Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register
Decware Audio Forums
03/28/24 at 15:47:09 




Pages: 1 ... 3 4 5 6 7 ... 14
Send Topic Print
Steve's TINY RADIAL project! (Read 69620 times)
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #200 - 06/08/20 at 02:14:08
 

Hi Nick,

Sorry, I left you hanging on how to post an image.  I forgot to say that when you have pasted the URL into your message, like you did, then select it and click on the image tag .




The image tag places the following at the end of your link.  That tells the forum that the link is to an image and causes it to just display the image instead of the link.

Steve

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
maddog07
Seasoned Member
****


seeker of truth

Posts: 585
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #201 - 06/09/20 at 01:48:50
 
do the tiny radial cabinets have any damping material inside them?
Back to top
 
 

Decware Torii MK3, Wyred4Sound DAC2, Theta Digital Miles, Emotiva XMC-1, Emotiva XPA-5, Aesthetix Calypso, Wyred STP-SE, Martin Logan Vista, Audio Nirvana 12" Alnico's, PS Audio PW P5, Goertz, Kimber, Nordost and DIY wires, PSA pwr cords, Cary SLI-80, DM945's.....
  IP Logged
jeff of wa
Verified Member
**




Posts: 5
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #202 - 06/09/20 at 03:12:12
 
Steve, Thanks for making another great set of speaker plans for the DIYer's out there.
These were a lot of fun to build and the sound stage is awesome.  With a little break in time these really warmed up and are perfect background music for the kitchen and deck.
Pictured here on top of my HDT's I built in 14’.
woods used:
Sapelle, padauk, and walnut.  Finish rubio monocoat, except sapelle is BLO.  
Lenses and bases are all walnut with one or two coats of ebony stain.
Construction notes: I did not dado the side pieces or use a router template as you did.  Instead I made a tapered template that a side could be double sided taped to and then cut on the table saw with 45 and taper in a single cut.  I was afraid of tearout with router bits.  The boxes were then glued up with blue tape and corner braces added while the glue set.    
I had great success with #6-1/2” machine head screws to hold driver, and #6-3/4” machine head screws used for base with pre-drilled holes.
To mount the lenses I mounted short nails that barely stuck out of the lense, then used it to match mark the top plastic plate of the driver to mark where to drill ~.005” undersize holes to hold the nail.  Then replaced the short nails for longer ones that held the beads and extended into the driver plate ~ 1/8”.  No glue required.  Gold beads/spacers were taken from the kids craft set for bracelets Cheesy





Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Greg C
Senior Member
***




Posts: 65
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #203 - 06/09/20 at 03:42:51
 
....good job Jeff ...they look really nice

Greg
Back to top
 
 

TORII JR
CSP3
ZP3
ZROCK
ZBIT
NAD C658 DAC
PIONEER RT-707
REGA PLANAR 6 / EXACT 2 MM
ERRx
SENNHEISER HD 800S
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #204 - 06/09/20 at 05:23:41
 

Thanks Jeff!  Welcome to the forums!  What a nice surprise to see Tiny Radials popping up and all looking so nice!

I have to ask... From start to finish what was your time per pair?

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
jeff of wa
Verified Member
**




Posts: 5
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #205 - 06/09/20 at 14:40:27
 
1st pair 12 hours including changing planer knives, setting up bandsaw for resawing etc.  Built a trial box from 1/2" ply to test 45 stops on saw and test tapering jig.  I was also salvaging from scrap wood that didn't make things very efficient
2nd and 3rd pair built together for total of 8hrs.  
If I did more I'd imagine shaving another 2 hrs from this now that I'm jigged up and learned from many miss-steps.  I'd also 3d print some more jigs
I saved a ton of finishing time using Rubio monocoat. If you like the look of oil fnishes check this stuff out. the high price is outweighed by the very little amount of material used and time saved, and the finish holds up on floors
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #206 - 06/15/20 at 03:12:04
 
3D printing jigs, that's just cheating.

I actually have 3D printed a prototype of the enclosure that I will be posting soon.  Also took your advise and purchased some monocoat. Anxious to try it out.  I have a walnut pair and a pair in Afromosia and a pair in Purple Heart Tamarind, which was $80 as pictured below.



Wait till you see the pair that came from this!  Believe it or not there was no waste, only shavings and sawdust.  It was cutting it close and no room for booboos.

I started a set of regular Purple Heart 1/4 inch panels and found it much like the wenge as being non-router friendly.  So I did successfully cut some blanks using a taper jig on my table saw.  I will increase the thickness to 3/8 and use the taper jig on the next attempt.

Also, someone who filled out the wish list form on the Tiny Radial page wanted to see some red oak, so I took a perfectly straight board that 's been in my shop over a year now, and cut it up into the 7 x 4 x 3/8 blanks which all turned into potato chips to where by the time I got them flat again they are right at 1/4 inch. (It was a lot of stored energy)

I also set up another router to create the radius cut inside the panels to receive the tapered driver.  Even though it only took 5 minutes or so with a sanding drum by hand, often this would lead to revisiting the sanding drum to take more material off.  Now the process takes 3 seconds and is exactly the same every time... so now the truth comes out, the Tiny Radial project is an excuse to buy more tools ; )

Anyway I'll post more pictures soon.

Steve

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #207 - 06/15/20 at 03:43:25
 

Today while cutting some more tiny radial blanks, I fixed my world which has been bent for the past week.  You see, the swings I have been building for the grandchildren use 4x6 posts buried in the ground and supported about 30 inches above the ground.  The rest is just sky, so the pole is allowed to flex making it a self-swinging swing set.  



All was going well for the first few weeks, both posts straight as arrows and perfectly plumb. Then of course one post had to warp. It happened within a few days all of a sudden, and put the top of the post over 2.5 inches out of plumb. Every time I open my shop door to leave, there it is, the perfectly straight and plumb post and the one behind it that is starting to look like a giant boner. So distracting, you just can't imagine.

First I sealed it, all except for the side that didn't stretch.  I watered the other side for a couple days in vane hoping it would swell up and warp back the other way.  God I'm so gullible.  So today, I cut the firkin pole 50% in half, twice, and drove hardwood wedges into it to force it straight again.



Anyway it's plumb again and my world feels correct.  Amazing how something like that simply has to be dealt with or life as we know it can not continue.  Enough things are out of whack on the planet right now and by God, my damn pole is not going to be one of them.

Amen.

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Donnie
Seasoned Member
****


Why does it hurt
when I pee?

Posts: 2190
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #208 - 06/15/20 at 03:47:15
 
You gotta love 3D printers, if you can draw it you can print it.
It takes a while to really wrap your mind around what you can do with the printer.

Think about never needing to hold inventory of a part, just a CAD file, no need for it to physically sit around waiting for someone needing it, just print it when you need it.

But it sure isn't as pretty as a nice hunk of wood.
Back to top
 
 

Owner of the infamous RED TORII and Dan the Redheaded Amp
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #209 - 06/16/20 at 22:20:06
 

I found this chunk of Exotic KD Afrormosia on eBay and purchased it to make a couple pair of Tiny Radials.



Here is the first pair of cabinets from that wood...



Steve





Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #210 - 06/16/20 at 22:24:54
 

Thanks to Jeff of WA for the Rubio recommendation.  Pretty impressive stuff.  



Look at it... looks like several coats of hand-rubbed oil with some good wax buffed into it., but as advertised it's one coat wiped off in 10 minutes.  I used 4 mL of product to do both speakers... I've really never seen anything like it.  An impossibly even finish for one coat of anything, let alone oil.

Steve




Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Bottlehead
Seasoned Member
****




Posts: 524
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #211 - 06/17/20 at 03:49:01
 
I'm more of a dark wood guy, but those are real beauties, Steve.
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
jeff of wa
Verified Member
**




Posts: 5
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #212 - 06/17/20 at 15:36:37
 
Beautiful wood Steve.

I'm shocked at how well the rubio has held up on my walnut slab dining table.  It took about 3 weeks to fully cure where i was comfortable with the kids spilling their juice and whatnot on it.  The price is scary but the stuff goes forever.  I am still workign on my first can and i did a 13x3' table, both sides, and 10' bench and still have enough left over for several more tiny radials  :D

are you planing the boards to 1/4" or using a drum sander?  I would have preffered to sneak up on a drum sander but ended up double sticking the resawed planks to a long, thick, and flat board to then run through the planer but still ended up with some snipe to sand out.
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #213 - 06/17/20 at 16:31:09
 

Hi Jeff,

Yea, I've been planing the panels to no less than 1/4 inch.  5/16 is better and I've also been doing 3/8 inch. Believe it or not, my planar (that has tormented me with snipe since I got it), has ZERO snipe with these small panels. It's a miracle. Probably wondering how I got it to do that -- right?  Simple, I purchased a drum sander... that I have yet to use even once on Tiny Radials.

Boy wood moves a lot. A percentage of the panels tend to crown slightly after everything is glued up. It's only usually a few thousandths, but the way the light hits a panel when it is perfectly flat is noticeable compared to one that is not which changes how good the finish looks. So after the panels are assembled and the glue is dry, I lightly sand them to find out where any of the small tear out is that you can't see until it fills with sawdust. Then using that as a guide, I run all four sides through the jointer.  From there I radius the corners and then do the finish sanding and oil it.

Last night I cut a set of panels out of Purpleheart which I find to be much like Wenge - allergic to pattern routing, so I cut them on the table saw like you have been, and found the process to take less time because I no longer have to rough saw the pattern on the band saw first.  I can just take a stack of blanks and cut them all in about 4 minutes.  Before, that part took 4 minutes per panel (32 minutes).

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
JKC
Verified Member
**




Posts: 8
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #214 - 06/20/20 at 01:35:18
 
Arrived just in time for the weekend:








Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
JKC
Verified Member
**




Posts: 8
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #215 - 06/20/20 at 03:16:37
 
Cheers!
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
JKC
Verified Member
**




Posts: 8
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #216 - 06/20/20 at 20:56:26
 
I made a few demos with the T-Rads. I don’t have a great recording setup or anything, but the videos do sound ok with headphones. In person the speakers really are quite impressive.

John Lee Hooker - Tupelo
https://youtu.be/XmWrwADB0_M

Pink Floyd - Speak to Me/Breathe
https://youtu.be/WBZkVeSzfUo

Nicolas Jaar - Colomb
https://youtu.be/aYHD-0_nTPc
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #217 - 06/21/20 at 00:42:19
 

Nice!  It is really helpful to hear them in different places, thank-you for the videos!

Steve

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Nick324
Senior Member
***




Posts: 79
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #218 - 06/21/20 at 15:26:48
 
Steve, besides these being so very visually appealing they are great performers when used within their volume and power limitations, admittedly I add a subwoofer because of my own sound preferences but the SQ of these in a small room or desktop style application is genuinely top tier. I have run them head to head with my Falcon LS3/5a's and I think I could have saved myself $2700 had these been out a few years earlier...Some speakers are "good enough" and these absolutely fall into that category for me IMHO. I so badly want to add one of your amps to my collection now, I can't wait till you offer a sale again, I've been setting aside funds diligently trying to save up!

Back to top
 
 

Innuos Zenith MKIII > Lampizator Baltic3 > Vinnie Rossi L2iSE > SE341.5 or SE84UFO25, >> Heresy, K-horn, Philharmonic BMR, Ωmega Super 6XRS Alnico, LSIM703, Falcon LS3/5A, Steve's TR’s, Tube-Tots.
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #219 - 06/22/20 at 04:10:25
 

Nick, that's high praise indeed. And you really nailed it about the 'good enough' category. These little things defy expectations, just like the little Zen amps do, and that makes listening a lot of fun. Having fun while listening is well, listening. Becoming distracted by speaker placement, equipment settings, overall sound quality, etc., takes the fun out of it.

I know I'm having a blast making these. Still refining the process, and the more I do the more therapeutic making them is becoming. Soon, going out into the shop to make a pair of Tiny Radials will be as therapeutic as spending big money on well... therapy!  I love taking something and relentlessly refining it within the point of diminishing returns.

Thanks for posting the pictures and feedback!

Steve



Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #220 - 06/22/20 at 04:21:32
 




A teaser. I finished the final assembly of these little jewels. They are extra thick, 3/8 inch and wow are they heavy! The sound is smooth.

These will look amazing on the rotating platform... the monocoat finish is just wonderful. They feel like silk in your hands. From a technical standpoint you would think with the varying density of the wood these panels should have the least amount of resonance which means either one of two things depending on your preferences... either they will A) get louder before distortion is heard or B) they will sound better a normal listening levels. Of course they do both.  

So for now that we're well into over a dozen pair in different woods and thicknesses and it's no big surprise that the heavier a tiny radial is the better it's performance window gets.

Steve



 

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #221 - 06/22/20 at 04:54:10
 

As I listen to this exotic pair of Tiny Radials the 'sound of a tiny radial' beyond the insane imaging, becomes quite apparent... fast and smooth. The two adjectives often compete with one another in hifi, but in this case they are intertwined and make listening over many hours (with a good amplifier) a non-fatiguing and enjoyable experience. Not too many plastic desktop speakers can do that.  If you ad a subwoofer and get it dialed-in right, the experience can become hair raising as though you were setting in your listening room.

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #222 - 06/22/20 at 05:29:14
 

So I added the subwoofer that cost $98 shown on the Tiny Radial page...  and turned it up good and strong.  Fun just got a lot funner... I made a video of it because it is just so outside what you would expect.  I'll post it when I get it processed (transcoded for different platforms).  I can tell you it sounds like you're in a 20 x 40 room with large bass horns...all this space and low end rumble.  Actually it's blowing my mind...  holy crap this is really viable!  It sounds like a big space and feels like one yet it is being reproduced in a small space...  I have to record this one too... hang on... yea,

I mean it is just such a blooming rush to look at these tiny speakers and hear a well integrated sub make them sound like they are 5 feet tall and weigh 800 pounds... which is exactly what I'm hearing -- which is just such a trip when your eyes say no it's impossible, but you're actually hearing it...

Listing to my library of electronic music is dumfounding.  I think this is where the speed of a 1.5 inch driver with some body can really dive into a heavy base line and come off smelling like a rose!  Thanks to Randy of Caintuck Audio for discovering this small and affordable subwoofer...  just a crazy combination...  I can see it now, you friends come over and you play your tiny radials and it just wrecks their mind to the point where almost 6 fuses blow and the dazed look in their eyes just say wtf just happened?

This is what Bose was going for but miserably failed at.  Sorry, it had to be spoken.
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #223 - 06/23/20 at 06:28:27
 



https://decware.wistia.com/medias/bynxm1ayo1

You will have to wear headphones to hear the bass the way it was actually set for the recording...

Steve

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #224 - 06/23/20 at 06:55:50
 
Quote:
do the tiny radial cabinets have any damping material inside them?


Sorry, I didn't see this when you posted it... the answer is yes and no.  The cabinet itself does not, other than wood at varying thicknesses.  But the driver itself is a very high tech self-enclosed unit with nano-tech damping I suspect and a tuned passive radiator.  So the driver is actually a complete speaker cabinet.  The Tiny Radial cabinet just adds mass to it as well as creating a higher order box to boost the bass response.  

If we were using a regular mini 1.5 inch open back driver, the enclosure would be entirely damped just like a full-size speaker.

When I speak of nano-tech I am referring to a technology using lots of tiny spheres to trick the driver into thinking it's in a box many times it's actual size.  This is what makes bass possible from this micro-sized speaker.  I mean think of it, 75Hz or lower from a 1.5 inch driver, when tweeters are 1 inch and don't go below 3K without blowing themselves to smithereens... a modern miracle of computer modeling in acoustics.

Thanks for asking!

Steve

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Archie
Seasoned Member
****




Posts: 2731
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #225 - 06/23/20 at 15:59:31
 
Those do sound great.  Was that with the sub?  Also, was the ZTPRE playing?  If so, I'd guess the speakers were putting vibration into it.
Back to top
 
 

ZLC
Technics 1200G TT w/ Ortofon Jubilee MC cart
ZMC1
ZP3 (25th A Mods)
ZR2 (25th A Mods)
CSP3 (25th A mods)
ZMA (25th A mods)
Homemade Big Betsy Speakers (F15s)
Silver Cabling
DIY Isolation platforms under amps & TT.
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #226 - 06/23/20 at 16:56:28
 

Yes, that was with the $99 sub linked to on the Tiny Radial Page.  

The ZTPRE is not playing.  I am using the SE84CS hanging on the wall behind the speakers.

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Archie
Seasoned Member
****




Posts: 2731
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #227 - 06/23/20 at 18:11:53
 
Well, these are sounding fantastic with the sub!
Back to top
 
 

ZLC
Technics 1200G TT w/ Ortofon Jubilee MC cart
ZMC1
ZP3 (25th A Mods)
ZR2 (25th A Mods)
CSP3 (25th A mods)
ZMA (25th A mods)
Homemade Big Betsy Speakers (F15s)
Silver Cabling
DIY Isolation platforms under amps & TT.
  IP Logged
maddog07
Seasoned Member
****


seeker of truth

Posts: 585
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #228 - 06/24/20 at 17:11:32
 
is the Tiny Radial link on the main Decware website somewhere?  I can't find it.

nevermind... I found it at the beginning of the thread.

But I don't see any recently finished ones added to the page - ready for purchase.  Seems like there have been several completed?  Steve?
Back to top
 
 

Decware Torii MK3, Wyred4Sound DAC2, Theta Digital Miles, Emotiva XMC-1, Emotiva XPA-5, Aesthetix Calypso, Wyred STP-SE, Martin Logan Vista, Audio Nirvana 12" Alnico's, PS Audio PW P5, Goertz, Kimber, Nordost and DIY wires, PSA pwr cords, Cary SLI-80, DM945's.....
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #229 - 06/25/20 at 02:43:36
 
Yes, I have several more pair coming soon!

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Bottlehead
Seasoned Member
****




Posts: 524
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #230 - 06/27/20 at 03:01:30
 
Hey Steve,

Don't forget to email those of us who made requests on your Tiny Radial wishlist, if you decide to make those that we suggested.  

Thanks,
Randy
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #231 - 06/29/20 at 19:52:02
 
I just added four pair of Tiny Radials on the page this morning.  One of the woods, Purpleheart, was requested from the wish list and that person was emailed.  Please don't buy those if you're not him!

I have four more pair to add later this week as time allows.

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Sarah Richardson
Verified Member
**


The Decware Glue

Posts: 27
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #232 - 06/29/20 at 20:09:18
 
https://www.decware.com/newsite/TinyRadialProject.html

PURPLEHEART IS SOLD & NATURAL CHERRY IS SOLD
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Sarah Richardson
Verified Member
**


The Decware Glue

Posts: 27
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #233 - 06/29/20 at 20:27:19
 
NATURAL SAPELE IS SOLD

We have 1 pair left and it's 1/4 SAWN WHITE OAK
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Sarah Richardson
Verified Member
**


The Decware Glue

Posts: 27
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #234 - 06/29/20 at 21:33:29
 
1/4 SAWN WHITE OAK IS SOLD

Steve will have 4 more pairs available soon. Thank you!
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #235 - 06/30/20 at 04:47:15
 
Here is the most outrageous pair so far...  Purpleheart Terarind made from an expensive bowl blank I purchased on eBay...



I managed to get eight 3/8" thick panels out of this block of wood with virtually no scrap left over.  I don't even think there was even any sawdust left over!  It was a fun challenge to be sure.   I was able to get 7-3/4 of the 8 corners to appear as though both cabinets are made from solid blocks of wood.  I'm charging extra for that.  These are now on the Tiny Radial page btw.

Here is the final result.  Click on it to see the video containing both units.



https://decware.wistia.com/medias/hiecxasje8

Steve


Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Sarah Richardson
Verified Member
**


The Decware Glue

Posts: 27
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #236 - 06/30/20 at 16:08:04
 
The beautiful EXOTIC PURPLEHEART TERARIND IS SOLD
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #237 - 07/01/20 at 04:22:12
 

A couple 6-packs of Tiny Radials ready to ship...



Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Bottlehead
Seasoned Member
****




Posts: 524
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #238 - 07/01/20 at 06:07:33
 
Hey Steve,

I love the look of the Purpleheart TR, and I can't wait to hear them. I'm just wondering what the beautiful wood is on the pair to the left of the Purpleheart Terarind. Is that some type of walnut?

Randy
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #239 - 07/01/20 at 16:41:14
 

Amazed you can tell any of those woods are beautiful from such a poorly lit picture...

Those are KD Afrormosia.  I have enough of that wood left to do a couple more pair.  It also seems like a fairly stable wood that machines fairly well.

One of the things I've been noticing as I make these with different woods is that the fantasy of creating the 1/4 inch panels ahead of time and then cutting them to shape and assembling them at a later date is not going to work with probably at least half of the wood types.

This is because the panels warp.  If a finished panel at 1/4 inch warps, it's junk unless you want to wrestle it back to flat during assembly.  This is why I start with 3/8" panels, they store better and if they do warp it's no problem to straighten them down to 5/16" or even 1/4" panels just before assembly.

I am enjoying the process of refining the process... right now my focus is on finish sanding techniques.  Tonight I did a pair in Sapele but tried the monocoat "chocolate" finishing oil.  They recommend 120GRIT because the oil bonds to only the ends of the fibers or something... anyway I took it to 220 instead of 320 or higher and this dark oil/stain showed up over 1 million swirl marks.  If I had a surface drum sander where the sanding paper floated on a cushion of air above the drum so it couldn't heat up... I could put all three grits on one drum and sand in one direction with the grain and get it perfectly flat like the jointer does, but with a candy ass finish and in about 90 seconds.  So I'm waiting for that to arrive.  I know what it feels like to be a Decware amplifier or speaker customer... waiting is so hard.  :-/



Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
DyersEve726
Verified Member
**




Posts: 8
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #240 - 07/07/20 at 01:31:40
 
I really want a pair! If I make an entry on the wish list for "anything under $300", would that work? Haha. I love them all so I'd just like an email as soon as any new ones go on sale. Seems they go fast!
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
DanG
Verified Member
**




Posts: 32
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #241 - 07/07/20 at 03:18:18
 
Great fun, I've been following this thread for months.

As a desktop speaker-

What is the best way to hook up tiny radials to a mac computer?

3.5 mm to ???

Thanks. - Dan



Back to top
 
 

Well Tempered Lab Amadeus MK2 Turntable, Stereo & Mono carts, ZP3, SE84UFO, Lii Song Origin S-10, Audio Note CD1.1x
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #242 - 07/08/20 at 03:25:38
 
Hi Dan,

The best way would be to use an amplifier like the one you have, fed by a 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable.  If you want to improve it further, get an AudioQuest DragonFly USB stick DAC.  It has the same 3.5mm jack on it.

Steve
Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #243 - 07/08/20 at 06:11:27
 

I am in the process of adding more Tiny Radials to the page.  So far on the page there are 18 pair. 16 pair are sold. I have another 8 pair nearly done.  



Interestingly, I have just hit a total of 25 pair and I told myself that's probably how many it's going to take to get my system dialed-in, because that's what it takes for an amplifier. Believe it or not it's pretty easy to build a single amplifier (or speaker), but nearly improbable that you will be able to repeat it 25 times. This weeds out beginner's luck and flukes.  

With these Tiny Radials the process is really starting to get refined. If I stick with a single wood, and make say 10 pair in multi-day session, I can do it in 2.5 hours per speaker. But, if I do it in different woods, one at a time, I am averaging 4 to 5 hours per pair.  I'm OK with that right now, as it's just more challenging. One of the places where I really die on the time is the top diffraction lens. I'm getting easily an hour into a pair by the time I sand and paint it to an acceptable standard. So as was always the plan, to take all income from Tiny Radials and re-invest it in tools for my wood shop, tonight I decided to buy a 3D resin printer to make this particular part. I should be able to print one in black with the same satin finish as the paint I use but with built-in stand-offs that would also be black. Not having to make this part from wood would take a lot of the headache out of making these speakers.

I have already had a new friend from across the street who is talented with 3D printers do a quick prototype with a filament type printer just to see what would happen... shown below:



I still have to assemble this and listen to it. The driver is too big to push all the way down with any hope of ever removing it so that is why you still see a gap. The enclosure itself is surprisingly stiff and with some weight added to the plinth might sound good, who knows? When I get time I will of course try it and let you know. This is what gave me the idea to print the top lens for the speaker using a high resolution resin printer. They have a nearly mirror finish unlike these filament printers, and are a lot faster. I think it's the next step for the lens as I can also refine it in ways that I can't do with wood. So over time it could become even better.

Also, as I like to do with any new product, I have been just living with Tiny Radials and listening to them exclusively for about the past month. Since much of my listening is done while working, with the music being more of a background groove, that incidentally comes from a room next door giving it an indirect and non-invasive but at the same time almost more realistic sound...  that has just been replaced with these Tiny Radials here in the same room with me an less than 6 feet away on average. Adding the subwoofer from parts-express.com has created a viable replacement for background music while I work. I really lacks nothing and sounds similar enough to what I normally do that I'm not missing anything. This is really far better than I anticipated, because in this application the speakers have to perform well beyond what is needed on your desktop 16 inches from your face.

On another exciting note, I have been hunting down small blocks of super exotic woods from around the world, a block that is around 2 inches thick and 7 x 7 inches is enough to make a pair of Tiny Radials -- if you don't make any mistakes. You can spend between 75 and 250.00 for a small block of wood this size --usually from Thailand and other similar places.  Burls that only grow in the center of rare trees and too small to make anything large like a regular book-shelf speaker. So what an opportunity that Tiny Radials can be make out of these incredible woods. So I have also ordered several amazing blocks of wood, averaging $150 each, some more some slightly less, and am really looking forward to seeing how trick can we make a Tiny Radial!

At the same time I am looking forward to dedicating a weekend even now an then to seeing how many I can make from a single type of wood to load up the page with Tiny Radials that cost closer to my $250 target : )

So that's the update, and looking forward to pictures and comments from the buyers who will hopefully continue posting their impressions here in this thread.

Thanks,

Steve



Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
DyersEve726
Verified Member
**




Posts: 8
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #244 - 07/08/20 at 14:39:03
 
The Afromosia are all mine...sold! lol

Steve, if you end up 3D printing that lens, would that be something you could sell on your site separately? I would eventually like to build a set, but that lens looks beyond my capabilities as a wood worker.
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #245 - 07/08/20 at 19:09:22
 

Yea, if I successfully print some to my liking, I'll put a few on the page.

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #246 - 07/10/20 at 04:23:29
 



Today the first of the super exotic burls arrived!  The SINDORA BURL.

From the seller:  

Quote:
Size: 1 7/8" X 7 1/2" X 7 3/4"

Sindora burl (sindora siamensis) Origin: Southeast Asia.

Sindora wood varies considerably in quality. This wood is strong and durable and not available in large quantities. It is highly prized for furniture, and cabinetmaking. The sapwood is cream-colored or pinkish. The heartwood is yellow when freshly cut but upon aging and exposure it becomes orange to light reddish or greenish and brown. Easy wood to work with...


I couldn't wait, so I cut the block in half and made the first of two Tiny Radial cabinets tonight. If this is "Easy wood to work with..." I'm in some really deep shit because none of the other burls that are on the way to me now claim to be easy wood to work with!

It took forever to do everything. I machined the half block into four 3/8" thick panels and they started to warp right away so after that tension was released I sanded them flat and down to 5/16" thickness.  I had to sand them because the planer chips out the burls.  It was a lot of sanding.

I used the table saw to cut the panels to shape. The router to create the mitre worked well, but I had to glue it together right away else the panels would continue to warp so.  As you can deduce, the size of the block means 8 panels, not 9 or 10 in case I ruin one...  And of course any mistake on even one panel means the entire block of wood is junk, $150 down the drain and crap if it didn't take a good four hours of my time to just make and assemble the four panels for one cabinet.  

This is the absolute most difficult piece of wood I've ever tried to work with... ignorance is such a tool as it drives one to constantly dig yourself out from the the mess of getting in over your head.  I know of no other tool with as much power, because without the tool, virtually none of these things would happen... including Decware for that matter.

Anyway, I couldn't cut the other four panels because they would have warped in the time it took me to make the first cabinet.  So we'll save that for the next round.  I'll put a picture of it on here tomorrow.

This block of wood was $138 plus tax and shipping... so you can see why I had to have a beer after making it through the first one without destroying it (and there were some close calls believe me.)

So I'm excited and somewhat stressed.  I have to make a second one without any mistakes to have a pair, or I have nothing.  Then I have to do it at least 6 more times with even more difficult woods...

One thing that did come out good was the finish sanding.  Since the grain of this burl is in tiny circles the same diameter as the orbit on my palm sander...

Steve



Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #247 - 07/10/20 at 16:16:10
 

Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
Steve Deckert
Administrator
*****


If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #248 - 07/10/20 at 16:28:23
 


Back to top
 
 
WWW   IP Logged
JohnWatson
Senior Member
***




Posts: 89
Re: Steve's TINY RADIAL project!
Reply #249 - 07/10/20 at 17:05:33
 
I had an antique burl wood bowl years ago I sold for 2500.  It didn't look near as good and you couldn't hear anything out of it!
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 5 6 7 ... 14
Send Topic Print