What type of wood to use??

[jdm]

Hi I have my forth project ready to build now.

What type of wood can I use? I used 15 plp/

ply-wood for my first 2 projects. The 3rd & 4th

are in the works. I was going to use real wood

like maple or oak or other hard woods. I just

do not want the wood to crack or the finish

comes off due to age and glueing the finish on

the ply-wood or other woods. Is this going to

change the sound? If so what can I do to get the

best sound out of my drivers. Usher and jordans.

The usher is a 2 way bassreflex design 3rd project

and the jordan 92s is a 4th project in a T.L.

Also waht kind of speaker cable can I use to get

the best sound and not add anything to the drivers

like extra air at on the top end or more warmth in

the midrange. Please e-mail me with advise.

Thanks jm. P.s. I need speaker cables that will

work well with the ushers and then the jordans.

[davidvwebber]

> Hi I have my forth project ready to build
> now.

> What type of wood can I use? I used 15 plp/

> ply-wood for my first 2 projects. The 3rd
> & 4th

> are in the works. I was going to use real
> wood

> like maple or oak or other hard woods. I
> just

> do not want the wood to crack or the finish

> comes off due to age and glueing the finish
> on

> the ply-wood or other woods. Is this going
> to

> change the sound? If so what can I do to get
> the

> best sound out of my drivers. Usher and
> jordans.

> The usher is a 2 way bassreflex design 3rd
> project

> and the jordan 92s is a 4th project in a
> T.L.

> Also waht kind of speaker cable can I use to
> get

> the best sound and not add anything to the
> drivers

> like extra air at on the top end or more
> warmth in

> the midrange. Please e-mail me with advise.

> Thanks jm. P.s. I need speaker cables that
> will

> work well with the ushers and then the
> jordans.
Solid wood is always a problem , due to changes in
dimensions as the humidity changes from season to season . Also warping , twisting , and cracking on the ends . If you like the look / grain of wood , you can use 3/4" Birch or Oak or Maple or perhaps even Cherry , and glue / screw it to 3/4"
MDF to get 1 1/2" for the front - baffle and rear panel .
I noticed a really great improvement with some speaker - cables I bought . However, most DIY folk
believe that some heavy - gage house - wire from
Home Depot or such will work as well with no detectable sonic difference . SO , if you want my input on that subject , E - Mail me ! DVW

[davidvwebber]

> Solid wood is always a problem , due to
> changes in
> dimensions as the humidity changes from
> season to season . Also warping , twisting ,
> and cracking on the ends . If you like the
> look / grain of wood , you can use 3/4"
> Birch or Oak or Maple or perhaps even Cherry
> , and glue / screw it to 3/4"
> MDF to get 1 1/2" for the front -
> baffle and rear panel .
> I noticed a really great improvement with
> some speaker - cables I bought . However,
> most DIY folk
> believe that some heavy - gage house - wire
> from
> Home Depot or such will work as well with no
> detectable sonic difference . SO , if you
> want my input on that subject , E - Mail me
> ! DVW
I meant to say that 3/4" stuff glued / screwed to the MDF is Oak / Walnut / Birch - Faced
PLYWOOD !! DVW

[rodh]

> I meant to say that 3/4" stuff glued /
> screwed to the MDF is Oak / Walnut / Birch -
> Faced
> PLYWOOD !! DVW

That's what I do also. I hate veneering, and 1/4" oak plywood costs less than veneer anyway. I usually just use 3/4" MDF and glue the plywood to it with contact cement. You can use solid wood for the edges and a hand plane to bring it down flush.

Rod

[dB]

Any wood which is less inert and non-resonant than the most inert and non-resonant material avaialble (practically speaking this is MDF) will create distortion.

Different wire may change the sound, but it won't necessarily improve it. So, I would say start with the cheapest wire possible and see if it works.

Dave

[davidvwebber]

> Any wood which is less inert and
> non-resonant than the most inert and
> non-resonant material avaialble (practically
> speaking this is MDF) will create
> distortion.

> Different wire may change the sound, but it
> won't necessarily improve it. So, I would
> say start with the cheapest wire possible
> and see if it works.

> Dave
Obviously , you add MORE wood to the 3/4" MDF it will have even LESS distortion than the MDF alone !! And , if there is any doubt in you mind , proper bracing will eliminate any possible tiny remnants.

And , a properly designed speaker cable sounds MUCH better than " just plain wire " , even if it is of some monster gage !! DVW

[kduggan]

> I usually build the box out of 3/4 or 1/2 MDF and then set my bandsaw up and resaw 3/4 boards in Half and then plan to 1/4" thick and use it to caver the boxes. However 3/4 plywood fot the sides work well and then just laminate the top, bottom and frounts.
Hi I have my forth project ready to build
> now.

> What type of wood can I use? I used 15 plp/

> ply-wood for my first 2 projects. The 3rd
> & 4th

> are in the works. I was going to use real
> wood

> like maple or oak or other hard woods. I
> just

> do not want the wood to crack or the finish

> comes off due to age and glueing the finish
> on

> the ply-wood or other woods. Is this going
> to

> change the sound? If so what can I do to get
> the

> best sound out of my drivers. Usher and
> jordans.

> The usher is a 2 way bassreflex design 3rd
> project

> and the jordan 92s is a 4th project in a
> T.L.

> Also waht kind of speaker cable can I use to
> get

> the best sound and not add anything to the
> drivers

> like extra air at on the top end or more
> warmth in

> the midrange. Please e-mail me with advise.

> Thanks jm. P.s. I need speaker cables that
> will

> work well with the ushers and then the
> jordans.

[severius]

> Obviously , you add MORE wood to the
> 3/4" MDF it will have even LESS
> distortion than the MDF alone !!

It may add a little more mass, but if the material or wood's highly resonant, than adding it adds a resonating or ringing component to the mdf.

I tried this with 3/4" cheap particle board. The resulting sandwich was more resonant than the mdf alone, at a lower frequency.

[davidvwebber]

> It may add a little more mass, but if the
> material or wood's highly resonant, than
> adding it adds a resonating or ringing
> component to the mdf.

> I tried this with 3/4" cheap particle
> board. The resulting sandwich was more
> resonant than the mdf alone, at a lower
> frequency.
Well, I guess that would not be a good idea !
Can't imagine what would be the point of doing that. I was assuming you'd be sandwiching materials of near equal density together , the glue and brass screws , plus good bracing , more than making - up for any slight difference !
I suppose if you hung a bell on a thin , poorly -
braced box , it might ring when certain notes were played ! DVW

[justame1213]

I like the idea of using 1/4" hardwood instead of veneer but don't the best way to do the corners or sides.

[philiparcario]

I use 1/4 curley maple a lot over 3/4 inch plywood or mdf.

[philiparcario]

i buy 1/4 inch pieces of it on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Curly-Maple-Bookmatched-and-Planed-15W-X-23L-X-1-4_W0QQitemZ350266139588QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_A ccessories?hash=item518d7d23c4#ht_500wt_1064


http://cgi.ebay.com/Curly-Maple-Bookmatched-and-Planed-20W-X-16L-X-3-8_W0QQitemZ350266139697QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_A ccessories?hash=item518d7d2431#ht_500wt_1064

the guy below is very good

http://cgi.ebay.com/Flamed-Maple-Drop-Top-Set-21x14x1-4-676-3_W0QQitemZ270469366561QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_A ccessories?hash=item3ef93b0321#ht_500wt_1064

[arlis_1957@yahoo.com]

either go very thin (venner) or very thick (4 quarter) to be sure it will be stable. secure with screws and a nice flexible silicome caulk.

[rogoll]

I don't want to start a flame war here, but as for cabling, I suggest anything above 18 gauge (I usually use 16 or 14 gauge) stranded. This area is HIGHLY subjective, but I PERSONALLY think that the standed helps with the "skin effect". As long as it is clean, shiney (no brown, green, dark wire) then it should be O.K. Cables are one area I think people get really ripped-off.

[lunchmoney]

And , a properly designed speaker cable sounds MUCH better than " just plain wire " , even if it is of some monster gage !! DVW

Uh oh...

(ducks for cover)

:p

[Mark65]

Note that that particular flame was ignited some four years ago....let it go.:rolleyes:


Mark

[blair]

Hi I have my forth project ready to build now.

What type of wood can I use? I used 15 plp/

ply-wood for my first 2 projects. The 3rd & 4th

are in the works. I was going to use real wood

like maple or oak or other hard woods. I just

do not want the wood to crack or the finish

comes off due to age and glueing the finish on

the ply-wood or other woods. Is this going to

change the sound? If so what can I do to get the

best sound out of my drivers. Usher and jordans.

The usher is a 2 way bassreflex design 3rd project

and the jordan 92s is a 4th project in a T.L.

Also waht kind of speaker cable can I use to get

the best sound and not add anything to the drivers

like extra air at on the top end or more warmth in

the midrange. Please e-mail me with advise.

Thanks jm. P.s. I need speaker cables that will

work well with the ushers and then the jordans.

A) wire it with whatever you want. It is not a flame war, and it is easy enough to change if yo think you get different sound. If you do, I'd like a quarter of what you are smoking;P

B) I hear the solid wood contorversy many times here, but it is very subject to you application. How skilled you are with wood, and what you are building. If you want a solid wood baffle. Just cut it. I do not think it matters. I have speakers in my house with Birch, Maple, Walnut, and cedar for baffles. I got nothing. All glued to MDF. I do, on the other hand have a pair of massive floor standers that flex constantly, but they are not leaking and who really cares. It was my design mistake! Tough cookies for me. I haven't even finished them yet. Have fun and remember that if it is not a big project, you are not losing much regardless.

Blair

[philiparcario]

blair you are right on spot. another wood tip. front baffles of solid wood can be done if small. I have some nice solid maple baffles o flex. why? my home has force air heat so the winter can have humidity under 15% in my home. If you make the baffle then and use a lot of coats of poly or shellac the baffle will stay very stable. just remember all six sides must get coat and the cutouts must be covered. some pe boxes with 1 inch solid maple baffes using jordans.
1) first shot is oak veneer over mdf.
2) next solid maple baffle.
3)next is coating used. 4 coats everywhere except the baffle face 6 coats.
4) 1 done with jordan mounted.
5) back in bookcases.

these are in use 1 1/2 year with 0 problems I live in NJ and we had silly bad humidity this summer they were very stable.

[biff]

If you are going to use solid wood, there are a couple of small steps that will really help stability. Start by acclimating the wood - stand it as close to vertical as possible for a while and let it relax before you do your planing, scraping, or whatever surfacing you are going to do so it won't cup or bow when you expose fresh surface. Then do your beveling, chamfering, roundovers, cutouts, etc. and hurry up and wait a day or two again (you exposed more fresh). Once you're done sizing and shaping you need to apply your finish to all surfaces sequentially. Tape if you want to watch runs and drips, but do a coat on the front, then the back, and on until a least a couple of coats are on everything to seal it up. Most warping is from uneven moisture penetration or evaporation with fibers swelling or shrinking disproportionally. And if you are laying up pieces to gain width, alternate them faceup, face down and they will tend to stay flatter. If you choose to do thin hardwood over another substrate, like Curly maple over MDF, do the back with a cheaper (non curly) maple applied and finished the same and your work should be dimensionally stable. Good luck!

[ibhim]

Reading this thread with interest as about to build one of Zaphs projects. As I have strong woodworking skills, wanted the boxes to be a little different amd planned to use solid oak - if for no other reason can round the top edge across the grain which would be very difficult with mdf/veneer. Bottom edge would remain flush to match the stand. Reading this thread is giving me second thoughts.

Baffle size will be 9x15" for a 2 way bookshelf (SR71). Per .pdf plans, baffle is MDF 1" total with 1/4" inside the case. My plan to use lumber cut from 1x10 stock from HD or Lowes, and of course 1" lumber is actually 3/4" thick. To that would be adding 1/4" MDF fully glued to the oak, and will do a rabbet cut to the sides allowing the 1/4 to overlap and provide more glue surface to front-to-side glue as the front baflfle is permanently attached. All other sides of the speaker will be 3/4 MDF, and the rear wll be designed to be removable - although I could access through the wooher hole. Veneering sides, top and bottom, while painting the rear. Also intended to do a shallow 1/16" accent groove between the front baffle and side edges, painted a accenting color. There is so much you can do when getting away fron the standard wraparound. After staining, several coats of varnish applied.

1) Will 3/4 oak + 1/4 mdf be OK?
2) Increase the MDF to 1/2 or 3/4, adjusting overal demensions and more aggressive camfering of the driver holes?
3) Forget it. Do 100% MDF and veneer wraparound like I have done in the past

[bolland83]

As for speaker wire, I've heard of people using cat5 (telephone and networking cable) with good results, just split the four pairs up and wire the four solid colors for + and the four color with stripes for -. Something about the way the pairs are twisted supposedly makes it work well in this application (I'm thinking "poor mans, mini kimber cable" sounds about right)
I personally am a fan of the woods/yardmaster extension cords for speaker wire, it's good quality copper and you can get it in various different gauges depending on how heavy duty of a cord you buy. It's also very cheap at walmart :D It will generally have three wires, so I usually use two for my + and the other for my -, a little heat shrink and some nice heavy duty banana plugs and you've got yourself a DIY speaker cable that will be pretty hard to beat. Especially since you only spent maybe $20-$40. I did enough for a 5ch setup, with heat shrink and bananas for less than $150, and the front L and R are bi-wire so that's actually 7 cables total. I think I spent more on connectors than I did wire actually.

[dogwreck]

I use the cat 5 18 gauge I think , telephone cable also the same way and I think it sounds great besides i run one cable around to my mains and center ( my reciever is in the back of the room because i have a projector) then i split the colored pairs for the main and center and only one cable run. Like an audio snake only in miniature. I dont know much about speaker boxes but I can tell you that instrument makers use solid wood so the instruments resonate and I can see that mdf would be less resonate and isnt that what speakers boxes should do not resonate????? I dont know just my thoughts:rolleyes:

[philiparcario]

Reading this thread with interest as about to build one of Zaphs projects. As I have strong woodworking skills, wanted the boxes to be a little different amd planned to use solid oak - if for no other reason can round the top edge across the grain which would be very difficult with mdf/veneer. Bottom edge would remain flush to match the stand. Reading this thread is giving me second thoughts.

Baffle size will be 9x15" for a 2 way bookshelf (SR71). Per .pdf plans, baffle is MDF 1" total with 1/4" inside the case. My plan to use lumber cut from 1x10 stock from HD or Lowes, and of course 1" lumber is actually 3/4" thick. To that would be adding 1/4" MDF fully glued to the oak, and will do a rabbet cut to the sides allowing the 1/4 to overlap and provide more glue surface to front-to-side glue as the front baflfle is permanently attached. All other sides of the speaker will be 3/4 MDF, and the rear wll be designed to be removable - although I could access through the wooher hole. Veneering sides, top and bottom, while painting the rear. Also intended to do a shallow 1/16" accent groove between the front baffle and side edges, painted a accenting color. There is so much you can do when getting away fron the standard wraparound. After staining, several coats of varnish applied.

1) Will 3/4 oak + 1/4 mdf be OK?
2) Increase the MDF to 1/2 or 3/4, adjusting overal demensions and more aggressive camfering of the driver holes?
3) Forget it. Do 100% MDF and veneer wraparound like I have done in the past

I WOULD do at least 1/2 MDF with the oak. I have had better luck with maple then oak. If you want good solid maple like my sub in my avatar this seller is good.



http://shop.ebay.com:80/lewoh/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=3&_rdc=1

he has some solid maple in the widths you need. my avatar is two solid maple pieces glued to a plywood insert in a pe .75 cu ft maple box.

[jcrane82]

I like to use glued pine board over top of MDF. Menards sells various sizes of this wood. It is 2" wide strips of pine glued together, then put through a planer. It also has a conditioiner on it because it accepts dark stain very easily. I have seen no issues with my last speaker project where I put 5/8" pine board over 1/2" MDF, but that hasn't even been a year ago. I sure hope there won't be any swelling of the cabinets due to moisture changes. I hadn't thought of this until reading this post. Makes me concern about my current project where I am using the same materials. I will just make sure to put on at least 4-6 coats of clear over the stain. If you look at my pictures in my profile you will see the cabinets I built about 8 months ago with the pine.