Father and Daughter speaker build: "TriTrix MTM"

srb · « **Reply #160 on:** 9 Dec 2013, 06:25 pm »

Bob, on the flip side you should also take caution in any monsters you might be creating! Audio upgradeitis is not restricted to old farts, so you might hear on her 16th birthday, "Dad I want a pair of Illuminator 7s and amorphous core RAALS!"

Steve

jtwrace · « **Reply #161 on:** 9 Dec 2013, 06:27 pm »

Quote from: srb on 9 Dec 2013, 06:25 pm

Bob, on the flip side you should also take caution in any monsters you might be creating! Audio upgradeitis is not restricted to old farts, so you might hear on her 16th birthday, "Dad I want a pair of Illuminator 7s and amorphous core RAALS!"

Steve

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #162 on:** 9 Dec 2013, 06:52 pm »

It wouldn't bother me if she gets the upgraditus 'bug', but she'll have to do like I've been doing....

Build it herself.

And just because she can't afford to buy the RAALs, then she'll just have to build, sell, build, sell, etc...until she can afford the RAALs.

Thanks fellas!
Bob

ctviggen · « **Reply #163 on:** 9 Dec 2013, 06:54 pm »

I can hear it now: "Dad, those caps stink. We need capacitors made of unobtainium. Oh yeah, and we need silver wire."

I wonder what color the end result will be? Does she have anything picked out?

WireNut · « **Reply #164 on:** 9 Dec 2013, 06:58 pm »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 9 Dec 2013, 06:52 pm

It wouldn't bother me if she gets the upgraditus 'bug', but she'll have to do like I've been doing....

Build it herself.

And just because she can't afford to buy the RAALs, then she'll just have to build, sell, build, sell, etc...until she can afford the RAALs.

Thanks fellas!
Bob

Heard that. Been doing it for 30 years now......Still ain't done.........

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #165 on:** 9 Dec 2013, 06:59 pm »

I did use CARDAS Quad Eutectic Solder, so they're kind of "audiophiled".

If she wants to upgrade the PartsExpress caps, it'll have to be a later date. Gotta let these burn in first. haha

The painting/artwork is going be to VERY bright and be painted with images of the Phoenix (the bird, not the city).

Bob

sounddog · « **Reply #166 on:** 10 Dec 2013, 04:29 am »

Bob, it has been great to watch this project. Abbie has got to be the coolest audio girl ever!

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #167 on:** 16 Dec 2013, 02:05 am »

Nothing has happened in the past week. This weekend turned out to be a 'bust' as well, sooooo......
The next time we'll have an opportunity to work on the speakers will be next Friday, which disappoints me greatly, as it'll be two weeks with no progress.

In an effort to quench my overwhelming desire for SOMETHING to happen, I drug them out of the workshop and wired them up to my main system.

I gotta tell ya....If anybody wants some impressive little speakers and has some DIY ability, for about $200 you can build a pair of these.
They sound very clean and clear with no break-up when the volume knob gets clockwise (although I'm not getting insane...just yet...since they're new).
They'll never replace my HawthorneAudio drivers (seen in gray), but they sound better than they should for the price.

Guy 13 · « **Reply #168 on:** 16 Dec 2013, 08:28 am »

Hi Bob and all Audio Circle members.
Nice Hawthorne speakers, look as if they have not been painted yet?
Is that your next project ?
There is a Audio Circle member that is now in Vietnam
and we are supposed to get together on December the 23rd for a drink.
Guess what we will talk about ?
Hopefully, he will come to me house and visit my penthouse/listening room.
Of course I will take picture of that special event.
That will be the second Audio Circle member coming to Vietnam,
will you be the third one ? ? ?
Coming with your daughter Abbie would be a nice gift for her,
of course I am talking for myself...

Guy 13

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #169 on:** 16 Dec 2013, 01:21 pm »

Hello Guy,
The Hawthornes are painted with silver "Hammered" (textured) paint.

Sorry, but "no", I doubt we'll be making any transcontinental journeys, anytime soon.
No money in the budget for such things.

Bob

Guy 13 · « **Reply #170 on:** 16 Dec 2013, 02:13 pm »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 16 Dec 2013, 01:21 pm

Hello Guy,
The Hawthornes are painted with silver "Hammered" (textured) paint.

Sorry, but "no", I doubt we'll be making any transcontinental journeys, anytime soon.
No money in the budget for such things.

Bob

Hi Bob and all Audio Circle members.
Too bad for you and me.
Yes, it's a costly adventure going on planet Vietnam.
Well, you did write: Any time soon.
Therefore, I will take that as a maybe.

Guy 13

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #171 on:** 21 Dec 2013, 01:07 am »

Alright....Back at it...

Her desire was to have images of the Phoenix on each side of the speakers.
The most creative way to make that happen, was for her to search the internet for images of the famous bird on the projector, then place the primed white speaker in front of the image being projected.

This required the use of a couple ladders. One to hold the speaker at the correct height, and one for her to stand on.

Once we (she) found the right picture, I placed the speaker in the right location, and she traced it with a pencil. After that, I shot a photo of the image projected (so we can remember what colors to paint it) and shot a picture of the pencil tracing she did.

So....

Here are photos of her on the ladder tracing pictures, the pictures themselves, and the final pencil trace.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #172 on:** 21 Dec 2013, 01:23 am »

This young lady just doesn't quit!

A little too flashy for stodgy old me, but very nicely done

Has the name "Firebird" been used for speakers?

Maybe Jim Salk (who I mentioned before) will license this design.

They could call it the "Salkadelic"

WireNut · « **Reply #173 on:** 21 Dec 2013, 01:26 am »

Wicked Awesome

ctviggen · « **Reply #174 on:** 21 Dec 2013, 12:41 pm »

That is a fantastic idea!

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #175 on:** 21 Dec 2013, 08:11 pm »

Thanks all for the continued complements and words of encouragement. They don't get old.

Went to the store and bought a novice air brush kit and some paints.
I gave her a "white wall of graffiti" and told her to learn how to use the new tool.
What I didn't know, is that those tiny little bottles empty pretty darn quick. Ouch.
She completely ran out of orange just playing around. Good thing school taught us that red and yellow make more. haha

Didn't get much done with the Phoenix images, as we're (both) still learning the finer points of airbrushing.
The base colors of the bird are finished. Up next (tomorrow) will be outlining and defining the edges of the creature.

Done for the day......

tull skull · « **Reply #176 on:** 21 Dec 2013, 09:35 pm »

Just incredible Bob. Can I be part of your family???

I hope this isn't offensive, not meant to be at all , but the airbrush is designed to be held like a pencil, with the index finger actuating the trigger. It is more important, however that your daughter feel comfortable using the tool. So she might actually develop her own style. Also, I am writing this assuming you do not have any experience using an airbrush but if you could mask around the image, you will obviously get nice clean lines. Also if it happens that she does not like the result of her work (airbrushing takes a LOT of practice) perhaps a simpler image would work better. In fact just thinking out loud here, but you might look around and see if you might find some type of stencil that she likes. Check e-pain or some art supply sites or airbrush sites.

Kenneth Patchen · « **Reply #177 on:** 21 Dec 2013, 11:35 pm »

I bought stencis from this fellow for my students. He does have a Phoenix stencil:
http://spraypaintstencils.com/stencilstore/phoenix-bird-stencil.htm

I like the work she's doing though.

Guy 13 · « **Reply #178 on:** 22 Dec 2013, 02:15 am »

Hi Bob, Abbie and all Audio Circle members.
Everytime you post pictures of Abbie at work,
I am amazed and happy for both of you.
I am anxious to see how this soon to be completed work of art will look like.
I am sure it will look... Fantastic for a soon to be famous painters.
There are not that many famous women painters,
maybe Abbie will be one or the first one.
Keep posting, I love it.

Guy 13

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #179 on:** 22 Dec 2013, 02:37 am »

Tull, I am currently accepting applications for additional dependents.

Thanks for the constructive criticism, truly. I tried to guide her on how to hold it, but her finger isn't strong enough to keep the 'trigger' down and she was getting shaky so this was her best holding position. "No", I've never airbrushed either so we're both learning. I watch a couple YouTube videos on how to use stencils and guides of various shapes (so now I'm an expert), but she wasn't coordinated enough to hold the guide and spray the paint. I think what I'll do is come back and paint the background. That was she gets all the credit for painting the bird and "all" I did was the plain old background.
See what I did there?

Kenneth, Thanks for the link. Oddly enough, my wife sent the exact same image from that link a couple days ago (strangely enough, the prices went up 10% since then). But Abbie didn't think they were fancy enough. I think it's because the image on the stencil site was "plain" and black and white and she's seeing the beautiful colorful images on the net. I tried to explain, but she wouldn't go for it.

Thanks to all for the continued complements!!

Abbie (and Bob)