Almos speakers build

**jwanck11** · 03 April 2016, 18:19 Sunday

having a bugger of a time painting the baffles with a rattle can. I did 3 light coats, sanded with 1000 grit, tacked and put down another 2 light coats - and got significant spider cracking. I am guessing 24 hours between coating then sanding was not enough. So, I am waiting for the cracked coat to dry so that I can sand it off and go at it again.

I need to move to a painter now that the weather is warming up and I'll be going at the statements and finalists. What sprayers / kind of sprayers are you guys using?

**---k---** · 04 April 2016, 12:12 Monday

Good start. Looking forward to hearing your results.

Are you copying an Atmos design? Any reason you went with 4 - 4" drivers in each box?

I hate rattle cans.

**kevinm** · 04 April 2016, 12:43 Monday

I use a Fuji spray system - specifically the Fuji Semi-Pro 2. I've painted all kinds of stuff with it - most recently all the doors in my house (white latex). Works great once you get a hang of setting up the paint/gun properly.

What type of finishing are looking to get? Did seal the MDF (specifically the edges)?

**jwanck11** · 04 April 2016, 15:18 Monday

Thanks very much for the responses.

@K, I actually am copying a number of different design ideas. I originally got the idea from the klipsch implementation and thought about designing atmos into my statements and then realized atmos is highly likely to be transient. So, once I decided to go a stand alone speaker, I found a similar design on several forums. The 4 speaker design is a direct copy of a user names Javs on avsforum; however, I had actually selected the drivers (Faital FE432) before he went that direction. As there is no crossover work needed and I will end up with an 8 Ohm load / speaker, this is a technically simply and easy to drive design. This is a proof of concept so I am keeping costs low.

@Kevin, that is a cool looking sprayer. I will look into it. I am just coloring the baffles at the moment, and am researching what I need to do for the butt joins and exposed edges.

I did run across a product called duratex. Has anyone heard of it and/or used it? I understand it can be used as a primer as well and there is no need to seal it.

I am thinking of a semi-gloss cabinet with a dark walnut color and a satin baffle.

BTW... my GEN3 XPA-5 was delivered this morning. I have not yet unwrapped it, but am very excited to bring it online in conjunction with my Outlaw 7700!

**jwanck11** · 04 April 2016, 15:19 Monday

oh - and I hate rattle can't too!!! I just wanted to get the baffle done and I immediately regretted that decision.

**jwanck11** · 04 April 2016, 15:52 Monday

Regarding sprayers, the Fuji get a lot of grate reviews. I am wondering though whether it makes sense to go with an HVLP system or an Airless like the Graco. They are about the same prices and it seems the Graco can do a much larger area if I buy a model that can suck from a pail.

**Alaric** · 04 April 2016, 16:48 Monday

MDF sucks up primer like Bernie Sanders sucks up other people's money. A decent coat of primer is pretty much a requirement for spray bombs.

Interesting design! I'm curious to see how it turns out.

**jwanck11** · 04 April 2016, 17:14 Monday

hahaha Alaric! Thanks for the advice. The duratek product looks promising and it seems many have had good luck / results with it. I am not sold, but highly considering that route.

I will be sure to present my opinion. Whether it works, sucks or is somewhere in the middle, I will be sure to post my straightforward opinion.

I have opened threads on HVLP versus airless to get opinions and perspectives - I am hoping to buy something in the next week or two.

**Steve Manning** · 04 April 2016, 17:53 Monday

Isn't the duratex a textured type coating? Not sure if that's what your going for. You might want to try a couple of coats of epoxy, sand in between coats, My understanding is that does a pretty good job of sealing things up for painting or veneer work on mdf.

I have the Earlex 5500 sprayer. If you not into spending a lot of money that's a pretty good option. If you have the funds though, I think the Fuji's are the way to go.

**kevinm** · 04 April 2016, 21:39 Monday

AFAK, Duratex can't be sprayed. It'll need to be rolled. Great product for MDF since it hides seams very well.

If you decide to spray with normal paint, seal the cabinets with a billion coats of sanding sealer. Otherwise you'll have terrible seams popping through the paint.

**jwanck11** · 05 April 2016, 09:25 Tuesday

There is a "spray version" I will be calling the company about this morning. My understanding is that you can get a smooth coat, but I want to ask. I dont want a textured finish.

Thanks for the tip for mdf. Looking back, I would have gone with wood and been a bit more detail oriented, but have no regrets that I have a wonderful set of speakers that sound fantastic. I want to compliment them with a good finish, while putting time and efforts into the "new." I will be building something else (already have the itch) and once I settle on what that will be, I'll decide on a set of techniques to challenge myself.

Thanks for the head's up on the Earlex. I will look into it! I have a lot of painting to do and then the tool I buy will probably sit in between uses for some thereafter.

**jwanck11** · 05 April 2016, 09:26 Tuesday

Thanks Kevin! Yeah, I plan to coat everything in bondo and then a sealer before priming and painting.

**jwanck11** · 06 April 2016, 10:37 Wednesday

Well, a Fuji paint system is on the way as is a trial quart of Duratex. I am also headed to Benjamin Moore to get a sample of water based gloss black for test shooting. Thanks for all of the help and suggestions with painting!

Last night I made most of the internal wiring for the Atmos speakers; today I hope to finish making the wires and get the boxes all glued. My goal is to be test firing them tomorrow. I have a lot of work to do setting and wiring in the new Emotiva amp, and have travel soccer tryouts to run, so it might be Friday before I get a first listen. Picts forthcoming!

**TEK** · 06 April 2016, 15:06 Wednesday

If you want a perfect finish I would suggest that you route a small recess over your joints, use filler, sand it flat and finally cost the whole thing with some layers of epoxy. Finally rough out/flatten the epoxy before you apply base coat and finish.
You may get a good result without the epoxy as well, but it's a bit more risky.

I painted my this way, expect the recesses and filler i the joints. I think I would ha much easier job with the joints if I had done that.

**jwanck11** · 06 April 2016, 22:52 Wednesday

Thanks TEK for the process!! I basically did the groove and filler on the Statements. I cut a small channel and filled it with a mixture of glue and mdf dust, then sanded it. I planned on doing the same for the atmos speakers and then using bonds before epoxy and finally paint.

I am very interested in seeing how the duratex product looks... I have my mind set on a black mirror finish, but want to do several tests of different techniques to ultimately decide on the finish that is going to go on. The one thing about black mirror is that dust shows within a couple of days - and I am not sure my OCD tendencies can handle that.

One of the atmos speakers is fully assembled other than the top pieces of foam and soldering on the terminals / screwing down the plate. The others are in the final stages of assembly and glueing. They will be done tomorrow, Friday at the latest. It will take me the better part of Friday afternoon / night to set up the new amp and run all of the new wiring so Saturday I expect to listen to my first movie with them. Pretty excited. I have lots of pictures on my phone that I have to get up to photo bucket to share ... something to do tomorrow.

**---k---** · 07 April 2016, 16:22 Thursday

I want to know how they sound and whether you think the Atmos is worth it. I've read mixed reviews.

**jwanck11** · 08 April 2016, 00:08 Friday

They are done, are upstairs and are in place in raw form. I will run the wiring tomorrow night and be listening to them Saturday.

The duratex arrived today too. I am going to wait to open the can for when I am ready to apply as I understand it skins very easily / quickly. My Fuji also arrived.... oh man, I can't wait to play!

**jwanck11** · 09 April 2016, 10:02 Saturday

There are 2 cut lists because one pair is sitting on top of the Statements and the other on top of the Finalists:

Statements sized:
(2) 10 X 10 - Bottom
(4) 10 3/4 X 7 7/8 - Sides
(2) 11 X 7 7/8 - Front
(2) 10 1/4 X 9 1/2 - Baffle
(2) 2 1/2 X 9 1/2 - Baffle Support (30 degree angle)
(2) 9 1/2 X 7 7/8 - Rear

Finalists:
(2) 10 1/4 X 9 1/2 - Baffle
(2) 9 1/2 X 7 7/8 - Rear
(2) 11 X 7 7/8 - Front
(4) 11 1/4 X 7 7/8 - Sides
(2) 9 1/2 X 10 1/2 - Bottom
(4) 2 1/2 X 9 1/2 - Baffle Support (20 degree angle)

All the wiring got done late last night and I'll be listening today.

**jwanck11** · 21 April 2016, 10:57 Thursday

The weather is getting much nicer and it's about time to plan to finish all of my builds - though I have 2 subs to build yet ... but, I decided to buy a house, so pretty much all DIY work has come to a halt until I am in the new place. That means I get to enjoy the creations a bit longer before having to disassemble them for finishing.

The atmos speakers came out pretty well. I will have to do a better foam cut on the finished variants, but for now, they are acceptable.

I guess the most important thing is that without question, they work. I have no doubt that downward firing speakers would give a better response, but can relate that upward firing does in fact produce a height effect to the experience. I have the atmos speakers running off of their own amp so I can cut over in the middle of a scene or replay scenes, events and actions with and without the atmos speakers running and everyone who has been in to listen to the system comments they really like it when the atmos speakers are running. Leaves fall from trees and we can hear the descent, helicopters, planes, dirigibles, etc all seem to hover above the line of the 5.1 system sound waves. Explosions now fill the entire listening space. Background music and effects are more "environmental" in complete. Again, downward firing I am certain would give a better effect, but these upward firing are a great addition to our theater experience.

That said, I do turn them off for music as the Statements and Finalists (actually I prefer just the LR Statements) do a much better job of creating an immersive sound stage.

lots of wire components!

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1" pyramid was all that would fit in the box! You can also see the angle of the baffle in this shot.

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Drivers set in and wired up!

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All 4 ready to fire up

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Sitting on a Finalist

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Almos speakers build

Almos speakers build

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