Post by Rivieraranch on 02/05/23 at 02:05:23
Got the cuts done. The grain is horizontal instead of vertical.
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https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl AUDIO FORUMS >> D.I.Y. >> First DIY Project F15 baffles https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1675086517 Message started by Rivieraranch on 01/30/23 at 13:48:37 |
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Title: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 01/30/23 at 13:48:37 I have a pair F15's with Randy's standard baffle. Have been reading about how thicker hardwood helps these. I visited Lowes for some items and asked about countertops. The salesperson led me to some birch tops that had been placed on clearance. I ended up purchasing a 25x96 chunk of European birch for $74. My community has a wood shop. So I want to have them make baffles based on Randy's Magnum version. Only increase the dimensions slightly. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Mannytheseacow on 01/30/23 at 14:10:46 Looking forward to seeing your progress. I’ve been looking to update my baffles, make them slightly smaller, thicker, from hardwood, and better bases. Acacia counters are one of the most attractive options for me, probably two pieces thick, glued together. One of these days I’ll get around to it. Probably in the spring. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 01/31/23 at 19:46:00 My wood is 1.75” thick. The wood shop can’t handle the 8’ length. I must return it to Lowes for them to make some cuts. Then the wood shop will be able to cut the sides of each piece and the speaker cutout. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Geno on 01/31/23 at 20:28:28 Hi Jim. Excited to see that you have joined the open baffle club. I sure do love mine. The 1.75 should be great - nice and thick! Put a good thick base on them too. Post some pics when you are finished with them. Best, Geno |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/05/23 at 02:05:23 Got the cuts done. The grain is horizontal instead of vertical. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/05/23 at 02:09:02  When done the baffles will be 2.5 inches taller than Randy’s and 2 inches wider. I am debating how high from the floor the bottom of the driver should be as Randy’s baffle places to 4 1/4 inches above the floor. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Mannytheseacow on 02/06/23 at 05:38:48 I would scale the dimensions proportionally. It looks like the height is your limiting dimension. If your height is 2.5 inches taller then find (existing height+2.5)/existing height = your scale factor. Then existing width x scale factor = new width Existing height off the floor x scale factor = new height off floor. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/07/23 at 01:06:22 Thanks Man E. By my calculations, the new baffle will be 2.5 inches taller and 2 inches wider than the present unit. As far as the height of the enclosure for the driver that becomes somewhat baffling. The bottom of the driver is now 4.25 inches off of the floor. However, the new baffles will mount the drivers from the rear. So I thought of placing the driver 6 inches from the ground. I don’t want to lift it high enough to affect its present imaging or bass. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/07/23 at 01:13:04 Looking ahead to when I attach the baffles to the bases, whether I could glue and clamp them with Tightbond III, what Randy uses, and place chair brace stabilizers on the back of the baffle on top of the base. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Mannytheseacow on 02/07/23 at 02:54:01 I’m by no means an expert, I just built mine to Steve’s specs, which are 42” high with the center of the speaker 25” off the floor. I haven’t experimented with different baffles but it seems consistent that the speaker is slightly above center, so you may want to raise yours slightly above center too? I just used wood glue on mine to glue the bases to the baffles. No brackets. It’s been holding for over a year. Some brackets might make it stiffer. Mine could certainly be improved, but sound great as-is. 8-) |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/07/23 at 03:10:55 I like how you did yours. I’m folllowing Randy’s lead for a number of reasons; not the least of which is I don’t have space for either of Steve’s designs. For the driver to be situated equadistant from the top and bottom, it would be 5.625 inches from each direction. How did you control the glue and keep it from running? Also did you finish the wood before gluing the pieces together? |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Mannytheseacow on 02/07/23 at 03:29:23 I don’t know the specs on Randy’s but I wonder how much different they are proportionally to Steve’s. My next pair will be thicker and somewhere between the two size-wise, scaled off the decware proportions. When I built mine I just used wood glue liberally and clamped them. Cleaned up the glue squeeze out with warm soapy water, and then sanded them extensively. I applied finish after gluing them up and sanding. Looking forward to seeing yours come together. Are you going to radius the side or leave them rectangular? |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/07/23 at 04:18:51 I will radius the sides. They would not look good just rectangular. The football shape is soothing to look at. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/13/23 at 12:42:59 Off to the wood shop today. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/14/23 at 18:48:34  remove duplicated First radius is cut |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Ish on 02/15/23 at 17:26:30 New member, I have been reading the forum over two years after going to Steve’s shop in 2019 and ordering my first audio system in over 40 years. Researching the audio world really paid off. I ordered a Torii IV and while there, Steve gave me the plans for the ZF15L open baffle speakers. While waiting for the Torii IV to be built (3 mos), I purchased a slab (3’x8’x2”) of eucalyptus and constructed the baffles to Steve’s specs. The baffles are 1 5/8 inches thick after milling and planeing. The reason for posting is it would be a pleasure to invite you to visit and listen and evaluate the F15’s and perhaps assist you in your project. I live near you in Fort Lauderdale (Rio Vista). PM me if interested. Roon Nucleus-stark I-Ponus-Torii IV-ZF15’s |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/16/23 at 12:59:38 Thanks Ish I sent you a PM |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/17/23 at 15:36:39 It was great to meet someone in my own town who enjoys DECWARE gear as much as I do. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/21/23 at 19:46:29   
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/21/23 at 23:09:51 What I feared would happen happened. My woodworker Willy was being distracted as he was working on the second baffle and made a mistake. Luckily I have enough left over to make a second second baffle. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by DrewDays34 on 02/22/23 at 12:07:09 Being a complete noob myself, that doesn’t make me feel good about my upcoming baffle build. 😅 What went wrong? |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/22/23 at 12:41:03 This is a wood shop in a retirement community. The person cutting my baffles is a skilled, experienced woodworker. There are other hangers on who are basically old farts that don’t know hardly how to cut plywood to make little wood cars and stupid toys. My guy was being distracted by some old fart and made a wrong cut as stated I’d had enough wood left over to cut another baffle |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by JBzen on 02/22/23 at 13:34:53 Does this skilled experienced woodworker have all his fingers? |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by DrewDays34 on 02/22/23 at 13:48:10 Ooooof, that sucks. Glad you had some spare wood though. Hoping to get out of this build with all my digits intact, JBzen. Luckily, I have patience on my side. My father on the other hand...not so much. ;D |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by JBzen on 02/22/23 at 14:24:47 The trick is to keep your eye on what your doing when cutting and visualize in your mind of the result when the spinning blade contacts the digit! That will keep you focused. Worked for me for over 50 years. John |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/22/23 at 17:53:38 One baffle is done. He did a beautiful job on the round over for the speaker enclosure and rounded the sides of the front of the baffle. It looks nice. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by DrewDays34 on 02/22/23 at 20:02:55 Can't wait to see the finished result. Ordered my F15s Monday night. Can't wait to get started. Tempted to make mine out of Ziricote. It has a Janka rating of 1970. Not sure if I'll be that ambitious on my first set though. It's definitely a premium species. All jokes aside, safety first. I love my digits. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/24/23 at 02:31:04   Finished in the raw with the bases clamped. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by EdwardT on 02/24/23 at 17:12:59 What will you use as a finish? Also, those dual finger clamps are very clever. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/24/23 at 21:33:04 FAF (fiancé acceptance factor)will determine the finish. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/27/23 at 17:07:48   yangtze tributary crossword One home, the other one being clamped overnight. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by DrewDays34 on 02/27/23 at 17:14:30 Looking good. I always wondered why the edges of Betsys weren't curved. I know these are bigger than your old pair, but I'd be interested to find out what the curves do performance wise. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by 4krow on 02/27/23 at 18:18:19 Nothing caught my eye more than those snake tongue clamps! Who makes them? |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/27/23 at 21:55:54 I don’t know anything about the clamps. Remember this is not my doing. This is a woodworker at the wood shop in my community. I’m anxious to receive the second baffle and then begin picking out a finish for them. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Geno on 02/28/23 at 01:51:19 Hi Jim. Donnie sent word to be damn sure that you paint them fire engine RED [smiley=simp38.gif] |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by EdwardT on 02/28/23 at 11:36:11 You owe it to yourself to check out Rubio Monocoat. I’ve been testing it on cut-offs and it feels like nothing else I’ve ever used before and it’s easy enough to use. You've got bits of that Baltic birch butcher block to use as samples so that's already a head start. 
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/28/23 at 19:47:25  
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 02/28/23 at 19:49:13 My fiancé wanted them finished in gray so gray they will be. I saw a Varathane brand color, semi transparent Weathered Gray that would look good on the birch. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Lon on 02/28/23 at 20:14:02 Nice work. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 03/04/23 at 18:16:31 
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 03/04/23 at 19:24:56 This gel stain went on very thick. I might sand the front some tomorrow after it dries to see more of the grain. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 03/05/23 at 15:35:35 They are basking in the morning sun to make sure that every last bit of that awful solvent based stain has dried. I remember how much I hated working with oil base paint. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 03/06/23 at 03:15:41  
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 03/06/23 at 03:34:57 Sanding away some of the stain revealed more of the wood grain. Three coats of polyurethane topped it off. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Mannytheseacow on 03/06/23 at 12:46:31 Very cool. What are your impressions vs. your old baffles? |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 03/06/23 at 14:10:35 Thanks Man E. All is not perfect. The recess in the back was cut too deep so I had to worry about the screws potentially protruding out the front. And one of the recesses was off center so I could not use all the screws. My amp is still at Decware waiting to be shipped back. The speakers connected to my old solid-state Marantz, so I can’t really make a comparison until the amp is installed again. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Mannytheseacow on 03/06/23 at 21:08:38 I can understand the wait until your amp comes back. A while back I noticed a crack in one of my baffles where two of the boards were laminated together. I removed the driver, re-glued, and clamped it. I put the driver back in using the same holes, and the sound was off. The little bit of change caused by the clamps and new joint was enough to pull the speaker out of being true. I rotated the speaker about one inch and drilled new holes. Problem solved. Long story short, be careful with that one recess that is off center. Make sure you don’t pinch the speaker trying to get it right. I’m looking forward to hearing your impressions once you’re back up and running. Beefing up my baffles is next on my project list. |
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Rivieraranch on 03/25/23 at 18:27:32 
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Title: Re: First DIY Project F15 baffles Post by Bottlehead on 03/27/23 at 07:25:40 Lookin' good, RR. When you listen critically, do you pull the speakers farther apart, to where there is no wall behind them? Or do the openings on either side of the front wall provide enough breathing room for them where they are? Randy |
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