I've priced out tools and materials to build a pair of Woden Shrike with the Fostex FE103-SOL. This is my first speaker build, so please forgive a few very newbie questions as I plan it out.
* This will be a crossover-less build: is it recommended to bevel the front edges to compensate for baffle step, or can I leave them square?
* Since the lining material only goes on one interior side wall, should I use opposite sides in the two boxes so that they are mirrored? (i.e. would the lining material have an effect on imaging directionality, therefore requiring symmetry?)
* The material will be a quality Baltic birch plywood from Woodcraft: Is it worth using biscuits for alignment and bond strength (since it will be a lot of end-grain-to-face-grain joinery), or better to use the naked wood surfaces?
Thanks for any advice you might have!
Jeff
* This will be a crossover-less build: is it recommended to bevel the front edges to compensate for baffle step, or can I leave them square?
* Since the lining material only goes on one interior side wall, should I use opposite sides in the two boxes so that they are mirrored? (i.e. would the lining material have an effect on imaging directionality, therefore requiring symmetry?)
* The material will be a quality Baltic birch plywood from Woodcraft: Is it worth using biscuits for alignment and bond strength (since it will be a lot of end-grain-to-face-grain joinery), or better to use the naked wood surfaces?
Thanks for any advice you might have!
Jeff
In order:
-Bevelling the edges doesn't compensate for baffle step losses. It can help smooth diffraction effects however, and since it doesn't do any harm, go ahead if you wish. To compensate for step-loss, you'll need some form of EQ, be it a passive shelving filter, or an active / digital filter. In general, if they're positioned near a boundary, the effects are somewhat reduced, so I'd do without initially.
-No.
-Depends on how good you are at woodwork.
Since I'm lousy at best, I'm not the best person to comment, other than to say that for small cabinets like this, straightforward butt-joints should do fine.
-Bevelling the edges doesn't compensate for baffle step losses. It can help smooth diffraction effects however, and since it doesn't do any harm, go ahead if you wish. To compensate for step-loss, you'll need some form of EQ, be it a passive shelving filter, or an active / digital filter. In general, if they're positioned near a boundary, the effects are somewhat reduced, so I'd do without initially.
-No.
-Depends on how good you are at woodwork.
Since I'm lousy at best, I'm not the best person to comment, other than to say that for small cabinets like this, straightforward butt-joints should do fine.
As Scott noted, on little enclosures like these butt joints should be fine - this ain't the head of a Cummins diesel engine you're torquing down - as long as you have a clean/square glue joint edge and sufficient clamping pressure, you should be fine.
Most of the small flat pack kits for 3-4" drivers that Dave ships out are fabricated that way.
Biscuits / dowels - or for the more affluent, Festool Dominoes* -are great fun to play with, but not essential for a small box like these.
Considering the thickness of material likely to be employed here, the bevels on the front long edges are honestly as much aesthetic as anything - but then I've never conducted triple blind peer reviewed testing or exhaustive in situ measurements to confirm that hypothesis.
*bloody great tool. but as with dowels, not as much tolerance for adjustment as biscuits.
What shouldn't be considered optional is the chamfering of rear side of driver cut out with drivers of this size range.
- as long as you have a clean/square glue joint edge and sufficient clamping pressure, you should be fine. Most of the small flat pack kits for 3-4" drivers that Dave ships out are fabricated that way.
Biscuits / dowels - or for the more affluent, Festool Dominoes* -are great fun to play with, but not essential for a small box like these.
Considering the thickness of material likely to be employed here, the bevels on the front long edges are honestly as much aesthetic as anything - but then I've never conducted triple blind peer reviewed testing or exhaustive in situ measurements to confirm that hypothesis.
*bloody great tool. but as with dowels, not as much tolerance for adjustment as biscuits.
What shouldn't be considered optional is the chamfering of rear side of driver cut out with drivers of this size range.
Thanks for the input, guys. This is very helpful. Since beveled edges won't help with baffle step loss, then I'll leave them square at first.
Yes, I've got a pair of -SOLs from solen.ca that have been breaking in with the Kanspea 1000 boxes that came with the FF105WK I also ordered. I've just been intrigued by the Shrike since around Christmastime and am curious to make them.
Then I'll probably make the L'Stylo 105. I really like the FF105WK in the Kanspea boxes, so I'm curious to hear them in a larger enclosure.
I'm hoping these two projects will give me the woodworking skills to tackle a Vampyr build this summer.
Yes, I've got a pair of -SOLs from solen.ca that have been breaking in with the Kanspea 1000 boxes that came with the FF105WK I also ordered. I've just been intrigued by the Shrike since around Christmastime and am curious to make them.
Then I'll probably make the L'Stylo 105. I really like the FF105WK in the Kanspea boxes, so I'm curious to hear them in a larger enclosure.
I'm hoping these two projects will give me the woodworking skills to tackle a Vampyr build this summer.
The reduced diffraction from beveling edges typically improves imaging a bit. However it makes much less of a difference with fullrange speaker compared to dome tweeters.
I always mirror match my internal stuffing/lining, but it's just an OCD love of symmetry thing. I can't imagine it makes a real difference.
Biscuits are fun but unnecessary for a small speaker box. I usually just clamp things up and jigger them around for alignment, then run a flush cut router bit over the edges after the glue is dry to make them perfect.
For a real low budget alternative to that Festool
: Don't forget it's not illegal to use finishing nails and a nail set. This was standard DIY technique in the 50s and 60s, and I've done it a couple times. It felt like I was sinning, but it actually is fast and effective.
I purchased my biscuit jointer nearly 30 years ago, mostly it collects dust in the drawer when i am building furniture, but if i need to glue a face frame to a carcass or glue up a butt jointed box it is invaluable for preventing the pieces from moving around while tightening up the clamps.
Since it takes about 5 minutes to cut the joints and about 50 cents worth of biscuits why would you not ??
Since it takes about 5 minutes to cut the joints and about 50 cents worth of biscuits why would you not ??
Last year I borrowed a biscuit jointer to make speaker stands and liked it. For the Shrike build, I was thinking biscuits would help to keep the external walls from wandering and internal baffles at right angles. I'll try butt joints for this build but will probably use biscuits if/when I go for the Vampyr.
Regarding front baffle beveling: If I were to try it, is it best to bevel the edges before gluing up, or could one use a chamfer bit and do it after assembly?
Regarding front baffle beveling: If I were to try it, is it best to bevel the edges before gluing up, or could one use a chamfer bit and do it after assembly?
Last night during dinner i was looking at ours and thinking about how to make it even more "dramatic"
The SOLs would also be interesting in these too.
dave
Ha! I don't know to add drama to those pieces. They already look like they're ready to shatter an airspeed record with that rocket fin on the back.
I was thinking a Vampyr cabinet for use with both the 105wk and 103-sol would be fun. Since there's an internal brace behind the driver, I'm assuming it's the kind that is meant to touch the back of the magnet, is in your *Onken designs. So when the -sols arrived, I put them next to the 105s to see if the magnets protruded to the same depth, and the 105s are about 1/4"/6mm deeper or a little more. That means I'd need to build for the 105 and then devise a shim of some sort when installing the -sols, unless contact is not important.
Last night during dinner i was looking at ours and thinking about how to make it even more "dramatic"
Jeez, Dave, you look like me but with short hair.
and shorter socks...
Another newbie question: the plywood I purchased measures 12mm thick, which is a tad thinner (by 1-2mm or so) than the 1/2" specified in the Shrike design. Should I build this so that the spacing between the internal baffles is exactly as specified? That would make the exterior length of the box slightly less than the 12" in the plan. Or should I just stick with the external dimensions and not worry so much?
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