High quality desk top speaker? Full range drivers...

Danny,

I just went through the thread looking for some more details on cabinet assembly. Did you ever post the cutback depth on the No-Rez for the driver? And how did you cut that groove in lower section for the port, is there going to be a port tube included with the kit? I am planning on assembling my cabinets in the next couple of days so any help or tips are appreciated.

Jake

Danny Richie · « **Reply #407 on:** 11 Mar 2014, 03:07 pm »

Quote from: JakeJ on 10 Mar 2014, 08:09 pm

Danny,

I just went through the thread looking for some more details on cabinet assembly. Did you ever post the cutback depth on the No-Rez for the driver? And how did you cut that groove in lower section for the port, is there going to be a port tube included with the kit? I am planning on assembling my cabinets in the next couple of days so any help or tips are appreciated.

Jake

I cut it back 1.25" from the front edge. I sliced through the foam and pealed it back leaving the damping layer.

The kit will come with the ports.

To clearance the No Rez foam so that it allowed for the port to fit through the middle of it, I adjusted my table saw blade so that it would stick up about 3/8". I then adjusted the side rail so that it would center the blade down the middle of the No Rez piece. I ran the No Rez through it and cut a little saw blade width piece of foam out of it. It cuts like it is not even there. Just be careful and not hang your fingers over the end of the foam in the middle or it might cut through your finger like it is not even there. I then moved the blade over less than an 1/8" and repeated the process flipping the No Rez piece around and running it through both ways. I also lowered the blade by a tinny amount. Continue to move the guide rail over a little each time and the blade down a little each time. In less than a few minutes you can easily hollow out a channel in all four No Rez pieces that go around the port.

Now the port will slide right in.

JakeJ · « **Reply #408 on:** 11 Mar 2014, 04:20 pm »

Thanks! Looking forward to getting the remainder of the kit and finishing these up. I plan to do the 3/8" round over with my router and spray them with some sort of textured coating like you did with truck bed liner. If I do decide on paint should I primer them first? The material surface seems so smooth that it might not be necessary.

Captainhemo · « **Reply #409 on:** 11 Mar 2014, 10:00 pm »

Quote from: JakeJ on 11 Mar 2014, 04:20 pm

Thanks! Looking forward to getting the remainder of the kit and finishing these up. I plan to do the 3/8" round over with my router and spray them with some sort of textured coating like you did with truck bed liner. If I do decide on paint should I primer them first? The material surface seems so smooth that it might not be necessary.

hey Jake
Yes, I'd use primer, even if you are using the bed liner it is still a good idea. It really helps with adhesion giving the paint something to bite to.
If you're after a textured paint in different colors, DupliColor makes some nice ones
http://www.duplicolor.com/products/texturedMetallic/

I used the dark metallic charcoal on my OB7's and really like it

-jay

JakeJ · « **Reply #410 on:** 12 Mar 2014, 04:44 pm »

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the tip and the link. Three vendors in my area makes it easy to buy. Now I can't decide whether to go with the Graphite or the Charcoal. Looks like the paint is a finer texture than the truck bed liner, eh?

Jake

JakeJ · « **Reply #411 on:** 12 Mar 2014, 07:36 pm »

Gents,

My sheet of No-Rez measured 13.25 x 23.75. I used Visio to create a template for cutting the sheet into the required pieces for the kit. Note that 4a & 4b make up one area for the upper section of the cabinet. Grey and Blue shapes are 7" x 3.25" for the middle and lower sections and the Green are 7" x 3.5" for the upper section with the driver. Don't forget your 1.5" cutback for the driver magnets and the "V" groove for the port tubes. Hope this helps.

Oops...I made 4b 1.25" wide. It should only be 3/4" wide x 7" long.

Captainhemo · « **Reply #412 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 04:26 am »

Quote from: JakeJ on 12 Mar 2014, 04:44 pm

Now I can't decide whether to go with the Graphite or the Charcoal. Looks like the paint is a finer texture than the truck bed liner, eh?

Jake

Yup, had the same decisioin. Ghe graphite is quite a bit darker if I remember correctly . In direct light, the charcoal can actually almost look silver if the light hits it right, in other light, it looks very dark. I lied the way it picked up the light which was why I went with it plus I wanted the contrast between the grills and the baffles.
The texture is a bit smoother than the spray on bed liner . Rember , both these products won't hide seams very well so make sure you've done the best job possible on the seams if yo don't want them showing.

-jay

JakeJ · « **Reply #413 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 04:01 pm »

Yeah I noticed when I test fit my cabinets there are edges with 1/64" of overhang and some slight spots where the pieces don't quite match up. I figure I have a bit of sanding to do. Any tips on products to fill any gaps or low spots? The 3/8" round over won't take the overhang out, 1/2" would but I don't want to cut into the joints.

Thanks again for your advice,
Jake

Danny Richie · « **Reply #414 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 04:44 pm »

Jake, I am pretty sure Ben cut them that way on purpose. A sander will knock those edges off real easy. But if the overhand was the other way around and you had to sand a little off of a side panel to level match the edges then that would be a lot of work.

JakeJ · « **Reply #415 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 06:46 pm »

It's all good, Danny. Making a cabinet this small must be a challenge to cut in the first place. That's what they make power tools for.

When I go to glue them up should I leave the front or rear baffle off for final assembly? I haven't built a speaker kit since the days of Speakerlab so that dates me just a bit.

Apologies if my post sounded like a complaint.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #416 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 07:06 pm »

Quote from: JakeJ on 13 Mar 2014, 06:46 pm

It's all good, Danny. Making a cabinet this small must be a challenge to cut in the first place. That's what they make power tools for. When I go to glue them up should I leave the front or rear baffle off for final assembly? I haven't built a speaker kit since the days of Speakerlab so that dates me just a bit.

Apologies if my post sounded like a complaint.

The compensation network is just small enough to slide through the woofer hole and screw to the back wall. But it would be easier to mount and wire with one baffle off, the rear baffle.

randytsuch · « **Reply #417 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 07:37 pm »

Quote from: JakeJ on 13 Mar 2014, 04:01 pm

Any tips on products to fill any gaps or low spots?

Any wood putty should do the trick. I would go lighter colored, but since you're painting I'm not sure how much difference it will make.

Captainhemo · « **Reply #418 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 08:03 pm »

Wood filler, primer putty, and bondo have all been used successfully .

For those over hangs, a flush trim bit in your router should do the trick nicely .

After you have the joints/seams looking good, shoot some dark primer over them , quckly block sand and see if any seams show up. Repeat if necessary. I'd wait and do the roundover after all this is done so you aren't sanding "into" it.

-jay

JakeJ · « **Reply #419 on:** 13 Mar 2014, 08:29 pm »

Thanks for the tips, fellers. That makes more sense, leaving the back baffle off for final assembly and likely the way most mfrs do it.

I have worked with wood putty and bondo before so they both make sense. I did realize sanding after rounding would be a bad approach so the round over will be last before prime and paint. I also agree the Graphite color looks dark in the tiny sample square on their website. The Charcoal will blend nicely next to my Samsung SyncMaster P2250 LCD monitor too.

Here's hoping the boat made it OK.