The first build (Tritrix build thread)

[dacodo]

Hello,
First of all I want to say thank you for such a great resource as you all have created here!!!

I've been lurking mostly and reading but have ask a few questions and gotten some great help.

Well after must reading and looking into my budget to get started I settled on the Tritrix for my HT setup. (I love the price range and I can start with a 2.1 then 3.1 to 5.1 eventually).

It will be a great upgrade from my 2.1 Altec Lancing computer speakers I have been using. (yes sad I know).

My current set up is a new 52" Westinghouse LCD (amazing set for the price). a Media Center PC, a PS3 for Blueray & an inexpensive slightly older Pioneer 5.1 receiver.

I just finished remodeling half my house and am just starting to get into some woodworking and furniture making. (speakers are the first project so I can do my new TV justice).

So after getting much inspiration from all the great photos here I decided to try something a bit different for TriTrix. I have a box and a half of bamboo flooring left over form redoing half our house (Most of the floors are Ash but we redid our closets in Bamboo). I didn't want entirely bamboo enclosures. So I decided on hardwood sides and bamboo face and top.

I spent some time trying to decide on the wood for the sides. In the end I decided I didn't want to deal with allocating for hardwood expansion and contraction in a speaker design. So plywood it is.... but I want to round over some of the edges so I need to edge it in hardwood strips.

So all my decisions made it was time to start. So with most materials in hand already I started on this last Wednesday.

Step 1: I need to join some of the flooring strips to create a solid bamboo piece for the top and front faces. So using my router as a joiner I squared up the sides of the flooring (flooring strips have a bevel between the strips usually, so I also have to get that off so that you don't see the seem).



Step 2: Once I had 2 strips (per speaker) ready it was time to glue them up.



Step 3: Sand off the finish that was put on the flooring at the factory. (dang this finish is hard to get off, still got some more to work on).



Step 4: Bevel layout on the 3/4" MDF that will back the bamboo.


I did all my cutouts with a Jasper circle jig after this, but forgot to take pictures (also didn't want my camera in the workshop with all the MDF dust).

[dacodo]

Step 5: Starting on the side panels... Decided on red oak hardwood ply because it was easy to match the hardwood side strips to it. (It was an easer grain pattern to match than Baltic Birch). Spread some wood glue and get ready to clamp.



Step 6: Square everything up and clamp it down (1/2 of 1 panel finished, 3 more side panels to go after this one)

Got one of the crossovers finished and tested



Speakers mounted in the MDF



Tested, and wow they sound so much better than my Altec Lancing even without the box (no low end of course). But they are so much clearer sounding!!! Makes the Altec's sound supper "muddy". I think I'm going to have to replace every speaker in my house. (I think the kitchen is next)





Dang I'm hooked. More to come, stay tuned.

[dacodo]

reserved

[Gir]

Looks nice, I can't wait to see them finished!

[---k---]

Looks good. :T

It will be interesting to hear your impressions of the flooring as wood. Is that real solid wood flooring or prefab laminate?

Quick question. Once you have the box constructed, how do you plan to screw in and unscrew the drivers. You'll no longer have access to hold that nut in place. If you haven't already, you're going to need to epoxy those nuts down or use something like a t-nut. Its highly recommended that you glue your t-nuts in place.

[dacodo]

Thanks Ryan!!! (that's why I love this place) Something I would have never thought of.

The bamboo is real solid "wood" (grass :-D). It is made of 3 laminated ply's of solid bamboo. It shouldn't affect the sound much at all because I'm actually backing it in 3/4" MDF. (really just using the bamboo as a thick laminate). It will become more clear once the design progresses. But the grill will be flush with the bamboo so that the front is completely flat.

Initially I designed it this way because I was worried about the very small void in the bamboo with the tongue and grove. I ended up removing the void because of the way I did my wood joining. But never changed the overall design. I figured the more mass and different materials the better anyway for resonance dampening.

[Curt C]

Thanks Ryan!!! (that's why I love this place) Something I would have never thought of.

The bamboo is real solid "wood" (grass :-D). It is made of 3 laminated ply's of solid bamboo. It shouldn't affect the sound much at all because I'm actually backing it in 3/4" MDF. (really just using the bamboo as a thick laminate). It will become more clear once the design progresses. But the grill will be flush with the bamboo so that the front is completely flat.

Initially I designed it this way because I was worried about the very small void in the bamboo with the tongue and grove. I ended up removing the void because of the way I did my wood joining. But never changed the overall design. I figured the more mass and different materials the better anyway for resonance dampening.

Looking good Nik :T

The hardwood/bamboo panels over the MDF should make for a very non-resonant cabinet. I like the idea of the contrasting wood for the sides.

I look forward to seeing more pictures of the finished product, and I'm glad you are enjoying them in 'dipole' configuration. They will sound better of course when you get the enclosures around them. :W

C

[dacodo]

Step 7: Got the ends glued on for a complete panel last night



And got steps 5 & 6 done on 2nd panel. and got the 1st panel sanded down to 220 grit this morning.

Now I just have to repeat #5-7 on 3 panels so I have my sides ready for routing and staining. (may be no pictures for a few days as I just duplicate stuff I've already done, yay for duplication/production :roll: )

[---k---]

If you're just using the flooring as veneer, no issues. It just wasn't clear from the photos.

Glad I could point out the issue with your mounting hardware. I've gotten a lot of help around here too.

[dacodo]

Well the sides are finished. I spent the week finishing up my glue ups and then used plane to flush the hardwood strips to the plywood.



Next I routed the edges with a 1/2" roundover bit.



I sanded them down to 220 grit and prepped the surface for staining with a 1lbs cut of Shellac to promote even stain absorption.

I also finished the lower half of my bamboo fronts but for some reason my router died on me. It was working fine, then I went and changed bits and it wouldn't start up. After I tinkered around a bit with it (mostly just taking it out of its base, blowing it off and shaking it around) it started working again. I routed for a while then changed bits again and again it won't start. I think there must be a loose connection in there. Of course the allen wrench I need to disassemble the motor is the one I'm missing form my set. So I'll have to pick up a new set today and try and get it working.

[Gir]

I also finished the lower half of my bamboo fronts but for some reason my router died on me. It was working fine, then I went and changed bits and it wouldn't start up. After I tinkered around a bit with it (mostly just taking it out of its base blowing it off and shaking it around) it started working again. I routed for a while then changed bits again and again it won't start. I think there must be loose connection in there. Of course the allen wrench I need to disassemble the motor is the one I'm missing form my set. So I'll have to pick up a new set today and try and get it working.

Sounds like Murphy gave you a double whammy!

Looks great so far!

[Bill Schneider]

Is the router that died a Bosch? (Looks like a Bosch plunge base in one of your pics).

They have problems with the on/off switch. It's not sealed well against dust.

I was aware of that (i.e. plenty of reviews on Amazon) when I bought mine and I figured that I'd either repair and seal the switch when the time comes, or just replace it with another switch.

Inhaling MDF dust is healty for neither man nor machine

[dacodo]

Thanks Bill,
I remember reading that now when I was researching my router purchase. I remember reading they had just fixed that problem in newer models, but mine may have been old stock. I'll check that first thing with the multi meter. That's an easy to replace.

[dacodo]

Thanks Bill that is exactly what is was. New switch on the way. But I have it wired right now with no switch.

I figured I could at least use it in my table till then.

[Bill Schneider]

Out of curiosity, how much did they charge for the switch?

[Dennis H]

Well the sides are finished. I spent the week finishing up my glue ups and then used plane to flush the hardwood strips to the plywood.

I love seeing a guy with a SHARP block plane. Nice shavings.

[dacodo]

I love seeing a guy with a SHARP block plane. Nice shavings.

I just got it. Spent 3 hours sharpening it before it touched my panels. Nice mirror finish on the back of the blade and a nice small mirror micro bevel. Still tweaking it. It's my first non power hand tool, but I think I like it.

I picked up an old stanley no. 5 (complete, just a cracked handle) at the flee market this weekend for $7. This one will take a bit more work to get into shape. But, I'm really starting to like this woodworking thing. Figured speakers were a good first project... Hey they are a box, how hard can THAT be? :W

[dacodo]

Out of curiosity, how much did they charge for the switch?

$5 for the switch $5.15 for shipping. From eReplacementparts.com.

[dacodo]

I'm making strange 5-legged creatures in the workshop.
Got the fronts all glued up with the bamboo.... and (not pictured) the the miters cut for the top bamboo panels.





Also got the sides stained and 3 coats of a 2lbs cut of Shellac.



About ready for final glue up... finally

[dacodo]

Wow it's only been a week since I posted, feels like a lot longer. A lot happened....

Well you all are aware my router switch bit the dust... looking back it was right after I bought some new chisels and a plane. (I'm starting to think it was in rebellion). Because....

I needed to do a couple of finish cuts so I went and bought a couple of Japanese saws to start working with, and guess what rebelled next? Of course, my table saw up and died. Well it was an old Delta bench top model that they still sell for only like $100 and I think it was older than me.

So anyway I'm in the market for a new table saw, I think I have it narrowed down to a RIGID 3660 or a Delta 36-980 . Let me know if anyone has any advice in the $600 range.


Ok, back to speakers...
I hatted the color of the sides and that's the Minwax Mahogany (about the darkest thing they sell). So I stripped the side panels back to bare wood and started playing with Water Based Dies. FYI I love these things, you can get them as dark as you want, and mix any color you need. I highly recommend them.

So sides are redone, got the x-overs finished and in...





And I just finished testing them and gluing them up



Tomorrow I'll finish sand them with 600 grit (I have a seal coat of water based poly on the sides), and start applying the final finish coats of Shellac.

[Operandi]

Those are looking really nice, simplistic yet eye catching. I especially like the dark/light contrast.

[Wildcard26]

They are looking fabulous. I must admit you had me a bit nervous with the drivers in the baffle around all those tools and stuff. That is a mishap just waiting to happen.