AudioCircle
Industry Circles => GR Research => Topic started by: Captainhemo on 8 Aug 2012, 08:15 pm
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Hi All
After lots of reading and an equal amount of decision changes between the AV3 or N3 kits I finally went with the N3 kit. I placed the order with Danny and had him ship the cross over components to Ron (Ron on AC) who gave me a great deal on assembling the networks for me. I personally didn't want to attempt the assembly as I'm visually impaired and didn't feel I was capable of dealing with the small components. Ron is a great option for anyone not wanting to assemble their own networks.
Anyhow, I started on the cabinets last weekend.
I picked up a sheet of 3/4" MDF from Home Depot and was able to get a fair amount of the cutting done there. I had them cut me 2 8" strips, 2 10" strips, and a 6.5" strip. From the 8" strips, I had them cut me the 4 front/rear pieces , from the 10" strips the 4 sides .
From leftovers of those pieces, I was able to cut the 4 top/bottom plates.
I must say, I asked the fellow to be extremely accurate with the cuts and he took his time and measured everything twice before cutting.
When I got home, I cut up the 6.5 " strip into the various braces I'd be needing.
Now being that I only started the weekend with 2 clamps, I decided to mark out all the bracing positions on 1 side of the cabinet. I'd have to position and glue in 2 braces at a time (using a scrap piece of MDF and the 2 clamps for pressure). It's very time consuming doing it like this but I had to work with what I had. I had a difficult time keeping the braces square when clamping them down but with some finicking around it is possible.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66223)
The 2 brace B's for each speaker I made from a 6.5" x 21" piece. Once the holes were routed and radiused, I cut the piece in half, then cut the excess from each end to make each of the resulting brace B's 6.5 x10" with a semi circles cut in either end.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66224)
I continued gluing in 2 braces at a time until they were all securely in position. Next I glued and screwed the top and bottom of the cabinet in place.. Now that I'm writing this, I realize that I should have taken more photos slong the way.
I was able to get my hands on a couple more clamps which really helped. Now I clamped the second side in place and drilled the pilot holes fro the screws. The screws are all slightly countersunk to allow for a roundover later. I also slightly countersink the holes that the screws will be tighening into making sure that the boards bind tightly. Next I applied the glue, clamps and screwws .
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66225)
Here's how they are looking now. I'm pleased witht he results thus far. I obviously need to invest in more clamps for future builds.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66226)
As you can see, these are front vented so the TL has been flip flopped.
I was also able to get the front baffles cut out. The rear of the woofer holes are rounded over with a 3/8 radius.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66227)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66228)
More to come.
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Looking good so far Jay! :) Anxious to see more photographs as you progress with your build.
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:thumb:
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I received my cross overs from Ron the other day. Here are a few pics
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66229)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66230)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66231)
Now looking ahead a bit and remembering that the TL is flip flopped, should I be putting these on the front baffle right below the 2nd woofer and above brace E ? It's either there or on the back panel between brace D and brace F which would be a tighter fit. Is the placement going to effect the TL?
I'm going to be doing the DIY no res for these speakers. I was able to get a hold of some good thick commercial lino to line the cabinets with. I'll hopefully get going on that i n the next day or so.
-jay
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Note to Danny. I like how Ron labels stuff for the non technical minded. This type of picture should be stickied somewhere for those of us who want to build speaker but don't care to learn how to read schematics.
Ron very kindly sent me a picture of his crossovers when I built my N3s.
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on the back panel between brace D and brace F
I'd go with that.
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I'd go with that.
I was originally thinking that too, but was worried it may somewhat block that part of the TL with brace E (on the ront panel) in between D & F. It will fit there, but like I said, I am just a bit worried about it blocking the TL
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I was originally thinking that too, but was worried it may somewhat block that part of the TL with brace E (on the ront panel) in between D & F. It will fit there, but like I said, I am just a bit worried about it blocking the TL
That part of the TL is large and air flow is not going to be inhibited.
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Ok, got going o nthe lino this weekend.
First I guled on the rear panel. I only had the 4 clamps so I also used 4 screws
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66383)
I cut all the rear wall pieces then used contact cement to glue them in place While the contact cement was drying, I started cutting the rest of the pieces.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66386)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66384)
Working on the 2nd speaker now. I'm not having a whole lot of fun messing with the contact cement. I'm kind of seeing the attraction of self stick lino tiles or the no res now
More soon
-jay
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I've got the 2nd speaker all lined with lino .
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66462)
Appareently I have gone a bit overboard with the lino. After looking at the plans, I see that only the rear wall needed lino all the way down. I also did the sides right down to the top of the vent chamber. Is this going to be ok ? If so, I'm assumin g aI only need to run the foam down the sides to the top of brace "D" as indicateed in the plans ?
Also the plans show the no res starting a bit "behind" the drivers.... how far back from the front baffle should I start the foam ?
Thanks
-jay
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And here they sit tonight after getting most of the foam cut and test fitted.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66510)
I haven't glued the foam in yet. It has been suggestted tome to use 3M 77 spray adhesive to glue this stuff in. Is this the best way to go or does anyone have any other suggestiions ?
I guess next I'll position the crossovers and drill the pilot holes for mounting.
Getting there :)
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3M 77 is a good choice. I have used it for years for many projects. I just used it to glue in fiberglass in my build. I suggest you do it outside as the aerosol may get on things you don't want it to. Also, it is a contact cement, so be careful installing the foam because once it sticks, it sticks!
Larry
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So does it mater if overspray gets on the internal bracing etc ? I would have thought it would be good to keep the bracing as "clean" as possible ? Does it matter whether the barces surfaces are smooth or " gluey" ? Probably a dumb ? but....
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Long time lurker, first time posting.
3M 77 odor smells so strong and toxic. I would just use regular wood glue to stick the foam to the cabinet wall.
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Long time lurker, first time posting.
3M 77 odor smells so strong and toxic. I would just use regular wood glue to stick the foam to the cabinet wall.
That would definitely make it easier to position the foam and not have to worry about the instant stick of 3m 77. Does the wood glue stick weel to the foam and vinyl ?
Thanks
-jay
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Long time lurker, first time posting.
3M 77 odor smells so strong and toxic. I would just use regular wood glue to stick the foam to the cabinet wall.
Welcome to AC!
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That would definitely make it easier to position the foam and not have to worry about the instant stick of 3m 77. Does the wood glue stick weel to the foam and vinyl ?
Thanks
-jay
I haven't had issues with that, or any other construction adhesive for that matter. I actually used a caulking gun and Locktite when I did this to a few of my speakers...
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That would definitely make it easier to position the foam and not have to worry about the instant stick of 3m 77. Does the wood glue stick weel to the foam and vinyl ?
Thanks
-jay
I didn't realize you have linoleum floor lined the walls. May I ask what was the reason behind doing this way? It *could* work after the glue is fully dried. In this case, adhesive caulking is probably a better choice. I would avoid the 3M 77 though. That thing made me disoriented easily.
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Welcome to AC!
Thanks Danny! I have been studying the N3 TL for quite some time. :)
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I was just assuming that the 3m 77 was like contact cement and that once it touched the surface, it wold pretty much stick at that spot. Like you say, I guess any construction adhesive will work and not have that instant stick issue.
I've actually just glued a scrap piece of foam to a scrap piece of vinyl using some wood glue just to see how well it will stick.
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Thanks Danny! I have been studying the N3 TL for quite some time. :)
Well, sounds like it is time to build a pair so you can join the club.
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Well, sounds like it is time to build a pair so you can join the club.
Agreed !! I'm sure glad I finally decided to build a set and can't wait to hea them
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Well, sounds like it is time to build a pair so you can join the club.
Not yet. There are too many things going on right now. I haven't finished my room treatments yet since March ( 2 24x24x72 bass traps, 5 24x6x48 broadband traps). After this is done, I will need to build new enclosures for the two sets of dual 15" Rythmik. I have them now in dual-opposed configuration. I want to change it to dual front-firing configurations. Perhaps, I could pre-build the N3 TL enclosures at the same time.
The N3 center looks too small....the LS Center looks too big...Danny how about something in the middle (enclosure size wise): M165-16 | Neo10 | Neo3 | Neo10 | M165-16 or M130-16 | Neo8 | Neo3 | Neo8 | M130-16 as center?
Captainhemo:
How is it going with glue the foam to Lino? I apologize for trolling in your thread.
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Captainhemo:
How is it going with glue the foam to Lino? I apologize for trolling in your thread.
No worries ...
I tried the wood glue with a couple pieces but it doesn't stick very well to the vinyl. Went out and picked up a can of the 3M Super 77 and it worked great :thumb:
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great looking build.... Following. I am building some Zaph TT's right now.
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great looking build.... Following. I am building some Zaph TT's right now.
Glad you like it .. Do you have a build thread going as well ?
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Well, I didn't get a whole lot done this weekend. I did finish gluing in the foam so that is out of the weay. After getting that done, I decided to roughly fit and sand the fron baffles . When screwed in place they actually came out pretty close Not to much sanding was required to get a decent fit. All the edges have had a first sanding.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66615)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66616)
Now, I'm going to be using fiberglass insulation for the " stuffing" in the areas shown in the plans. What I'm wondering is how thick should the insulation be in the areas indicated above brace "d" and brace "e" ??
Also, when I get to the point wher I'm putting it in behind the woofers, do I need to make sure that the semi circle openings in brace b is kept clear or do I fill with insulation right over the openings as it is kind of shown in the plan ?
I've got to get the vent openings cut out. I ordered a cheap flush trim bit from China . Usually delivery from China has been bery quick in the past but this seems to be taking a little longer, hope it shows this week.
Next build I do I'll make sure I do all the cutting/fitting before gluing in the vinyl/foam.
-jay
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You are doing a great job Jay. :thumb: Keep up the good work. Anxious to see pictures of the finished speakers and your opinion as to how they sound. Thanks for posting pictures of your construction progress for others to see.
Ron
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You are doing a great job Jay. :thumb: Keep up the good work. Anxious to see pictures of the finished speakers and your opinion as to how they sound. Thanks for posting pictures of your construction progress for others to see.
Ron
Thanks Ron They are coming along pretty nicely. Need to still cut the round over on the ooutside edges and the vent holes. After that, I'll get the crossovers mounted and glue on the various pieces of insulation (still not sure how thick to make these).
After that, I should be good to glue on the front panels and start into the finishing stages
Can';t wait to hear them :)
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Here's why not to buy cheap router bits from China. 1st use with this bit and the friggin bearing came off .... before I noticed it, the damage was done.
Looks like I'll be making a new baffle and doing some creative thinkiing for the inside of the vent which now needs some repairs.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=63743)
I'm not a happy person at the moment :(
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Bummer on the router damage. :(
While you repair the damage, I would recomend a trip to Wallmart for some poly-fiber-fill. I wouldn't put fiberglass in a vented box. You don't want glass particles floating around in your home, not good for the lungs you know. The Poly fiber is cheap, safe to handle and makes great speaker stuffing.
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Bummer on the router damage. :(
While you repair the damage, I would recomend a trip to Wallmart for some poly-fiber-fill. I wouldn't put fiberglass in a vented box. You don't want glass particles floating around in your home, not good for the lungs you know. The Poly fiber is cheap, safe to handle and makes great speaker stuffing.
Yeah, the router damage is a bummer, I wouldn't be recomending those cheap bits to anyone L(
Good tip on the FG, I'll look into the poly Fiber. Thanks !
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Sorry to hear about you problem. I wonder if it might have been just a case of tightening the screw on the bearing on the bit before using it? Something I don't normally do but will now keep in mind.
As a side note, I like to tell my clients that my 20 years of experience is 20 years of mistakes and accidents that I won't repeat. I still make new mistakes though...
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Ha :lol: Me too, django!
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Sorry to hear about you problem. I wonder if it might have been just a case of tightening the screw on the bearing on the bit before using it? Something I don't normally do but will now keep in mind.
As a side note, I like to tell my clients that my 20 years of experience is 20 years of mistakes and accidents that I won't repeat. I still make new mistakes though...
You're right, that is quite possible. I also never check the screw , not a mistake I will make again . I can't even find the screw from this particular bit. The bearing was sitting in the bottom of the cabinet , but no sign of the screw so I don't know what happened to it.
I think we all have made our fair share of mistakes over the years. What you telll you clients is a great way of looking at it. Live and learn :)
-jay
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You're right, that is quite possible. I also never check the screw , not a mistake I will make again . I can't even find the screw from this particular bit. The bearing was sitting in the bottom of the cabinet , but no sign of the screw so I don't know what happened to it.
I think we all have made our fair share of mistakes over the years. What you telll you clients is a great way of looking at it. Live and learn :)
-jay
Jay,
Sorry to hear about your mishap. I suggest you get a magnet out and run it all over to try to find the screw. It is probably a tiny M2 or M3 hex socket hex cap screw, and won't be real easy to find at your local hardware. Although you may get lucky.
How bad is the damage? Do you have pictures? You may be able to repair it with Durhams Putty as it works very well on MDF. Or maybe you can just cut our the section of damaged board, and ship-lap a new piece in.
Larry
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Jay,
Sorry to hear about your mishap. I suggest you get a magnet out and run it all over to try to find the screw. It is probably a tiny M2 or M3 hex socket hex cap screw, and won't be real easy to find at your local hardware. Although you may get lucky.
How bad is the damage? Do you have pictures? You may be able to repair it with Durhams Putty as it works very well on MDF. Or maybe you can just cut our the section of damaged board, and ship-lap a new piece in.
Larry
Hey Larry
I'll tty using a magnet to fid the screw, hopefully that will work. I've pretty much got the cabinet repaired. I ended up routing out the damage and gluing in some new strips to make the vent nice and straight again. I actually didn't take picutres, I was too frustrated to een think of that. I will take a coule of the repair and show what i did.
The baffle is a different story, it was really gouged in one spot... I may just make an entire new baffle as I have enough spare MDF lying around. I have tried to repair it just to see how it would be. Same idea, glued in some new pieces but not sure they will hold up to being rouited to fit the cabinet opening, we'll see. If they do, Iguess it will be fine.
I guess things were going too smoothly , Murphy's law had to kick in at somepoint
-jay
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Here are a few pics of the vent and babble repair. I'm actually not expecting the baffle repair to work as I don't think it will holld up to routing. The baffle has had all four edges "replaced" ajnd thus needs to be routed with the trim bit.. If it sdoesn't hold up , I'll be cutting a new baffle. I'll probably just do that any way but it will be fun to see if the repair can hold up.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66765)
The vent will be fine. Another coat of wood putty on each side and we should be good to go again.
Here it is right side up.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66766)
And from the bottom (upside down)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66767)
I'll try routing it tomorrow and see what happens.
BTW, I never did find the screw that fell out of the bit . However, I pulled out my old RC helicopter parts bins and found a small screw that fit so I have a bit again :) Used Loctite and crankded that little screw as tight as I could .
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The repair held up fine to being routed . I was surprised as I figured the pieces I glued in would have just been torn out by the router. Stron bonds..
Didn't get much more done than cutting the two vents out as I was on lemonade seeling duty with my niece :)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66844)
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:thumb:
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Jay,
Sorry to hear about the problems caused by your defect router bit. Over the years I have encountered similar problems myself using a router so I know how frustrating it can be. The repair you did looks good.
Appears you are close to having the cabinets ready to paint. Have you desided yet on the paint? Also, if you
plan to use a 3/8" or 1/2" radius for the cabinet edges ? Looking good. :thumb:
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Hey Jay,
Looking good! Glad your repair worked out. I won't tell anybody about it :).
I do have a suggestion if your going the do a radius on some or all edges. I suggest you do most of the filling and leveling BEFORE you cut the radius. I did the radius first, and I am finding out the long board sanding is leveling the MDF nicely, but is slightly flattening the radius :nono:
Larry
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Thanks guys, glad the secret is safe :)
Ron, I thought I'd do a 3/8" to start with and see how it looks. I can alays go over it with the 1/2" if need be.
Larry, that's a good point, Ill do most of the sanding before I do the roundover. Will also make sure i run the bearing downt he edge without the screws ( I read your post regarding that )
One thing I'm a bit concerned about is access to the crossovers. Once I glue the front baffles on, it is going to make accessing the crossovers pretty much impossible. At this point I'm wishing I had only screwed the rear panels in place so they'd be removable but I'm afraid that's no longer an option.
Should I be consdiering only installing the front baffles with screws or even considering mounting the crossovers on the back of the speaker with some kind of removable covers ?
Any suggestions ?
jay
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Thanks guys, glad the secret is safe :)
Ron, I thought I'd do a 3/8" to start with and see how it looks. I can alays go over it with the 1/2" if need be.
Larry, that's a good point, Ill do most of the sanding before I do the roundover. Will also make sure i run the bearing downt he edge without the screws ( I read your post regarding that )
One thing I'm a bit concerned about is access to the crossovers. Once I glue the front baffles on, it is going to make accessing the crossovers pretty much impossible. At this point I'm wishing I had only screwed the rear panels in place so they'd be removable but I'm afraid that's no longer an option.
Should I be consdiering only installing the front baffles with screws or even considering mounting the crossovers on the back of the speaker with some kind of removable covers ?
Any suggestions ?
jay
Jay,
On mine the crossover is going on the bottom. I have them located and holes drilled. They are not presently installed. I will be putting them through the woofer hole, and screwing them down. (I hope :scratch:). Would yours fit on a brace or side/back/top wall with access through a woofer hole?
Larry
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Jay, I screw my crossovers for that model to the back wall just behind the lower woofer. And getting to it through the woofer hole is no problem.
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Jay, I screw my crossovers for that model to the back wall just behind the lower woofer. And getting to it through the woofer hole is no problem.
Ok, I must have misunderstood you earlier. I thought you had told me to mount it on the back wasll between brace D and F ( remember these are front vented).
I'll try and mount it above D right behind the lower woofer as you say.
Thanks :)
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Ok the crossovers were just a bit too big to fit behind the lower woofer. With brace D being on the rear wall due to the front vent design, the space behind the lower woofer is smaller than normal.
I really didn't ,ike the idea of making the front baffles remvable but I also didn't want to bury the c/o's leaving no access.
So I decided to go with an acess panel on the rear wall.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=66999)
The panels will be large enough to hold the c/o and the electa tubes.
Here they are installed and rounded over
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67000)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67001)
The panels were made from 3/4" MDF . After they were fit in place, I glued lino to the inside face. C/O's will go on top of that. This was kind of an unexpect hic-up in the build but I think it will look ok once the cabinets are painted and it will make accessing the C/O's pretty easy if ever need be.
I also did a 3/8" roundover on the rest of the cabinet. I've been condidering doing a 1/2" roundover but am not sure . Leave it as 3/8 or do the 1/2 ?
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67002)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67003)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67004)
Now for a question. How much poly fill do I put on the front and rear walls in the bottom woofer chamber ?
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Now for a question. How much poly fill do I put on the front and rear walls in the bottom woofer chamber ?
See page 5, 6, and 7 of the plans.
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I think the access panel is better way to go than mounting the crossover on the back of the cabinet with a cover over it. The 3/8" roundover looks nice. A 1/2" roundover might be too much. Do you plan to paint them soon? Looking good !
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I think the access panel is better way to go than mounting the crossover on the back of the cabinet with a cover over it. The 3/8" roundover looks nice. A 1/2" roundover might be too much. Do you plan to paint them soon? Looking good !
Hoping to paint fairly soon. Finally picked up a big bag of poly fill so I can get the lower stuff glued in place fefore gluing on the baffles. I think I'll try and get the grill frames done too. Getting closer :)
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Hoping to paint fairly soon. Finally picked up a big bag of poly fill so I can get the lower stuff glued in place fefore gluing on the baffles. I think I'll try and get the grill frames done too. Getting closer :)
Man! that's looking great. You have been a busy boy! I did the 3/8" roundover too, but I think I am going to do the 1/2" on mine. On yours I think the 3/8" is probably better. Mine are chunky little boxes, narrow and deep, and I want the bigger radius look. Something like this http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-A5 (http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-A5)
Larry
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Man! that's looking great. You have been a busy boy! I did the 3/8" roundover too, but I think I am going to do the 1/2" on mine. On yours I think the 3/8" is probably better. Mine are chunky little boxes, narrow and deep, and I want the bigger radius look. Something like this http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-A5 (http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-A5)
Larry
Hey Larry
Yeah, things are moving along pretty good right now (knock knock). I did a 1/2" roundover on my sub and it looks pretty good . I'm still not sure if I'm going to stay with the 3/8 or go to the 1/2, the basses are quite thick and I think the 1/2 would look better on them but I really don't want mix the two.
Got one of the front baffles glued on this afternoon.... I can only do 1 at a time, need more clamps.
Not sure I will get to painting this weekend but hopefully I'll at least get them primed. we'll see.
-jay
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Hey Larry
Yeah, things are moving along pretty good right now (knock knock). I did a 1/2" roundover on my sub and it looks pretty good . I'm still not sure if I'm going to stay with the 3/8 or go to the 1/2, the basses are quite thick and I think the 1/2 would look better on them but I really don't want mix the two.
Got one of the front baffles glued on this afternoon.... I can only do 1 at a time, need more clamps.
Not sure I will get to painting this weekend but hopefully I'll at least get them primed. we'll see.
-jay
Jay,
I know what you mean, both the 3/8" and the 1/2" look good. I don't think you will be unhappy with either. Did you have to use bondo or some other filler to level any low spots or were all your loints perfect :lol:?
Are you going to seal the boxes with shellac, watered down glue, or just the primer?
Larry
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Jay,
I know what you mean, both the 3/8" and the 1/2" look good. I don't think you will be unhappy with either. Did you have to use bondo or some other filler to level any low spots or were all your loints perfect :lol:?
Are you going to seal the boxes with shellac, watered down glue, or just the primer?
Larry
Hehe, no my joints weren't perfect. I had to do some filling and sanding. I used some wood filler my father reccomended. I also used it on my sub and it has stayed in place well thus far.
I was actually just planning on a couple coats of primer like I did on the sub followed by a couple coats of the truck bed liner.
Unless a guy is going to try and seal the entire cabinet like you are talking about in your build thread, I don't really see the point in just doing the outside. I would think that the TBL over the primer is going to seal the ouside just as well ?
-jay
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Well, I didn't make it to primer but I did get quite a bit done this past weekend.
Spent the better part of a day filling screw holes, low spots, and sanding. It was a lot of work. When I glued the front baffles on, I drilled quite a few new screw holes to make sure I got them good and tight. I only have four clamps so screws were the only other option.
I've been following Larry's LS Encore build thread and all the talk about sealing edges got me a bit worriee as I had only planned to use a couple coats of primer followed by a couple coats of truck bed liner. Anyway, I decieded to "seal" the cabinetsc using a ouple coats of a wood glue / water mixture (75/25) before applying the primer After each coat I lightly sanded with 400 grit paper..
They have come out really nice . I hope the glue mixture does a good job of sealing up the edges and the rest of the MDF for that matter.
This is where they stand now..
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67219)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67220)
I'm glad I did this "extra step" now that it is done. Maybe tomorrow I'll get a couple coats of primer on.
I also got the grills cut and routed out over the weekend. Had a bit of a mishap when my Craftsmen router's plunge depth setting slipped which was a bit frustrating.. Appareently the aluminum body (where the set screw is tightened) has stripped . This particular router isn't even a coule months old so I'll be taking it bak to Sears and trying to have it replaced
I was able to save the grill so no real harm was done but it's still frustrating.
Still haven't decied whether to leave the grills square with roundovers or go with the oval shaped grills. I like them both.
No pics fo the grill frames yet, will try and post some tomorrow.
-jay
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Looking good Jay! :D Glad that you decided to apply a couple of coats of wood glue on the edges and the rest of the cabinets before you
use the primer. Guess you decided to leave the 3/8" radius on the edges instead of going to 1/2" The 3/8" does look good. I read about two other products that are suppose to be good for sealingl the edges on MDF. One is a product called Duraglass Jel Filler which is an automotive type body filler and the other is dry wall compound which is available from home building supply stores like Home Depot. I plan to experiment with both this week along with the wood glue to see which ones work best. Please post pictures after you paint the enclosures.
Ron
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Looking good Jay! :D Glad that you decided to apply a couple of coats of wood glue on the edges and the rest of the cabinets before you
use the primer. Guess you decided to leave the 3/8" radius on the edges instead of going to 1/2" The 3/8" does look good. I read about two other products that are suppose to be good for sealingl the edges on MDF. One is a product called Duraglass Jel Filler which is an automotive type body filler and the other is dry wall compound which is available from home building supply stores like Home Depot. I plan to experiment with both this week along with the wood glue to see which ones work best. Please post pictures after you paint the enclosures.
Ron
Hi Ron
I applied the wood glue / water mix with a small 3" roller. I started out witht he intention of just doing the edges/seams but ended up doing everything. The mixture ends up drying pretty smooth and really does make the seams "invisible". Like I said, I'm glad I did it.
Keep us posted on how it goes with the Jel filler and the drywall compund.
I'll post some pics after I get the priming done
-jay
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I put on 2 coats of flat black primer. Sanded with 400 grit between coats and after 2nd. Still a couple little spots to work on but just about there.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67291)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67317)
I'm still planning on using the truck bed liner for a finish. Now I've used the spray on liner from a spray bomb but I was wondering if anyone has used the roll on typre. I am actually considering trying the roll on as I assume you'd get a lot more texture
Any thoughts regarding this ?
-jay
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They look good Jay even with just the primer coat. Did you use a spray or roll on type primer? Anxious to see how they look with the liner finish. I would think that if you roll on the liner coat with a foam roller it would have more texture than if it were sprayed on.
Ron
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It was a roll on primer which is what gave me the idea of using the roll on TBl. I'm really considering trying it. I'm sure if I wasn't happy with it, I could always spray a final top coat
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You might want to check with a couple of your local spray in bed liner companies. They might spray them for you cheaper than you think. I took a wagon to one a while back and they only charged me $30.
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Ditto. I took a set of speakers to the motorcycle shop and they sprayed it candy blue when they had a car come in. 50 bucks and a sixer of beer... JP
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Thanks for the tips guys... I may look into that although transporttion is tough for me. I'm legally blind so no driving for me and I don't know many folks with trucks anymore.
I can pick up a quart for $4 0 or the spray bombs are $10/can. I used 2 cans on my sub so I'd gues 2 or 3 cans / speaker.
-jay
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Well, after a weekend of many blunders, I finally got these cabinets painted this morning. It was all supposed to be done by Sun eve but that just didn't happen.
Inded up finally spraying them with the Home Depot truck bed liner, the same stuff I used on my sub. It isn't rubbery at all and gives a nice satin black, lightly textured final finish. The TBL sprays on surprisingly thin and soesn't hide imperfections as well as you'd might expect so getting the cabinets prepped well is key.
After spraying them with 2 coats, I'm pleased with how they turned out. Here are a few pic...
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67583)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67584)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67585)
Going to go work on getting the xo's mounted to the access panels and installing the elecra tubes
-jay
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Looking good...
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Your N3 TL's look great Jay. I like the satin black finish. Great job! :thumb:
Ron
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Got a quick question about the poly fill behind the top woofer and the tweeter....
I can see from the diagram where the poly fill needs to be but how loose do I place it in there ? Just loosely fill the chamber ?
Also, I'm assuming that the rear holes in the br ace B's get covered up with poly fill ?
Thanks guys
-jay
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I recommend lightly filling the back half of the cabinet with poly-fil. By lightly filling I mean the poly-fill should be fluffed out and not compressed.
The rear hole in the brace will be covered but this is not a problem.
Ron
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Jay,
They are looking great! You are really moving along.. How did the glue slurry thing work for you, was it difficult to sand, any problems with paint adhesion?
Larry
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Jay,
They are looking great! You are really moving along.. How did the glue slurry thing work for you, was it difficult to sand, any problems with paint adhesion?
Larry
Hey Larry
Yes, the finish turned out really nice. I'm glad I covered the cabinets with the glue/water mixture. It rolled on very easily and once it was dry it sanded very easily. I started with 240 grit and did a final sand with 400 before priming.
No issues with the primer sticking to it.
Surprisingly to many, the truck bed liner from home depot sprays on very thin so having a well prepped surface is important.. Also worth noting, the TBL from home depot is not "rubbery" at all. It drys to a hard , durable finish. I ended up using about 2.5 can on the 2 speakers.
Almost done, just need some help with the soldering and it will be payday :)
-jay
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any chance we can get a close up photo of the finish, maybe under a couple different lighting scenarios...?
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any chance we can get a close up photo of the finish, maybe under a couple different lighting scenarios...?
Here's 1. I tried to get more but my battery died in the camera. I'll get a few more later. It's tough to get many different lighting conditions in the garage, it's either flash or no flash
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67845)
The finish is quite textured. When you run your hand over it, it feels like say a very worn sheet of 240 grit sandpaper.
There are also a coule shots of my sub in my gallery that show it not too bad.
-jay
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Here are a couple more close ups. Sorry the lighitng isn't a whole lot different
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67871)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67872)
And here is my first attempt at a grill. The front side definitely looks better than the backside ! I used contact cement to attach the cloth and found it difficult to keep things neat . Hopefully I'll do better on the next one.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=67873)
-jay
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Sometimes this works sometimes not.. I cut a grove in the backside of the grill with a table saw or skill saw and then use window screen rubber to push in the fabric to hold it in. I also then hide small staples in the grove to keep the kids from tearing the fabric off.
JP
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man , I am so happy and sooo impressed :)
I finally finished up the N3Tl's this afternoon Unfortuinately I had to go with terminals to connect the wires to the drivers for now as I haven't been able to line up anyone to do the soldering for me. I did solder the terminals to the wires as I was able to do this out in the open where I could easily use a magnifying glass to see what I was doing When I line someone up to solder the drivers , I'll have that done but for now this will do.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=68231)
Once the drivers were installed, into the basement they went
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=68232)
Final touich was to put the badges on
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=68233)
These sound better than I could have ever hoped. I haven't heard a lot of "expensive " ( i know it's realative) speakers so I'm not able to make comparisons but these reproduce so much more than I have ever heard. There is a lot of really tight bass that blends great with my sub. There is definitely more "punch" in the room. Mids and highs are amazing as well. I'm hearing symbols in music that I had never heard before. It's great
hehe, I'm so friggin happy, perma grin for the evening :)
Got to go listen to some more tunes !!
-jay
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^^^^^
Great job, looking good. :thumb:
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Your finished N3 TL's look great Jay!! Good job ! :thumb: I knew that you would be very pleased with their sound quality. The N3 TL's are really wonderful sounding speakers. Very clean and detailed. Thanks for all the pictures you posted during the build for others to see.
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I'm glad you like them J. Nice job too!
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Great job Captainhemo. You guys rock. :thumb:
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Jay,
They look great parked next to the TV :thumb:. Are they for double duty, HT and music? When are you going to build a center to go with them? Unlike me, you sure made quick work of those cabinets. Glad they sound good, that's the most important thing. Those are on my short list now that I have been bitten by the bug....
Larry
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Thanks for the comments guys .
Larry, I plan on doing the center channel fairly soon as they are for double duty, although mostly music. Probably a 70/30 split. I think I'm going to do a pair of X LS mini's for a christmas gift for my niece before the center channel. It's tough to start another project right now as I'm at the top of thekidney transplant list and could get a call any day. Once that happens , I'll probably be in Vancouver for 6 - 8 weeks. Kind of crumby time of the year for this but can't really choose when it happens.
I'm just loving the speakers more and more as I listen to more and more of my music collection. They are so clear and crisp but not at all harsh. There is so much detail that I never heard before, I'm amazed :o
I have listened to a wde variety of music today and they sound gr eat with everything thus far.
Watched a movie with my niece last night and they sounded great for that as well.
I think the finish turned out to be a good match for the TV as well.
The DIY no res seems to have worked well too. You can put your hand ont he cabinet and feel absolutely nothing. I have had a penny sitting on its edge since I started listening to them and it's still on edge !
-jay
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Jay, call Danny and have him send me the center channel xo kit and send you the drivers. I'll solder the xo and give you a satin black n3s with removable back. You just need to spray it with the black texture. Drop me and email or just have Danny send me the parts. If its ok, shipping and that wicked customs is on you ;)
Jon
Mod- Just send me everything. Drivers too
Jon.parkhurst@mac.com
Danny- FYI above
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Jay, I have been casually following along. Those speakers turned out nice and you sure got them done quickly. I hope you enjoy them for many years. I had the fortune of hearing them at the last show, right after the Super-V's. Danny disconnected the Super-V's and connected those up to the same equipment, so it was easy to compare the two. While there was a drop off in presentation between the two sets, it wasn't that much. They still brought a big smile to my face, just like the Super-V.
I wish you good luck with your surgery.
Jon, That is a really nice thing to do.
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Jay, I have been casually following along. Those speakers turned out nice and you sure got them done quickly. I hope you enjoy them for many years. I had the fortune of hearing them at the last show, right after the Super-V's. Danny disconnected the Super-V's and connected those up to the same equipment, so it was easy to compare the two. While there was a drop off in presentation between the two sets, it wasn't that much. They still brought a big smile to my face, just like the Super-V.
I wish you good luck with your surgery.
Jon, That is a really nice thing to do.
This is going to be quick, I have to be up at 5 to head down to Vancouver for an appointment.
But yes, I very much agree, what an awsome offer from Jon ( I sent you a PM btw). However, as I explained to Jon, it's probably not the best time to be shipping a cabinet as I could get a call any day and wouldn't be here to receive the package. On top of that, shipping would be a killer. Plus I am enjoying bilding the cabinets :)
I really do appreciate the offer, it's one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me . Thank you Jon :)
Regarding the N3's bringing a smile to ones face, I'm glad I can say I know the feeling. Hehe, I just keep on grinning !