Quick Dual AviaTrix Build

[Biermann]

I had planned to build a friend a pair of MTM's last year and the AviaTrix fit the bill. So I ordered up the components, bought the Padauk for the bafles, and of course months went by. Well he confirmed his re-location so I pushed and got them built, because I kind of had too . Since I had additional Padauk for a second set of baffle I decided to co-build a second pair (white lacquer).

Thanks to Curt and team as usual, built out the second pair today as the other's were spirited away (literally 20mins after completing them) before the finish coat had fully hardened. I went for a 7.5"x18"x 11.5"depth cabinet. Have yet to measure the final response and see if I need to tweak the XO any further. Running them in now. :T



Baffles:






Glued, Flushed +1/32" for cab paint, and Beveled:






Black Cabinets with Base Coats ready for final:




Black Lacquer Final Coat:




Crossover V1:




Baffle Clear Coat Final:




Built Out:





White Build follows same progression, though it is only a 60sheen finish, and I had a shorter piece of MDF left from the original board I re-sawed so the XO was re-arranged to fit.

















Time to catch up with Dan on my RAAL Omni build, he has made great progress already, got my alumin'i'um coming next week

[Fishy]

Wow those piano blacks are stunnnnning. :T

If only I could find somone in the UK that could build to that standard!

Fish

[BeerParty]

How do you cut out the rabbit in the baffles for the mid-drivers? I'd love to flush mount them in my build but could not figure out an easy way to do it.

[joeybutts]

Those look fantastic and I really enjoy the white ones. I'm a sucker for white....

[Biermann]

How do you cut out the rabbit in the baffles for the mid-drivers? I'd love to flush mount them in my build but could not figure out an easy way to do it.

It involved a few steps, and if you want I can duplicate mine easily and mail you a copy, you just need a router guide.

I taped the driver openings up, then used hot-melt glue to attach some little standoff's taller than the surround. Next I again glued with hot-melt a piece of 1/4" hardboard to the standoff's and then using a flush trim bit made a copy of the outer dimensions of the top-plate.

Next I used double-sided tape and attached the profile piece to some 1/2" board, then using a 5/16" router guide collar and 1/4" spiral bit I cut an outer copy this time larger than the original. Here you have to make sure you constantly have pressure against the guide bearing and template as any stray wide will make the template oversized/wrong.

Then I measured the offset between the template edge and the bit and found my offset was not a standard guide I had, so I machined a brass collar to fit on an existing guide for the correct offset. At the time I was not thinking and could have offset routed the new negative template a second time to overcome offset issues (I was in a rush trying to finish a wood foot bike for my nephew)

Anyhow, once that was done, I glued 2 strips to my negative template so it was self centering and square on the baffles and using the guide I whizzed away.

[Biermann]

Wow those piano blacks are stunnnnning. :T

If only I could find somone in the UK that could build to that standard!

Fish

Thanks Fishy,

If you don't find what you're looking for, you can always "teach thy self" as I did.

Cheers!

[Biermann]

Those look fantastic and I really enjoy the white ones. I'm a sucker for white....

Rare breed. I kept seeing white lacq cab's on the EU boards, and since my old finish was no longer available (*%&#$! VOC laws) I decided to try out my new option. Good 'oll pre-cat with so much acetone I had to retard the hell out of it so as not to pre-flash. Have yetto decide whether to pinstripe, or go origami on them yet. You can see some navy blue test colors I mixed on the cardboard. The Padauk will oxidize to a dark red/purple over time, so a red-white-blue will only last for about a year.

One of drivers gave up the ghost already so levels are now high to fry the stragglers.

[BeerParty]

It involved a few steps, and if you want I can duplicate mine easily and mail you a copy, you just need a router guide.

I taped the driver openings up, then used hot-melt glue to attach some little standoff's taller than the surround. Next I again glued with hot-melt a piece of 1/4" hardboard to the standoff's and then using a flush trim bit made a copy of the outer dimensions of the top-plate.

Next I used double-sided tape and attached the profile piece to some 1/2" board, then using a 5/16" router guide collar and 1/4" spiral bit I cut an outer copy this time larger than the original. Here you have to make sure you constantly have pressure against the guide bearing and template as any stray wide will make the template oversized/wrong.

Then I measured the offset between the template edge and the bit and found my offset was not a standard guide I had, so I machined a brass collar to fit on an existing guide for the correct offset. At the time I was not thinking and could have offset routed the new negative template a second time to overcome offset issues (I was in a rush trying to finish a wood foot bike for my nephew)

Anyhow, once that was done, I glued 2 strips to my negative template so it was self centering and square on the baffles and using the guide I whizzed away.

If I can find the time I'll have to try that myself. I don't have a lot of luck using my router in this fashion (it keeps drifting on me when I try to make the template) but maybe I just need more practice.

[AdelaaR]

Very nice those padouk baffles ^^

[CraigJ]

Biermann,

I don't know which is more stunning, the speakers or the view. Congrats on both and it will be fun to see your omni build as well as Dan's.

BeerParty,

If you haven't seen it, here is a pretty good link for making a router template for odd shapes: http://www.exquisiteaudio.com/index....&id=7&Itemid=9

Craig

[Fishy]

Thanks Fishy,

If you don't find what you're looking for, you can always "teach thy self" as I did.

Cheers!

I wish I had the space to do it. Unlike you lucky lot out there, space here in London costs both arms and legs. :cry:

Fish

[DeathMonk]

Very nice work!

What is your definition of "quick"

[bigbardmusiq]

Those are beautiful, you mind me asking what kind of paint are you spraying?

[Hank]

VERY nice work - love that Padauk grain!

[richnen]

Excellent work! Love the black version.

[---k---]

Wow. Very nice. But, how do they sound?

[Biermann]

Thanks for the nice words guy's. They sound pretty darn good, a little thin on mid-bass, the tweeters are pretty excellent. Once integrated with a subwoofer and relieving the mids from the low stuff, they're really good. My friend is really happy with his, though anything would be better than what he had. He is finally hearing additional details in his music that I have been telling him he's missing for years. I am waiting on a replacement driver as one of mid's developed the click's once they're run over ~75db, then I plan to measure them.

Very nice work!

What is your definition of "quick"

2 partial weekends and about 8 evenings of inter-coat sanding and re-coats plus build-outs.

Nice thing about lacquer is you can sand and spray another coat in 30mins. This stuff even pretty heavily retarded dries to the touch in 4-5min, this in 65deg weather.

you mind me asking what kind of paint are you spraying?

ValSpar Sanding Sealer, Pre-Cat Lacquer for the clear and white, and Professional Lacquer black base coat and topcoat.

I get it discounted @ 28-32.00 a gallon depending on the product so it's perfect for speaker projects.

[dadstv]

Biermann,
Awesome build, the wood baffles look great. What screws/nuts did you use and where did you order them? Those inset threaded nuts look like they would add a lot of strength and prevent stripping of the screws.

Also, I'm really interested in flush mounting the same drivers in solid wood (I'm going to build the MLTL version), would you still considering sharing the template replica? Would I need a special offset collar since you said you ended up making your own?
-JR