Trump Tower build

[PassingInterest]

Ok, I've just got to ask. Were you a furniture or cabinet maker in another lifetime? I'm looking at all the equipment you have and the stacks of lumber in the background and thinking this couldn't just be for speakers.

Haha! Thanks, Kevin! I've had no formal woodworking training. I'm self-taught and am enjoying a woodworking hobby in my retirement years. You are right, it's not just speakers. I recently designed and built a coffee table for a friend. I've never made a coffee table before, so this was an interesting challenge for me.

Here is the coffee table, before I added the table top.




And here it is complete.

[PassingInterest]

Don, I really appreciate your assistance with this project. Thanks for the wiring diagram and wiring tips.

[Kevin K.]

Holy Cow you're talented Dan! Beautiful work. Cant wait to see how these speakers turn out. I'll butt out now and let you get back to work!

[Wolf]

Kevin- find the subwoofer project he did...

Yeah- PI build threads are a resource!
Wolf

[PassingInterest]

Thank you for the kind words, Kevin and Ambassador Wolf!

[mattp]

PI, I wish I had as much talent as your pinky finger. Absolutely stunningly gorgeous as usual.

[Kevin K.]

Kevin- find the subwoofer project he did...

Yeah- PI build threads are a resource!
Wolf

Thanks Ben, I found it!!! You would need a freakin crane to move that thing! Just had a chance to look at the photo album from Dan's AVS Forum signature, everything he does looks like a million bucks! Cool thing is he lives fairly close.

Man I would love to see and hear some of this stuff up close. Wouldn't mind picking your brain on finishing techniques as well. If you're game, perhaps sometime right after MWAF, lunch for you and Mrs. Interest would be on me.

Ok, here I go derailing your thread again. Sorry for that. Please proceed Sir.

[Wolf]

I'm not crazy about the tree-grille, but elsewise- that monster is beautiful!

Later,
Wolf

[PassingInterest]

Wow, thank you so very much for the kind words, MattP, Kevin and Ambassador Wolf! Kevin - We will have to get together when we can!

[PassingInterest]

I added some support for the curved front piece. I've got some bendable plywood, which when triple stacked, is barely thicker than a double stack of the 1/2" Baltic Birch. It is nearly a perfect match. I can sand it to even it out.




A starter-hole before routing the woofer through-holes.




Use a slow feed-rate and slow down even more just before you cut the middle piece loose, then stop and turn off your router and remove the middle piece. This is to avoid kicking the loose middle piece and sending it flying.




Then you can safely finish the last of the cut.

[PassingInterest]

Removing the nails is easy this way.




Open up the back of the woofer through-holes a bit, so the woofers can breathe.

[PassingInterest]

Now for the tweeter recess. With the power off, plunge the router down until the bit just touches the surface. Use the tweeter flange to set the depth of cut, then route the recess.




Then cut the through-hole.




Ready for a test fit.




It looks as it should.

[PassingInterest]

I added some additional support for The Curve. If I need to apply a lot of glue and move fast, a pancake syrup bottle flows faster than the branded glue bottle. I use both in different applications.

My clamping scheme for the curve - First, I clamped some stock across the top rear (foreground) and across the bottom front (background) using red C-clamps, to receive the hooks on the ratcheting straps without damaging the cabinet. I also drew a pencil line (lowest cross-brace covered in glue) to line up my work piece, which I held in place and shot two small nails (brads). But, that's another photo.




I kind of got ahead of myself. I thought I got a photo of the very next step. Just before tightening the straps, the bendable plywood is held in place across the bottom by two small nails (brads). The brads can't hold the work piece once you get some serious pressure on the straps. So, I pulled the slack out of the straps, then clamped some stock across the lower edge of the bendable plywood to lock it down in place. Then I tightened the straps.




I don't know how well you can see it, but I slipped a board under the Ratchets, so they won't chew up the cabinet when I tighten the straps.




This method was nearly perfect. I just have a slight gap along this edge. This is easy to address.




This closes the gap.

[PassingInterest]

I now have 3-layer curves on all 6 cabinets, which is a nearly perfect match to a 2-layer stack of half-inch Baltic Birch.

[donradick]

Interesting video - thanks!
I'd always assumed that you routed the curve side to side a little at a time.
Instead, it looks like you routed down to the final curve in one pass, bottom to top.