Hawthorne Audio "Trio" and a center channel sand filled baffle build from Cherry

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Bob in St. Louis

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I've been building a set of right, left and center channel baffles for a fellow. Thought ya'all might be interested in seeing some pretty pictures.  aa
The baffles are three layers of 7/8" Cherry that have been laminated together. The center layer of each baffle has been hollowed out and filled with sand to help dissipate the energy caused by three 15" cones slamming back and forth. On top of the right and left baffles are Hawthorne coaxials, as is the center channel. The lower two drivers on each side of the main channels are Hawthorne Audio Augies.
The fellow already has a pair of "Duets", which means he has a pair of coaxes, and a pair of Augies. That means that I've got a pair of Augies and a single coax to "play with" as far as driver measurements (to drill the holes) and the occasional photoshoot "eye candy" to show off.

The pictorial starts when I met the UPS driver (the tractor trailer won't come down my street) and ends where I'm at, as of today, which is 99% finished. His plan is to drive 4.5 hours to personally pick up the baffles, as he doesn't trust a shipping company. If things go as planned, he'll be bringing his other four drivers so I can install them and I'll get a chance to photograph them "in their natural environment", so to speak.

Here we go...........

Meeting the UPS truck as the local school (which happens to be under construction):


The pallet of Cherry wood in my truck:


As soon as I get home, I unpackage the wood:


Squaring the rough edges from the sawmill:


Then I start poking "Augie holes":


A test fit for the Augies:


Twenty one pieces of Cherry wood that are 15" in diameter should come in handy for something....shouldn't it?
More on that later.


Nine pieces of Cherry, ready for glue, and sand:


This should get the juices flowing. That's about what things will look like when it's all said and done. However, there's much more to do:


The middle layer is glued, nailed, and clamped to the rear layer:


After the glue dries, it's time to fill the voids/cavities with sand:


Center channel cavity with sand:


Center channel front layer clamped on. Note the scrap block to protect the face of the baffle. Don't want to damage the wood:


Another baffle sand filled. Note the other baffle in the background that has it's face layer clamped to the middle layer, hence sealing the sand in it's final resting place:


The other baffle: Spreading glue on the middle layer, awaiting the face layer to be clamped on:


Lots of clamps, and lots of blocks to protect the wood:


Another test fit of the drivers. Note; the baffle is laying flat across sawhorses, and I'm standing on a stool to take the picture:


Ok......from all that "scrap" created by using a router to make 21 holes that are 15" in diameter, there SHOULD be something a fellow could do with all that material.
How about using that Cherry to create the legs for the baffles. Here are the individual components used to make six legs. All pieces have been cut out of the 15" holes, then clamped together and sanded to make identical pieces to create the legs.
On the extreme right and left of the photo, you can see the two MDF "test mules" used as a "proof of concept":


Here are the Cherry "scrap" pieces assembled to be used as legs for the Trios:


Ok.........Time for a photoshoot, and final test fit of the drivers.
I wanted to make sure the legs are going to be stable, the drivers fit correctly, and everything is ..... RIGHT !!!!








That's about as far as I've gotten as of today. There's a little more finish work to do before the fellow comes to pick up his speakers, but it looks pretty good.
I'm happy with it.

Bob

MerRev

all in one day Bob- you're a madman!

Looks like some serious open baffle bass. :rock:
The cherry wood looks great and I like creative use of scraps.

zybar

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Nice work Bob - I'd hire you!   :thumb:

George

DanTheMan

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Come on Bob, you know us better than that.  Pretty pictures....... we prefer nasty ones.   :icon_twisted:

However, when you ain't got nasty, I'll take pretty. :D

Looks great Bob!  Jeff is a lucky man.

Dan


mcgsxr

That is damn nice work, thanks for posting the pics and progress Bob!

lonewolfny42

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Excellent work Bob.... :beer:
I see a new career for you... :wink:

playntheblues

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Very, Very nice Bob  :drool:

BPT

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Looks great, very nice work.
Chris H.

JohnR

Very nice work. So what effect does that amount of sand have?

Bob in St. Louis

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Thank you very much for the complements guys!  :thumb:

John, One of the benefits of the sand is that is adds mass. But the main reason for it is to dissipate the energy of three 15" cones doing their best to shake the baffle. The individual grains will vibrate/resonate thereby absorbing the energy. In theory it should make for a "quieter" baffle. As we all know, one of the main reasons for a baffle is for it's tone control qualities. However we don't want it to contribute to the sound in a negative way due to it resonating, of "flapping in the breeze". The baffle itself needs to be as inert as possible and not contribute anything to the sound other than it's tone control qualities.

Bob

New Praetorian

Come on Bob, you know us better than that.  Pretty pictures....... we prefer nasty ones.   :icon_twisted:

However, when you ain't got nasty, I'll take pretty. :D

Looks great Bob!  Jeff is a lucky man.

Dan

Yes I am.  From the start Bob has been very helpful and hard working.  He even helped me call around to lumber suppliers to find the wood.  That was a bear of a job since most places didn't call or email back! :x

I can't wait to pick the baffles up and put the stain and finish on them.  I bet they look better in real life than in the pictures!

Jeff

Bob in St. Louis

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Hey Jeff, good to see you here.
I knew you didn't peruse the pages of AC very often, but I didn't know you weren't a member until now.
Cool!  :thumb:

But yes, they look much better in real life than in the pictures....mostly due to my novice photography skills.  :oops:

Bob

Scott F.

Nice work Bob  :thumb:

So where did you get your Cherry? I need to build a new TV/AV gear stand for the home theater.

Bob in St. Louis

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Hi Scott!
Jeff found a company called AdvantageLumber.com.
They're based in Buffalo, New York, but the shipping invoice says it came from Grover, North Carolina. The phone number is 716.827.3915.
I never spoke with them, but Jeff says they were very reasonable to speak with and very accommodating to his special requests.
The other day I met a fellow on a gaming forum who's a cabinet builder in New Jersey. He said he could help source materials. I can contact him if you're interested.

I'll be home all weekend playing with Jeff's speakers and doing chores. If you'd like to drop by I'd be honored to have you over.
The wife and kids will be gone most of the time too.  aa :lol:

Bob

Scott F.

Thanks for the info Bob. More lumber sources are always good to have. I'd love to come by this weekend to hear them but unfortunately I'm not supposed to drive for a few days. I had a hernia in my belly fixed yesterday and I'm munching on percocets. Might not be the best combination, drugs and driving. Thanks for the invite though and yes I WILL make it by sometime soon  :thumb:

Bob in St. Louis

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I see how it is.....You're being selfish with the drugs.  :lol:
You've got my best wishes Scott. I hope your tummy's doing better A.S.A.P.

Bob