versions of these speakers are probably the Harbeths and they now use MDF.
Depending how the speaker is built and what bracing is used, it may be necessary to put a balancing veneer on the inside of the cabinet. This prevents the inside from absorbing water more than the outside, veneered surface and warping. Not much of an issue with a sealed cabinet.
Veneering is time-consuming and fiddly but good fun. Very satisfying when it comes out well. And a good way to hide any cosmetic mishaps earlier in the construction process!
The B&W vid is interesting though, isn't it?
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1977-03.pdf
At the time plywood came out as the most suitable for their use (which in addition to sound quality included economy of construction and lightness). The modern versions of these speakers are probably the Harbeths and they now use MDF.
Depending how the speaker is built and what bracing is used, it may be necessary to put a balancing veneer on the inside of the cabinet. This prevents the inside from absorbing water more than the outside, veneered surface and warping. Not much of an issue with a sealed cabinet.
Veneering is time-consuming and fiddly but good fun. Very satisfying when it comes out well. And a good way to hide any cosmetic mishaps earlier in the construction process!
The B&W vid is interesting though, isn't it?
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