Wood for a box... which type?

[nox9colt45]

I am looking for a nice wood to make my speaker boxes with. They will be going with the Nat P's as a 1cub ft design if this makes a difference. I want to keep the price of the wood fairly cheap with still getting a pretty grain and a good solid wood. It will be finished a dark red so i could go with a Mahogany or something, but this is a little more than i want to spend. Hoping to keep the price around $50 for a 4'X8' sheet. I saw some baltic birch at the local store and it looks really nice. It was B2 grade (no idea what that means) with 6 layers of plywood. Will this be dense enough for a speaker box assuming i put good supports inside the box?

FYI: i want to stay clear of MDF if i can because i feel it will be too heavy to put on a speaker stand.

Any comments suggestions on the selection of wood?

[wildfire99]

Use the kind of wood that comes from trees. It's the best.

Non-joke answer... you use MDF because it is heavy. Density = less box noise and wall vibration. If you must, use the baltic birch/void-free ply. Use 3/4" walls, double that for the front baffle. Make sure to brace the walls from the inside also to make the whole box even stiffer. Don't build the box out of hardwood.

After you have a structurally sound box, then you can figure out how to wrap it up in a nice veneer or finish.

[joecarrow]

A lot of people do MDF, but I feel a little better about the durability of plywood. You'd want void-free marine grade, with lots of plies- like 12 or 13. If that's too expensive, the cheapest way to go for good sound is definitely MDF with veneer, as Patrick says.

If you go with 1.5" thick front panels, make sure you cut away some chamfers so the backs of the drivers can breathe.

[nox9colt45]

There is one other thing i saw and forgot to mention at the store. I saw a baltic birch fiber core MDF sheet. How would that work?

I am trying to steer away from veneer because i have never used it before, and i would prefer to just use the wood grain and stain/finish it.

Lastly, would a 1cub ft box of MDF be too heavy for a speaker stand? I built a 1 cub ft center channel out of MDF and i dont know if i would trust it on a speaker stand, too top heavy and feel like it would fall over really easily.

Thanks guys =)

[dCraig]

Veneer core MDF is a great way to go and is not too heavy for a stand bassed speaker. No matter how light the speaker is, i the stand is designed badly, it will fall over. A well designed stand could hold Kingpin's moster towers if necessary (well, that might be a bit much).

I would recommend buying soe pre-finished white birch veneer core plywood. A 4x8 sheet here sells for about 75 dollars. I just found a prefinished 4x8 sheet of white pine in the "seconds" bin at an Atlanta hardwoods proider and I got it for 15 dollars! Only one side was damaged at all.

I really recommend a veneer core plywood because the veneer job is superb, and the pre-finished ones a really amazing.

[joecarrow]

Make sure you buy extra and try a few practice cuts- I've tried cutting the pre-veneered plywood before, and if you're not careful you'll rip the veneer off on the edges. If you plan on chamfering the edges after cutting them, that might help clean them up.

[Nathan P]

Do you need to do a double thickness baffle for most MT designs such as the Modulas if you're using MDF?

[nox9colt45]

I do plan on rounded all edges out with a router, and getting the lined cornered look with the plywood. As far as soe pre-finished white birch veneer core plywood. soe? right over my head

from the input i got, a 12+/- pile piece of plywood doubling up the baffle, good supports inside the box with chamfering behind the drivers is roughly what do to?

Again, my center channel i build (1 cub ft) is twice as heavy as my floorstanders i have now (fluance)

Lastly, where is a good place for wood other than a normal lumber yard (so i can hopefully get it cheaper). I have a woodcraft and rockler near by, but im pretty sure they are more tools and veneer. I checked menards, but they only had 6 core that i saw.

Thanks for the help guys, hopefully building will start within a week

[joecarrow]

I found decent wood at Home Depot, though the price wasn't stellar. They'll do a few cuts for you, but not accurate or guaranteed within anything closer than +/- 0.25".

[dCraig]

Make sure you buy extra and try a few practice cuts- I've tried cutting the pre-veneered plywood before, and if you're not careful you'll rip the veneer off on the edges. If you plan on chamfering the edges after cutting them, that might help clean them up.

Three easy techniques can help eliminate this problem.
1 - use a good sharp saw blade.
2 - if option one is not available put a length of blue painter's tape along the line of cut on the side of the wood you want to look good. Cut along the line right through the tape. The edge should come out clean even with a bad saw blade as long as it cuts straight and perpendicular.
3 - Either sandwich the board you are cutting between two other throwaway boards or plaqce a throwaway board on the side that you want to look good. cut the line through all boards together so you get aq clean line on the board you want to use.

Never underestimate how importaqnt option one is.

[dCraig]

Do you need to do a double thickness baffle for most MT designs such as the Modulas if you're using MDF?

I still want at least 1 inch thick baffles even with MDF.

[dCraig]

... As far as soe pre-finished white birch veneer core plywood. soe? right over my head

Sorry about my typing. "soe" was supposed to be "some".