[JoshK]

birch ply vs. mdf,

there are two schools of thought (aren't there always?) on SQ of ply vs mdf for cabinets.  The traditional school says that the resonance property of mdf is lower than the audible range, so it is better.  The other school says that although the ply's resonance is in the audible range it dispells of the energy much much faster, so the end result sounds better.  I've never experimented, but it could conceiveably be verified without too much pain.  

So either way, like Darren said, you should be just fine.  I too find Birch to be quite ugly, that tends to turn lightly golden finishes to a greenish hue.  I have however tried a few different stains that ended up making birch look quite attractive.  My favorite is a really dark walnut stain (avoid ones with any hint of red).  IMO any finish that is either natural, yellowish or reddish makes for a mediocre result at best.  It is best to stick to a really chocolate finish.  Or else you can "paint it black".

[Cacophonix]

Don't despair, it's actually quite easy to get cabinets that look that good.  Much easier than veneering, in fact (though veneering isn't too hard once you get the hang of it, I still always end up with one small air bubble somewhere, but I'm getting better).  You will want to purchase or borrow a small electric hand sander, since the end grain of birch ply takes a while to sand away.  Don't go smaller than 80 grit (actually, stay at or above 100) even temporarily, though you may be tempted to.  If you go s ...

Thanks for the encouraging words, watson.
What do you suggest as far as finishing birch goes? I was thinking of shellac or maybe shellac mixed with a hint of mahogany dye. Can lacquer be sprayed/brushed on top of shellac?

[Watson]

birch ply vs. mdf,

there are two schools of thought (aren't there always?) on SQ of ply vs mdf for cabinets.  The traditional school says that the resonance property of mdf is lower than the audible range, so it is better.  The other school says that although the ply's resonance is in the audible range it dispells of the energy much much faster, so the end result sounds better.  I've never experimented, but it could conceiveably be verified without too much pain.

The elastic modulus of ply is 4.5 times higher than MDF (1,800,000 psi versus 400,000 psi), so for subwoofers ply tends to be the better material.  In my experience, 3/4 inch ply passes the "set a cup of coffee on top of the sub and watch for ripples" test more easily than 1 inch MDF.

For regular speakers, I agree, it probably doesn't matter.  There are pluses and minuses either way.

[Watson]

Thanks for the encouraging words, watson.
What do you suggest as far as finishing birch goes? I was thinking of shellac or maybe shellac mixed with a hint of mahogany dye. Can lacquer be sprayed/brushed on top of shellac?

I would personally go with a tinted Danish oil, followed by a couple coats of shellac or rub on poly if you want.  Oils are the easiest colored finishes to get right.  The tend to go on easily and evenly.  Because Birch is a light wood, you don't get a finish that's too dark.  (In my opinion, oils can make some other woods just too dark, but that's a personal thing.)  Shellac mixed with dye is good too, but only if you're adding just a hint of dye.  If you try to create a thick coloring with a strongly tinted shellac, it becomes a challenge to get an even finish.  Also, you never know in advance exactly how many coats of shellac you'll need, and if a strong tinting is in the shellac, you can end up with something that's too colored.  I've never worked with lacquer so I can't answer the last question.  Lacquer usually requires a spray rig.  Shellac is very forgiving for the amateur, but of course it's not as durable as lacquer or poly.  On the plus side, dents are easily repaired with shellac while it's more difficult with the other two hard finishes.

[Cacophonix]

I would personally go with a tinted Danish oil, followed by a couple coats of shellac or rub on poly if you want.  Oils are the easiest colored finishes to get right.  The tend to go on easily and evenly.  Because Birch is a light wood, you don't get a finish that's too dark.  (In my opinion, oils can make some other woods just too dark, but that's a personal thing.)  Shellac mixed with dye is good too, but only if you're adding just a hint of dye.  If you try to create a thick coloring with a strongly tint ...

Thanks a lot for your advice, Watson!
I've some scrap ply at home ... i'll try some of the finishes you mentioned, and select one of them.

[Hank]

Cacophonix, I just now found this thread and when I read your first post, I assumed it was my crude website you'd seen (the one that Jonwb posted a link to).  Anyway, the finish you see on most of my cabinets has been hand-rubbed Danish oil on veneer (mostly rosewood).  The new version AV-3's on my site page 3 are just that finish.  You can do it too, if you have patience.  It involves rubbing lots of the oil into the wood, stroking WITH the grain until the oil turns dark with wood particles that you've wet sanded off.  Then, wipe off excess oil, rubbing ACROSS the grain a couple of times.  Then, let dry for a day, go to the next finer wet-or-dry abrasive paper, do the same, then next day go to the next finer grit, etc.  I start with 600-grit, then 800, then 1,000.  The new version A/V-3's on my site also received a 1,200-grit rubbing.  That's it.  Keep in mind that oil is the least protective finish against liquid spotting, so if you are in the habit of setting your drink on top of a speaker, then use a polyurethane finish.  IMHO, NO finish shows wood grain more beautifully than oil.

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

I've been involved in the woodworking side of the business as an individual woodworker (home shop-smaller than Norm's) and on the retail end (sales at Woodcraft and Woodworkers Supply, now retired).  I have used quite a few of the finishes mentionned (and others), and can recommend two step oil based finishes over water based ones.  These include Danish oils such as Watco and General Finishes "Seal-a-Cell".  Both include a "sealer" product, and an associated "Poly" top coat.  The sealer products come in "natural" or stain type, the latter which have pigmented stain content.  The Watco line has 6-8 shades, with gloss and matte poly top coats, while the General Finish line has > 15 shades, with 4 poly top coats.

The sealer coat (usually two of them) does little more than color the wood, while the top coats (3-4) protect it from household elements.  Both are cotton cloth "wipe-on", and rags should be disposed of carefully.  The instructions are fairly self explanatory; however, the stated drying times are under "optimum" conditions, so allow additional time between coats.  

I have also used pure "tung" oil, which is an ingredient in some of the sealers.  It does a beautiful job on woods where one wants to hi-lite the natural grain of the wood.  It is extremely slow drying (weeks, not days), needs to be hand-rubbed, and does not offer the protection of poly top coats.  It dries faster if thinned with mineral spirits, but still is not too swift.

Shellac is ancient, but is still used by many to get a highly polished (look up "French polishing") finish.  It comes pre-mixed and in flake form.  I prefer the flake form (diluted in alcohol-"Everclear" from liquor store is best), and there are several grades, from Garnet to Super Blonde.

I have used laquer as a protective top coat, but agree with a previous post in that it is generally more difficult to obtain a good finish for the home shop user.  It is used extensively by commercial furniture companies, but they apply it in extremely controlled conditions, i.e., spray rooms, and high tech spray equipment.

Two recommendations for those venturing out into the speaker cabinet construction/finishing arena:
1) Obtain a finishing book such as "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner.  $16.95 is cheap protection against ruining a set of cabinets.
2) Always do a sample with your intended finish, on the exact material which is used for your cabinets,  prior  to committing it on your cabinets.

[Cacophonix]

wow ... thanks everyone for the wonderful advice being given to a novice.
I'll be buying this book "understanding wood finishing".
I've done the main cuts, and only the braces remain. Hopefully i'll get it done over this weekend if the weather holds up here in dallas.

[swaggs21]

The rounding of the edges really isnt that difficult if you have the right tools. For about $400 (I know you live in an apartment, just saying), you could have a router table and bits to make the cabinets look any way that you would like.

When I get mine delived (hopefully sometime this week or next), I will start working on all the cabinets and do a step-by-step tutorial on how to do everything, from the wood cuts to the finished product.

[Cacophonix]

I am done with the cuts ... the weather here is holding up my progress big time! Now just the gluing remains. For the stuffing, i am following Al's suggestion of sticking vinyl tiles from HD/Lowes and then glueing 1" open cell foam. Thanks for the free advice ,Al!

Now where do i find open cell foam locally? I looked for it at HD and lowes, but they didn't seem to carry it. I don't want to order it online (partsexpress.com) if i can help it. Too much shipping charge - almost more than the total cost of the parts.

Thanks!

[swaggs21]

Jo Ann fabrics sells it if you have it close to you, if not, almost any fabric store or even Wal-Mart will have it.

[Cacophonix]

Jo Ann fabrics sells it if you have it close to you, if not, almost any fabric store or even Wal-Mart will have it.

Thanks for the quick response. I'll check with joann today evening.