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Message started by Donnie on 05/22/16 at 23:42:45

Title: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/22/16 at 23:42:45

My sister wants me to make her something like this.
Anyone have any ideas?
I'm looking at a cheap little plate amp at Parts Express. It is a 2.1 amp, maybe a downward firing sub??
Drivers:there seem to be a lot to chose from. Kind of leaning to 6"ers. Maybe Silver Flutes?
I need advice.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 05/29/16 at 01:04:39

This?
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-mca2250e-21-channel-class-d-plate-amplifier--300-771

Does it need to go very loud?  Party box?  Nearfield?  Fill a room background levels?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/29/16 at 10:18:38

Lin,
Yes, that would be the amplifier.
I don't think that it would need to go too loud, my sister lives in an apartment. So I will say it would be for background music that can grab your attention when needed.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 05/30/16 at 17:02:14

Target project cost?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/30/16 at 20:21:06

I think I can do it for $250 . She really could care less how well it sounds, but I have principals .

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 05/30/16 at 21:56:16

:-/

$52 each Tang Band 5" paper fullrange  8 ohm  0.2 cu ft sealed
http://www.parts-express.com/tang-band-w5-2143-5-paper-cone-full-range-driver-8-ohm--264-958

$43 Dayton 6.5" "subwoofer" ::) 4 ohm  0.2 cu ft sealed/0.5 cu ft vented
http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-dcs165-4-6-1-2-classic-subwoofer-4-ohm--295-198

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/30/16 at 22:27:56

Thanks Lin, I had been looking at the Tang Band's but hadn't noticed the Dayton.
I will check me Email for the inevitable Parts Express flier with 20% off.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/06/16 at 13:41:31

Well, I have gotten myself into another project that may or may not work.
We have to do stretches at work every morning (Because we are industrial athletes, lol) by the direction of a video.
If you can imagine 25 tool makers and a half dozen engineers grunting and groaning in an fairly large space trying to hear the counting on the video coming through a sound bar on a monitor, you would soon figure out that we would need some sort of sound reinforcement.
So a project was assigned to me to "up the volume" as cheaply as possible, using materials that we have available to us.
I came up with a plan of building a simple wedge shaped speaker box and using 2 GRS 8" Bofu full range drivers being driven by a cheap chip amp, all from Parts Express for around $60.
I had a extra sheet of MDF laying around my place that I would donate to the cause, and plans were made for a group project on a Saturday to knock it out.
Well, this is where the project fell off of the tracks!
A idea was brought up of cutting the MDF panels at work because we have some really nice machine tools at our disposal.
Well all of a sudden it was brought up that an aluminum top on the speaker would look nice and by the end of discussion it had turned into making the whole damn thing out of aluminum!
So currently we have a apprentice tool designer drawing up plans in Creo CAD, a sheet of scrap 10mm aluminum, a water jet, two apprentice tool makers, and myself working on this project.
It will be a 4 cubic foot 60 degree triangle mounted to a 10 foot I beam when done. I really hope that it is louder than the sound bar!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 08/06/16 at 17:30:56

Use 4 drivers. :)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/09/16 at 22:44:10

This project is gaining traction. The drivers and amplifier arrived this morning, the CAD files were finished and transferred to the water jet.
The Apprentice that is in charge of this project promises me that I will be listening to the completed speaker tomorrow. I figure that it will be closer to Friday, but I don't have his youthful exuberance.
As a training tool, this project has been very useful. The Apprentices get a taste for putting in the needed work to detail something out.
I gave them my basic idea for the speaker, they had to figure out how to manufacture it, how to assemble it, and how to finish it out.
I don't think that we will be getting into the speaker business any time soon, seeing that we used $12 drivers and a $30 amplifier and put them into $1200 worth of aluminum with around $1500 of CAD time!
I'll get some pictures as the cutting and assembly get rolling tomorrow.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/10/16 at 22:31:51

Photo's!
Waterjetting the baffles


The sheet of aluminium.


The baffles after they have been cut out.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/13/16 at 04:10:13

We got the speaker up and running today. It sounds remarkably good for a big aluminum wedge with a real cheap chip amp.
The sound was echoing all over the shop, and it is a very large shop!
We hope to get it mounted to the 10' pole Monday.
The Apprentice did a more than passable job.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 08/30/16 at 19:02:22


Wow, waterjet cut speaker box. That's pretty awesome!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 09/09/16 at 22:48:26

 You know, it would be very easy get customer base with products like those! Water jetting is endless for ability to manufacture.   still makes my head spin.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/10/16 at 00:13:04

Waterjet isn't a big deal. Ours are just XY coordinates with the Z only used for thickness adjustment. Some of the 5 axis are trick, but still limited.
Now the real trick stuff is 3D printing. If you can draw it, we can make it.
I was just given a demonstration of 3D printing cores and flasks for castings. It makes the patternmaker in me very scared. No need for draft, impossible shapes can now be cast. Real cool tech.
Cutting the speakers out of aluminum didn't really take too long, maybe 2 hours. The cost of the material is outrageous, somewhere between $1200-$1400 per sheet. But it was laying there from a project that had been killed.
The best thing about the whole project is that other sections of the building are complaining that our "Tower O' Power" is blasting louder than their PA systems!  The building is huge, a little over 1.5 million sqft!
We make our presence known!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 12/22/16 at 19:03:45

There are currently 5 engineers designing new speaker designs in my cubical. It is a slow day at work.
The current design is a open baffle/ downward firing sub hybrid.
They are also talking Omni's.
I wonder if Corporate would approve.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 01/05/17 at 05:45:28

Make corporate listen to them first ;)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 02/18/17 at 14:42:52

My Sonotube speaker building projects are gaining traction.
Calculations have been made on a transmission line subwoofer using a 10" Dayton driver. It looks like a 10" tube should be 89.13" long to achieve 37.7hz. Nothing like a 7.5' tall sub.
I'm planning to use this in my garage stereo. Most likely building a pair because it would annoy the neighbor more!
I am pondering on how to power these things. Do I use a cheap crossover and connect them to my Wadia DAC amp, or do I go with some sort of outboard amp with an adjustable crossover?
If this idea lives to fruition the next project would be using larger diameter Sonotube to make a full range speaker using the drivers from my DM clones. My CAD Monkey drew up a horn idea inside of a 24" tube. Real interesting but somewhat difficult to make the shape of the baffle. No hill for a climber.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/04/17 at 00:26:56

Well I settled on  12" Goldwood woofers and some Dayton 100 watt plate amps.
A quick trip to Menards tonight yielded a couple of 4' long 12" diameter Sonotubes. I then just taped them together and stuck a woofer inside.
Things got interesting after that. With no stuffing or even sealing the bass is very noticeable, even moreso outside.
There is still a lot of development work to do, a proper box built and then build the twin to this one.
Fun shit!


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 03/05/17 at 06:39:27

Wow, that is quite a sono-sub!

Did you calculate the airspace at all? Wouldn't a single 4' tube have been enough?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 03/05/17 at 06:41:03

Oh wait, you did say this was a Transmission line of some sort? So it's wide open on the bottom (non-speaker) end?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/05/17 at 10:15:11

It is a quarter wave transmission line subwoofer. So yes it is more or less open, the driver on the bottom.
I stuffed it 2/3 of the way up with fiberglass and it helped it a lot.
The plan now is to make a box on the bottom to face the woofer out and help seal the whole thing up better.
The combined length of the line needs to be 93 inches.
I don't foresee any lacking of bass with two of them.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/25/17 at 22:06:23

Well, I "finished" my subs last weekend. Sorry that I took so long reporting back, I had a bad cold and some kind of heart thingy that required a bit of hospital time this week.
Anyway, I decided to go the whole on "Hillbilly" method on these subs.
All that it took was 4 ea. 12" store brand Sono tubes, a roll of red duct tape, some zip ties, 2 ea. Goldwood 12" woofers, and 2 ea. Dayton 100 watt sub amps.
All I did then was cut a 45 degree angle a couple of feet in on what would be the bottom tube, rotate it 180 degrees to get my 90 and start taping them back together. Simple, effective, cheap, and ugly. But so what, it is for my garage.
So far, with very limited listening time, I am very happy with what I have wrought. Some time needs to be spent working with stuffing it.
The whole garage stereo pulled 104 DB with the door closed, it should make the neighbors real happy.
By the way, if you have chest pain that knocks you down a couple times a day for 3 weeks, the Doctors get real mad at you for not coming to see them sooner!
Photos:




I'm real proud of this one


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Core32 on 03/26/17 at 01:20:48

Donnie,
Those remind me of something I once saw in a Cheech and Chong movie I do believe.   :P

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/26/17 at 01:48:12

Well Core, you have just named my subs.  They will now be forever known as the Cheech & Chong memorial quarter wave subs.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 04/01/17 at 14:14:16

 Got a kick out of these. Same idea as my bucket bass project. Just stuff that I had laying around, and a real deal on an 18" woofer.
 BTW, I hope that heart stuff works out good for you. There are too few of us staying young these days.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/18/17 at 01:47:42

So I spent the whole afternoon today cleaning and organizing my garage, and playing my "Cheech & Chong Memorial " quarter wave subs.
I'm pretty sure that everyone in earshot is hating me now.
It seems that the bass notes are a lot louder outside than inside the garage. I guess that it is like the cars that go thumpety thump as they drive down the mean streets of Decatur!
Anyway, it really does play loud and clear.
It is time for me to make something different now, I'm open to suggestions.
A photo of the end product.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 06/18/17 at 04:45:47

Dam good job cleaning out the garage! That was the project, right? Speaker projects are endless and a rest is ok for now, however.... Try something out of your regular stuff. No not explosives, but something in audio. I did. Cool thing is, you learn from the new experience. My new thing for now is headphones, and I had no idea how much they have improved.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 06/19/17 at 16:42:14


Well, you know me. I'd vote you make some diffusers.

If you can cut some foam insulation, and maybe cut some 1/8" MDF - I can design it for you...you just need to make the mess of making big panels into little panels, then gluing them together into pretty patterns.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 06/19/17 at 16:48:13


I'm pretty sure I could even design something that's just foam insulation. Anyone can cut that without special power tools or hot wire...assuming your careful (unlike my recent incident).


Something like this could be done:













Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Steve Deckert on 06/20/17 at 05:34:47


From several perspectives, that is just stunning!  Probably the coolest looking small room I've seen... possibly ever.   Great job.


Steve

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/13/17 at 22:30:52

I have a pile of Lepai LP2020TI amps laying on my desk right now. I have not a clue of what I am going to use them for.
Because of shipping charges it was within a couple of bucks to buy 2 instead of one, so what the heck?
Has anyone ever messed with these things, maybe hot rodded one?
I'm open for suggestions.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/09/17 at 00:29:07

I need someone to take my access to Parts Express away.
I just ordered up more speaker drivers, tweeters, binding posts and capacitors for yet another speaker project.
I'm going to do a strange variation of a Nelson Pass design for the insanely cheap GRS Bofu drivers. It is a transmission line floorstander that looks fun to build.
Here are the original plans: http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/Pass-BOFU-TL-map-010910.pdf

I'm going to really mess with the design by using 2 of the 8" Bofu's and a Peerless tweeter per speaker. The weird idea that I have is pointing one of the 8"s upward and the other one "normal" Why? Why not?
I'll make the top replaceable so if it doesn't work I can go back to "stock".
Who knows, it might work.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/19/17 at 21:46:55

I got busy the last few days and built a pair of Pass transmission line speakers.
I broke down and bought some tools to help speed things up, a Kreg Accu-Cut and a nice new Bosh circular saw. My quality definitely took a big jump forward.
I modified the design by using two drivers in each speaker and adding a tweeter.
So far I'm pretty happy, it is looking like I over stuffed them but that is a easy fix.
Right now they are a little bass shy, but some break in and playing with stuffing will see if they wake up. If so then I will doll them up and give them to someone.
I need to find someplace new to host pictures so I can show them off.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Jeff of Arabica on 11/20/17 at 07:38:33

www.imgur.com  
Free and just as easy to use as Photobucket

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/27/17 at 17:22:25

OK, I'm trying Imgur. Sorry about the sizing!
These are pictures of my Pass Bofu T-Line speakers that I modified by using 2 8" GRS drivers and a Peerless tweeter with a cap on it.
The Bofu's run without any crossover.
They sound pretty good in my room, not too bad for $12 drivers.
I still have to finish them, I'm thinking veneer on the front and satin black for the rest.
If anything they kept me off of the streets for a couple of days.
BTW, I screwed up something the other day and have been locked out of the forum from my home. At work seems OK. Weird.
Construction pic.


One in the Garage



And one in my listening room.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 12/01/17 at 21:04:52

I started a experiment today. The new transmission line speakers seemed to have a bit of bass weight to them. So I moved them over a hair, slipped my OB's back into their place, brought my sub plate amps in from the garage and hooked them up to the box speakers.
So now the T-Lines are crossed over at around 80Hz and adding some bump to my open baffles.
They sound OK, but have planted a seed of inspiration for another project.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 12/04/17 at 16:45:18


Perhaps an Imperial SO?   :)  


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 12/30/17 at 21:15:03

Things are getting stupid around here. I've stacked my garage rocker speakers on top of my transmission line speakers. I'm running some sub plate amps on the transmission lines to give me thump.
Great party speakers!


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 01/04/18 at 20:37:04

I like your idea of stupid.  :)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/07/18 at 14:02:33

And now for something different.
My nephew just bought plans for a 12” Deathbox sub. Guess what I’m making today?
I’ll be annoying my neighbors while building something for my nephew to use to annoy his.
The circle of life goes round and round.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 07/19/18 at 21:19:50

Nice! The Deathbox is fun!

I had Steve's original one, made with marine grade particle board, and one of his 10" hand built drivers...hell, I had it for about 16 years I think, used in home theater and mostly on my computer as a small subwoofer setup. I sold it last year I think to a guy who read about Decware, and was blown away that I had this sub that he just happened to read about. Too bad he never posted in the forums though!

Looking forward to pictures of your project!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 12/08/18 at 14:41:40

I'm looking for inspiration.
A fine pair of Dayton 8" PS220 point source drivers found their way to me this week (Thanks Dan) and I need to use them in something special.
I was originally thinking of using them in a transmission line speaker like the Pass designed one for some cheap GRS drivers. http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/Pass-BOFU-TL-map-010910.pdf
Other ideas have been a "Bigger is Better" box. http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/BOFU-BIB-plans-311007.pdf
or some "Singularities" http://speakerdesignworks.com/Singularity_1.html.
A other idea would be a upsized J-Low, https://www.passdiy.com/pdf/j-low.pdf
Does anyone have a suggestion?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/13/19 at 01:32:45

Well tonight 3 4'X8' sheets of 3/4" MDF were cut down to manageable sizes for my next project. A very large pair of Bigger is Better speakers.
They are going to be 6'4" tall!
I'm trying out all of my new tools, hope that I can figure out how to operate them without cutting off any more of my fingers. Life is difficult enough with only 9.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/14/19 at 00:20:29

I got a few hours of work in today on my BiB's
It is so much better building things with the right tool for the job.
Below is a test cut of my hole cutting jig for my router.


And another of when I was laying out the pieces. Nothing bolted together yet. I'm trying pocket screws on this build.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by deucekazoo on 04/16/19 at 21:23:30

Looking good, having the correct tools makes a world of difference when trying to build something. I made a pair of these a long time ago for the Fostex FE127 drivers. Have fun building them.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/26/19 at 23:51:46

It has been a busy weekend. I built a Deathbox sub box.
It seems to hit really hard. I was running it off of a little Dayton 100 watt sub amp with my Bigger is Better garage speakers and things were vibrating off of the wall.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by deucekazoo on 05/28/19 at 14:26:12

Donnie,
It did not happen without pictures!  ;D

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/28/19 at 22:17:01

Alright Deuce,
Here are action shots from the build.
First, my disaster area garage.



testing without the top on



after it was fully assembled and with primer. It looks good in flat white.



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/09/19 at 01:24:58

I've been on a tear the last few weeks making stuff.
I did the Deathbox and then started on my next project.
I'm going on vacation in a few weeks, we rented a house on a lake in the mountains of Tennessee. I decided that I wanted to have a somewhat mobile stereo and looked at what drivers were laying around the house.
There were a pair of Dayton 4" full rangers and a 6.5" Dayton Classic sub driver.
So I bought a couple sticks of 1"X 6" mahogany ( Why is it only .750 X  5.5", If you sold steal like that you would be sued out of business) and designed a system with 2 speakers with a separate sub box.
Everything ended up being 12" X 12" X 5.5" boxes and I have been pounding them out the last few days.
I sure hope that they sound OK. They are going to be powered by my little Wadia DAC-AMP and a 100 watt Dayton sub amp.
The mahogany is shellacked and MDF is being painted stop sign red.
I haven't quite finished yet and still haven't listened to them.

In process pics :










Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/11/19 at 00:41:45

They make noise.
After vacation they will get a lot more work on looks. I'm not too happy with the finish at this point. The paint is really soft right now.
They sound pretty good, hopefully it will get even better with more time on them.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 06/11/19 at 01:32:51

As the paint dries and gets hard the sound will likely become brittle.   ::)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/15/19 at 14:46:45

I am very happy with the sound of my little vacation speakers. They sound more than adequate in my listening room. The little sub adds a lot to the sound.
Here they are piled up on top of my little horns in front of my open baffles running off of my Torii. I might have a couple pairs of speakers hanging out around here.



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/29/19 at 00:26:42

After a few weeks of playing my little vacation speakers it is time to get back to my open baffles and Torii.
My little fling into solid state and box speakers was fun, but I kind of feel dirty right now, maybe even like a slutty cheap tramp!
That might be a metaphor, I'm not cheap!!!


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/02/19 at 17:48:31

I just downloaded plans for a Wicked One Sub. This might get ugly.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by deucekazoo on 08/02/19 at 18:43:44

Awesome! Is it going in the garage or a car?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/02/19 at 19:20:02

Either the Garage or for my listening room.
My OB's can always use some reinforcement down low.
The plans are a little wanting for detail, but I know a guy that can flesh them out a bit. Lol!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/03/19 at 02:22:49

I believe that to build a Wicked One you have to summon Satin or one of his Minions.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/03/19 at 21:42:58

It took me a while to figure out the print but I finally saw what I was missing.
I'm starting to make some headway. The angles are fun to figure out.



My garage is a mess. I really need to build a dedicated shop.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lonely Raven on 08/09/19 at 06:54:40

Oh wow, I remember building those!

I think that was the first time I chatted with Bob - he PM'd me after I posted excitedly about my build, to point out I got one of my angles wrong. I thought it was very cool of him to politely send me a note and help me correct it.

Someday I'll build an Imperial SO.  

I'm really excited to see how you like it once you get it running, Donnie!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/09/19 at 10:54:27

One of my guys is going to do a layout for me so that I will get all of the angles right.
It has been a fun build so far, just my stupid job gets in the way. If I only didn't need money, there would be so many more hours in the day to play!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/20/19 at 23:14:29

I need even more big speakers. There is a little more room left.
I drug my Bigger is Better garage speakers in today. They seem to put out a bit of bass down here.
They are tall and heavy. Just about at the limit of what I can carry down steps.



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/08/19 at 20:54:57

I just wanted it to be known that I do build speakers that are not painted red. Gloss white is a new frontier for me.
We are calling them "Stormtroopers".





Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Al Pi on 10/10/19 at 13:52:45

Looks nice and promising...
My attempt at "sparkly" white was an utter failure: https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1570297736#5... (too thick layers became wrinkled, white became a tinge greenish), so I'd love to see your results from a closer look  [smiley=13.gif]

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/10/19 at 22:05:34

Well Al PI, my white paint luck is on a downward spiral.
I was sanding it flat and started seeing dark spots, I had sanded through, Damn!  
Another couple of coats were laid down and I'm waiting for it to dry out. We will see how it looks tomorrow.
Patience is a virtue.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/11/19 at 18:54:24

The Storm Troopers are nearing the finish.
They sound pretty good for something with less than $75 worth of drivers in them. Just some small detail work to go.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/19/19 at 16:12:16

Just a quiet Saturday morning being improved by music.
I'm listening to my Bigger is Better speakers. They are doing a lot of duty lately.
The Stormtroopers are off to their new home. The kid that got them is impressed as hell with them. Sometimes I get lucky.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 11/11/19 at 00:10:27

Donnie,
Did you lose interest in the portable box for your sister that started this thread?
I think it is interesting.  
I wonder if the best sound for the dollar could be done monophonic.
And perhaps build a Zen Kit for the amplifier.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 02/08/20 at 01:22:37

So I've been hacking away at this project for a couple of months working on it when the weather would allow. Supposedly my next house will afford me the luxury of a heated shop.
What these are is some DM945ish clones with some different things done to them.
The stands are pretty neat, a young guy at work designed them, so I'll just give him the speakers and stands.
I have to keep paying back, life has treated me pretty good and some people gave me some amazing help when I was just a pup.
Anyway, meet the Grey Ghosts.








Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 02/08/20 at 01:49:58

Brian asked
Did you lose interest in the portable box for your sister that started this thread?
I think it is interesting.  

Sorry Brian, I didn't see this until much later.
Well yes I did build my sister a boombox.
It started out nice and innocent and then kind of took on a life of it's own.
I found a huge shipping trunk, worked it over, sealed it up and made separate chambers for  full "stereo".
So it ended up with 2 8" full range elcheapo GRS BOFU drivers and 2 12" subwoofers shooting out the bottom.
I found a Dayton amp with Blutooth that was a 2.1 channel with 50 watts a side and 100 watts for the subs.
The whole thing weighs around 100lbs so I put caster wheels under it.
For some reason I didn't take many pictures when I was building it, but I have the short video below.

https://i.imgur.com/kOWJo5X.mp4

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/03/20 at 01:59:21

Well today was a very nice day here in the flatlands and I got real busy.

I built a pair of speakers for my old CAD Monkey. He had four HiVi 5" drivers and a couple of HiVi tweeters.

There wasn't anything that I saw using these drivers that looked interesting,
so we drew up something and started hacking away on the saw.

We never think of taking pictures while we are working.

Here is what came out, they are the speakers sitting on top of my garage rockers.



They don't sound too bad, not a huge amount of bass, but you make do with what you have.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/29/20 at 12:05:08

Here is a new addition to my co-workers small radial project.
A half scale DeathBox.

I think that the big boss will complain about the noise!


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/21/20 at 18:28:12

Well I have been pretty busy building stuff over the last few weeks.
I've built 2 pairs of speakers and a subwoofer. My garage looks like a MDF dust bomb went off in it.

The first set was what we now call "The Barn Rockers"  that consist of 2 cubic foot boxes with my favorite El Cheepo $12 GRS 8" full rangers with a 1" soft dome tweeter in them.
What pushes them over the edge is the Deathbox with a 12" sub in it. My oh my oh my.

The cube mate that I built them for just got a place in the country far away from everyone. His barn needed sound reinforcement, and he knew just to ask for help.

Well it seems to have met all of the requirements that he had for the project.

Using just a cheap Dayton Bluetooth 2.1 chip amp it rattles everything in the barn. He says that he can hear it clearly in every corner of his 2 acre place. His wife has already complained about it being too loud. in the house, 25 yards away! Kaboom!!
A job well done.



The second project was also for a cube mate. I've pretty much built something for everyone I work with at this point.

These speakers called for more finesse from them, so I built another one of my transmission lines for him but with a big upgrade in the tweeter department.

This is either the 3rd or 4th set of the Nelson Pass designed TL for using with Bofu drivers. I use the stupidly cheap GRS's in these also, paired up with a HiVi ribbon tweeter this time.

Wow talk about imaging and soundstage. Really impressive, maybe better than my bucks up open baffles. Good enough to start thinking about what I can do to really hot rod a pair for myself.

Right now I'm just running them in, I will disassemble them next weekend and slick them up and prime for paint. He wants to paint them himself because of my reputation of going way crazy on finishing.
I've been known to paint something and then sand it down to start over, multiple times.

I might have a little OCD problem.

Everyone makes sure that all of the screws in your house point the same way, right.....?? Attention to detail is what I call it.



Project after project. Gotta keep moving forward like a big shark or die!
I'm too old to die young and too young to die now!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by dank on 06/22/20 at 23:17:07

Donnie

Whats the part number of your $12 GRS speaker?  Parts Express I presume.


Dan

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/23/20 at 00:41:17

Dan,
I love these drivers. I bet that I've made over 6 pairs of speakers with them in them.
They are cheap and fun.

https://www.parts-express.com/full-range-8-speaker-pioneer-type-b20fu20-51fw--292-430

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/27/20 at 03:21:59

Well I got motivated after work today and attacked everything that has been hanging over my head for the last week.

I mowed the grass to keep the blood sucking lawyer across the street from giving me the stink-eye. Sorry I don't mow my place twice a day, I have shit to do!

Then I had some time to play with the latest transmission lines I've been messing with.

They were dragged out of my listening room. (I need to buy a single level house, these 75 lb speakers make my voice to go up 2 octaves every time I carry them out to the garage.)

This last week, the co-worker that I am building these for came by and listened to them. He was stunned, he had never experienced speakers that can image like these do.
I told him that it had to do with all of the math and physics that I took at MIT* when I was a pup.

Anyway, tonight the drivers were removed, everything was flush routed and then all of the edges were radiused with a corner radius bit.

Then the sanding started, 120, 250 and finally 320.
Tomorrow the shellac based primer goes on. Probably 3 or 4 coats and sanded flat between coats.

The owner wants to paint them because my reputation proceeds me and he would like to listen to these sometime in this next decade.

A photo of how the look now.











*Mississippi Institute of Truckin'

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 06/27/20 at 14:46:03

Donnie,

 I used to have neighbors like yours back in the day. It actually came to the point that I vacated the house after I put it up for sale and rented for 3 months until the house sold. Damned HOA. The pres lived on one side of me and the treasurer on the other.

 The DNA2 speakers have gained weight so I get what you are saying about moving them back and forth. Got a router guide coming in today and that means another trip to the shop for the pair. Ouch.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 06/27/20 at 16:28:48

Donnie, I know why he wants to paint them himself. Red might clash with his interior color scheme!

On a serious note, it could certainly come in handy to have you as a friend. Nice job on those!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 06/27/20 at 16:36:27

And concerning home and yard upkeep, my neighborhood is a great example of why HOA is a must! We do not have one, and it has gone to shit. Cars parked up and down the street, bunch of houses for rent, yards unkept, fences falling down, etc.  I have no choice but to vacate the area. Coming next year. At least I don’t live in Minneapolis...  I went and got political. Oooops!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/27/20 at 23:59:55

Here we are another 20 hours later.

Things are looking different, the speakers are primed and reassembled.

I really don't want to give these away! They are so good sounding that I'm plotting on how to make a pair with upgraded drivers.
A person could reasonably think that some drivers that cost more than $11.46 a piece (if you buy 4 or more) might sound even better. But sometimes synergy comes your way.....

Here they are sitting in my stereo room, resplendent in their white Bin primer. If they were mine, I would sand them smooth again and build the primer up some more, maybe paint them red or something. Lol.



Oh yeah, the neighborhood is quiet today, thunderstorms and restaurants opening up kinda takes the newer neighbors out of here.

When I moved here 25 or so years ago, it was very rural, hardly anyone on the road.
Well then they built a high rent golf course at the end of my peaceful road. The progress of man.
Things then took a turn for the better I suppose. But the neighbors changed from farmers and technical folks to Doctors and Lawyers and such.
They just have a different mindset from us folks who get their hands dirty for a living. But truthfully I've moved up the ladder in my profession and don't get dirty for a living anymore either. So technically, I guess I'm one of them.

My father always told me to get a job that you washed your hands after your peed, not before. Mission accomplished dad!
I'm just upper middle class white trash now.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Steve Deckert on 06/28/20 at 05:06:22

Donnie,

You are one of my favorite posters on this forum.  You rock!  Your prize is:



Steve





Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/28/20 at 14:42:19

Steve,
That is a picture of my long lost little brother, Darwood!
Where in the world did you find it?

He left our family when he was 13 years old to work the Carny circuit as a elephant ear chef.

Years later I heard through the grapevine that he had worked his way up to running a Hoochie Coochie show in a Carnival that also featured the World's Tallest Midget and the Bearded Man as their main acts.

The last thing that I heard about him was that he was running a high stakes Gin Rummy game out of a trailer in the parking lot of a Dollar General store in Winona Mississippi.

The stories I could tell.........



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Greg C on 06/28/20 at 18:27:44

....I agree with Steve...Donnie I really do enjoy reading your post ...you bring enjoyment, laughter, and craftsmanship to the site...keep up the good work.

...I also like that you are a MIT* graduate

*Mississippi Institute of Trucking

Greg

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/04/20 at 02:05:21

So I am egotistical enough to believe that you are all waiting to hear what in the hell Donnie is doing today. Well I'll tell you.

I woke up with big plans to build something but kind of got stuck reading a book and listening to music.
Stuck sounds wrong, I was enjoying it too much to put it down. Remember, reading is FUNdamental.

So later on this afternoon I decided to do something with this HSU 12" subwoofer driver that has been sitting for months in a cardboard box sub "cabinet" in the back corner of my listening room.

I thought about making yet another DeathBox, but I have other drivers to use in those, so something else was needed.

I started to Google different plans online, exotic stuff, 6th order, 8th order, Transmission line stuff, but decided to just calm myself down and just build a 2.5 cubic foot ported box. Simple enough to find plans, straight forward stuff, not requiring 6 sheets of MDF and days of cutting.

Well I printed out the plans and carried them and my laptop out to the garage, fired up my garage stereo, backed the cars out and got down to it.

Well as I dug through the sheets of MDF I noticed that it seemed awfully warm out there and bugs were biting me on my skinny legs.

I then looked over at the cardboard box the the driver was already setting in and reality hit me, it was too damn hot to be messing around very long out there.

So out came my roll of duct tape and I started taping the driver back into the hole that I'd cut in it a couple of months ago.
Unfortunately, my roll of super duper red duct tape soon ran out, so I grabbed a roll of 2" wide blue painters tape to finish the job.

I wired it up to a Dayton sub amp and started playing it with the pair of transmission line speakers that I just finished for my buddy.

It actually sounded pretty OK, so I thought if a little is good, a lot must be better.
Out came my pocket knife and a piece of plastic drain pipe and within a couple of minutes I had a ported box. I'd also taken the stuffing out of one of my wife's useless couch pillows to add a little stuffing while I had the hole in the side open.

Surprisingly it sounded real good.  Actually good enough after playing it for a few minutes in the hot ass garage I dragged it down to the air conditioned stereo room to play with my open baffles and tell you all this story.

As they say, pictures or it didn't happen, proof positive that it was too hot out to mess around today.






Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/18/20 at 22:25:43

I had a little extra time on my hands today at work. Some spikes for speakers were made.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by lazb on 07/18/20 at 23:25:20


how big a hammer you gonna need to drive those into the speaker, Donnie?
;-)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/19/20 at 01:17:28

I will use my BFH to drive them in!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/24/20 at 03:41:44

I fell into a bit of vacation so I've spent it working on making the latest pair of speakers more better and prettier.

I'm in my obsessive compulsive painting mode right now.

These speakers have been sanded, primed, re-sanded, primed, sanded again, painted, dried overnight and then another coat of paint applied.

They get to dry for a few days then will be sanded flat and polished. Or more than likely I will see something I don't like and will sand everything off and start over again.

Some times I think that I enjoy sanding more than I enjoy listening to music. Or listening to music while I sand?

Oh yeah, white is the new red.






Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/25/20 at 02:21:24

So I have finished the "Rocker II's".

The white finish came out nice and shiny. My fingers will probably cramp up tonight from all of the wet sanding that I did today, but all in all worth it!
The palsy of working hands. If my hands weren't hurting I would think that something surely must be wrong.

Right now I'm playing the speakers in my listening room, they sound pretty good if I say so myself.
Both Solid State (Dan the Amp) and Tubes (Torii III) have been used, both with great results.

The Silver Flute drivers sound punchy with bass and the HiVi tweeters are just imaging monsters.

I will say that I've been listening to open baffle speakers for so long that box speakers sound "boxy", not that it is a bad thing, just different.

Well next week is still vacation time, who knows what I will piece together?
Probably another set of Barn Rockers for my boss' new barn. Giant Monkey Coffins that can fill a barn with sound.

A picture of the finished product.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/30/20 at 23:04:20

Well I've figured out that I can't sit still for too long of a time.
It is nice to get up after the sun has came up and eat a leisurely breakfast, but within a few hours I start to get antsy.

So the second version of Barn Rockers have been started. The name might be changed into Swamp Rockers because my Boss's new place might be a little more protected wetlands than the verdant forest that he was sold on.

So the basic building block of the barn filling system is the sub woofer to hold up the bottom end.
You really have to make a big thump to fill up a 40 'X 60' shed with 20' ceilings. That is where a Death Box comes in handy.
If it can make a car thump that you can hear for blocks, it can make a barn thump that you can hear over 40 acres.

So yesterday was spent cutting and gluing a Death Box up.

Today I got all artsy and painted it up, not red, not white, but YELLOW!
My boss is a hardcore company guy who "bleeds yellow". So I'm going to surprise him with a sound system in the company colors.




Truthfully, I'm kind of dragging my feet on building the 2 speakers to go along with the sub. For some reason I can't come up with a suitable design in my mind.

The last pair of Barn Rockers I used the ultra cheap GRS 8" full rangers and a 1" Dayton tweeter, but the boxes ended up being huge 2 cubic foot behemoths that I never really warmed up to. They had no excitement to them.
The guy I gave them to just loves the heck out of them, but I just think that they are just OK.

This pair might end up being a pair of radials or something like that. Who knows what is rattling around in my head.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/09/20 at 18:48:47

There is a new driver in my arsenal, A FaitalPRO 4FE35 4".

A 4" 91dB full ranger, built like a tank.

My current project of the Swamp Rockers are using them for a forward facing, full range driver, in conjunction with the GRS 8" Full ranger's firing upward, radial stiye.

Yes, I steal Bob's and Steve's ideas freely.

These with the yellow Death Box are killing me in my garage right now, big sound is happening.

My Boss's barn will really rock when I finish 'em.

More to come.....

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/15/20 at 22:04:46

The current project of the Swamp Rockers is getting closer to fruition.

Today primer and  paint went on, now I'm waiting for everything to dry.
The story of my life, sitting around waiting for paint to dry.

And yes, Yellow is the new red.



The top "lens" is black.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/16/20 at 23:33:15

The swamp rockers are now resting in their barn.

They are way more than adequate for their intended purpose.

My Boss was giddy, giggling like a a teenage girl.
He was very happy!

The tin shed was ratting hard, even outside with the doors closed.
I'm sure that the deer were displaced from their hiding places. I swear that we saw a ground hog dancing like the gopher in Caddyshack!

The acoustics in the barn aren't what I would call great, well in fact they are terrible, but you work with what you are given.

I can say that they will probably cause my Boss's neighbors to complain, and they are a good quarter mile away, through woods and creek bottom.

So here they are, finished in my garage, sounding pretty good to my ears.



Some details.





And in their final location.



So if you have a need to annoy your neighbors, even if they are a half mile away, I'm your guy!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/01/20 at 23:08:59

I've been busy building speakers again. Nothing as ambitious as Steve and Bob, but steadily plugging away on different projects.

The latest are a pair of my Rocker series, version 2.2.
Silver Flute 8" driver with a HiVi  ribbon tweeter.

These are called "The Great Pumpkins" as I had cans of red and yellow paint left over, so I dumped everything into one can and this is what came out. Quite appropriate for this time of the year.
I built them for a toolmaker that works with me, he wanted shop speakers like mine, so that is what he got.



Next up are "Barn Destroyers" for a co-worker that just built a 80'X60' shed.
I'm going to attempt to build a DeathBox with a 15" Mach 1 driver. I hope that my math on that one works out!
The rest of the system will be using cheap ass GRS Bofu 8" drivers and Faital Pro 4" drivers to help out the upper frequencies.

I was also stopped just today by my Boss's Boss asking if I could build him a pair of Barn Rockers for his play shed.

My reputation is getting a little too big for my talents.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Bottlehead on 10/04/20 at 06:26:51

Love the way that you keep it moving, Donnie.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by deucekazoo on 10/05/20 at 14:07:19

Donnie,
I really like that color, speakers are looking good.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/05/20 at 21:33:54

Thanks Deuce,

The color is just what I got when I mixed the cans of red and yellow. Nothing planned or anything like that. My wife even commented on how she liked the color.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by dank on 10/07/20 at 12:38:13

Does that mean orange is the new red?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/12/20 at 01:03:35

So I spent the weekend half messing around in my garage building my super sized 15" Death Box.

It is about 75% done, enough to actually make noise from it.
Yep it is effective, 20 Hz right through 160 Hz.
It makes everything in the garage buzz and my gut feel funny when it is turned up!

Tomorrow I will start on the two speakers that will make this the Barn Destroyers that my co-worker requested.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by DPC on 10/13/20 at 09:12:31

What if Elsie quits producing milk?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by dank on 10/13/20 at 14:55:29

Donnie

Let us know how the 15" deathbox turns out.  What speaker are you going to use?  If it turns out good, the Dayton 18" classic sub might be interesting as another step up.

Dan

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/13/20 at 15:43:56

Dank,

I'm using a 15" GRS Mach 1 replacement speaker from Parts Express. I noticed that was what Steve was using in his Imperial subs.

This is the 4th or 5th Death Box I've made in the last year or so. After the second one I noticed that the sliding part always ended up all of the way down, so I stopped making the siding part and put the baffles in solid.

This one for the 15" is just me swinging for the fences. I just upsized everything quite a bit. The biggest problem so far is that I can't get full MDF sheets. It seems like there is a shortage around here.
The current thought on it is that there are so many people "Working from home" that a lot of projects are getting done and using up all of the material. Anyway, I could only get 1/2 and 1/4 sheets. It kind of limits me on size.

So 48" is my limiting factor. So guess how big the box is?
The outside dimensions are 49.5 X 18" X 18" and it weighs somewhere north of a metric ton.
The entire box was just a little over 7 cubic foot and it figured out to around 4 cubic foot on the sealed end of the box, I wanted 6, but 4 should do.

The real cool thing about this "Barn Destroyer"  project besides the monster Death Box have been the speakers their selves.
Just a simple 2 cubic foot ported boxes with cheap GRS BOFU drivers and some Faital Pro 4" full range drivers running full range as tweeters.
These things sound crazy good, stupid crazy good.

Here in a little bit when it warms up I'm going to Walmart to buy cheap pillows as a source for polyfill. Why pay $9 a pound when I can get the same in a pillow for $4?

Anyway this has been a great vacation project so far.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/14/20 at 00:04:20

Just a couple of photo updates of my Barn Destroyer project.

The sub is huge and it shakes stuff off of my workbenches.



And the speakers sound way better than they should. Very happy with them.



I'm now listening to them for a day to "let the glue dry", more like to catch my breath.

In a day or two they will come apart to be slicked up and finished.
We are finishing them in shellac over raw MDF, for kind of an agricultural look.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 10/14/20 at 11:59:44

You do good work Donnie, those are going to look great and I can almost hear them in the photos.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/14/20 at 15:00:14

Thanks Lon, I appreciate that.
My workmanship is just OK in my opinion.
I really need to take the time to figure out joinery a bit more. All of these butt joints look amateurish, it is time to step up my game a bit.

I've been lucky in finding good combinations of drivers and tweeters. Truthfully. I just take other peoples ideas and expand upon them.
The math is always fun and the work keeps my mind occupied in a good way.

If I didn't have this hobby I would probably be in a shack way out in the middle of nowhere writing my Manifesto and building letter bombs!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 10/14/20 at 15:06:47

Well, I don't have your skills for the speaker building hobby and sort of do live in a big shack halfway in the middle of nowhere and. . . well, thank goodness I have my systems and collection and instruments, or I'd be writing those letters and deciding which stamps to use on the packages. . . currently I'm leaning towards either the cool WWI ones that are harder to get now, or the new Harlem Renaissance. . . . ;)

We can all stand to up our respective games, but I am impressed with your speaker building.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/16/20 at 18:48:27

Well the Barn Destroyers are being set up in their new home right now. Hopefully the building is robustly constructed.

The co-worker who I built them for took the day off so that he could play with them.

The one piece of the build that I haven't talked about is the tiny little Dayton 3 channel amp that powers it. A $90ish amp supposedly with 50 watts a channel and 100 watts to the sub. I figure more like 20 a side and maybe on a good day, 50 to the sub.

But with all of the drivers used in this project being 90 to 91 db efficient the volume is way more than enough. I saw over 103 db in my garage with the doors closed, more than adequate for it's usage. It is hard to describe the hit that the sub puts out, kinda like someone hitting you in chest with a tennis racquet.

A picture of the finished project as it was waiting to be picked up.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/24/20 at 02:23:50

It looks as if my next project will be a pair of Jeff Bagby Continuum II's, the drivers were shipped out today and I picked up some wood tonight.

Tomorrow I will start by ripping boards into pieces that I can glue up into more interesting looking speaker parts.
That is if the weather doesn't slow me down. It was 82 yesterday, now they are telling us to not be surprised to see snow this weekend.

I've been doing some research into how to make poplar wood look better and have somewhat of a plan on how to incorporate oak into the design.
While I'm no fan of either wood there doesn't seem to be any other wood species available to me here in corn country.

Seeing as these are really small speakers I will need to really step up on the attention to detail. Oh goody, something to completely geek out on.

Wish me luck, come hell or high water, something will come out of this.
So if you end up seeing painted MDF speakers you will know that my skills weren't up to the task at hand.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 10/24/20 at 17:45:15

You might try some different finish techniques on the oak.  I have a cherry project coming up and I'm planning on a lye wash that turns it red.  I used to feel the same way about oak as you do but I like working with it.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/25/20 at 03:13:42

Archie,

I tried several different finishes on scraps today and found a bunch of things that I didn't like whatsoever. Walnut Danish Oil looked real nice on the oak but turned the poplar even more green!
The best looking stain was a dark cherry, but I'd rather not make everything the same tone.
I'll figure out more after the glue dries more and I sand everything out and get a better handle on what I am working with. I need a plainer!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 10/25/20 at 04:22:59

The green poplar will eventually go brown and tan.  It's just such a plain grained wood.  I think I've used Special and Dark walnut Minwax stains on oak with nice results.  I'm a big fan of linseed oil.  I don't know if it will work with oak but lye can do interesting things to wood.  If you've ever poured concrete and stepped on a redwood deck you'll know what I mean.   ::)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/27/20 at 01:12:52

Holy crap! What in the world have I gotten myself into?

I'm pretty sure that I am looking straight into the eyes of Satan right at this moment.

Hell if I know what I'm doing.



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/02/20 at 22:26:52

Just a quick update on my Continuum II build with the kit from Meniscus Audio.

The crossovers are done, the boxes are in final finishing, and next is assembly.

I'm hoping that they end up sounding good behind Dan the Redheaded Amp!

Here is what the "boxes" look like right now, let's see how I can mess them up!


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 11/02/20 at 23:02:36

That's the poplar and oak?  Looks damn good!   8-)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by dank on 11/02/20 at 23:52:39

Wow!

Dan the Amp will be proud to drive those guys!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/03/20 at 00:05:13

Archie,

Yep, poplar and oak with amber shellac over the top.  My wife talked me into not staining or using vinegar on them.

Dan,
Dan the Amp will push these with ease!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 11/04/20 at 02:37:39

Donnie, That looks absolutely fantastic.  Definitely Jealous of how nice your cabinets look.  I know I have been been listening to my Continuum II regularly since they have been built.  I must admit I've been so inspired by them that I've purchased Bagby's Kairos kit as well.  The cabinet construction is well beyond my abilities, so I have no idea when the project will happen.  But to say I am in anticipation is an understatement.  It is really a luxury to be able to hear crossoverless speaker systems driven with Decware tube amplification on one day, then on another day hear these mini monitors driven with fine solid state and compare and contrast.  At the end of the day I know my heart lies with my SE84UFO25, Torii MKIV, HDT, and Hegeman Model 2 gear!  But undeniable, incredible things are to be heard with the Continuum II setup.  At any rate, I am glad you took a chance on a Bagby speaker and look very forward to your opinion of how it sounds.  All the best!!!    

Also! I'm sure I forgot to give props for Dan the Amp.  I had the privilege to have several sessions with that amplifier at Dank's garage and it delivered every single time!  Dank ran it through the paces, behind at least a half dozen speakers, over a wide spectrum of music and it never broke a sweat!!!!!  It was always a pleasure to listen to.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 11/04/20 at 02:53:02

 Donnie,
 Back away slowly, and DO NOT look the project in the eyes. These speakers are killers, blood suckers; very dangerous. There is still time to bolt.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/04/20 at 17:12:26

So 4krow you are saying that speakers with crossovers are like vampires?

Holy cow, if I'de only known beforehand.
litefootdan has led me down the garden path to my destruction!


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 11/04/20 at 21:54:34

And another one bites the dust (old vampire saying).

 Donnie, see there is where it all goes sometimes. Like when you make a cabinet that gorgeous, then you have no choice but to back it up with gorgeous sound. Double duty for the craftsman.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/07/20 at 00:26:14

I finished up my take on the Continuum II's today and have been playing them a bit.

They are hooked up to my Torii and don't sound too shabby. I'll run them for a while before I give any kind of opinion, but so far they are fairly impressive.

The crossover seem to work in both of them, so my soldering skills must have been adequate.

The instructions from Meniscus Audio were pretty good once I looked at them, but being "old school" I didn't really look at them until I couldn't figure something out.

I didn't build them like the LS3/5a that they are modeled after, so time will tell if my boxes are worth anything.

Anyway they were a fun build, and working with "real wood" was pretty neat. The poplar and oak look pretty good together.
I might need to do something like this again.

Pictures of the finished product.






Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by DPC on 11/07/20 at 12:40:21

Good job Donnie!  Those look like expensive speakers that people pay big bucks for.

You are inching closer to Bob Z.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 11/07/20 at 12:57:34

Donnie,

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/07/20 at 14:12:55

Thanks everyone.

These were fun to build.

Believe me, Bob Z has no worries about my skill set getting even close to his.

I'm just a motivated hobbyist with the problem of not being able to shut my brain off.

Today there are a pair of speakers that are going to be put together with a biscuit joiner. My boss loaned me his tool to experiment with.

Wish me luck, hopefully I end up at the end of the day with the 9 2/3 fingers I started out with.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/14/20 at 02:22:14

I just finished up yet another set of speakers.
Thank goodness that it is starting to get cold outside so I can stop this madness!

These are another pair of my "Rockers" done up in white.

A old friend has another pair like these and wanted a pair for his 20 year old son.
Maybe this can be the start of a new audiophile?!

These were constructed differently than I have been doing them, this time I used a biscuit joiner. I really like how they seem so much more solid feeling.

The bass seems enhanced with these, maybe the stiffer construction...?
But truthfully they only have  around an hour on them , who knows what they will sound like with some break in miles on them.

Now to wind down for the winter and take some time to listen to some of my builds.

There is a new build on the horizon that will really test my skills, but it will take some planning to figure it out.

Picture of this last build.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/15/20 at 03:35:18

I've been playing my Continuum II speakers tonight driven by Dan the Amp. A very satisfying combination.

The Continuums are a fairly laid back speaker, but Dan has enough punch to push them forward quite a bit.

Truthfully the Continuums are smoothing out as I get more hours on them They probably have way less than 20 hours on them. I get busy with other peoples speakers and leave mine laying around out of rotation.

And also speaking of Dan the Amp, why am I not hearing of other owners of these? They are really great, maybe as a second amp to compare and contrast with your lower power Decware amps. They are a steal at this price.

I need to build some speaker stands, currently I'm using may garage rocker speakers as stands and it is a pain to carry them back and forth plus my wife gets mad at me dragging these dusty things into her clean house.

Does anyone have any good ideas for speaker stands? I like interesting things and shapes.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/21/20 at 23:54:37

So I have been looking for some sort of  interesting speaker stand for my Continuum speakers, lo and behold they were right in front of my nose all along.

Around the turn of the century while I was still getting dirty for a living, I had the pleasure of working as a metal pattern maker. One of the most high end jobs in machining. Imagine taking a solid hunk of tool steel and finding the part that was hidden inside of it, 3D machining at it's highest form.

Anyway, the old master pattern maker that had started the business had retired and hung around the shop and made things from wood. You know simple things like clocks with wooden gears, violins, harps, nothing fancy, lol. Truly a talented artist of woodworking.

He had taken a shining to me because I could make just about anything he needed that were too time consuming to hand make, things like his wooden gears and metal parts for his harps.

So anyway, back to the speaker stands.
I needed stands for some NHT speakers that I had at the time and asked him to build some.
The only thing that I told him was that they needed to be 24" tall, (that they are, holding + or - .005" depending upon the humidity in the room at the time!) and to make them an interesting shape.

Well to say that they are an interesting shape is a complete disservice to his skills. They are made of solid Mahogany and curve in all 3 axis, so hard to describe beyond saying that they are stunning. It is even harder to photograph, but I shall try to convey how they look with some photos.

Anyway back to today and needing speaker stands. The stands that Lowell had made for me have been holding up the giant, thick piece of maple that my amplifiers sit upon. I needed them out front and center to be used for what they were intended to be, not be hidden under amplifiers!

So this morning I woke up thinking about the next pair of speakers that I am going to build, they have me racking my brain on how to build them, there are some tricky angles and some fancy joinery to them.

So I just thought that I would build something simple just to give me more time to ponder my next moves.

I figured that I could free up my speaker stands from their grunt work of holding my amplifiers up and build a proper table to set the maple slab and amplifiers on.

So I made a new table, using bits and pieces from different speaker baffles that I had became dissatisfied with for whatever reason, now repurposed into a useable amplifier stand.

The table just before it was installed under my amps.



And now my speakers have stands under them! I also cleaned up my mess and much to my wife's amazement, vacuumed!



It is difficult to show how cool that these stands really are.







The table with my Torii and Dan the Amp on it.



And yes, I drank 3 or 4 Diet Dr. Peppers today!


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 11/22/20 at 00:08:05

Very nice!
You have a choice of seeing the stands or switching them and not.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 11/29/20 at 18:53:28

Just read this thread again. I missed out on some stuff since last time. Yes cameras don't often get the full effect of finishes. The stands got to make things a lot more versatile. I am curious, how much does each stand weigh? I might have missed that. And you know, I still find that each speaker design prefers a certain volume level to sound it's best. Larger cabinets can get away with lower volume, at least that is my experience.
 My shop is also telling me to go away for the season, but I might squeeze in one more project.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/29/20 at 23:22:22

4krow,

The stands aren't very heavy. Probably under 10 bs each.
I've wondered if that hurts me or not, so far I'd say not.

The Continuum's have been ran heavily over this long weekend.
I'm more than happy with them in combination with Dan the Amp. 

A very good project.

I'm now waiting for some new tools to be delivered. More to come on that development.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 12/06/20 at 18:53:03

My new woodworking tools are starting to trickle in to me.
I got a bunch of clamps yesterday, because you can never have too many clamps.

I have a biscuit joiner coming and a real fancy miter gage for my table saw. I watched Steves videos on his Tiny Radials and noticed what he was using for his angle cuts, so I ordered the same one. There are also some accessories for my router that are in transit from England of all places. Amazon seems to get stuff from all over the place.

Hopefully these tools will help me step my build level up even more.

I've volunteered myself to build a fellow forum member speakers for him and I want to really do them up right. Right now I'm in my planning stages, hopefully sometime during my Christmas break from work chips will start to fly around here. Weather permitting.

I have too many ideas rattling around in my head. Hopefully I can pull this one off.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by DPC on 12/07/20 at 16:05:58

Money, good tools and good lumber can produce excellent results!.

Determination and sound design are also part of the equation.

Good for you Donnie!

Dennis

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by JBzen on 12/09/20 at 11:36:03

Donnie,
Screw clamps are a great addition in any wood shop. Very handy tool for a quick support that can conform to almost any shape. I just acquired a half of dozen or so of various sizes. Indispensable now!

John

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Blueone302 on 02/27/21 at 17:34:46

Donnie,

  Not sure why I actually stumbled onto this topic.  That said, I have really enjoyed following your "exploits".  I especially appreciate your projects and specifically your listening room pics as I'm plotting an addition.  Got some inspiration from your work.   Might even try and mimic some of your good work.  Anyway, I went in to looked at the pics again and noticed you've not really posted any new exploits of late.  Hope all is well; and if you have the time, let us know what you're working on.  And.... is it red or white???

Jim

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 02/27/21 at 19:29:11

Well Jim the main reason I haven't posted anything new is because it has been too friggin' cold out in my shop. It was -10 F a week or two ago on my drive to work.

But as I type this it is 51 F and I'm starting to get itchy again. The long range forecast looks good too, so maybe next weekend I can start into my next build.

The first project is going to be a pair of Jeff Bagby Kairos for a forum member.
I promised that I would build them late last fall and I have been just sitting on my ass for the last 3 or 4 months. It is time to get going on them.

No red or white this time, walnut and black is the color of choice. I am thinking about some of that black that is so black that it looks like nothing is there.

Just kidding Dan, a normal black is what I'm planning on.

Beyond that, I have a 12" sub driver laying here and my boss is building a cabin in his woods that will need some sort of audio reinforcement.

I'm sure that this year will have some good projects. Let's see what I can come up with.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Blueone302 on 02/27/21 at 19:38:33

Waiting as they say with bated breath!   :D

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 03/03/21 at 02:03:45

Donnie!  I can't imagine how cold it was up there.  I know here in KS we had a couple days with a high of 0 and -1.  That's cold enough for me!!!!  Hope you're in good sorts and in good spirits ;)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/10/21 at 23:11:41

Today a box from Parts Express showed up at my door. Inside was a pair of the Tang Band drivers like what are used in the tiny radials.

Wow these things are tiny, much smaller than a coffee cup.
I hooked them up to my phone and $28 Lepai amp that was also in the box and started playing them. They really need a speaker box to keep them from jumping around like Mexican Jumping Beans.

My wife started complaining that they were too loud, so I can check that off of the list of things that I can do to annoy her.

Now to decide what kind of box to put them in. Something nice for the laundry room. I might pick up some hardwood.

Gotta warm my skills up after a long winter layoff and then start into a real hard project!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 03/12/21 at 05:25:07

Donnie, for "a real hard project", the Horst Möller Saxophon has long interested me.
http://www.hm-moreart.de/23.htm

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/13/21 at 02:49:39

Wow Brian, those look imposing to make.

My skills aren't even close to that level, yet.

But breaking everything down to the piece you just need to make at that time is usually how I get over that fear.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 03/13/21 at 04:40:39

I wish I were a real man who actually makes things! I would like to hear those.
I emailed with Hörst when I first found those speakers ten or fifteen years ago. He was sure enthusiastic for them.
I like the comments on his feedback page.  http://www.hm-moreart.de/82.htm

For some reason I get that page translated to English if I open it in the Edge browser, but it stays in German in the Internet Explorer.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/13/21 at 13:34:38

Brian,

I wouldn't call myself a "real man" because I didn't have the need to kill my breakfast this morning, but it is satisfying to have the chance to build things for fun. But I did sneak up on the orange that I ate....

This Horst Moller person shure does has a lot of interesting projects on his website.

http://www.hm-moreart.de/1.htm

Of course I've always wanted to build Neilson Pass's Kleinhorns.
They fit my aesthetic, big, stupid, and loud!
https://www.passdiy.com/project/speakers/the-kleinhorn-part-1

But today I'm going tiny. I have a pair of the drivers that Steve uses in his Tiny Radials and I'm going to do something similar but with my own twist on them.

What that twist is I haven't a clue yet. I suppose that something will come to me when the cutting begins.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 03/14/21 at 04:24:35

A new twist. Good idea.  

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/21/21 at 02:33:11

Well the weather broke enough to let me back into my garage today to actually start the build project that I should have finished last year.

Project Karios has finally launched, complete with cold fingers and good intentions.

I will admit that the prints looked pretty daunting when I first started looking at them. But after studying them for a while and breaking down what needs to be done, and in what order, it became a no hill for a climber situation.

I had plenty of scrap MDF piled up in the corner, a table saw with a spiffy new miter gage and a whole bunch of toolmaker tools in my toolboxes. Why not give it a go?

The decision was made to take it easy and not do my usual all in, no stop until it is done situation. At least that is the plan so far. We shall see if I can actually work that way.  

So today was just a short hop into this project just to get me into the "mode".

The desired results.



The website:
https://meniscusaudio.com/product/kairos-speaker-kit/


The bottoms and the tops:





And my messy garage:




I was going to ask you all to wish me luck, but I like making my own luck.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 03/21/21 at 04:26:02

How very Aegyptian!
The box looks like one we used to see by Dynaudio in the Zalytron catalog.  It got good reviews.
As I am not to wish you luck, I will pray that you have success and have fun too.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Blueone302 on 03/25/21 at 21:52:11

Well, I was thinking they would be done by now and painted in.... Isn't white the new color?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/25/21 at 22:47:57

Not done yet! I'm taking my time and actually trying to do things right and not spend a bunch of time fixing what I messed up.

These will be painted black on the front, back and bottom and if they look good I'll go ahead and do some walnut veneer on the sides and tops.

Since the world has been opened a crack, The War Department has been tasking me to do things with her, cutting back on my shop time. Three or four hours a week is all I can budget right now, so I'm slowly but steadily progressing now.  

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 03/26/21 at 04:34:01

That is one I had not heard before. I wonder if "The War Department" reads the Decware forum.
If she does, I will find a good recording of Taps for you.
Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/27/21 at 16:10:33

1 degree X 16" =.2792", a little more than a 1/4" .
Don't ask me how I came upon this little tidbit.

I do believe that they call it parallax error.

Well I needed to go to Menard's anyway for some 1/2 MDF, I'll pick up some 3/4" too.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/27/21 at 22:49:22

There is a pile of Karios parts in my garage that have been hacked out today.
Believe me when I say that there are a whole bunch of parts that go into these 16" tall speakers.

Getting the angles right was "fun" but I'm under the impression that they are right. The protractor says that they are 14 degrees, the math all figured out right.  At least they are all the same!

There is a lot of stuff that still needs done, lots of little details, more angles and a lot of grooves and pockets to go.

The sad thing is that I find this fun, almost fulfilling. I live a fairly pathetic existence.



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 03/28/21 at 00:31:40

Donnie!  Your work looks most impressive!!!!  Once I tried to put together a cabinet with only 90 degree cuts to be made and I still failed miserably...  Your work is impressive!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 03/28/21 at 01:05:59

Well Dan, I aim to please!

Next weekend is a 3 day, I might get a whole lot more done.

This is a real challenge.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/02/21 at 21:32:14

I don't want anyone to think that I have fallen asleep at the switch on this latest project.

I took my time getting started this morning, it was cold out and I'm starting to show signs of becoming a dreaded Senior Citizen. I'm just not too enthusiastic about working in the cold anymore. Come on, it was only 25 outside.

But things did happen, I got all of the internal bracing cut out and all of the pockets cut out of them.

The plan for tomorrow is to do a lot of the internal work, there are a lot of  what I call keyways, but woodworkers call them something else, maybe rabbits or wolverines or possibly badgers, I really don't know.

I'm working up the nerve to do the front and rear baffles. There are a lot of "complications" on them. They are already cut to size with all of the angles, but now there are the holes and keyways in them to contend with.

No hill for a climber, do what is in front of you at the time. Yada yada...

Most of today's progress. 2 each of the braces.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/03/21 at 23:32:26

So I did a lot of "Precision" grooves and steps today, or as I call them, Wolverines*, and finally made enough progress to kinda see what this thing is going to look like.

There are angles going all kinds of different directions, parallelograms and such. It has been a stretch to figure out how to do this with my limited experience with these types of tools, but just doing one operation at a time and trying to think my way through has worked so far.

My next big challenge is figuring out how to cut a trap door in the back cover. Hmmm....

Pictures from today's action.














* No Wolverines were harmed in this project, so far. A few rabbits may have been fed to the carnivorous critters though, such is the "circle of life".

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 04/05/21 at 05:57:37

Those pictures look splendid, Donnie. My hat is off to you. But not in 25 degree weather, I've gone bald on top.  

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/21/21 at 22:24:52

I'm still working on these Karios speakers, Just waiting my turn on my buddy's machining center.
I've written the program and put together the tools, but he is in the middle of a project and I have to wait my turn.

Other than that I don't have any exciting news to report besides that it snowed yesterday. Yeah, a whole buttload of snow in April, weird.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 04/22/21 at 03:27:14

"snow in April"
That's Global Warming!

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/15/21 at 02:47:42

Well I am still waiting for my buddy to have me some machine time on his Machining Center.
Beggars can't be choosers, so I will wait.

So I had a few days waiting out a covid quarantine, what to do??

A guy I work with had a idea.

He coaches a traveling boys baseball team and he wanted something to play music to the team.

A little shopping found a small plastic cooler that looks like a baseball and a quick shopping spree at Parts Express got the rest of the stuff I needed.

Well I may have hit a home run for them.

What could this innocent baseball looking thing be?




It looks to be a cleverly disguised boom box!








It's guts, a 60 watt chip amp with Bluetooth and a battery pack.



It sure ain't HiFi, but I need to keep my brain occupied or I will start planning my eventual takeover of the world.
And nobody wants that to happen!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 05/15/21 at 07:34:18

Cool!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 05/15/21 at 17:04:10

I love it Donnie! What a neat idea. You are a mad scientist...or maybe just mad🤔 [smiley=lolk.gif]

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by HockessinKid on 05/15/21 at 17:26:46

Donnie,

If you ever decide to start a new business consider doing basketball, soccer ball and football cooler boom boxes too. The latter would sell like hot cakes to tailgaters.

You could become a bazillionaire.

HK

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/15/21 at 21:52:00

I would sell them but I doubt that anyone would want to pay the price.

Here is a little better detail photo showing the amp and battery mounted next to the driver.

I just cut out a ring from some 1/2" plywood, epoxied it in place and the screwed everything to it. The driver sandwiches it to the top and the amp is screwed from the bottom. Simple and fairly clean.




Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/19/21 at 22:25:15

Excitement is building here in the cornfields.

I got some machine time and cut out the front and back baffles for my Karios project speakers. It is time for glue!

Then the interesting part of bodywork and finishes.

I've also been thinking about some speaker stands for under them. They could be interesting if my thoughts are doable.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 05/19/21 at 23:23:14

The Suspense!!!!!!  The Suspense!!!!!!   Hey Donnie, are you guys getting as much rain over there as were are here in KC?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/19/21 at 23:37:15

Dan, Yeah we have had a bit of rain, now it is supposed to get hot.
If it isn't one thing it is another.

I'm hoping that "project creep" with the speaker stands ends up as cool as I can see in my minds eye.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 05/20/21 at 22:54:10

 Dammit Donnie, a baseball speaker? Just looking at your previous posts gets me REALLY wanting to build a set of speakers too. In fact, that is exactly what I am supposed to be doing right now. My friend is likely wondering whats up by now. My excuse is that I get one too many irons in the fire and some of them go cold. After reading/seeing your posts, I have some renewed energy for all this.
FWIW, I broke down and bought a decent floor standing drill press awhile back. That in itself gets project sgoing.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/21/21 at 02:15:14

I aim to inspire! Lol

I just get bored and make shit. Sometimes it works out well.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/23/21 at 02:44:50

Today was productive. Lots of gluing and clamping.

It started like this.



Then moved to using every damn clamp I owned, and I could have used more.



And finished up like this.





My skills still need to improve but I can make these work.
I was always told that the best guys were able to make their mistakes look like they were always meant that to be that way from the beginning.

Oh yeah, the speaker stand for these were started today.
With any luck they will be pretty trick.
And if they don't work out, nobody has seen them or the plans!
Plausible deniability.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/30/21 at 21:26:19

The weather is nice and I'm feeling industrious, so it has been a couple of days of speaker building.

The Karios speakers are getting real close to paint, just some work on the inside to make positive that they are sealed up tight. They also need some work on the rear hatches to make them removable, I have plans for that.

There was another set of speakers knocked out yesterday, a small ported pair that use a little cheap 4" full range Dayton Audio drivers. Two drivers per box just because I could.

Oh, by the way, someone has bought all of the good binding posts at Parts Express and I had to use stupid terminal cups. I wonder who bought them all out???

They are in the glue drying mode right now, I'll listen to them for a few days then attack the finishing.



And some action shots of the Karioses as they are Bondoed and smoothed out.













Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 06/01/21 at 07:39:37

They are coming along nicely, Donnie!  I look forward to seeing them painted.

Are they getting stuffed with fiberglass or Kimsul or something?

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/01/21 at 17:16:01

Brian,

The kit comes with Dacron. Or at least that is what the instructions say.
I'm just building off of the print, don't know yet if I will be installing the crossover or drivers.

Right now I am making sure that I have a good seal at all of my joints with epoxy.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Blueone302 on 06/05/21 at 04:26:41

Really liking the look of these.  Back in the day, I helped my father in law at his body shop.    Bondo was a handy filler for some subs we built.  Very interesting!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/05/21 at 13:29:06


Blueone302 wrote on 06/05/21 at 04:26:41:
Really liking the look of these.  Back in the day, I helped my father in law at his body shop.    Bondo was a handy filler for some subs we built.  Very interesting!


I believe that my auto body friends say "Putty is my buddy".

Today I move into paint.
Prime, sand, prime, sand, and then prime and sand one last time.

I get stupid with paint, I really wish I was good at it.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/06/21 at 01:37:45

Well today I actually got into paint, at least the first coat is on. I might be able to get away with only two coats, fingers crossed.

Black is the new black, semi-gloss black to be exact, tuxedo black.
I kinda like how they look.

The little ported boxes first.



Then the stars of the show, the Karios's. They are looking pretty cool.

Front



Back



Next process is to sand them flat, then add another coat, sand flat then polish!

No hill for a climber.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 06/06/21 at 05:36:30

Dang Donnie!!!!!!  Pulling it off so smoothly ;)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/12/21 at 22:26:15

So this weekend's update.

The second coat of paint went on both pairs of speakers I'm working on, now just waiting for them to dry.

I mounted the back access plate with brass screws into some brass threaded inserts. That guy from GR Reserch is always carrying on about ferrous materials in speakers, so what the hell...



Gotta let it dry then hopefully polish it.
Rubbing compound then wax usually makes them look good.

I also finally got the speaker stands figured out.
All I'm going to say is that it was a good thing to pay attention in Trig. class.

They are made from a bunch of scrap pieces I had laying about.
Every support goes off at an angle, nothing is a plain old 90 degree joint.



Things look real complicated when they were getting glued up.





Next thing is to slick up the stands and get them into paint.

I sure do like having something to keep me occupied, if not for this my Manifesto would just be getting thicker and thicker!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 06/13/21 at 04:32:42

I think I am understanding now. You are a cousin to M.C. Escher.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 06/13/21 at 06:04:51

Yes!  Those stands are tricky as two of the uprights maintain their original plane, but two change.  Very tricky indeed :)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/13/21 at 11:34:21

Yeah, they started out as "walkers", the one in the back going to the front and the other one was opposite.
But that design wasn't as sturdy as I wanted, so necessity being inspiration, I went from side to side to solidify them up.

If you look at the picture of the back of the speaker you can see how I started.

They are interesting, I like interesting!




Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 06/14/21 at 05:21:35

That makes me dizzy.
I applaud your ingenuity. Building skills too.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/19/21 at 16:01:49

Hello, my name is Donnie and I have a problem.

Last night I started polishing the paint on the Kairos project. Everything was moving well and things were looking real good.

Well I noticed a small place where I had polished through the paint.

I stewed on it overnight, came out this morning and sanded both speakers down and started the paint process more or less over again.

Believe me when I say that no one would have noticed it but me, but it was there.

Action shot from last night.



And where I am this morning. Negative progress!
Obsessive behavior for sure.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 06/19/21 at 17:48:28

I'd ditch the power sander going forward and stick with some 400+ wet/dry by hand or 0000 steelwool also by hand.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/19/21 at 19:44:22

Well Archie I was using wet 1500 paper by hand when I just caught the edge, small things drive me nuts.

I usually start with 600 and work my way up to 2000 then polishing compound and finally wax.

The pictures were with the polishing compound and then after I got mad and sanded it down with 220 to start over.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 06/19/21 at 22:47:08

Have you tried steelwool?  It won't flatten but it also wont catch and dig in.

I've never tried to get a "piano black" mirror finish though.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/19/21 at 23:15:28

Yeah, I'm going for mirror finish! I almost had it too, missed it by that much. (Get Smart reference, Damn I'm getting old).
Flat and polished look is the name of the game right now. I'll get it!

I've used steel wool on stain and Poly before. Don't use it on water based finishes unless you are going for the "Rat Rod" look on your speakers.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 06/20/21 at 19:24:37

 Wow Donnie, That IS a task. I just try to go for 'acceptable' with my finishes. In fact, finishing of all kinds is a major PITA to me. Worse only is when you see someone attempt a finish, and then just pour the thick, clear shiny stuff on top, thinking that it hides their hideous attempt at sanding. You are clearly not that type, sir. I heard it said that patience is virtue, but maybe it's a disease disguised as a virtue. It almost kills me to go back and start over, but I must.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/22/21 at 22:48:56

Well me and litefootdan spent the last day bolting together the Karios speakers to get them up and running.

Dan is a much better solderer than me, his stuff actually works after it is together, quite unlike my attempts.

After we got the crossovers mounted we kind of looked at each other and thought, "Why Not?" and completed the build and gave them a listen.

We compared them with everything I had sitting around and they were very good sounding.

Now I'll break them in for a while, then take them back apart, work on the finish some more and put them together for good.

The "Murderers row" today.



Next up, something a little more "High End". I might actually build my Koa wood speakers that I have always promised myself.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 06/23/21 at 05:28:29

Donnie,
What a nice afternoon!  Thanks for having me to visit.  It was a treat to see how the speakers shared and contrasted with one another.  Each with their own merit.  As usual...  Looking and sounding good over at Casa Donnie!!!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/25/21 at 23:09:57

I think that I just ordered up this speaker kit.

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/SBA-761.htm

The reason I say that I think they are on order is that it comes from one of those countries over in Europe that is on vacation about 90% of the time and I haven't gotten an answer back from them.
Daneland, or Belgium, or Saskatchewan, One of those foreign countries.

Anyway, the plan is to make them out of MDF and then veneer them in Koa from this place.
https://www.koalitywoods.com/buy-koa-veneer/hawaiian-koa-fleece-back-veneer-0001-16

Hell if I know what I'm doing, but that pretty much sums up my entire life.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/04/21 at 02:56:45

Well the Karios are out of paint and polish, unless I decide to do it all over again. I'm weird that way.

Action shots,



It is dirty work and I'm the man for it!




I need to get a better picture of them but this is from today.



The next project is finishing up the stands for these and a couple of other shorter stands for a friend.

And then I will start on the Troels Gravesen SBA-761"s, the parts for them are currently making their way from Poland to my little Central Illinois shack.
Hopefully they live up to their promise.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/04/21 at 15:27:00

Some better photos of the Karios.





I'm about 90% ready to take them back apart and start the painting over.

I figured out that my polishing compound was doing more damage that it was fixing. Maguiar's has let me down.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/04/21 at 16:14:14

Even though you are capable, your goals for this finish are high. As I mentioned before, I just don't have the patience for finishes. I am just starting on a speaker project myself, and already see that I will be buying more wood. Stuff happens. Here is the glue up so far. They are going to be really heavy. Shown is just one side panel! No, not my design. It is what the customer wants. Design is by Home grown Hi-Fi. Tony Gee designed this Orfeo speaker. I will have much better photos when it at least looks like a box. heh heh



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/04/21 at 16:28:17

Holy crap 4krow, those look complicated.

I pulled up the prints, there is a lot going on there. I wish you luck!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by MrDerrick on 07/04/21 at 17:22:47

Donnie,

Your project reminds me of the Reference 3A MM de Capo i's that I had.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/04/21 at 17:34:22

Yah, it's pretty much one step at a time. Here is a better image. Each panel on the inside looks like this.




Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/04/21 at 18:11:01

No hill for a climber!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 07/04/21 at 18:35:46

You DIY’ers constantly amaze me. Nice work, Donny and 4K!!!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/04/21 at 21:25:30

 Geno,
I do appreciate the compliment, BUT in the end, this stuff has to sound as good as it looks. Man, it really is rough when things don't go as planned after all the time and expense given to it.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/10/21 at 02:16:57

I'm sitting here listening to a small side project that I gave myself a few weeks back.

My Boss has a small cabin that seems to be more of a mancave/bar/hideout than a camping lodge and I deemed that he needed a decent pair of speakers instead of those stupid Bluetooth speakers that everyone seems enamored with.

I knocked out a pair in a few hours that use some cheap Dayton Audio plastic framed 4" drivers. Nothing fancy, but more than serviceable for a cabin in the woods.

Truthfully, they image really well but are a tad bass shy. Nothing that his sub won't fix, or at least that is my hope.

As an added feature, a Co-Worker airbrushed a logo on the side of one of the speakers.
The cabin is named "The Dusty Mushroom" for some long drawn out reason that I won't bore you with.

So here are the "Dusty Mushrooms"








Come on down to "Crazy Donnie's House of Speakers. We have a lot of inventory and more coming in every day.
He's so crazy he might just give you speakers for free!

So remember "Crazy Donnie's House of Speakers" the next time you need a pair of quasi OKish speakers.
Crazy Donnie's, where you always get a free onion!




Speaking of inventory, I just got a email from Fedex that my speaker kit from Janzen Audio in Denmark will be delivered to me Monday. But they didn't specify what Monday. I can only hope that it is this upcoming one.

That project has me wondering if I'm good enough to build them to what I'm seeing in my minds eye. We shall see what the future brings.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/11/21 at 02:41:28

Hmmm Donnie, perhaps the dusty mushrooms will need a dusty onion sub in the future. Sorry for the enabling.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/12/21 at 22:22:49

I am in so far over my head that it is ridiculous.

My box of parts from Denmark/Poland showed up today.

Satori drivers are good aren't they??  They sure aren't cheap.

Ginormous Jantzen capacitors and inductors and 3 different types of stuffing.  
Lambs wool stuffing, I might end up making a sweater or something like that! Hell isn't pillow stuffing good enough for them.




Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/12/21 at 22:30:41

  Donnie,

 Take a breath and then be aware that these components cannot harm you as long as you remain still. Don't do anything with them so that they cannot become a mistake.
Maybe just put them up on the mantle for wondering what could have been.

MMMM, you are not going to take this advice, are you.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/18/21 at 02:58:33

Well the Kairos left my listening room last night.

Dan, I sure hope that they meet your expectations sonically. Please don't look at the paint too closely. They are nice looking 6 foot speakers, just don't get any closer!

Now I need to direct my attention to my SBA-761 project.
If I feel ambitious tomorrow morning I might see about soldering up the crossovers.

Yes, yet another crossover.
I'm hanging my head in shame on this.
I will smoke yet another turd in Hell for this one.
The number must be in the billions now.
I hear that they are hard to keep lit, maybe that is why eternity is such a long time.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 07/18/21 at 21:22:54

Hey Donnie!  The Kairos certainly do live up to hopes!!!  

I had another chance to visit with Donnie on Friday and had a nice listening session.  We mainly critiqued three amplifiers on the Kairos.  I brought an amplifier I'd assembled a few years ago.  Essentially it is a GT-102 from a company called Akitaka.  Donnie supplied his -Dan the Redheadded Amp- and his -Infamous Red Torii-

I had listened to my amplifier for years and it was the best solid state amp I had but I do not have many.  When we switched in the ZKIT60 I was taken aback.  I had no idea how much better that amplifier was compared to mine.  There was no comparison.  Which is a good and bad thing.  Now I have to build a ZKIT60.  Kudos Dan Kuechle, you engineered a very nice amplifier.

Donnie and I had to give our final nods to the Torii, it was the superlative performer in all regards.  

I think the majority of Decware listeners use or prefer single driver or wide-range with a helper tweeter. The Kairos are not that type of speaker.  They have a (very nice) tweeter, a mid woofer, and a semi-complicated network but they are really decent performers.  In many ways I prefer them to OB Betsy's.  Also to my OB Fast 10's.  I just love the lower registers offered by a cabinet.  

But that is the problem right.  The cabinet.  It makes for a "boxed" sound.

I've never wanted to go with a 2 amplifier setup.  But I have wanted to get an open baffle setup with some support woofers.  When Donnie and I were nearing the end of the session Donnie threw in his open baffle speakers.  He's got a pair of 15" woofers on the same baffle as one of the later model TB 8" fullrangers.  All of the drivers being driven with his Torii.  The sound was quite incredible.  Instantly the boxed sound was gone.  AND there was bottom end presence.  They were great.  But again it was a good and bad thing....  Now I have to try to get an open baffle setup that will work of my Torii...  Oh the problems!!!!!!!

Happy Listening Everyone
And Thank You Donnie  :)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/19/21 at 22:34:52

I was happy to have you by Dan.

You are right about the ZKIT 60, it is a really good amp!
It is so good to have it here to contrast against my Torii.

My open baffles are pretty good, I really need to update them using the knowledge I've gleaned since building them. I guess they can be put on the list of things to do.

The Kairos ended up exceeding my expectations.

I'll admit that there were several times in the build process when I just wondered if I had enough tools in my toolbox to pull them off.
But as I've learned over my years of building stuff, just do what is in front of you that day and the impossible becomes a bunch of small steps until you are finished.  

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/25/21 at 02:55:50

Yet another Saturday of small projects to do for a larger goal.

It was kinda hot and humid today so I didn't do anything huge of flashy, just some soldering and stuff like that on my crossovers.

Yes crossovers, Satin's spawn, evil incarnate. I will now forever forward call them 666 !


Starting with a basic layout.







And then soldered up and powering the drivers.






So much more to go on these, but you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/25/21 at 04:51:19

 Donnie,

 When I see you start yet another project, I feel guilty and jealous. There I said it. I have a speaker build out in the shop that I haven't touched in weeks. It is too darn hot man. That seem to come right after, it is too darn cold.
So instead, I am building electronics inside the house, where I belong. Either way, this stuff is expensive.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 07/25/21 at 23:31:36

4krow said:  "It is too darn hot man. That seems to come right after, it is too darn cold."

Yes! Exactly. That is the weather where I live. At least it is now that I am out of my twenties and into my sixties.  I try to pretend age has nothing to do with it.  It is all the weather.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/26/21 at 00:14:00

 Brian,

 Man ain't it the truth. Yet there are some guys out there that don't slow down for much of anything.

 I actually made it out to my shop to cut some big pieces and do some glue up as well. Each time that I went out it wasn't for more than an hour though.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/01/21 at 00:40:22

Hey Donnie! I read somewhere that it’s better to mount the inductors at angles instead of on the same plane to reduce interference from the electrical field. I’m not a scientist or an engineer but there seems to be some basic logic to that idea. Here's how I’m laying out a two way for a current project. A project that is delayed by the unbearable heat and humidity btw.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/01/21 at 01:55:33

EdwardT,

That is exactly what I did on my last build with a crossover.
I made a post to mount one inductor vertically and glued plus zip tied them into place.

On this build I'm just following the provided print for the layout of the crossover.

The inductors are huge and heavy, so I will epoxy and silicone them into place, or at least that is the current plan.

I did get the second crossover soldered together today.

The cutting and sawing hopefully will start later on this week. My wife is on vacation on some island and I took a few days off so that I can be undisturbed.

Oh the Koa veneer as been ordered, they dropped the price down to $375 for a 4X8 sheet, a total steal. The only bad thing is that shipping from Hawaii is $100. Such is the price of my wants.
I figure if these speaker's sound sucks I can build something that doesn't suck and cover them with the Koa!
I always like to have a backup plan.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/01/21 at 18:18:24

Even at $475 with shipping that Koa looks much better than $529 before shipping at veneersupplies.com…

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/06/21 at 03:01:55

So today was the day to really get into the meat and potatoes of my next project.

My first impressions of this Troels Gravesen guy is that I hope that he designs speakers better than he designs speaker plans.

For a $1500 "kit" these prints suck donkey balls. If one of my guys handed me  a print this bad I would cuss him out.



Ten more minutes would have saved me a hour or two of doing math.
And it is front, side then back. Not front, back then side.
Sorry, this is kind of what I have done for a living for the last 44 years.

But I digress....

Stuff has been cut!



And gluing has started.




And a rough idea of what it will look like, Kinda!




I actually lost a hour and a half today because my garage door wouldn't shut.  
I'd hit the button and it would go down and come right back up.
Adjustments we made by climbing up a ladder and turning screws to no avail. Finally it got dark enough that I could see that the little green light on the door sensors would go off for a brief moment, like a 10th of a second.

It was a damn spider web on the door with some bug guts, enough to upset the safety system.
I learn new stuff every day, it is always the simple stuff...

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/07/21 at 03:05:38

Well another day and a little more work done.

Things went pretty well until I figured that I had cut the front baffle a bit too short. I have been using an metric tape measure and just flat misread it. Oh well, I'm sure that the MDF will be used for something.


Action shots:

The port is fabricated,



The holes for the tweeters are counterbored and cut to size.
Fancy math was used to figure where the cutouts for the wires go.
Sine, Cosine, Tangent, and pie was eaten.
Actually the pie looked suspiciously like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.



Things are getting closer.



I'm currently looking for inspiration on some sort of outrigger feet for these things.
The speakers need to be lifted off of the floor 30 to 40 MM. Also they are only 220 MM wide, so my feelings wouldn't be hurt if the feet stuck out by 50 or so MM on each side to give a little more stability.

Anyone have any ideas for feet?
Yes I could make something elaborate from metal or buy something, but where is the sport in that?
I need something worthy of this build, remember, if these things sound good they will be covered in Koa, fancy ass wood.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 08/08/21 at 03:29:07

Hello, Donnie
I want to nominate Bear Claws as was used on Black Forest furniture. But I guess they would not be in keeping with the style of the cabinets.

The cabinets are such strict rectangles that I think I would attach 2x2 wood on the corners, maybe 3 or 4 inches long, and then a second piece half as long (or 5/8 as long) above that. So the decoration is taller right on the corner, and not as high a little way out from the corner.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/08/21 at 13:06:37

Maybe a riff on this out of 3/4 birch painted satin black. I’m mulling over a similar footing for a pair of GR X-SLS that are 12x8.5 and 39” tall which seems like it may be an easy tip over.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/08/21 at 21:41:44

I have the SBA-761's in my listening room just to hear them before the finishing starts.

The finishing might be what finally puts me over the edge. My painting and veneering skills will be pushed to their limits.

Oh by the way, these things sound a whole lot better than anything I've ever made.

Film at 11!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/08/21 at 22:58:22

Action photos!

Or how I spent 4, ten hours days in my garage and loved it.

This gives you an idea of how the bottom firing port looks.




This shows all of the felt lining the guts of them.
All I had to cut this stuff was a pair of small scissors, right handed ones, I'm a lefty. My right hand hurts now.




This shows the general mayhem that I have on my hands right now.
For whatever reason I'm disorganized when I'm building speakers, quite the opposite of how I work professionally.

I hang my head in shame!  

But you can see where I rest up and listen to my garage rockers.
For as much of a hack job the rockers are, they sound doggone good. Ask around, they rock.



Virtually every clamp that I own. There might one or two small ones in my toolbox but toolmakers clamps are real small.





Here they are 2 minutes after I finished putting them together.
They are sitting on top of 1-2-3 blocks and precision parallels because I'm still trying to figure some sort of feet out for them.
Also notice my ever present white McDonalds cup.
Today it was iced tea, it was a hot muther out there.




Here they are in my listening room, kicking butt and taking names.




Now to listen to them for a week or two while the glue dries up and let my veneer show up. It is being shipped by land from Hawaii so I figure that may take a bit of time.
In my head I see a mailman on a surfboard catching the perfect wave to California. Cowabunga dude!

First impressions are very positive, lots of bass and the tweeters are real nice. I'm a sucker for nice tweeters, hubba hubba.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 08/08/21 at 23:12:44

Donnie,

 Clamping can be a challenging situation sometimes. It all seems so simple, but to get even pressure along the whole clamped surface or to even get the right clamp pressure at a point that is not easily reached. One good thing on my side, is a thick work bench that serves as flat clamping surface. Ok, one down one to go. Now in simplest terms I try to make a matching surface to contact the entire top surface to be clamped. That is where it gets rough. When that is accomplished, the wood likes to move as you clamp.
What would be cool is to have a giant vise that could hold things in place and apply pressure at the same time.

FWIW, I only wish that my shop looked as organized as yours. I wouldn't dare post a photo of mine. Too many tools, not enough space.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/09/21 at 12:30:18

Donnie, I look at how neat your shop is during assembly and my workspace looks like chaos…

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/09/21 at 17:41:16

So the final day of vacation is upon me.

This going to work every day is starting to weigh heavy on my soul.

A old boss once told me that it was time to retire when you couldn't put up with the daily annoyances anymore.
Well I'm getting pretty pissy about how my life is being manipulated by HR and IT anymore.... Maybe it is getting close to time to call it a completed career.


I'm in the twilight of a mediocre career.

Rant over.


The all important balance has been reinstated into my garage ( for now).
Things have  been put back in place, the floor swept 4 times (MDF dust is, well, dusty).
I really like stuff to be in place because I'm lazy.
I hate spending all day looking for something. If it has a place I put it in that place and I can go through life on cruse control.



More shots of the speakers in my listening room.

The Satori drivers are as good as their hype, good shit Maynard!

















My listening room is starting to look like "Crazy Donnie's Speaker Emporium" again. Don't forget, Crazy Donne's is where you always get a free onion.

Too many speakers is better than not enough, right??


Anyway, I'm just going to listen to music for the rest of the day and not worry about tomorrow until tomorrow.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 08/09/21 at 18:39:48

 Donnie,

I was recently told >>> "When the annoyance outpaces the pay/reward/love of the work itself, you should reconsider." <<<

I did, and quit about 2 weeks ago at a museum where I was working part time. What a great job turned into something else after about 1 1/2 years. No need to explain, it all ends up in the same pile.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 08/10/21 at 03:22:14

Very exciting speakers, Donnie!
I am glad you are getting to enjoy them.  

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/14/21 at 21:20:47

Below is supposed to be the very sheet of Koa veneer that I have on order.

UPS says that it will be here Wednesday. I'm getting itchy!

I'm hoping that I can do this stuff justice. My current thinking is vacillating between clear shellac and clear poly, no oils or stains.

What does the collective say?





Oh yeah, I made feet this morning, nothing fancy just 22.5 degree miters on 2 sides to stick out to the front/back and sides.

Now the internal debate on how to finish the feet rages in my head.
There will be red with the Koa, you know, just because of my reputation.

Also these things are sounding awesome, dare I say better than even my open baffles.
Now the job is to not screw them up.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 08/15/21 at 03:42:36

Hi Donnie,
This part of the collective says: Too grey.
I would add a red stain. Or red orange.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/17/21 at 18:55:21

I have an ongoing temptation to try Rubio Monocoat in its clear formulation. That Koa would be absolutely stunning that way so that’s my 2˘

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/21/21 at 15:36:13

I'm working on the color palette of my new speakers.
Koa and red of course.

The finish on the Koa is still up in the air. Probably clear shellac.








Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 08/21/21 at 18:14:26

I say let the wood speak for itself with a touch of help towards it's true color.
https://ibb.co/2Y6WRqF

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 08/21/21 at 18:15:13

I like the combo, Donnie!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/22/21 at 00:21:07

So after some sanding, some bondo work, and even more sanding, it was time for some color. Or I guess correctly, lack of color.

It got it taped up to keep my enthusiasm with a roller at bay, cleaned it about 6 times and got ready for paint.

I used shellac to seal it, sanded with 600 and rolled on a coat of black on the back and the bottom.

Now I will wait a few days and decide if it needs to be sanded flat and maybe another coat added.












Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/22/21 at 00:53:35

It’s going to be trick to keep this face like grain figure in the veneer in the same place on the six sides.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/22/21 at 02:25:35

EdwardT,

Why in the world did you have to point that out to me??? Lol.

I won't be able to sleep for days now!

The thought hadn't even entered my mind. We will see if I can pull that off now. I don't even know if the "face" shows up on the veneer 6 times.....

Damn, now I have to go out to the garage and roll the sheet out.

Well I might end up in padded room by the time these speakers are done.

Maybe the face will only show up on the front face of the speakers???

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/22/21 at 15:58:42

If it was me I’d try to make that spot one of the speaker holes and keep that bit on the sides. I counted four complete faces but it’s not evident to me that I’m seeing the whole sheet. Gonna require a bit of planning before slicing or you'll never be unable to see the result.
I tried to get these pretty close, the veneer didn’t mirror image so I could only get close, I figure at 8 ft. apart it won’t be too irritating.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/27/21 at 22:30:16

I ordered up some Tried and True varnish oil today to use on my Koa.
https://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/products/varnish-oil/

Hopefully it gives me the effect that I'm looking for.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 08/27/21 at 23:11:10


Quote:
penetrating linseed oil and natural pine resin


Curious to know how you like this.  It will yellow quite a bit.  I'm a big fan of linseed oil myself.  Not sure what the pine resin is/does or if that's all that's in it.  

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/28/21 at 21:29:46

Would that pine resin be a fancy name for turpentine used as a drying agent?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Archie on 08/28/21 at 23:35:22

Ha ha, could be.  Lot's of ways to make cheap old linseed oil cost a fortune!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/29/21 at 02:48:59

Hey guys, I'm just spending $30 to try something different out. Lol

Yeah, when something is marketed as 100% natural my BS alarm goes off too.
But this stuff was highly recommended to me to bring out the Chatoyancy of the Koa.
That is a big fancy foreign word for sparkly wood, it makes it sound like I know stuff.
I learned it when I was getting my Masters at MIT*

In real life most of my sentences start with 4 letter words that start with F and S ! I work on the wrong side of the tracks.
Come to think of it no matter what side of the tracks I'm on is the wrong side.

I also ordered up some Bee's Wax. Wax on, wax off.
If I was a real man I would go full on Yogi Bear and dive headlong into a bee hive and get it from the source.
Come to think of it, I know a couple of guys that own hives....

Todays project was red paint on my new speakers.

So lots and lots of taping, priming and painting.
I'm using spray bomb rattle can stuff. I've only did this once before on a speaker project with moderate success.
Today's results were better than before, I might be able to sand myself out of anything that annoys me too badly.
My body work needs to be better.


So action pictures from today.
Anything that ain't red is going to be Koa:
The first pic is taped up.
I like to hit the speaker cutouts with a little color in case my machining is a little off.







The red is my usual safety red, the light and my phone camera conspired to make it look orangish. I've noticed before that my pics have a color pushing to the orange side.

Tape off:






Next up is sanding my overspray off and then the actual cutting , fitting and gluing up my veneer.
I'm a bit apprehensive about that, but what the hell, it is just for me.

As a side note, my open baffles might need a new home after I finish these.
These new speakers sound great and I have only so much room.
My open baffles aren't any slouches their selves. Really good sounding if you ask me or anyone who has heard them.
I've been known to give my stuff away....
That is known as a teaser trailer.









* Mississippi Institute of Truckin'
I got my Masters in coffee swillin' and rest stop lizard wranglin'.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 08/29/21 at 14:14:32

In all fairness turpentine is natural, it’s just pine resin that’s been distilled a process back in the day that was called crackin'  :)

I read the application instructions and it sounds a lot like French polishing where you try to achieve a little bit of heat as you vigorously rub after the coat has rested a bit. Back in the day craftsmen used a wool pad but I’ve heard of good success using linen over a cheesecloth core. And muscles. It’s a hearty thing you’re going to do.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/04/21 at 03:39:38

Just a quick update on my Koa veneer.

I glued some on tonight and it is now doing it's drying thing.

I used a cutoff of the veneer to experiment my finishing on. Probably the most expensive piece of "scrap" wood I've ever messed with!

Well so far I'm pretty pleased with this Tried & True stuff. One coat has been put on and buffed up.
The veneer is definitely looking much better with it on

We shall see what it looks like after 5 or 6 more coats.

The Koa is remarkable, it just sparkles and shines, some quilting has shown up!

Action picture :




Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 09/04/21 at 04:22:10

That color is gorgeous! So is the glow.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 09/04/21 at 12:38:03

That looks wonderful, I’ll bet it reveals something new from every angle. Combined with the red sections it’s going to be stunning.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 09/04/21 at 17:48:22

Donnie, You couldn't ask for more. I think it would be worth the price of tickets just watch and learn veneering from you. I have the veneer, but it spooks me off thinking about how to apply and cut without incident.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/04/21 at 18:48:38


4krow wrote on 09/04/21 at 17:48:22:
Donnie, You couldn't ask for more. I think it would be worth the price of tickets just watch and learn veneering from you. I have the veneer, but it spooks me off thinking about how to apply and cut without incident.


I'm probably the wrong person to learn veneering from. I've only done it a few times.

I just rough cut it, glue it down, and "clamp" it till the glue sets up. Then I just get a razor knife and trim the edges.

The veneer is just a big piece of wood that you glue to your boxes.

I'm working on ways to screw it up right now!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/06/21 at 02:43:17

A small amount of progress has been made.

Perhaps I can muster up some enthusiasm tomorrow.

In process photo:



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 09/06/21 at 03:47:34

I really like the match, Donnie!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 09/06/21 at 14:25:07

Yes sir! They’re going to be very pretty indeed.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/12/21 at 02:33:44

Well my method of stumbling through builds was in full force today.

It was time to get serious about getting the Koa veneer on to the speaker cabinets.

After watching some YouTube videos last night and finding out a method of applying veneer with dry TiteBond and a hot clothes iron and experimenting on some scrap it was time to get serious.

First I cut up my veneer into the size I needed:



I commenced ironing them down into place:




Then trimmed them to size (Difficult and somewhat tedious work).
This is what the first one looked like:




I then sanded and then steel wooled the veneer and started the process of the Tried and True finish. One coat a day after hitting it with 0000 steel wool. I figure 6-8 coats. Lots of rubbing and buffing, right down my alley. I'm just stupid for sanding and buffing.

So anyway this is what they are looking like after the first coat:








I scratched the crap out of my red paint in a couple of spots, so back to the drawing board on that aspect. I guess more sanding and painting is in my future.

It will be nice to get these back together and listen to them again.

I'm still thinking that my open baffles might be available, maybe a lucky person can pick them up at DecFest?? Is free too much to charge?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Dana on 09/13/21 at 16:35:31

NICE!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/18/21 at 17:50:51

I'm getting really close to bolting these together.

A quick respray today to cover all of the scratches I made cutting the veneer. Quick means 3 hours of taping and 10 minutes of spraying.

4 coats of Tried & True on the veneer looks about right to me.

Bee's wax next.

I'll let stuff dry and repaint the back and bottom black.

Hopefully they still play like they did before!












I have to take The War Department to lunch or I'm torpedoed.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/19/21 at 21:03:21

Done!

These things sound phenomenal, look better than my average speakers.

Now to play the crap out of them and see how much better they sound with some serious hours on the drivers.




The wood sure is purdy!!







Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by litefootdan on 09/21/21 at 04:38:56

Those REALLY look sharp Donnie!!!!!!!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/09/21 at 02:02:05

OK, after a few weeks of "loosening up" my new speakers I will say that I truly like them.

Right now my Torii is pushing them pretty hard and they really sound good in my room.

The bass is truly impressive, they hit low and they hit hard, but with great control.
Mids are very sweet and the tweeter is very revealing but not harsh.

My only problem so far is that I don't really have a name for them.

The red topped Koa sided speakers is a long and clunky name.

Anyone got a name for them?

Now I need to figure out what's next to build??

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Dana on 10/09/21 at 08:59:44

How about The red faced Hawaiians?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by HockessinKid on 10/09/21 at 12:32:22

Hula Koa's would be a fine name Donnie.

HK

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 10/09/21 at 13:47:59

Testa Rosa Koa

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 10/09/21 at 14:10:44

Lin, You nailed it!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Brian on 10/10/21 at 06:23:07

When you posted your first picture of the Koa wood, I did not see how it could become pretty.
It is now beautiful! I really like the golden glow.

But best is how good they sound.

Brian

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/06/21 at 02:32:37

OK, now for something completely different.

Well maybe, I guess. See how I'm hedging my bets there.

I was looking for some sort of different speaker design and I stumbled onto some very cryptic plans for "Negaoka Tetsuo Swan folded horns" when I was looking at some Fostex drivers at Madisound.

The website for them looks like it is from the late 90's if not earlier. It is in very poorly translated Japanese to English format that makes it kind of fun to read.

Anyway these speakers seem to be some sort of transmission line for a 4" Fostex driver and is somewhat modeled after a swan (yeah the bird).

Has anyone ever seen or heard any of these??

Am I stupid for even considering building something this, uh, interesting, yeah we will go with interesting.

The Web site for them:   http://spida.art.coocan.jp/eng-page7.htm

A truly bad photo:



Some sort of "Plans" that look like they were drawn on the back of a Kentucky Fried Chicken tub on the 4th day of some sort of hallucinogenic drug binge, perhaps Peyote or Psilocybin:





I kinda wish I drank or did drugs, that way this type of behavior could be explained. But I'm so pathetically straight laced a Diet Dr. Pepper keeps me awake for hours past my normal bedtime.

By the way, can anyone tell that I've been reading a lot of Hunter S. Thompson books lately?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 11/06/21 at 13:50:40

That's really an interesting “cabinet” and I admire your ambition to make sense of the design.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/16/22 at 02:37:17

Well my winter sabbatical is over. The weather has broken enough that I can work out in my garage, well at least after I cut the damn grass.

So today I knocked out a project that I had promised a good friend that it was the absolute next thing that I would build.

After a few hours of a hackin' and a wackin' I was able to produce 1ea. of a 12" Hsu diver infused powered subwoofer, complete with a Parts Express 100 watt plate amplifier.

Other than the MDF, the project was just "stuff" that I had laying around from other aborted projects.

All I can say at this point is that if you turn all of the knobs up all of the way it makes big uncontrolled  thudding-thumping noises, just like all of the $500 cars with $5000 stereos sound.

Job done, mission accomplished.

Action photos!





Even more excitment!






And the money shot of it actually working.





Next up:

A pair of 4" Mark Audio full rangers and 2 ea. of some 6"X1" X6' hickory boards.

Hard telling what I will come up with. I would like some stand mount monitors, so I have that going for me.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by dank on 04/23/22 at 21:15:59

I was hoping to see a red headed swan.

Had a pair of real ones, with looooong necks, fly over this morning.  They make quite a racket.

Dan

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/23/22 at 23:04:23

Dan,

The Swans are still on my radar. Maybe later on this year after I have a couple of projects back under my belt and my skills sharpened a bit.

This morning I knocked out a "Dice Tower".
A guy that works for me is a big board game player and they use these tower thingies to take out any skill that someone could have in throwing dice.

It will be red and Koa, I have my standards!

Something like this:



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/28/22 at 20:45:51

So I've been on vacation this week goofing off and making stuff to feed my addiction of speaker building.

I first built this little "dice tower" and finished it in Koa and red.
The Koa has "Tried & True" Varnish Oil with Bee's wax over it. Pretty.



The sub that I was building for my friend finally got paint, he likes white.
I have it in my listening room right now and it defiantly picks up the bottom end.



I also knocked out a pair of full range stand mounts that may or may not be given to a relative. I kinda like them right now.
They use a 4" Mark Audio paper cone driver.
The sub comes in handy for picking up the low end.




I suppose that my romance with these speakers will fade away when the sub gets delivered later on this week.

My idea of relaxation is weird.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 04/28/22 at 23:59:31


Donnie wrote on 04/28/22 at 20:45:51:
My idea of relaxation is weird.


We like the pictures (of things you make).

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 04/29/22 at 02:15:53

Plus I know the secret of how to post multiple photos in a single post!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lin on 04/29/22 at 03:41:19

I know how to, do we get bonus points or something? :D

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/14/22 at 00:03:08

It has been a weird week, I was off but preoccupied with "family" issues.
But I was able to keep my mind off of the bad stuff by working on the pair of small stand mount speakers I'm building.

Introducing the Blanco Koa's.












They are for my nephew in law who wants to listen to Jazz on them.

The drivers are Mark Audio 4" paper cones and they produce no bass to speak of!  Maybe a sub will need to be made.

I kinda like how the white goes with the Koa.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 05/14/22 at 12:52:54

The white is a nice crisp look playing off the koa. Really nice.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 05/14/22 at 16:36:45

Donnie, I do believe that that is your best work. You must admit that those look better than red [smiley=simp38.gif]

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 05/14/22 at 19:29:48

Thanks Edward and Geno,

I do agree that they came out looking pretty OK.

Next up are stands and possibly a sub, maybe..

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 05/15/22 at 23:51:06

A matching sub would be sweet, especially a downward firing unit to show off that veneer.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/16/22 at 23:27:46

Does anyone have a recommendation on a "kit" stand mount speaker.

I want to build something fairly nice and figure a kit build would be kinda fun.

I'd probably think about spending $1000-$1500 on a kit for the parts and then do something nice for the enclosures.

So do I look at Meniscus, Madisound, GR-Research, CSS?

I did the Troels Gravesen towers last year, now I need a stand mount.

I'm open for suggestions.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by BicycleJoe on 06/17/22 at 13:18:11

Danny @ his own company GK Research

https://gr-research.com/diy-loudspeaker-kits/

If you want to stretch out a Little Bigger Crites has some horn loaded designs


https://critesspeakers.com/crites-speakers.html

Particularly this book shelf https://critesspeakers.com/crites-speaker-cs-1t.html

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 06/17/22 at 14:32:33

I built GR's X-LS kit, a really fine sounding stand mount speaker that lands right in that budget including the CNC mdf cabinet kit. It really plays well above its price point. Also, have a look at his quasi open baffle (tweeter only) NX-Studio design because it also fits into the higher end of your budget and you can get the waveguide baffle in a nice hardwood to add to your own cabinet build.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/24/22 at 03:17:18

All right, family tragedies are behind me now, so I can throw myself at a new project.

I've decided to build a MTM version of my Rocker speakers.

Again, I really need to do a little research on this type of speaker before jumping in hip deep, but I have learned the best stuff by making terrible mistakes and then fixing what I screwed up.

So the plan is to put 2 Silver Flute 8" woofers with a single Hi Vi ribbon tweeter betwixt them.

So I cut up some MDF this morning, oh yeah, also some Hickory that I had laying around.





Why didn't anyone tell me that hickory cuts like 4140 prehard steel!
Holy crap , I had no idea things would be smoking while I cut the boards up. My carbide end mill in my hole jig is now due to be replaced.
Coatings are needed, TiALN, or something.

But I persevered and things came somewhat together.



I slapped a preliminary coat of Tried and True varnish oil on one of the baffles to just see how it looked.



I think that it might look ok for a garage speaker.

Maybe tomorrow I will glue up some of the other parts and see how this will all come together.

I do have a question:
I have to paint the MDF, what color goes with a hickory baffle?
Black? White? Probably not red.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Same Old DD on 07/24/22 at 04:24:47

Those are beautiful, Donnie!
[smiley=icqlite20.png] [smiley=icqlite20.png]

In my own space, I have moved away from everything black and gone full white.

I know paint is the cheapest thing we have with adjusting to rooms, but my room as it is, is a yellow and white sunroom.
New space and all, I went to the whites for my new paint, even on old black things that needed a nip and a tuck to make them a part of my new space.
White is almost like burden free it feels like in my room.



I might suggest a light tan to flow along with that beautiful hickory, but that was not in your list.
Choose a line of grain and match one?
But if you're planning on a shiny piano finish, it's hard to beat black.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by BicycleJoe on 07/24/22 at 16:58:59

Very Nice, Hickory Baffles will do well in the garage.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by JBzen on 07/24/22 at 17:04:32

Nice work on the baffles. For garage speakers I recommend flat black. Won't show all the nasty stuff that will be floating in the air and accumulating on the surface of the speaker.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Sean on 07/25/22 at 01:53:58

Very nice Donnie!

Hickory is not something I work with often. Last time I blew out a Milwaukee drill trying to drill 1/2” holes. My own fault not starting smaller and working up.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 07/25/22 at 16:12:58

A nice satin black would really compliment that gorgeous baffle.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/25/22 at 19:40:10

 I swore off hickory after the first time that I used it. There might be a secret to cutting it without destroying blades/bits/all the rest. Even sandpaper doesn't like it.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Same Old DD on 07/26/22 at 02:01:44

Honestly, Donnie, I thought the garage reference was a joke mainly due to how damn awesome the hickory looks, but also your choice of drivers.

I would go with semi-gloss black for a garage system. It's easy to wipe down, vacuums clean, easy to touch up when something falls against it, goes with anything.

Hickory is for real men.  
8-)
I watched my grandfather, sitting on his back porch, replace, smooth, shape and fit a hickory handle onto his axe using his pocket knife. He started with a log and a hatchet. Took him all afternoon, but he was not in a hurry. He was between farm chores. Kept a stone handy for his knife. Finished it up with course steel wool and linseed oil.
;D

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/26/22 at 10:33:26

I'm leaning toward semigloss black, like everyone says it is the easiest to keep clean.

And yes, these are being made as a pair of garage speakers for a friend of mine. He likes how my original pair of Rocker speakers sound in my garage, so the plan was hatched up to make a pair with two 8" drivers to see how that works.

My garage system has evolved through the years from totally outrageous with twin quarter wave subs made from concrete forming tubes, to where it is now with just a pair of speakers.

While the hickory is pretty, I don't think I will be hacking many more speakers from it. It takes sharp tools and makes dull tools out of them real quick.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by JBzen on 07/26/22 at 15:04:40

Shoot! I never worked with hickory before. Now looking at some local stuff.

Wondering if slowing down the cutters and feed rate would ease the overheating of the cut?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/26/22 at 17:13:18

I would imagine that reducing the SFM (spindle speed) would help. There would be less heat at the cutting edge. Your feed would need to come down with it also so that the chip load would remain the same.

Sorry for the technical jargon, I apply cutting tools for a living!

My table saw doesn't have a way of slowing the spindle down but my router does. Unfortunately my tools are already toasted, the carbide is blue, not a good thing.

But the hickory sure is pretty!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/28/22 at 23:38:54

Donnie,
Yesterday, I was looking at 1/2" straight router bit that was abused by me of course. I worked on cleaning and sharpening it just a touch before I wondered just how much time it would actually take to get it back in shape. Maybe it really is toast.
I resharpen my pocket/box razor knives because it takes no time to get them in good order. My grandfather was a barber, so maybe thats why I do it.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/29/22 at 01:32:45

4krow,

If the bit is carbide it will be a bear to sharpen.

Normally we start with a green grinding wheel that is made for carbide and finish with a diamond wheel. You have to be really careful with edge prep, too sharp and the edge goes fast, too dull and it doesn't cut without a lot of pressure and heat.

High speed steel is a bit easier to sharpen because you can use normal stones. HSS will also last longer with a upsharp edge because the steel is a bit more malleable.

I'm looking into finding some bits with a coating, probably TiALN or possibly TiCN.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/29/22 at 23:35:09

Well instead of toiling for "The Man" today I made something!

A lot of gluing and clamping got me this.





The Hick Rockers







The next steps are to round over the corners, then sand and put the various finishes on.

Well at least after the glue dries for a day or two.

They ain't too shabby sounding for a garage speaker. They might end up in my friend's living room after he listens to them.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Same Old DD on 07/30/22 at 01:08:05

Those are great, Donnie! The Hick Rockers definitely look more like homestead builders that garage fodder.
;)

Just curious, but have you played with the porting much?  Or did this alignment come from trusted software?
I don't know the drivers, but the enclosure looks to be tuned low.
Curious minds and all.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/30/22 at 03:12:36

DD,
They are tuned to 48 hz according to the calculator I use.

Just what it ended up being when I used stuff I had laying around.

Normally when I make these speakers with only one driver it is a 2" diameter X 3" for a tuning of 51 hz.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by JBzen on 07/30/22 at 08:55:41

Boy that hickory looks to be a bit brittle. Looks like you had a chip blow out between the two drivers on the left speaker. I have an appointment tomorrow to check out some kiln dried one inch rough sawn hickory. Might just get a few board feet to experiment with on my machinery. I really like the looks of those baffles!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/30/22 at 12:09:08

Yep I had blowout between the tweeter and a woofer. I cursed under my breath when that happened.

I will say that by that time my carbide cutter was showing signs of distress from cutting the hickory.

But yes, it sure is pretty, in a rustic sort of way.

I might get real motivated today and burn up a bunch of sandpaper sanding these smooth.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 07/30/22 at 12:23:25

They look nice, especially on those stands.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Same Old DD on 07/30/22 at 14:45:34

Under your breath? Come on now, we know. I would probably have kicked something that would hurt me more than it.
Nothing taken away from the beauty by a chip out. A glued in scrap, some light chisel work and all is well, as you know.

Hick Rockers RULE! I love your name for them.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/31/22 at 02:26:52

So today was sanding day. Fortunately I enjoy sanding, it is a Zen thing for me. Take something big and start from a small nice place and make it all nice.

Currently I have applied 2 coats of Tried and True on the hickory.
It makes the surface so touchable.

Tomorrow, if I feel motivated, i will clear shellac over everything, sand flat and then start the semi gloss black work.
Na, I'll probably lay around like a cow turd in the feed lot.
But hope springs eternal!

Action pic from today.



Not too bad for garage speakers.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by JBzen on 08/01/22 at 12:32:51

I can understand why you swore under you breath Donnie. Sometimes those little errors add up! I known, been there many times. Wood has to be one of the hardest things to make accurate layout marks. Those annular rings really play hell on markings. A template helps with the problem but not realistic for one or twos.

I scored some hickory yesterday with Randy style open baffles in mind. There was one inch that was kiln dried available but really wanted 2". When I asked if he had any we walked to another stack outside and found 3 pieces cut this spring air drying on a stack of mulberry.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/13/22 at 21:54:21

Well back to my regularly scheduled Saturday after fighting off a virus of whom we shall never again utter it's name in polite society.

The Hic Rockers are done as far as I am concerned.
The Semi Gloss black paint went on without too much of a fight and dried in what seems like seconds compared to the full gloss paint I usually use. Two days in on the gloss and it is still tacky.

So here they are in their full glory in my garage, filling the room with a nice punchy sound.



And a couple of shots of them in my listening room.







This was a pretty good project other than it was filled with death and illness.

What would normally take me a couple of weeks has been drawn out since May. I'm getting slow in my old age.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 08/13/22 at 22:27:35

Glad you are finally feeling better and hope that continues. No relapses, no long stuff. We need that hammer strength on tap.

Those look very impressive. As I noted before, I like the look of that grain.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by BicycleJoe Lo-Fi on 08/13/22 at 23:28:45

Donnie I understand, its a drain. Glad your being inspired. Looks very good.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Shomei’a on 09/05/22 at 14:10:47

https://ibb.co/n7xM8zy
https://ibb.co/BBfgQRN
https://ibb.co/9VBzhKS
https://ibb.co/BnPw1ZB

I finished my Lii driver project. Previously I posted that I was interested in building a version of “Big Betsy’s. I decided to go with Silver 10’s. I experimented with  a pair of “small Betsy’s) and this led to=me to consider building Lii Origin S-10’s. In the end, I decided to build a version of Leon Huijgen’s Open Baffle speakers with Silver 10’s and W-15’s. Here they are and yes, they sound wonderful. I am still experimenting with crossover (building my own), amplification, etc.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Shomei’a on 09/05/22 at 14:12:28

I’ve posted more pictures and more explanation on the Lii audio FB forum.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/05/22 at 14:34:20

Beyond cool!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by GroovySauce on 09/05/22 at 16:04:12

Shomei, Those are so cool looking, I love it!

What cross over point did you use?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 09/05/22 at 17:05:00

Those are beautiful.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Dana on 09/05/22 at 17:40:17

Those are very cool.  Have you tried them with no crossover just wired in parallel?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by EdwardT on 09/05/22 at 17:45:33

That W-15 dual voice coil really lends itself to fiddling about.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Shomei’a on 09/05/22 at 18:32:52

I’ve started using crossovers from Lii; they kindly sent me their Liionidas crossovers for the cost of shipping. Really nice folks. I’m now building my own following the plans from Leon with better parts.  Have not yet tried bi-amping but plan to. Any suggestions about best ways to do this would be welcome.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by BicycleJoe Lo-Fi on 09/05/22 at 19:17:31

cool hobby horse rocker, beauty reminds me of Adirondack shingle

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 09/06/22 at 01:43:36

I saw these on Facebook, and commented that these were as nice as I’ve seen. Once again, fine job and you should be very proud of these!

Best,

Geno

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Mannytheseacow on 09/06/22 at 04:00:46

Those are beautiful, Shomei’a, and I bet they sound amazing, too. What kind of wood?

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by JBzen on 09/06/22 at 09:25:40

Nice job. Very striking appearance. How thick is the English Elm? Looks like you took good precautions of wood expansion and contraction.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Shomei’a on 09/09/22 at 03:19:12

Thanks everyone.  They are made from English ELm. A few bits of Sassafras for some structural parts.  You can learn more in my FB posts. I just finished building my crossovers; I hope to try them out tomorrow. I’m sure I will try bi-amping at some point too. The big woofers certainly love owner. I’m interested in seeing if I get some efficiency back afte switching to the new crossovers.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 09/11/22 at 05:48:37

Finally! Someone who didn't take a raw slab of wood, and cut it into a rectangle! Rather, you went With the wood and followed it. Turned out as it should.
I like that you mounted the drivers from the rear and then compensated with the roundover on the front. The one thing that I did notice however, is while the top driver wood mounts are cut inline with the grain (assuring that they won't break in half), the lower driver is supported by the same type of wood mounts, but cut Across the Grain. They are inherently weaker in this cut orientation.  

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 04/23/23 at 23:15:09

 Just to share, I am toying with the idea of building a passive preamp. In fact, I have a lot of the needed parts in, starting with this dual mono type of volume control. Remember those? Quite a few manufacturers used these, but as time went on, less and less of them were seen. I still like the idea since it is easy to adjust balance and volume with one not upsetting the other.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 04/28/23 at 02:57:56

Figured that I would give an update when I had more done on this project. Just a shot of it upside down so you can see what is inside. Still waiting on some parts.
To be sure, those gears are not plastic, but aluminum. And they operate in mono, so even the volume controls are separate from each other.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 04/30/23 at 04:39:39

Went a bit different direction and lost the extension. It doesn't shorten the signal path in this case. So I did a lot of heat shrink and soldering and will be continuing in this manner. Will deal with knobs after that.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 05/01/23 at 19:37:00

Wiring complete. Just getting the right knobs is the last step. These are way too big for the chassis.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 05/02/23 at 12:03:17

One last shot before I go on. I use these plates on top of some of my builds. I have here a choice of 3. Maybe you guys could help me choose. I do like the one on the bottom.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Mannytheseacow on 05/02/23 at 14:15:57

I'm not much for plates, logos, adornments, etc.  I like a clean simple look myself, but did want to say nice job!  Cool project and very clean looking build.
I've been thinking of making a switch box but hesitant to add a device into the signal chain.  I don't switch sources very often.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 05/05/23 at 16:01:28

Thanks... Yah this has been a tongue in cheek thing for me. I did choose the copper plate though.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/23/23 at 18:20:45

I was bored so I made some speakers.






Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 06/23/23 at 18:36:55

Nice! I anticipated some red surfaces!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 06/23/23 at 19:14:48

I am tempted to get into the woodshop, but the rain has been nearly constant as opposed to what we are used to here. Cleaning out gutters on the house and shop, trying to get the lawn mowed and a few other chores are keeping me from fun for the time being.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/23/23 at 19:44:26

These speakers have crossovers, I have crossed over to the "Darkside".







I may have built several other pairs of speakers lately, but I didn't take too many pictures.

There were some oak ones that looked real nice, but I gave those away as I am apt to do.

No rain here at all for at least the last month. Dry dry dry, the grass is all brown and the crops are starting to show signs of distress.

Up next, a clone of these. https://www.blumensteinaudio.com/all-products/octopus-4-pcs-line-array-cable

He wants $6K for them, I can knock at least a zero off of that price.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 06/23/23 at 21:02:00

 Donnie, what did you use for backing board of the crossovers?  I was lucky to have some scraps of Corian that worked well for me.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/23/23 at 21:24:23

4krow,

I cheated and used a kit, CSS Criton 1 TD with the upgraded crossovers.

The crossover "boards" are 3D printed with all of the locations of the parts identified on them.

On other projects I've used MDF and glued things into place and then soldered everything together.

The CSS speakers aren't very efficient, but sound really good.

I'm still using my ZKIT60 amp, so power isn't much of a problem.

This is what the crossover board looks like.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Sean on 06/23/23 at 21:45:56

Nice! I see the caps match the color scheme!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 06/23/23 at 21:46:18

Just in case anyone is interested here are the few pictures I took of some little oak speakers I made.

First in test mode, before any sort of sanding or finishing. The only pictures that I have with the drivers installed.








Sanded.....



With some finish on it....




With "Tried and True" finish.



So that is some of the things I have done in my "Sabbatical"

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 06/23/23 at 21:51:34

You make that oak look pretty.

Glad to see you back posting!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by HockessinKid on 06/23/23 at 23:12:53

Nice speaker projects Donnie. Looks like you were keeping busy. They all look great 👍

HK

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by dank on 06/24/23 at 11:46:22

"These speakers have crossovers, I have crossed over to the "Darkside"."

But you already are on the "Darkside" because of your solid state Zkit60.  So are you now on the "Darker" side?  Like blacker than black?

Good to have you back


Dan

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 06/24/23 at 14:41:33

So glad to see you back to posting Donnie!

Nice work, and I hope you to hear a lot more from you.

Best,

Geno

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Mannytheseacow on 06/24/23 at 18:35:03

Nice work, as always, Donnie.
Glad to see you back around!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/09/23 at 21:19:19

 I am starting a little headphone project that uses a design by Pete Millett for the circuit. So far, this is a s far as I got, since the rest of the parts are on order, and there was plenty to do anyway. Drilling, milling, wiring and more have totaled 6 hours thus far.
 https://ibb.co/d4dvh40s
https://ibb.co/GQV7WdK
https://ibb.co/tJmHhBc







Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by 4krow on 07/15/23 at 20:15:19

Let's see if I can get lucky and post some more images.










Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/22/23 at 21:02:47

Here are some action photos of my latest project, a 4" Dayton Audio full ranger with a passive radiator on the bottom.

Yesterday morning it was just a pile of oak boards.
Why oak do you ask?
Well it seems as if I live in a hardwood desert here in the middle of the cornfields of Illinois. So you use what you can get.

Some ill begot plans and improper tools





Fitting, gluing and clamping.



They were together by 4:00 and I listened to them all night, truthfully I just let them play overnight quietly until after I ate breakfast this morning.

I then took them back apart, rounded all of the corners with my router and sanded them smooth.

After that I had a time trying to decide how to finish them, should I stain them or just go with Tried and True oil.

So here they are just after oil, I could still put some stain on to make the grain pop a bit more, but They kinda look good after only one coat of the Tried and True.







What do all of you think?

These are just some small "Vacation speakers" to take along to my annual pilgrimage to Dauphin Island Alabama in October.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 07/22/23 at 21:58:47

Donnie, I really like that oak with the oil finish. I'd leave them like that.

I bet they will sound more than good, great for your planned use of them on vacay. Kudos!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Same Old DD on 07/22/23 at 22:17:31

NO STAIN!!

I love them the way they are. You and I both know you will add more oil and that will, as we both know, deepen the grain.

They are beautiful. ... and why oak? Because it's oak!
There, I ended the conversation!

I used to use oak as skid boards on my concert cabinets, because it was oak. Every board I cut into, I thought of how wonderful this would look as a speaker, but the business at hand was always urgent. I chewed up a lot of fine old oak that way.

Your way is better!


Do post a bit about how you tune your passives, please.
I believe that knowledge would help many who might just be tentatively seeking the courage for a DIY build.

Nice work!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by HockessinKid on 07/23/23 at 01:23:51

Nice looking cabinets Donnie. How big of a passive radiator for the bottom? I bet they'll sound sweet.

HK

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/23/23 at 02:19:38

OK, a few more details.

This driver:
 https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-RS100-4-4-Reference-Full-Range-Driver-4-Ohm-295-378?quantity=1

This is the passive radiator:
 https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-DS115-PR-4-Designer-Series-Passive-Radiator-295-493?quantity=1

They are 12" tall, 5.5" wide and 7" deep with .750" thick walls.
I think they figured out to .13 cubic ft.

As far as tuning the radiator, they come with a screw and a washer.
You add weight and they go lower, but then they are slower, you pay for your choices.
So I started with just the screw. I'll listen and adjust, but I'm thinking that it is 'bout right already.

I know that the height of the radiator off of the stand/desk/ what have you, changes things.
But I haven't actually figured out the feet yet, so now they are sitting on .750" strips of scrap, well because I had those pieces right next to me when I finished.
Inspiration comes from the scrap pile around here.

So things are subject to change as I figure the foot thing out.

They sounded pretty good, not phenomenal when I played them last night. Fairly thin.
But when I took them into our laundry room to play them against another pair of tiny speakers that use the same drivers as Steve's Tiny Radials, well they cleaned those speakers clock.
They were both being driven by a El-Cheapo Lepai amplifier and the Vacation speakers rocked the laundry room!

So as of right now I'm just putting layers of Tried and True Varnish Oil on them.  https://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/products/varnish-oil/

I will continue putting it on every day until I get sick of doing it then I will wax it with bee's wax .

So that is my plan at this very moment, subject to changes as needed.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/29/23 at 23:31:30

Well I have been keeping myself off of the mean streets of Forsyth Illinois this week by finishing my "Vacation Speakers".

By mean streets I'm talking about roving bands of families riding around in golf carts visiting the lemonade stand that the kids down the street have set up.
Yeah, quaint upper middle class neighborhoods are filled with lawlessness such as unregistered places of business manned by underaged workers.  I'm sure ice cream trucks won't be far behind.

Anyway I spent the week slathering various concoctions on the sanded oak body of my project speakers.

Four, count em', four coats of Tried and True varnish oil that were buffed out with steel wool between each coat as prescribed in the instructions provided by the manufacture of said poultice.

I then put on four coats of Minwax Wipe on Poly, oil based, in a warm gloss finish. Sanding between coats with 600 grit, well because I thought that if I used 1000 grit it would just be silly.  
I didn't follow the directions provided because it said to use 220 grit and I didn't have any that rough.
I do have 3000 grit because the crib at work was throwing it out. I may or may not be the manager of the crib and allegedly control what is stored in there.

After the wipe on stuff I went for the kill with Bee's wax.
I've been milking the stingers of a secret "Honey Pot"  of bees for years to get my secret recipe of waxes and pollen for wood finishing. Or I might have ordered it from Amazon, my memory of such things isn't what it used to be.
Only two coats of the wax went on because it was 90 in my garage and sweat started running down my butt crack.

I then put in my binding posts, hooked up my wires and bolted everything into place.

They are playing right now, and no they are not as dynamic as my Troels Gravesen SBA-761's or my CSS Criton's and you know that my Open Baffles wipe the floor with them.....
But they serve a place in my line up as something portable that I can take to a beach house and listen to music while staring far out to the horizon while trying to regain some semblance of inner peace in my deeply warped psyche.

So after babbling on and on, here are some "after" pictures.



A little "P" car flexing while I'm at it!














Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Tony on 07/29/23 at 23:46:09


Donnie,

Those speakers are beautiful. If they sound half as good as they look, you have done very well. Nice work.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 07/30/23 at 00:46:04

Thanks Tony!

They sound, by my best reckoning, 42.24% as good as they look.

They are not big time bass monsters, especially when cranked up.
There is only so much you can do with a small driver in a small box.

I just need to keep my eye on what the end use is, just something small enough to take on vacation to enjoy music while relaxing.

Though I haven't gave them any time to break in yet, so things may change for the better.
The passive radiator can also be tuned up, maybe for the better.

Obligatory action shot:



As you can see, I'm not short on speakers at this time.
There are even more scattered around my place.
It is a sickness.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 07/30/23 at 02:58:18

These certainly are pretty! Good work.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 08/11/23 at 22:43:58

Time is a funny thing in regards to speakers.

I've been playing my little "Vacation" speakers every day for the last few weeks and they have kinda grown on me.

Perhaps they have bloomed a bit, but the lack of slamming bass doesn't seem to be a problem anymore.

There was a little more weight attached to the passive radiator, maybe that put some poop in the bottom end, hard saying for sure.

But these little devils are really intoxicating to listen to. There must be something to this single driver magic deal.

The speakers completely disappear into the music, sound just comes out of thin air.

So I guess that I have that going for me now.

Kind of like Carl Spackler who was told by the Dalai Lama that "When you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/16/23 at 02:14:57

And yet another entry into the "How many speakers can Donnie build" file.

This week's entry are a pair of 9" tall 4" wide solid maple with cheap Dayton Audio 3" drivers and passive radiators.

A co-worker requested them for his computer desk to listen to his church meetings and some music.
Who am I to turn down a Holy Man and receive the wrath of the entire Jehovah Witness sect.

So I knocked out a pair Last Friday night and started the finishing process last Saturday.

I have determined that I get my greatest joy in life out of sanding. I can sand for hours and hours, so these got sanded out to 600 grit, way overkill.

Anyway after a couple of coats of Tried and True Varnish Oil followed by a couple coats of wipe on poly for protection they were ready for assembly.

Big hands with missing digits have a hard time working in small boxes through even smaller holes. Luckily I have tools out the wazoo and while diminished from my prime, I still have skills to pay the bills.

So here is what I have wrought from a mighty maple tree and cheap ass plastic drivers.

Wood cut and dry fitted



Holes cut.



Finishing started





Fronts



Ass end



My coworker has a irrational hatred for Texas so we decorated his desk before he came in on the day that I delivered his speakers.



Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Lon on 09/16/23 at 09:32:57

What they say of Donnie: "The man has skills."

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by CAJames on 09/16/23 at 16:23:09


Quote:
Posted by: Lon      Posted on: Today at 01:32:57

What they say of Donnie: "The man has skills."


Seriously. Around the office I was what they call "a software guy" and I'm pretty much in awe of guys like Donnie who can make such beautiful, and functional, stuff.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Same Old DD on 09/16/23 at 17:47:41

Agreed.
Donnie I love how the finish of the top and sides meet. Nice!

I really like the bare wood. I have been painting so much in my building, I just roll on "truck bark" we call it (roll it on thick and it has bumps in it, hardens to a strong MF coating, like the bed of a work truck) and slide it across the bar floor.

The maple is beautiful!

That funny Texas thing, I can tell you as someone born and raised there, there exists a reflexive property from some native Texans.
Couldn't you guys find a longhorn and a mesquite branch anywhere?
;D

I'm guessing this guy will be very pleased with his little Daytons!
Outstanding!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 09/16/23 at 21:45:34

"Aww shucks" he says while looking down and shuffling his feet.

Thanks guys!

I am liking this look of fronts and backs being the same heights, the top and bottom being inside instead of capping the top and bottom and the sides being in between.

I've done the whole 45 degree corner thing before, but I like how the end grain looks when it is really sanded out.

My co-worker wanted something to show off the wood. so that's what he got from me.

I have maybe another project in me for the rest of the year, but nothing planned, yet.

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Gilf on 11/21/23 at 17:45:29

Been breaking these in. Acacia faces with white ash supports.


Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/21/23 at 20:04:02

That is a nice looking speaker!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Gilf on 11/22/23 at 13:29:48

Thanks, Donnie. Coming from you i take that as a major compliment.  8-)

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Donnie on 11/22/23 at 14:40:44

Gilf,

I'm not even in the same time zone as you are as far as speaker building!

You have major skills!

Title: Re: The next project after the last one
Post by Geno on 11/22/23 at 14:43:54

Beautiful! About the nicest of this design that I’ve seen.

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