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Comments/suggestions sought regarding contruction technique and general ramblings...
About a month ago, I went ahead with the purchase of a good $1.5K worth of tools and tool accessories, in the hope of constructing my dream speaker enclosures for a pair of well designed, large, full-range floor standing speakers. I am looking to build speakers that end up close to, but not to exceed, 200lbs each. I have a strong bias towards heavy (read: “insanely over built”) speakers. 
The candidate I found to fill these dream enclosures, which best matches my intended goals, as well as my built-in prejudices (everyone likes ribbon tweeters, right?), was the Selah Audio Peridot kit. Actually, even now, I believe housing one of those kits is the best possible use a pair of my “dream enclosures” could be put to. I want to put that kit in my “V. 2.0” attempt, however, as I am sure to learn many useful lessons on my “V. 1.0” attempt.
A primary goal for “V. 1.0”, is to make a first attempt (read: prototype) that will sound excellent, even if it ends up looking hideously malformed. Another primary goal is to use components which can be purchased as needed, or as funds for this project become available. Now that I have finished the entire thread that contains these designs, I believe I have found the best design for my “V. 1.0” project, as it satisfies all my primary criteria, and enough of my personal biases.
I will be filling my initial go at my “dream enclosures” with (50lbs of lead shot, and) the Seas brand tweeter version of the TMWW tower designed by Dennis, and first mentioned in the post in my link, above. As it has a total BOM cost of ~$500 for the non-economy version, as listed in an attachment to post 261, it leaves me absolutely unable to say no to giving it a shot (in the dark?). I will be using the sealed alignment enclosure volume specifications. I have heard the excellent quality of the bass just the single 8” woofer found in the good sized sealed enclosure used for the Hales Design Group’s “Concept 2”. I was sold on the “Concept”, ever since. (Sorry, and sorry again… in advance).
My “Concept” (told you), involves the following:
1. As any optimized enclosure should, the tweeter alignment for the chosen design will be preserved vs both the baffle edges near it and the other drivers in each speaker. As a baffle of the specified width can be used, this is possible.
2. All enclosure and sub-enclosure volume specs will be adhered to.
3. Every driver will be raised, identically, by somewhere between 3” to 6” (still TBD), due to the height of the listening position in the room they will be used in.
4. A goal of good response to the mid 30Hz region, in the small room (12’X14’X8’) in which they will be used.
5. Enclosures made from a large stack of template-routed 3/4” MDF elliptical panels that feature flat faces (think roughly B&W 803S, for the basic shape). The exterior contour template was completed prior to discovering the thread with the design I will be using. Additionally, 28 of the needed panels for the finished stacks (AKA: speakers), have been routed to the intended outside contour over the last three days I worked on the project. Sufficient internal volume should be available to the selected design with the current size. For these reasons, no exterior dimension changes will be contemplated for the main body of the enclosure.
6. The different interior contour templates needed for the router have yet to be made, as the precise interior contour of the stack has not yet been determined. The interior will feature, however: 7 vertical runners that are 3” deep, and 3/4” wide, and run the entire height of the enclosure’s interior; At least 6 horizontal braces 3” deep, 3/4” tall, and running around the entire elliptical contour; 1.25” thick enclosure wall for the remainder of the elliptical contour; 7/8” thick front face.
7. The front baffle will be made of a 46.5” tall, 3/4” thick MDF panel, and will be affixed to the flat face of each stack after construction has been completed for both stacks.
8. Construction method was chosen, first, because I figured out how to route a template to make identically shaped elliptical MDF panels early on in my practice with my new tools. Second, because the 1/8” plywood locally available would not make a laminated enclosure wall of the sharpest radius curve I wanted (~3.25”, I believe) with out breaking. Third, because of my absolute lack of experience, I did not know any technique to fix the second point. And, finally, because I quickly fell in love with the level of control I had over the interior contours of the enclosure, when it is constructed in this fashion.
I am mostly hoping for some thoughts on my intended approach to the construction of these enclosures. General tips/tricks, or specific advice regarding the first intended occupants (found at my only link, way above here), would be very useful to me. I am hoping for some suggestions that have the potential to improve my “productivity” in routing all these panels (inside, as well as outside). Suggestions on blades for my decade old Craftsman 16” scroll saw would be especially useful, as the “high carbon steel”, 15-tpi ones I have for it, only last for about 10-15 panels worth of rough cut outside elliptical contours. Each panel is about 45 linear inches worth of cutting through 3/4” MDF.
I have no schedule for completing this project, as “it will be done when it is done” (to recall the excellent level of success enjoyed by John Romero with the PC game “Daikatanna” using this glorious philosophy), but that does not mean I want to waste a bunch of my time “reinventing the wheel” to create 138 precise, template-routed MDF panels as quickly as possible, either.
Thanks for making it all the way to the end. ;x(
The candidate I found to fill these dream enclosures, which best matches my intended goals, as well as my built-in prejudices (everyone likes ribbon tweeters, right?), was the Selah Audio Peridot kit. Actually, even now, I believe housing one of those kits is the best possible use a pair of my “dream enclosures” could be put to. I want to put that kit in my “V. 2.0” attempt, however, as I am sure to learn many useful lessons on my “V. 1.0” attempt.
A primary goal for “V. 1.0”, is to make a first attempt (read: prototype) that will sound excellent, even if it ends up looking hideously malformed. Another primary goal is to use components which can be purchased as needed, or as funds for this project become available. Now that I have finished the entire thread that contains these designs, I believe I have found the best design for my “V. 1.0” project, as it satisfies all my primary criteria, and enough of my personal biases.
I will be filling my initial go at my “dream enclosures” with (50lbs of lead shot, and) the Seas brand tweeter version of the TMWW tower designed by Dennis, and first mentioned in the post in my link, above. As it has a total BOM cost of ~$500 for the non-economy version, as listed in an attachment to post 261, it leaves me absolutely unable to say no to giving it a shot (in the dark?). I will be using the sealed alignment enclosure volume specifications. I have heard the excellent quality of the bass just the single 8” woofer found in the good sized sealed enclosure used for the Hales Design Group’s “Concept 2”. I was sold on the “Concept”, ever since. (Sorry, and sorry again… in advance).
My “Concept” (told you), involves the following:
1. As any optimized enclosure should, the tweeter alignment for the chosen design will be preserved vs both the baffle edges near it and the other drivers in each speaker. As a baffle of the specified width can be used, this is possible.
2. All enclosure and sub-enclosure volume specs will be adhered to.
3. Every driver will be raised, identically, by somewhere between 3” to 6” (still TBD), due to the height of the listening position in the room they will be used in.
4. A goal of good response to the mid 30Hz region, in the small room (12’X14’X8’) in which they will be used.
5. Enclosures made from a large stack of template-routed 3/4” MDF elliptical panels that feature flat faces (think roughly B&W 803S, for the basic shape). The exterior contour template was completed prior to discovering the thread with the design I will be using. Additionally, 28 of the needed panels for the finished stacks (AKA: speakers), have been routed to the intended outside contour over the last three days I worked on the project. Sufficient internal volume should be available to the selected design with the current size. For these reasons, no exterior dimension changes will be contemplated for the main body of the enclosure.
6. The different interior contour templates needed for the router have yet to be made, as the precise interior contour of the stack has not yet been determined. The interior will feature, however: 7 vertical runners that are 3” deep, and 3/4” wide, and run the entire height of the enclosure’s interior; At least 6 horizontal braces 3” deep, 3/4” tall, and running around the entire elliptical contour; 1.25” thick enclosure wall for the remainder of the elliptical contour; 7/8” thick front face.
7. The front baffle will be made of a 46.5” tall, 3/4” thick MDF panel, and will be affixed to the flat face of each stack after construction has been completed for both stacks.
8. Construction method was chosen, first, because I figured out how to route a template to make identically shaped elliptical MDF panels early on in my practice with my new tools. Second, because the 1/8” plywood locally available would not make a laminated enclosure wall of the sharpest radius curve I wanted (~3.25”, I believe) with out breaking. Third, because of my absolute lack of experience, I did not know any technique to fix the second point. And, finally, because I quickly fell in love with the level of control I had over the interior contours of the enclosure, when it is constructed in this fashion.
I am mostly hoping for some thoughts on my intended approach to the construction of these enclosures. General tips/tricks, or specific advice regarding the first intended occupants (found at my only link, way above here), would be very useful to me. I am hoping for some suggestions that have the potential to improve my “productivity” in routing all these panels (inside, as well as outside). Suggestions on blades for my decade old Craftsman 16” scroll saw would be especially useful, as the “high carbon steel”, 15-tpi ones I have for it, only last for about 10-15 panels worth of rough cut outside elliptical contours. Each panel is about 45 linear inches worth of cutting through 3/4” MDF.
I have no schedule for completing this project, as “it will be done when it is done” (to recall the excellent level of success enjoyed by John Romero with the PC game “Daikatanna” using this glorious philosophy), but that does not mean I want to waste a bunch of my time “reinventing the wheel” to create 138 precise, template-routed MDF panels as quickly as possible, either.
Thanks for making it all the way to the end. ;x(
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