[mlundy57]

Peter,

I wasn't sure if they were 45 or 30 from the picture. I thought 45 but wasn't sure.

I ended up trying with the table tilted at both 45 and 30. I expected 30 would be shallower and would therefore look better. It turned out the cut was actually steeper at 30 and did not look as good. This didn't make sense until I realized the degree markings on the table are what you get on the left side of the blade. 45 is going to be the same on either side of the blade but since I set the bandsaw up like you did, cutting on the right side of the blade, the 30 degree setting actually resulted in a 60 degree cut on the foam. So I cut all mine at 45.

I actually cut the bevel on both edges of the pieces. Not that the inside facing the drivers need a bevel but to keep me from screwing up by getting a piece turned around backward.

Definately install the No-Rez last. Cutting the No-Rez shallower than the depth of the box like Peter suggests will keep the wiring from getting in the way. The only place the wiring will be in contact with the No-Rez is along the edge where the connector is.

Don't forget to strip the foam back about 2" from the drivers.

Mike

[Captainhemo]

Last pair  I did I  mitered the corners after seeing Peters results.  I did not go with the beveled edge, not my thing.   I used to cut the pieces deep enough so they went  from  baffle to front edge, then  I'd  cut  and inch or so of foam off and notch  the inner corners where needed for  wiring.  Now I've been cutting  the pieces   an inch short  so they don't butt up against the baffle, leaves woofer and wiring clearence.

As Peter and Mike said,  all wiring  is done prior to  no rez, it's the last step.  When I install it, I do the 2 sides of each  cabity, then the  base & top.  I put a bit of an arc in the last 2 pieces of no rez then butt it into one corner  and  work my way across to the other.  first piece was a little eawkward but   you get the hang of it iquickly.
Pieces were also cut  just a hir short to get a good fit  in the corner.
There's a pic  over in the flat pack thread if  interested in the mitered  corner with  no bevel look.

jay

[driguy]

This thread is not very active so I may be wasting my time but I don't want to start another topic and have things get spread around.
I just wanted to add some advice to potential builders a few pointers. I have moved from a very well equipped shop to a much less endowed "shop". So, here we go.

1. Most pictures of builds show a lot of clamps. This may put off a few potential builders. You can use about half as many clamps by assembling one side to the front at a time. The shoulders on the front piece are large enough to keep everything aligned. I use polyurethane glue not just for strength but for "open" time. This allows for less rushing during glue-up. If you choose this adhesive you must moisten the surfaces but not too much. Spread the glue with a cheap nylon brush cut down to about 1" in length. You will need one for each phase. Four in all. Do not use the cheap utility brushes that shed bristles. Picking those out is not fun.
Let the glue dry fully before trying to scrape off the excess excess. To ensure you're not messing up insert a dry horizontal brace to make sure you are aligned. Don't leave it there.

2. The second phase is easy. Same setup but the speaker will now stay upright easier.

3. If you need to use any filler for mistakes auto body filler works well.

4. I would not use the orange or brown looking sandpaper. Pay a little more for the wet/dry oxide paper. It lasts longer and IMO cuts better. Purchase a holder that has clamps to hold the paper. You can get a nice flat surface with it. I started with 60 grit for shaping and went up from there. It's work but not too bad.
Pay particular attention to the tweeter opening. This will be very noticeable if you care about such things. 220 grit should do you well.

5. If you are going to use dampening sheets on the interior, don't waste time getting the surface too nice.

[driguy]

[driguy]

[driguy]

A few more notes:
One of the most off-putting things of a potential build for those of us "tool challenged" is the finishing. As a glance at the posts here will show, this can be expensive, time consuming and reduce the financial efficacy of a build.
I didn't want to purchase an air compressor and a lot of tools. I had a very well equipped shop before I moved and I don't want to re-purchase potentially one use tools.
So, what to do?
Rattle can finishes can work very well even on MDF. Lots of Youtube videos for procedures.
Sealing is very important. I chose to use sanding sealer. This worked very well. Two coats will work. The machined areas need the two coats with sanding in between.
As a primer base coat I used a Sherwin-Williams product made for MDF furnishings. CAUTION! This stuff dries very fast which will make a smooth finish nearly impossible. Use a retarder. No, thinner will not help you much. Trust me. The product has great body when used properly. It can easily be used as a topcoat but colors were limited. I just mixed two quarts of white and black to get a nice grey. I still chose to spray over it as I didn't think to use a retarder until I had applied a coat. Yeah, more sanding! Learn from my mistake.
I don't live in the US so you'll have to visit a local store and get some advice there.
I don't have access to the better Rattle-can paints you have there. Still, the paint job results were satisfactory.
I don't have a wife so no WAF but I still care about the finish. You can really do pretty well. Just be patient!
I turn 68 in two days so no doubt you younger guys should have the energy to sand out the finish by hand if need be. I recommend letting the paint dry overnight before sanding between coats. It does matter especially when you are on the second, third or even fourth coats.
A small side note; don't throw away all the cardboard packaging. You'll use it to save the shop or garage floor from paint and glue.
I have built a lot of gear over the years and I do miss my shop but I also remember not having those tools and a nice shop. You can do this project. Think through the steps and literally do dry clamping setups and think of how you will sand and spray the speaker before you start. Patience is your friend here.
Oh, in case you are wondering if the whole thing is worth it, yes it is. I paid extra shipping and duties and took a large risk. I had to go by how Danny designs the speakers. I do have an engineering background so I appreciate the testing and parts quality. It makes a huge difference as you can see by his upgrade videos.
I did change the crossover layout (not the schematic!). I used the cross braces to mount the parts. More space for less interaction especially regarding the inductors. I will post a pic if there is interest.
I also used "extra" silver wire I had from VH audio to wire the mids and tweeters. Yeah, having 20-30 feet of the stuff laying around is crazy but it worked out with only about 4' left.
I have about 25 hours on the speakers. I will post a review when I have about 100 hours on them. So far, I'm very happy with the decision to purchase and build these speakers.
One mistake in the design of the kit. The screws provided to mount the tweeters are too thick. Don't waste time filing the slots to make the screws work. Get smaller screws. The holes will then be too large. I used an old trick to remedy this. I cut off a piece of a small zip-tie and inserted that into the hole. There was plentiful grip with the screws using this method. You're not holding on rocket parts.
Enjoy the process and your speakers.

[tremrej65]

Thanks for describing your project. It's always interesting. I'm about to start building a MTM Otica (old kit not available anymore). It's going to help me with the clamping.
Can we get a picture of the finished product?

[driguy]

[driguy]

[tremrej65]

Cool. Great job!