Alpha LS project - finally rolling again

jonwb · « **on:** 15 Apr 2004, 11:20 pm »

Well, I finally got a chance to do some work on the Alphas last night. If you recall from my previous posts a couple months ago, I had cut all the panels to size.

Last night I cut all the holes in the divider panels. Seven in each, about 8" in diameter. Measured and marked my centers and then scribed my circles w/ a compass. Figured it'd be easier and less dusty cutting the holes with a handheld jig saw as compared to a router w/ circle template. Well to make a long story short, I got it done but I think I broke about 12 blades in the process.

Because I cut them w/ a jig saw they aren't perfectly round but I figured its not a big deal based on thier purpose. Followed up the hole cutting with running a 1/4in roundover around the edges of the holes.

Here's some pics:

azryan · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Apr 2004, 05:38 am »

Good to see it's still coming along!

I can't believe you thought a jig saw would be faster? It shoulda taken you about 15 min. to cut all the holes in both dividers w/ a router and since you used one anyway for the round overs... odd.

Coulda free handed those circles too since they're just air holes.

Have you done the face yet?

What are you going to finish them in?

I highly rec. hand painting the silver rivets on the Neo 8's matte black befor you mount/wire 'em up.
Makes both woofers and neos 100% black and very classy look with any beautiful veneer IMO.

Have you thought about changing the size of the base?

I feel it doesn't need to be nearly as big as the plans said. Even without bases they ain't 'tippy' in the least (I do have the bases on mine and as large as the plans called for).

jonwb · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Apr 2004, 05:01 pm »

Quote from: azryan

I can't believe you thought a jig saw would be faster? ...

Actually it wouldn't have been too bad if it weren't for breaking blades every two minutes. I had a bunch of cheap blades laying around, now I have twice as many

That MDF is nasty shit.

The rest of the holes will all be done w/ the circle template & router.

Quote from: azryan

Coulda free handed those circles too since they're just air holes....

I'm an engineer Ryan. "Free handing" the holes is getting a little too wild for me.

Quote from: azryan

Have you done the face yet?

Not yet... next I'll be cutting the holes on the back inner panel(s) and then the holes in the front inner panel(s). I want to make sure I'm a master w/ the circle template before I do the face. OK, I'm afraid, there I admitted it.

Projects go slow for the perfectionist.

Quote from: azryan

What are you going to finish them in?

I have 1/4in birch veneered plywood panels that I'm going to glue to the outer layers of MDF. My lovely wife has already finished them. I've planned this project to death; there are many little things I 've done w/ the order of the steps to limit my risk of ending up w/ a giant screwed up box.

Quote from: azryan

I highly rec. hand painting the silver rivets on the Neo 8's matte black befor you mount/wire 'em up.

Good tip, will do. What'd you use, a Sharpie?

Quote from: azryan

Have you thought about changing the size of the base?

I saw where you mentioned this before, and I agree that the bases Danny spec'd are probably a bit larger than they need to be for safety sake, but I'd have done the same thing were I him. I will not be changing the base size for two reasons:

First, you may recall I bought my kit from another guy who had (really bad) enclosures made. Well the only good thing they had done was the bases. So I will use them (the world's most expensive Alpha bases I assure you).

The other reason is my wife... I'm not complaining, but if she had her way these things would be shoved as deep into the corners of the room as possible. By leaving the bases bigger I get at least a little relief.

azryan · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Apr 2004, 05:20 pm »

"-I'm an engineer Ryan. "Free handing" the holes is getting a little too wild for me.-"

Just to make it clear, I only meant the divider holes not the back or face. Wanted to be clear that no one thinks I'm saying to freehand all the woofer/port holes.

How does that plywood look at the corners? I'd think you'd either have exposed layers or you'd have to lay in corner roundover strips?

For the silver rivets I tapped 'em all with the same satin black paint I used on the bases, but matte black would be the best match.

A sharpie will look cheap 'cuz it just won't stick to the metal right. You can try it and judge yourself, and then just paint over it though.

Doing 'em all 'before' you mount 'em will be a lot easier too. Might be something for your wife to do. Always a smart move to get 'em involved.

I agree Danny should keep the plans for the base as is. It's the safest things to be sure they won't ever tip.

You could still cut down your bases. In my case I had the spike threads pounded in, and them all bolted to the cabinets when I figured out they didn't need to be so big.

I can see your point about the smaller they are the more your wife will see they can be even closer to the walls.
Nice thing is she probably can't move 'em herself. hehe

Hank · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Apr 2004, 10:03 pm »

When we assembled Danny's pair in my garage, I took a black Sharpie and colored the silver rivts of the ribbons after they were mounted - an easy task.
Jon, I feel your pain dealing with all that MDF dust from that many holes! I still have stacks of MDF circles that I'm determined to find a use for.

zybar · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Apr 2004, 10:18 pm »

Coasters for VERY LARGE BEER MUGS!!

George

Danny Richie · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Apr 2004, 10:20 pm »

I have a great use for all those left over circles and scraps here at my house.

Kenneling for the fire place.

It can really help get the fire going.

Andrikos · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Apr 2004, 11:01 pm »

Hey, I have 32 of those beer mug coasters!

16 Baltic Birch plywood and
16 MDF.
I think I'll make some wooden wheels for a go cart or two (or eight!

) for my kids!

wshuff · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Apr 2004, 12:11 am »

Danny,

You live in Texas, right? When in the world would you need to build a fire?

Please keep posting pics, JonB, and good luck.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Apr 2004, 01:25 am »

Quote

You live in Texas, right? When in the world would you need to build a fire?

Hey, we get a few months out of the year of cold weather. It even snows a little every now and then.

We got a pretty good snow this year, 4 or 5 inches. We even built a snow man, but within a week it was back up in the 60's.

azryan · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Apr 2004, 03:11 am »

What the hell's 'snow'? Sounds like some Texas Tall Tale to me! hehe

jonwb · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Apr 2004, 06:16 am »

Cut the holes in the back inner panels tonight. Used the circle template & router for this batch. Much easier.

More coasters...

Still need to make a couple relief holes for the terminals, then next on the list is to cut the holes for the woofers on the front inner panels.

azryan · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Apr 2004, 10:39 pm »

With it's 4 flared ports on the back, I think it's about the only speaker that's actually killer looking from the back too.

Wait till you feel (but not ever hear) the air pumping out those ports while not being able to hardly see the drivers move.

So is your veneer stained or just natural or what? Do you have to put roundover spacers in the corners?

jonwb · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Apr 2004, 12:40 am »

Quote from: azryan

So is your veneer stained or just natural or what? Do you have to put roundover spacers in the corners?

The 1/4in ply is veneered w/ Birch. My wife stained the pieces a brownish-red to match some other furniture in our family room. Looks nice, but yours truly didn't mix enough of the stain so I have to mix more for the bases & tops & crossover boxes.

I made what I call a prototype box to experiment w/ my plan for the vertical edges. It isn't really a box, more like a "U". I made it w/ some left over pieces so its the same width as the actual speakers. That way I can practice doing the driver holes and tweeter slot. For the vertical edges I bought a large chamfer bit that I'll be using to put a 3/4" chamfer up the vertical edges (so the front baffle is the design width). On those flats I'm going to glue strips of birch veneer and then stain and varnish them.

If it looks crappy on the prototype, I'll come up w/ a new plan...

Danny Richie · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Apr 2004, 01:46 am »

I sure like the pictures you guys have under your names.

audiojerry · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 Apr 2004, 12:21 am »

Hey Jon,
keep me in mind if you need help moving them or getting them set up.
It's good to see you haven't given up on them. It should be awesome!

jonwb · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 Apr 2004, 05:42 am »

Quote from: audiojerry

Hey Jon,
keep me in mind if you need help moving them or getting them set up.
It's good to see you haven't given up on them. It should be awesome!

Thanks for the offer Jerry. I look forward to the day I need help lugging them upstairs.

Big project though and that day's a bit off I'm afraid...

Here's some updated pics:

Working on prototype "box". You can see where I wrecked the bottom of my practice tweeter slot, note to self, "route the recess first, then the hole".

Under all this stuff is a recently glued together back plywood and back MDF outer panel (RH).

Tonight, I cut the port holes/recesses in the RH back panel. They turned out great me thinks... You can also see the finish pretty well in this picture (and yes there's some dust on there).

I'm using a 1/4" spiral downcut bit for the outer cut on the recesses. Cuts nice, clean & smooth. Everything inward from the outer cut I'm just using a regular 1/4" straight bit.

That's it for tonight, off to bed

jonwb · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 Apr 2004, 05:26 am »

...still plugging away...

Last Thursday evening I cut the recesses and holes for the LH speaker's ports. I also cut the relief holes for the terminals into the inner back panels and the corresponding sets of terminal holes in the outer backs.

This evening, I cut the woofer holes in the inner front panels (18 holes total

). I also put a 3/8" roundover on the inside edges of all the woofer holes.

In the pic below you can see (buried in dust) the small rectangular hole in one of the inner back panels on the left. I put it midway between the two lower ports. In the middle of the picture you can see the two finished inner front (woofer) panels w/ the roundover. To the right is the RH speaker's outer rear panel w/ the recessed port holes and the four terminal holes (yea, there's a little sniglet in the bottom right hole I'll clean up w/ a utility knife later).

Also (not pictured), I glued, and buried w/ misc. heavy shit, one of the front outers and the corresponding plywood piece. There are lot of glue-ups on this project (especially w/ the way I'm doing it), so I try and get something glued each night I work on them.

jonwb · « **Reply #18 on:** 2 May 2004, 05:07 pm »

Been spending a little time w/ the prototype "box"...

I practiced cutting the tweeter recess/slot. Pretty much did it as you described Rayn, worked pretty good. Definately a measure twice cut once deal. Because I didn't compensate for my 1/4" ply correctly on my prototype box you can see my drivers are a little off side-to-side. (that's why I made it)

Here is a pic of the tweeter recess and you can also see the raw 45deg chamfer I cut as well:

In this pic you can see where I've ironed on the edge banding/veneer:

Finally, here is basically what it looks like after a hit w/ the trim bit:

Looks pretty nice really, I was debating whether or not I'd stain it after application or just run a couple coats of poly over the veneer to seal it. At this point I'm leaning towards just sealing it, I think the contrasting color looks sharp. You can't see the grain as well in the pic.

Lessons learned... I may need to change my order of steps around a little. I was going to cut all my driver holes in the face panels before gluing the face to the box, but if I do that I can't get my trim bit to work on the edge banding because the bearing falls into the driver holes. Gonna have to think about that a little... maybe w/ my woofer holes moved over where they belong it would work OK.

azryan · « **Reply #19 on:** 4 May 2004, 12:36 am »

Slick!

I like the two-tone beveled edge trim.

Wish I could help with a way to do the trim before mounting the face on, but not sure what to do for that. Seems like you'll figure something out though.
Worst case, you trim it by hand w/ a sharp blade and light careful sanding.

Are you going to paint the Neo rivits (sorry if I asked that already)?

Now that you see the neos in the slot do you see what I mean about just needing to tap a little black paint where the rounded corners of the neos will be to make the whole line will look like like one solid object rather than a lot of little planar bits?

I wasted my time painting the whole recess of that slot. No big deal, but it's a waste. Just need to hit where the corners are at.

Also... I supose you could maybe fill those corner bits with black silicone if you really felt like it. I don't think I'd do it, but that might work well?