New Amiga build

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Anderton
    Junior Member
    • Sep 2011
    • 4

    New Amiga build

    Hi all,

    I recently completed Paul Carmody's Amiga speaker with some help from my girlfriend, built as a wedding gift for some dear friends of ours. I was unable to document the build in photos, but I thought I'd share the final product (placement in photos is temporary).

    I made cab alterations to broadly mimic a commercial speaker design I admire. External dimensions for the main cab are 7.75 wide x 13.5 deep (14 at baffle) x 31 tall; the base brings them up to ~34 inches. The tv in the photo is 42 inches for scale.

    They are veneered with flame maple using heatlock glue, and have solid wood baffles made from eucalyptus blue gum. We finished them with a 50/50 mix of tried&true varnish and spar varnish, brushed on and quickly wiped off, with a week dry time between coats. The bases are (poorly) painted with rustoleum spray semi gloss black paint, following common procedures outlined in other threads here.

    They sound absolutely terrific, with very satisfying bass to my ears. I'd be quite happy keeping them for myself. Many thanks to Paul for the superb design and writeup work!

    anderton

    Click image for larger version

Name:	amiga1.jpg
Views:	6508
Size:	48.6 KB
ID:	870567

    Click image for larger version

Name:	amiga2.jpg
Views:	5470
Size:	40.7 KB
ID:	870568

    Click image for larger version

Name:	amiga3.jpg
Views:	4694
Size:	41.1 KB
ID:	870569

    Click image for larger version

Name:	amiga4.jpg
Views:	4568
Size:	39.3 KB
ID:	870570
    Last edited by theSven; 02 May 2023, 12:00 Tuesday. Reason: Update image location
  • Johnnz
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2008
    • 104

    #2
    Very beautiful speakers. I like the solid wood baffle feature. The Eucalyptus matches in nicely with the stunning maple. What is Eucalyptus like to work with? Are they ported? Your veneering looks fantastic. Did you use a clothes iron to apply the veneer with the heatlock glue? I am about to start veneering my own speakers soon and hope I will get results that good. Not sure if I can find Heatlock glue in NZ or not. If not I will try Titebond II ironed on. Did you have any difficulties with the heatlock glue method?

    I am sure your friends will be very happy to receive these as gifts. I guess you get the satisfaction in building them and listening to them for the first time playing all the right notes!

    Comment

    • GMorris
      Member
      • Jan 2006
      • 37

      #3
      They look great. I would have a hard time giving them up!

      Comment

      • numberoneoppa
        Senior Member
        • Sep 2009
        • 535

        #4
        god damn
        -Josh

        That feeling when things are finally going right. Yeah, that one.

        Comment

        • Anderton
          Junior Member
          • Sep 2011
          • 4

          #5
          Thanks for all the positive comments!

          It was the first time I had worked with eucalyptus--quite dense and heavy, it machined beautifully. I got it from Cook Woods; they're great for one of a kind boards.

          This was the first time for me using heatlock--in past furniture projects I have mainly used cold presses, and sometimes iron on yellow glue and contact cement. I purchased it online from veneersupplies, along with the raw wood veneer. Heatlock also uses an iron to apply after it has dried on both surfaces. If it hasn't dried, the glue will stick to each other almost like contact cement and that can be a disaster if placement of the veneer was wrong. I made that mistake on a practice run. I read some places that it dried in 25-30 minutes, but I found it took an hour or longer. That could be because I put a pretty thick coat on with a glue roller--you definitely need a roller. After it dries on both the veneer and the substrate, you can move the veneer around for placement easily. I used a t-shirt between the iron and the veneer, but also tried it bare without any problems, as long as you move the iron around. It has a pretty dark consistency, so it is probably best for medium to dark veneers, but I don't mind the shallow darkish glue line on these. It certainly grabs better, with no bubble issues, and better edge hold than my past attempts with the yellow glue iron method. I know a lot of people like using yellow glue, so YMMV.

          The speaker is indeed ported out the back, consistent with the Amiga design details.

          Comment

          • Undefinition
            Senior Member
            • Dec 2006
            • 577

            #6
            Really great execution, there!! I'd like to put a photo of it on my site, if that's OK with you.

            What was the design whose shape you copied?
            Isn't it about time we started answering rhetorical questions?
            Paul Carmody's DIY Speaker Site

            Comment

            • ---k---
              Ultra Senior Member
              • Nov 2005
              • 5202

              #7
              Those look stunning. :T
              I'm really glad they turned out well for you.
              - Ryan

              CJD Ochocinco! ND140/BC25SC06 MTM & TM
              CJD Khanspires - A Dayton RS28/RS150/RS225 WMTMW
              CJD Khancenter - A Dayton RS28/RS150/RS180 WTMW Center

              Comment

              • Anderton
                Junior Member
                • Sep 2011
                • 4

                #8
                Thanks all again! I have been a lurker here for so long, and even the basslist w/ the first shiva buy (if anyone here remembers that) back in the day, so it's exciting to post something for the first time.

                I fashioned them after the Salk SongSeries (songbird). The Amigas, even slightly modified in cab dimensions in this implementation, are physically smaller than the songbirds, but with a bigger woofer, more bass extension, and less expensive; the songbirds have their own advantages no doubt.

                I'd be very honored to have a photo of these on your site, Paul. Let me take a better picture (the ones posted here were at night in artificial light) and get it to you in the next day or so!

                Comment

                • Mike5Mike
                  Junior Member
                  • Jun 2010
                  • 1

                  #9
                  Hi, Do I understand correctly that this speaker system fits this port?

                  Comment

                  • Manning
                    Junior Member
                    • Oct 2012
                    • 25

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Anderton
                    eucalyptus--quite dense and heavy, it machined beautifully.
                    I find this to be true with heavy woods in general. They may be harder to work with, but you can get more detail out of them and I think they finish better.

                    Comment

                    • JonMarsh
                      Mad Max Moderator
                      • Aug 2000
                      • 15261

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Mike5Mike
                      Hi, Do I understand correctly that this speaker system fits this port?
                      http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=260-387
                      That's the right diameter, but according to the plans, you only need 3-1/2". Cut the excess off. I'd go for a precision port with it's flares at inlet and outlet- reduces turbulence, but a little more expensive. This is a very small area port for this size cabinet.

                      2" Precsision port at PE

                      BTW, didn't see this build when it was posted, it's really lovely work, especially as a wedding present! Kudos to you building them, and the couple receiving them! :T
                      the AudioWorx
                      Natalie P
                      M8ta
                      Modula Neo DCC
                      Modula MT XE
                      Modula Xtreme
                      Isiris
                      Wavecor Ardent

                      SMJ
                      Minerva Monitor
                      Calliope
                      Ardent D

                      In Development...
                      Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                      Obi-Wan
                      Saint-Saƫns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
                      Modula PWB
                      Calliope CC Supreme
                      Natalie P Ultra
                      Natalie P Supreme
                      Janus BP1 Sub


                      Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                      Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                      Comment

                      • 5th element
                        Supreme Being Moderator
                        • Sep 2009
                        • 1671

                        #12
                        Those are pretty dang gorgeous, I always prefer lighter coloured woods to the darker ones and those are a good example as to why, great job!
                        What you screamin' for, every five minutes there's a bomb or something. I'm leavin' Bzzzzzzz!
                        5th Element, otherwise known as Matt.
                        Now with website. www.5een.co.uk Still under construction.

                        Comment

                        • Hank
                          Super Senior Member
                          • Jul 2002
                          • 1345

                          #13
                          Anderton, that is great work - your veneer figure selection is excellent! AND, the very unique aspect that I hope the other guys don't miss is that your girlfriend helped - that makes her a keeper. :T
                          Last edited by Hank; 06 November 2012, 09:45 Tuesday.

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          😀
                          😂
                          🥰
                          😘
                          🤢
                          😎
                          😞
                          😡
                          👍
                          👎
                          Searching...Please wait.
                          An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because you have logged in since the previous page was loaded.

                          Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
                          An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because the token has expired.

                          Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
                          An internal error has occurred and the module cannot be displayed.
                          There are no results that meet this criteria.
                          Search Result for "|||"