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Good morning everyone.
First, let me start off by saying I like this site.
About 3 months ago, I ran into Zeph DIY speaker website from a link in avsforum. Since then, I wanted to build a speaker or two mostly because I was never completely please with the commercial speakers that I got - the shape and placement restrictions to be specific.
I am not a woodworker. In fact, my wood working tools consist of a dremel and a jig saw. I went out and did some tool shopping: A table saw, a ¼” router+table combo, a ½ router, a slider miter saw. I moved the tools into the unfinished part of the basement. That would be my future workshop.
To make a long story short, the router scared the living daylight out of me. The table saw was even worse. The idea of moving my hands toward rotating blade/bit made me very uncomfortable.
I needed to change out my tools. I wanted the opposite of a table saw. Some kind folks introduced me to the radial arm saw and I liked what I saw. I can clamp down the part, move my hands out of the way then cut. I searched the local Craigslist and ultimately bought 2.
The router replacement was slightly more complicated. I had two options, a CNC machine or a DIY rig. I went with making a rig myself. Again, everything went down the basement.
After the first MDF cut, it was clear that I couldn’t tolerate the MDF dust (even with a vacuum connecting to the dust port). I moved everything up to the garage. The dust problem was still very bad. It turned by wife red Porsche orange with the car parked two bays over. So I needed a mobile tool platform to move the tools out into the drive way. The pallet jack was next in line.
Last Saturday, while the wife was sleeping and the nanny took care of the kid, I went out to build my first ever speaker box.
The baffle cut-out was quick. The rig worked fine getting me the cuts perfectly the first time. It was much more comfortable standing 2 feet from the router while it was doing its job. I went at it both ways, the thru hole first then counter-bore and counter-bore first then thru hole. I used a 1/4” straight router bit for all the driver cutouts.
By lunch time, the baffles were cut and the sides of one box were glued up. I’ll wait for all the part before gluing the back and baffle in place for the first box then I’ll move onto the next one. The major wood cuttings are done. I may do the 45 degree chamfering with my other router just for look.
The cross over parts and drivers should be here before the weekend. I should be able to get the x-overs done. I don’t like the soldering gun and will use the wire wrapper instead.
The first pair will go up to the bed room. They will be wall mounted and feed by a tube amplifier.
At the end, I didn’t even use the table saw and the compound sliding miter saw. I didn’t even open the jasper jig box – this may go back to amazon.
Box size:
Outside dimensions are 33” x 10” x7.125”. The divider for the mid is measured 9.25” down from the top.
First, let me start off by saying I like this site.
About 3 months ago, I ran into Zeph DIY speaker website from a link in avsforum. Since then, I wanted to build a speaker or two mostly because I was never completely please with the commercial speakers that I got - the shape and placement restrictions to be specific.
I am not a woodworker. In fact, my wood working tools consist of a dremel and a jig saw. I went out and did some tool shopping: A table saw, a ¼” router+table combo, a ½ router, a slider miter saw. I moved the tools into the unfinished part of the basement. That would be my future workshop.
To make a long story short, the router scared the living daylight out of me. The table saw was even worse. The idea of moving my hands toward rotating blade/bit made me very uncomfortable.
I needed to change out my tools. I wanted the opposite of a table saw. Some kind folks introduced me to the radial arm saw and I liked what I saw. I can clamp down the part, move my hands out of the way then cut. I searched the local Craigslist and ultimately bought 2.
The router replacement was slightly more complicated. I had two options, a CNC machine or a DIY rig. I went with making a rig myself. Again, everything went down the basement.
After the first MDF cut, it was clear that I couldn’t tolerate the MDF dust (even with a vacuum connecting to the dust port). I moved everything up to the garage. The dust problem was still very bad. It turned by wife red Porsche orange with the car parked two bays over. So I needed a mobile tool platform to move the tools out into the drive way. The pallet jack was next in line.
Last Saturday, while the wife was sleeping and the nanny took care of the kid, I went out to build my first ever speaker box.
The baffle cut-out was quick. The rig worked fine getting me the cuts perfectly the first time. It was much more comfortable standing 2 feet from the router while it was doing its job. I went at it both ways, the thru hole first then counter-bore and counter-bore first then thru hole. I used a 1/4” straight router bit for all the driver cutouts.
By lunch time, the baffles were cut and the sides of one box were glued up. I’ll wait for all the part before gluing the back and baffle in place for the first box then I’ll move onto the next one. The major wood cuttings are done. I may do the 45 degree chamfering with my other router just for look.
The cross over parts and drivers should be here before the weekend. I should be able to get the x-overs done. I don’t like the soldering gun and will use the wire wrapper instead.
The first pair will go up to the bed room. They will be wall mounted and feed by a tube amplifier.
At the end, I didn’t even use the table saw and the compound sliding miter saw. I didn’t even open the jasper jig box – this may go back to amazon.
Box size:
Outside dimensions are 33” x 10” x7.125”. The divider for the mid is measured 9.25” down from the top.
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