Here's a brief rundown on how I prepare the PE boxes:
Box:
--Cut the brace away with a Sawzall-type saw.
--Round over the edge of the brace with a 1/4" roundover bit in a die grinder and a steady hand around the rim of the cabinet to steady things.
--Drill out the original holes for new speaker cable terminal posts, or cover the back with clear Contact shelf liner, mark the center, and cut out with a router as described below.
Front baffle:
--Cover with clear Contact shelf liner.
--With a square, draw a center line down the middle of the length of the baffle.
----Center punch (lightly) the center of the tweeter cut out.
----Center punch the center of the woofer cut out. The distance between the speakers is a bit more important than the distance from the bottom, so get the separation very close to 5-15/16" (for the NEO-2X kit) and leave any error (as small as possible) at the bottom.
----Draw a line across the width of the baffle at the center mark for the woofer. This serves to align the screw holes for that driver.
----With a compass, draw circles for each cutout...5-7/64" for the tweeter and 5-3/4" for the M-165 woofer (different size for the M-130 driver). This is just for confirmation and reassurance before you make the cut.
--Hold the baffle securely for the cut. I use a Workmate bench with a 1/4" plywood piece under the baffle cut slightly smaller than the inside measure of the baffle.
--Drill straight through the center marks with a 1/8" drill.
--Make the cuts. I use a
Jasper Circle Guide on my plunge router.
----Make the cuts on a piece of scrap material first to check everything!
----For the counterbore for the tweeter face plate, I use a 3/4" straight bit with the guide pin in the 4-5/8" hole. The Jasper guide is calibrated for 1/4" bits, but the counterbore needs more than 1/4" width. The cut will have an O.D. of just under 5-1/8", just about right. Set the stop for the plunge depth at a scant 1/4".
----Change bit to the 1/4" straight bit, move the Jasper guide pin to the 4" spot, change the plunge depth guide to just over 1", and cut out the tweeter hole. You'll still need to cut away relieves for the corners of the NEO tweeter.
----Move the guide pin to the 5-3/4" spot (for the M-165X), and cut the woofer hole.
--Set the tweeter on the cut out and mark the spots for the reliefs for the corners. With a round rasp or anything that'll do the job, cut away just enough for the corners.
--Knock off the sharp edge of the woofer hole. I use a 1/4" roundover bit in the router.
--Drill the holes for the driver mounting screws.
----Screw the Neo face plate to the driver, set it into the hole, square it up, and mark the holes. Drill with a 5/64" bit.
----Set the woofer into the hole, align the holes with the line drawn across the center mark, mark all the holes and drill with a 1/8" bit. You'll need a T15 screwdriver for these Torx-head screws.
--Peel off the Contact liner, remove any remaining adhesive with a bit of solvent, darken the cut edge of the tweeter face plate counterbore with a black felt marker.
Line the cabinet with No-rez, or other foam, keep either 1-1/2" from the front baffle, and in any case stuff with poly fill.
There are other ways to do just about every step of this process. I've also probably left out a step or two, so follow these directions with care. Cutting the holes for the ports and speaker cable terminal cups will be similar to cutting the driver holes. Double check everything for my errors.
Ken
