[greenklein]

Scott,  I did not order any surrounds.  I have some Polk Tsi-100's that I am using currently.  The A/V-1RS's are intriguing but with all of the upgrades/no rez for the towers and center etc. I figured I had spent plenty for now.  I do have a sub as well, a Bic Formula F-12...nothing fancy.  I'm looking forward to building these.  Hopefully they work when I'm all done!  Now I'll have to start figuring out how I want to finish them.  It is fun looking at all of the build threads for ideas.  Some beautiful work is being done.  If and when I do a build thread I will have to check my pride at the door!

[Scott Trebble]

same boat here Todd...figuring how I want to finish them is my main interest now.
 I'll build the XLs for the shop first, and they can just be left unfinished MDF and fit right in 
For the A/Vs, I'm thinking of giving veneer a shot. That will be a new one for me.    No real choice of veneer where I live.  In November, I can check out a good veneer place in Calgary.  Till then,  I can still build the MDF boxes.

[greenklein]

Scott, I'm thinking about veneer as well although I have no experience with it at all.  As a summer house painter I do have an airless sprayer and I have sprayed many doors, cabinets etc with enamel that have turned out real nice.  I am wondering about doing the front/back in a satin or semi gloss with a real nice enamel and then veneering the sides and back.  I have seen some builds that are similar that I like.  I've thought about a high gloss on the front and back but wonder about the reflections with home theater.  I haven't seen a build where somebody has sprayed their cabinets with an airless and a nice enamel.  It wouldn't be an automotive finish, but still very nice I think.

[Hank]

Photo of one of the A/V's I built and veneered in Rosewood: [/URL][/img]

[greenklein]

Hank, precisely the reason I will have to check my pride at the door when I build the speakers...very nicely done...if mine look half that good I'll think I'm pretty cool...

I have a hint for aspiring speaker builders... I stopped by a cabinet building shop/business (larger than I thought just seeing it from the road) and wandered into the office and asked if they had any scrap mdf that they ever got rid of.  The guy asked me what I was looking for and I gave him an idea.  He then asked how many pieces and I really didn't know what to say.  I thought he would direct me to a dumpster or something.  I think I said 10 pieces or something like that.  He said, "oh, I was hoping you would say 4,000."  I ended up with 15 pieces 1' x 4' for $20!  He told me to come back for more if I needed it.  He even brought the whole palette out with the forklift so we could load them in the truck. 

So here is the hint...check any cabinet shops in the neighborhood! 

[Hank]

greenklein, you've got a very inexpensive MDF source there, so do some practice.  Build a box and veneer it.  You'll get practice cutting accurately, gluing and clamping.  Buy a small pkg of veneer - oak is fine - and then apply it with contact cement or the newer wood glue iron-on method some of the guys use.  Trim the veneer carefully - more practice.  Finish it - Danish oil (my preference) or polyurethane.  This will be a learning, confidence-building experience.  You can do it.

[Captainhemo]

I haven't used it personally, but it was recommended to me by Ron who  says it is great.   Lets you move / position the veneer  before  applying the heat and locking it into place

http://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Better-Bond-Heat-Lock-Veneer-Glue.html

-jay

[ebag4]

This is what I use as well, works great!

I haven't used it personally, but it was recommended to me by Ron who  says it is great.   Lets you move / position the veneer  before  applying the heat and locking it into place

http://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Better-Bond-Heat-Lock-Veneer-Glue.html

-jay

[greenklein]

Hank, thanks for the advice...I was pondering that very thing.  I may have to go ahead and do that.  It wouldn't take much. 

Jay and Ebag4, I will have to look into that glue.  Thanks.

While I'm at it I have a question for you guys.  Maybe this should go on a build thread... anyway, I have everything cut.  A good friend of mine has a pretty sweet shop and he let me use his table saw, so I went ahead and cut all of the pieces.  Last night I made a circle jig that seems to work well.  Practicing on some scrap 3/4" ply my first hole was too big (5"), the 2nd too small (4 3/4"), the 3rd was just under a 1/16th too large.  Well, the GR package came today so I sat down to open my late summer Christmas package that I paid for and grabbed one of the drivers to check the holes.  There was quite a bit of play with the 3rd hole (gasket still over the edges) so I set it in the 2nd (4 3/4") and it looks like it fits much better.  There is still some wiggle room but not much.  How snug are these holes supposed to be?  I was going to put a 4th hole in my jig (figured I could finally get that 4 7/8" hole that the plans called for), but is that necessary?  Thanks for any tips.  Also, if you think I should start a build thread and ask the question there let me know.  I'm not terribly familiar with forum etiquette!

Thanks again!  Everyone's suggestions have been very helpful.

Todd

[Hank]

Driver holes:  There can be a bit of "slop" - as long as there is enough meat to hold screws and the gasket is fully engaged.  Lots of drivers are designed and built with metric dimensions, so when we cut the holes with our inch-based circle jigs, there's a bit of diference.  BTW, I recommend investing in an accurate jig if you make more speakers in the future (AND you WILL, as you are now officially bitten by the bug and will never stop upgrading - BWAHAHAHAHAHA!).  I've used this one for years:    http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=365-250

Thread:  Not required, but you might want to start a build thread and if you title it "Rookie builds xxxx", it might attract other beginners and be a source for them and you'd be doing a good deed.  If you don't find your final veneer in a store, you can order it from on-line veneer specialists.  My mail order veneer source has been Tape-Ease for years:  http://tapeease.com/10_mil_%20veneer.htm  There are others.
Enjoy!

[mlundy57]

I use a Router Buddy, also from parts express, for my circle jig http://www.parts-express.com/term/router-buddy-circle-jig?srch=Router+Buddy+Circle+Jig



With this jig and a pair of digital calipers you can dial in any diameter circle from 2" to 18-1/2" with accuracy to 0.001".

I have attempted my first veneer job on a pair of N1X cabinets I built up earlier. I used a peel-n-stick cherry veneer from Woodcraft. They sell this same veneer in a 10mm paper backed version for significantly less than the peen-n-stick but I decided to try it since it would eliminate one element (the glue application) from my first attempt. By removing the protective covering a little bit as I went this was surprisingly easy to apply. I learned some lessons about how not to trim the cross grain portions of the veneer and am still learning lessons about finishing, especially rounded over edges 

At first I tried brushing on shellack. That didn't work too well so I sanded the cabinets back down and have started using a finishing technique called French polishing. Here is what they look like so far.





Mike

[mlundy57]

Hank,

What type of finish did you put on that rosewood and how did you apply it?

Mike

[Hank]

I do a hand-rubbed Danish oil finish that's a bit like French polishing in that I flood the surface with Danish oil, rubbing it in with the grain, starting with 600-grit wet-or-dry paper.
Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wipe off excess across the grain.  I let dry for a day, then repeat with 800-grit, wipe, let dry, the 1000 or 1200-grit.  I usually stop there, but have done a couple finishing with 1500-grit.  IMHO, the most beautiful finish as it really pops the grain of exotic wood, like rosewood, anegre and sapele.  I then apply Watco's liquid wax and buff.  The only downside to this finish is that it is the least protective finish, so if someone sits a cold beverage on top of a tower speaker, it will leave a water mark ring and has to be re-waxed, and if bad, some more oil rubbed in.  I've never had any such damage, but it's a possibility.
Your finish looks great

[mlundy57]

Hank,

Thanks, so does yours. Do you use the Danish oil straight from the can, cut it with mineral spirits and/or Linseed oil, or make your own?

I started my finish with amber shellack but didn't think it was dark enough so when I started the French polish after sanding everything back down I switched to garnet shellack.  The finish is coming out well, just a little darker than I would like. I think I'm going to take some of the cherry veneer I have left over and make up some test boards and try some different mixtures of amber and garnet until I find the color I like best, at least for flat cut cherry. 

Mike

[Hank]

I used Watco brand for years - works fine.  A couple years ago a local finishing expert I met at Woodcraft gave me his own formula and I've used it since.  Watco is plenty good though, and it comes in a couple of tints so if you have some light veneer you want to darken, you don't have to do a separate stain application.  BTW, I HATE stain - never been able to get results good enough to please me.  A few years ago I discovered wood dye and have been using Solarlux brand.