Troels' Jenzen Seas Build

[sdl2112]

Here is my first build. I'm doing the Jenzen NEXT T25 with the CA26RFX woofer in a ported cabinet, info here. These started out to refurbish a pair of RTR 300D speakers with new front baffles for my brother but it turned into a complete rebuild. I like the Jenzen series of speakers, the cabinets were just the right size and I already had the W18NX drivers on hand so it was a go...I started in May and I'm far enough along that I think they will be a success so it's about time I started this thread.

Here's a few pics...many more to come

RTR 300D brochure pic



One of the speakers



Sketch of the design



The drivers

[sdl2112]

More pics

Trimming with the Festool TS75...simply awesome :T



Trimming complete



Plunge cutting is so easy...

[sdl2112]

1" MDF cutting to size



Mid woofer panel dry fit



Bracing blocks



More bracing



Bracing detail...allows easy installation of brace

[Johnloudb]

:T look forward to seeing this come together.

[Steve Manning]

OK I'm jealous, I would love to have that Festool TS75. Looking good so far though.

[sdl2112]

Braces installed



Applying 1/4" cherry plywood



Clamping...



Results...

[Hank]

Good work, there, fellow Austinite! Lotsa clamps - good.

[sdl2112]

Good work, there, fellow Austinite! Lotsa clamps - good.

Thanks!...but no comment on the tape...it is your brand

[Leeuwarden]

This is supposed to be a very, very good speaker. I'm considering building it myself. Thing is I just finished building new speakers... :-)

[jim1961]

I am the recipient of my brothers hard work and hospitality.

Great work Scott!

[sdl2112]

I am the recipient of my brothers hard work and hospitality.

Great work Scott!

Thanks Bro...

[jim1961]

I am brand new here so wanted to ask if there was a place to talk about DIY room acoustics?

ETC, Toole, Lede, RFZ, ISD termination, ISD gap, Haas effect, these kinds of things.

[sdl2112]

Hardwood corners

Knowing I probably couldn't miter the 1/4" plywood accurately enough and to provide more damage resistance, I added hardwood corners. I found the sacrificial piece of MDF was necessary to eliminate tear-out of the veneer. Luckily I tried first on a scrap piece.

Routing the corner



Placing the hardwood pieces



Gluing/clamping



After flush trim with router

[CADman_ks]

Braces installed

Off topic, but nice bike!

I just started riding dirtbike. Long time on the street, but now switching over to the dirt!

...and nice build.

[sdl2112]

Off topic, but nice bike!

I just started riding dirtbike. Long time on the street, but now switching over to the dirt!

...and nice build.

Thanks!...We are kind of opposites...I grew up on dirt bikes, now that I have a street bike I don't ride the XR600

[sdl2112]

Baffles

My plan is to have black painted baffles front and back...should give a unique look and is easier for construction.

The front mid baffle was made with the help of a tenoning jig for the side cuts and a 45deg router chamfer bit for the top and curved lower part.

For inserts I used the PE barbed type...they work very well.

Flush trimming of the back baffle to size



Front baffles



Mid cut out detail



Inserts with a little glue for added strength

[Steve Manning]

Scott these are starting to come together nicely. I had to turn the leaf blower loose on the garage after I flush trimmed my baffles, mdf dust every where.

Steve

[JonMarsh]

Coming along very nicely, Scott! Your dust control looks like it works rather well
! :W

[sdl2112]

Scott these are starting to come together nicely. I had to turn the leaf blower loose on the garage after I flush trimmed my baffles, mdf dust every where.

Steve

Yep...I know what you mean...dust collection only goes so far Jon, just saw your post...looks can be deceiving...this was after flush trimming the cherry corners. Otherwise it works pretty well.

[Steidl Guitars]

Scott, I read in Steve's thread that you're going to use rattle cans to finish these? I'm going to suggest that you spring for a small compressor, that you need to put air in your Monster's tires and a dozen other things, no doubt ;-), and a cheap HVLP gun. It's a much better way to apply finish, way more fun, and an excuse to get a small compressor for the garage.

Heck, maybe you can ask santa for those :-)

[sdl2112]

I know...I know...that is my destiny ...My problem is I'm tackling too many new things already...so what product do you suggest? I think I can make do on this project, with patience I've done ok.

[Steidl Guitars]

My gun is pretty fancy, but plenty of folks have been happy with $40 hvlp guns from Home Depot or similar, just make sure you can get different nozzles for it, so you can spray coarse (primer) or fine (lacquers) material. I prefer smaller guns, but I'm not spraying cars or anything.

My compressor is small, maybe 12 or 15 gallons, but most hvlp guns require very little air, so even a 2-gallon pancake should do; just check the guns requirements versus what the compressor can deliver.

You can get by with rattle cans, but seeing as you need a compressor anyway... ;-)

[Coconutout]

hehe i would love to have this compared to the statements when finished. europe vs america!

[sdl2112]

No hiding now...

I'm pretty much up to date with the build...this is all current work in progress...so many details left :E

Temporarily attaching the baffles to size the bases.



Base detail...I made a small rabbet cut around the baffles to provide a uniform gap.



Zinnser's SealCoat works well for sealing MDF...I diluted it a little with the alcohol for better initial absorption. It really strengthens the edges as well.



Baffles ready for primer...added a little Bondo® Glazing & Spot Putty to the edges. Internal rabbet edges shown with blue tape for glue masking.



First coat of primer applied

[jim1961]

Lookin' nice

[sdl2112]

Lookin' nice

Hey...starting to look more and more like your avatar

[JonMarsh]

Getting VERY close I'd say! :T Painted front panels! :B

Thanks for sharing more pictures of your progress!

[sdl2112]

Getting VERY close I'd say! :T Painted front panels! :B

Thanks for sharing more pictures of your progress!

Certainly no lack of motivation now

I'm very much looking forward to seeing your progress as well! These speakers are for my brother and has provided valuable build experience for me. Seeing all your bamboo ply has me excited for MY project...it will use 1" bamboo throughout and include the waveguide I developed for the SS D3004/6640 :T

[sdl2112]

Progress and setbacks...

...such is the story of life... right :W

I applied top coats to the cherry portion of the cabinets and that turned out well...the painting, another story. As others have said I should invest in a HVLP spray gun but I was hoping I could get away with the rattle can approach. This morning I even made a paint stand for the baffles to get a better spray angle. The satin black finish is just not acceptable...blotchy and a few runs. I hope I can do better with the spray gun. As Steve suggested I might look at the Earlex Spray Station HV5500 HVLP. I welcome other suggestions.

Anyway, here's a pic of the cherry



A rear baffle with a couple coats of paint

[jim1961]

For my purposes, a less than perfect finish is fine. I dont want you to have to buy something expensive (spray gun / compressor) merely for this one application.

Could a textured finish work?

[JonMarsh]

Certainly no lack of motivation now

I'm very much looking forward to seeing your progress as well! These speakers are for my brother and has provided valuable build experience for me. Seeing all your bamboo ply has me excited for MY project...it will use 1" bamboo throughout and include the waveguide I developed for the SS D3004/6640 :T

Now THAT sounds really interesting!

Unfortunately no time for speaker work this weekend, it's all work-work, finishing up a webinar presentation for an Industry association in the US that I have to give right after I get back in two weeks, and prepping and packing for my flight to Austria tomorrow.

But I'm looking forward to when I am back and off work for the holidays!

BTW, I bet Jim will be thrilled with these once they're finished!

[jim1961]

BTW, I bet Jim will be thrilled with these once they're finished!

Jim will be VERY thrilled :T

(they will going into the room described in this thread: https://htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40519)

[sdl2112]

For my purposes, a less than perfect finish is fine. I dont want you to have to buy something expensive (spray gun / compressor) merely for this one application.

Could a textured finish work?

Honestly I'm glad the finish turned out this way. I needed to get a sprayer a long time ago. It opens up new options for future projects...heck I need to refinish my front door. Anyway this is one of the reasons I wanted to do this project...learn by doing

[JonMarsh]

Honestly I'm glad the finished turned out this way. I needed to get a sprayer a long time ago. It opens up new options for future projects...heck I need to refinish my front door. Anyway this is one of the reasons I wanted to do this project...learn by doing

I suspect you're a man after my own part, and at least 1/3 of the importance of any new project is the justification it gives for buying new tools to use on the next projects!!

Which is why the notion of one project to rule (finish) them all is somewhat anathema to me, and why I'm already plotting a set of corner line arrays for HT at my GF's, to replace the bookshelfs stuff up in the upper corners as mains...

[sdl2112]

I suspect you're a man after my own part, and at least 1/3 of the importance of any new project is the justification it gives for buying new tools to use on the next projects!!

Which is why the notion of one project to rule (finish) them all is somewhat anathema to me, and why I'm already plotting a set of corner line arrays for HT at my GF's, to replace the bookshelfs stuff up in the upper corners as mains...

I hear you :T ...the tools you see in my thread were purchased with speaker building in mind. The side projects along the way were part justification and part gaining experience. That is why this project is a milestone of sorts. My project kept evolving (conceptually) to the point I never got started...now it seems within reach. With more to follow of course

[sdl2112]

HVLP gravity feed vs conventional spray guns

I just started researching spray guns (systems) and was looking for suggestions for which type sprayer people liked best for speaker cabinet type projects. I'm ok spending around the cost of the Earlex HV5500 but read where the gravity sprayers might be better. I'm looking for opinions on ease of use, range of spray angle, what size compressor needed if buying a spray gun only...etc

Thanks a bunch...Scott

[Steve Manning]

I suspect you're a man after my own part, and at least 1/3 of the importance of any new project is the justification it gives for buying new tools to use on the next projects!!

Which is why the notion of one project to rule (finish) them all is somewhat anathema to me, and why I'm already plotting a set of corner line arrays for HT at my GF's, to replace the bookshelfs stuff up in the upper corners as mains...

I don't think I've ever made a project that did not require purchasing at least some tool. It might only be a few router bits, but it's always something, and generally it lets you do a better and easier job on the next project.

[Steve Manning]

I just started researching spray guns (systems) and was looking for suggestions for which type sprayer people liked best for speaker cabinet type projects. I'm ok spending around the cost of the Earlex HV5500 but read where the gravity sprayers might be better. I'm looking for opinions on ease of use, range of spray angle, what size compressor needed if buying a spray gun only...etc

Thanks a bunch...Scott

Scott,

One bit of info on the HV5500 that I don't know if it would weigh into your decission or not, I was able to spray latex interior house paint with this system. I did have to thin it down a fair bit and sprayed with a large needle but it did a great job. So you can handle from thin to thick with the system. I have no idea what a gravity sprayer can handle, but this was a nice extra ability that I doscovered when I was looking at the HV5500.

Steve

[sdl2112]

Santa came a little early...

After a little research I purchased the Fuji Mini-Mite 3, it has great reviews and I think it will work for me now and with future projects. I re-primed my baffle, now I need to do a little experimenting and weather permitting I'll be on my way.

[Steve Manning]

Santa came a little early...

After a little research I purchased the Fuji Mini-Mite 3, it has great reviews and I think it will work for me now and with future projects. I re-primed my baffle, now I need to do a little experimenting and weather permitting I'll be on my way.

Sweet :T That's one nice looking system ....That should give you a better finish than the rattle can route.

[sdl2112]

Sweet :T That's one nice looking system ....That should give you a better finish than the rattle can route.

Yes...I have no excuses now :E I'm looking forward to it...but did my first attempt really have to be black...ugh!!

[PMazz]

Gloss black? Make sure your prep work is flawless.

[jim1961]

Yes...I have no excuses now :E I'm looking forward to it...but did my first attempt really have to be black...ugh!!

You could make them a different color instead if you want. Those in my avatar look pretty good in semi-matte silver.

[sdl2112]

I'll be trying satin black so I hope it will not be too difficult.

[sdl2112]

Adhesives...

I tried a few adhesives for the x-over and damping material (Steve, I saw your question...here's what I've found). The water based Polyseamseal works well for the felt and Whispermat I plan on using. I prefer it to the spray adhesives because I can apply it only where I need it. It grabs very well to those surfaces. For the x-over components I'll go with one of the Goop products, E6000 is made by the same company. All three are pretty indistinguishable. They will definitely support components hung upside down...Here's a pic for your enjoyment