Yet another ZDT3.5 Build

[eddo]

Yep, thats right, ANOTHER ZDT3.5 build. I know many others have built this design, but I thought I'd post a few pics anyway.

Thanks John for designing (and re-designing) these speakers, the sound is definitely amazing! I've been running these for the past couple of weeks and am still impressed by how much better they sound than anything commercial that I've listened to so far.

I went with the appearance/finish that I used for my RS150 MTM build: Flat cut cherry veneer with no stain and water-based clear coat on the enclosure, and solid cherry baffles stained with Varathane "Cabernet." The feet are also stained with "Cabernet."

[WillyD]

Man your build makes mine look like childs play. Absolutely amazing job!

[Jim Holtz]

I went with the appearance/finish that I used for my RS150 MTM build: Flat cut cherry veneer with no stain and water-based clear coat on the enclosure, and solid cherry baffles stained with Varathane "Cabernet." The feet are also stained with "Cabernet."

Hi eddo,

Very nice job! :T

What water based clear coat did you use and how did you apply it? It looks great!

Jim

[eddo]

Jim,

The clear coat I use is Varathane Diamond, which you can get from Menards. I brushed it on the enclosures, and sprayed the baffles. I would have sprayed the enclosures too, but it was a bit breezy that day. I think brushing the baffles would have been difficult due to the cutouts and holes, runs and drips would be everywhere. The spray gun I use is nothing special (not a HVLP system), I think it was ~$100 from Menards or Lowes.

The water-based finish (in my opinion) is the way to go. Its far less toxic than other options, does not yellow over time, and can be recoated in a very short amount of time. When doing finishing work in warmer weather, I usually recoat every ~15min or so, which makes things to very fast. Back when I used solvent-based "varnish" I'd only be able to do one coat a day, makes finishing much more of a chore than it needs to be.

Hope this helps,
Ed

[Jim Holtz]

Jim,

The clear coat I use is Varathane Diamond, which you can get from Menards. I brushed it on the enclosures, and sprayed the baffles. I would have sprayed the enclosures too, but it was a bit breezy that day. I think brushing the baffles would have been difficult due to the cutouts and holes, runs and drips would be everywhere. The spray gun I use is nothing special (not a HVLP system), I think it was ~$100 from Menards or Lowes.

The water-based finish (in my opinion) is the way to go. Its far less toxic than other options, does not yellow over time, and can be recoated in a very short amount of time. When doing finishing work in warmer weather, I usually recoat every ~15min or so, which makes things to very fast. Back when I used solvent-based "varnish" I'd only be able to do one coat a day, makes finishing much more of a chore than it needs to be.

Hope this helps,
Ed

Hi Ed,

I didn't realize you were from Iowa. I hope you can make it to the DIY even this fall.

I'm also a proponent of water based finishes. I have air piped into my basement work shop and have a pretty decent HVLP gun that I use to spray with. Water base is great. I can spray in one room and family members in the next room can't tell.

I've not used Varathane but it looks like it really lays down nice and smooth. Very nice!

I hope to see you this fall!

Jim

[stangbat]

Beautiful work. Your finish looks great. I like the way you countersunk the baffle bolts. Nice idea and good execution.

[---k---]

Wow, those look great. The projects around here just keep looking better and better. :T

I think Mr. Krutke has a real winner on his hand with this project. If I recall correctly, he didn't think these would be popular because his most budget designs gets the most website hits. Seems there is a real hunger for good budget 3-ways.

[tylerdurden]

WOW! That Cherry is beautiful. How thick is the Cherry for the baffle? 1"? I realy like the legs/feat you made!!
We can never have enough ZDT's!! Great work eddo!

[eddo]

Thanks tylerdurden, cherry for the baffles is .85" thick. Pays to know your local millwork company .

[tylerdurden]

Thanks tylerdurden, cherry for the baffles is .85" thick. Pays to know your local millwork company .

Yes it does. I hope to be investing in a larger bandsaw soon so I can mill larger peices myself. But I have a freind who owns a mill service.

[Blktre]

Im speechless. Excellent fit and finish. Looks like ive got some researching to do on water based. Good to see another set of "Z"s out there!

[jkrutke]

Oh wow, those are beautiful. Great work!

[Silversmoky]

Very nice! Good job.

[mayhem13]

Excellent finish work. You've given us something to aspire to.

[topp]

Excellent job on the speakers. I just placed my order for the components. Now I am trying to decide on what kind of finish I want to go with and if I should make the center sealed or ported. How do you like the sealed center?

Topp

[eddo]

How do you like the sealed center?

I'm happy with the sealed center, the towers provide plenty of low end, so I didn't see the advantage of going with the vented option. The vented enclosure seemed too big for my furniture accommodations (that is, I don't have large TV at the moment).

Ed

[topp]

Yea the size of the vented center is my only concern. Not so much from physically fitting it there, but getting the wife to not to say "that center channel looks too big".

Topp

[Blktre]

Yea the size of the vented center is my only concern. Not so much from physically fitting it there, but getting the wife to not to say "that center channel looks too big".

Topp

It doesn't bother my wife at all. I think once built, she will like it. I hear alot about guys worrying about the WAF factor. I just don't get that? :P

[topp]

Maybe one day if I finish the basement, and put a media room down there, I wouldn't have to worry about WAF. Currently I am leaning towards building the ported. However, I think I am going to reduce the width to reduce the persevered size, but increase the depth to maintain the volume.

Topp

[eddo]

I wonder with the vented option if there would be a problem with having the ports rear-firing? If you then decreased the width and increased the depth, there would probably be plenty of clearance between the ports and woofer magnets. It would at least reduce the profile if you really want the vented design, and better satisfy the WAF at the same time.

[topp]

Yea that is what I was thinking of doing. My TV stand is open on all the sides and it is in the corner, so I should not have to worry about the ports being blocked or too close to a wall. Speaking of the WAF factor I asked my wife what type of finish she wanted and she said black. I was hoping to do a black baffle like Blktre did on his then maybe do a cherry or maple veneer for the sides. But now I am not sure. I am pretty sure I don't have the skills or patience to do a black polished finish. My thought was to do a dark stain and some veneer. Any one got any suggestions?

Topp

[Dennis H]

Rustoleum textured paint looks pretty nice and is pretty hard to muck up.

Edit: you've already seen Blktre's baffles, doing the whole speaker that way would look nice and be easy.

[Jim Holtz]

Yea that is what I was thinking of doing. My TV stand is open on all the sides and it is in the corner, so I should not have to worry about the ports being blocked or too close to a wall. Speaking of the WAF factor I asked my wife what type of finish she wanted and she said black. I was hoping to do a black baffle like Blktre did on his then maybe do a cherry or maple veneer for the sides. But now I am not sure. I am pretty sure I don't have the skills or patience to do a black polished finish. My thought was to do a dark stain and some veneer. Any one got any suggestions?

Topp

Veneer everything except the front baffle with the least expensive paperback veneer you can buy and then dye the veneer black. Use a pore filler and then top coat it with your favorite finish. The Varathane that Ed used looks very nice in the pictures and would work well.

Paint the front baffle black and then top coat the front baffle with Deft clear lacquer in your choice of shine. You might be able to use Varathane over the black painted baffle instead of the deft clear lacquer but I'm not sure. You'd have to do a little research.

They'll look just like the ones at the high end audio store.

Jim

[eddo]

Here's a question that I can't seem to answer with Google: Does anyone know where to find cherry burl veneer? I'd like to do some burl inlay on the sub I'm about to build, the bulk of the cherry veneer will be the same as on the ZDT3.5's. Walnut, maple, bubinga, etc burl veneers aren't hard to find, but I can't seem to find much aside from ropey veneer in the case of cherry.

Ed