MICRO STATEMENTS! THIS IS HAPPENING! (slowly)

[JaxLax]

Well, they're going to happen.
Eventually.

I bought the wood yesterday (half sheet of oak 3/4 ply and I know I'll be making the rear pieces from some 3/4 scrap MDF I've got laying around).

I'm starting this post because I'm going to build them (and do some refinishing of my 3.0 Mini Statements when I get to the painting of the Micros) for real and sometimes you need a reason/kick in the butt/schedule. If history is any indicator, my 3.0 rebuilds took me 6 months from cut to power up and these will probably be faster, but I'm doing them with a toddler in tow.

They are going to be a weeknight/weekend project for myself and my 4 year old to get us outside/in the garage (since I have another one due in March and soon enough, silence will be needed in the house). With that understanding, it might take a week to simply trace/layout the pieces or gluing pieces one at a time on odd numbered nights. Then building the crossovers. Then finishing. All to be done with a 4 year old....

But again, I'll be throwing pics up here and discussing things along the way since I haven't seen anyone build/finish them yet beyond Curt and Jim.

[Jim Holtz]

Actually, the Micro Statements are a joint project with Curt and Meniscus. I've seen them and listened to them but never built them. I use Statements Monitors in my system that work great.

The Micros are a very nice sounding small monitor. I think you'll like them. One caution, they require a crossover that should be planned for when building the cabinet. Curt used a development cabinet which wasn't large enough to hold the crossover so his was external. All the specs/kit should be available from Meniscus and probably Curt's website too.

Jim

[JaxLax]

One caution, they require a crossover that should be planned for when building the cabinet. Curt used a development cabinet which wasn't large enough to hold the crossover so his was external.

JIM! I had kind of thought about it when I saw the 13 components for the crossover. My initial thought/solution was to build each separately and mount them vertically to the sides of cabinet. That way I could at least foam/fill behind the drivers.

I'll be building the cabinets first as I don't have the cash sitting around now for the kit/components. I might order the crossover parts soon (approx $150), but I won't be ready to assemble them/install for a month or longer.

[JaxLax]

Cuts and first glue!
Spent some time yesterday letting my son draw out all the cuts.
Then this morning we got the first pieces glued up.

Since I don't have a ton of clamps, it's generally one piece every few days when we have time to do it then wait for a good 24 hours before removing.

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[Steve Manning]

Really cool that your getting your son involved ..... hopefully he will stick with it and become a master woodworker some day. One thought, unless your putting undo stress on the joints, you should only need a few hours clamp time before moving on to the next step?

[JaxLax]

you should only need a few hours clamp time before moving on to the next step?

Because sometimes you want projects to move slowly. I want him to do as much as I can. So we need to have time together. He's 4. Not a lot of quick changes happening.
Also, I haven't bought any of the x-over or drivers yet (probably receive as a present in May), so going too fast isn't desirable for now.

[Steve Manning]

gotcha ....

[wkhanna]

way cool project with your child!

you earn 4.3k worth of HTG credits for this! :T

[JaxLax]

Got the backs glued up last night.
Gonna do the tops this weekend and get the fronts drawn up for routing.
Hopefully putting in an order with Meniscus for the kit (minus drivers) next week or two.

[JaxLax]

Gonna slow soon

since he's not allowed to use the router. :roll:
sander is a maybe right now.

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[JaxLax]

CURT (and possibly Jim)

Since I was advised to flip the ribbon to the bottom for a higher installation on the Statements center, would I also be better off flipping the Micros as well? Just wanting to make sure I only have to finish/mount them once and.

Thanks for any help

[Jim Holtz]

Yes, mounting with the ribbon on the bottom would be beneficial if the speaker is mounted high and isn't pointing at the seated listening area would be a benefit. I'd suggest you send Curt an email for verification to get his input but that's what I'd do.

HTH

Jim

[JaxLax]

I'd suggest you send Curt an email for verification

Yup; did that.
I will post the response when received.

[JaxLax]

Moving along, but going to stall until I get the crossover parts ordered/put together. In the mean time, I'll be taking my 3.0 MiniStatements down one by one to add a roundover on the front face, sand out a few paint issues, and a new coat of paint.

So I also have an issue to deal with. What did all y'all do about these stringy edges? This is my first non-MDF speaker and I've never encountered this before. Dremel? Hand sand? Filler and re-sand until flat?

And now pictures:

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[BobEllis]

I think I'd play surgeon. Get an Exacto knife or similar and very slightly chamfer the edges as you cut off the "strings."

Before your next build, send your blades and bits to the sharpener. Properly sharpened edges will leave a lot less of that type of edge. There's a shop called http://dynamicsaw.com/ that does a great job if you don't have a good sharpener locally. I also recommend their new saw blades. A proper plywood blade will give better cuts than a combination blade, especially if it's the place holder blade that comes with many saws. (Place holder blade - yes, you can cut with it, but not well enough for fine woodwork.) I got great results from Dynamic Saw's LM1080TCG Thanks to Renron for the company recommendation.

The burning on some of your edges suggests that your saw may be out of alignment if you did the cuts on a table saw. Proper alignment makes for smoother, easier and safer cuts.

[scottvalentin]

Also, a zero clearance insert or a handy crosscut sled on the table saw will also help reduce those little tearouts.

[JaxLax]

this is to remove the length requirement.

I think I'd play surgeon. Get an Exacto knife or similar and very slightly chamfer the edges as you cut off the "strings."

That was the plan. Or I might pull out the dremel and set it way down with a paper wheel... I know I'm using a probably decade old router bits (they're well cleaned and no nicks) but probably time to retire them or have them professionally sharpened (if that's even a thing).

And now it looks like I'm going to put in some terminal cups I found from a previously aborted project (Statement Monitors) so I'll try my 3" bit rather than the 1" I used for these cuts. The 3" sees a lot less use since it's generally only used for double stacked baffles. It might be a little bit sharper.

Before your next build, send your blades and bits to the sharpener. Properly sharpened edges will leave a lot less of that type of edge. There's a shop called http://dynamicsaw.com/ that does a great job if you don't have a good sharpener locally. I also recommend their new saw blades. A proper plywood blade will give better cuts than a combination blade, especially if it's the place holder blade that comes with many saws. (Place holder blade - yes, you can cut with it, but not well enough for fine woodwork.) I got great results from Dynamic Saw's LM1080TCG Thanks to Renron for the company recommendation.

I don't do enough (maybe 1-2 nicely finished projects a year) to go crazy for re-sharpening the blades. I know the burning is an issue, but since I'm not staining anything, a little filler will cure the issues. I just wanted to use ply for this go round to see how it worked for me. If I need to stain in the future, I'll get the blade recut.
And on that front baffle will be getting a 1/2" roundover, but I expect the same outcome eventually.

The burning on some of your edges suggests that your saw may be out of alignment if you did the cuts on a table saw. Proper alignment makes for smoother, easier and safer cuts.

[Steve Manning]

For router bits that your not using a lot, this place has some good prices. https://www.mlcswoodworking.com/. I think a lot of us use stuff from there.

[BobEllis]

I like MLCS a lot. Their Katana bits are sharper and better performing than standard, worth the price. How sharp? Standard bits you can pick up by the edges. Don't try that with a Katana bit. It'll draw blood. Yes, the extra sharpness translates into a smoother cut.

Some recommend Amana if you're using them enough to justify the cost. I haven't tried them yet. Dynamic Saw sells them, I believe they touch up the edges first.

Dynamic Saw will resharpen your straight flute router bits for $4.00. Saw blade resharpening is also inexpensive enough that it's hard to justify not doing it, to me. Prices range from $8.50 to $13.50 for typical hobby type blades depending on tooth count. Send a couple of blades and your router bits at the same time to minimize per unit shipping cost (send in a USPS flat rate Priority Mail box) They do circular saw blades, too. Working with a really sharp blade will make your table saw time more satisfying and productive.

I didn't mention the burning issue for aesthetics. Align your saw properly and you'll reduce the chance of kickbacks any increase the accuracy of your cuts.

I know I sound like a Dynamic Saw shill, but I'm just a very happy customer.

[JaxLax]

Ordered all parts yesterday.
Should be here Monday.
Will also start breaking down the 3.0 Minis for sanding and repainting.

I find posting here makes me get things done sooner.

[JaxLax]

Since we haven't seen any yet

How's this layout?
I'll be using zip ties to attach everything to the boards and then soldering the leads together.
Really just looking for feedback on layout of the inductors for interference.
It's on an 8.5" square for now, so things might squeeze a little in, but this will be the basic shape.

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also, due to the horrible edges on the fronts, I've decided to recut them with some 3/4 MDF. Also, one of the woofer cutouts was 1/32
too small and the woofer wouldn't fit so there's that too. :roll:

[Jim Holtz]

Here's the reference I've always used;

Jim

[JaxLax]

Here's the reference I've always used

Jim

Yup. Used the same one. Just wondering if everything looked good to everyone else.
I'll probably get them started tonight; so chime in if you've got a comment or a thought!

[JaxLax]

Second layout attempt

Made a second attempt at the layout for the crossover.
Let me know if anyone has any thoughts, I'd like to start soldering sometime this weekend.

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[JaxLax]

Third

I'm going to stop here and probably go with this one.
It takes into account the woofer spider (will be closest to the 1.5mH inductor) and the location of the terminal cup.

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[JaxLax]

Done not changing

NOPE ZIP TIED AND SOLDER IS HEATING

I ended up splitting them so that they could be removed through the woofer hole. I guess I'd rather have some extra wires inside the cabinet than have to fight to remove single components (knocks on wood).

I'll get them soldered up. Then a few small spots of hot glue to hold them. Then tape up the holes, attached the front face, and go to town with the tracer bit, sander, and round over. Things might move quick depending on how much time I can find this long weekend.

also:
Tweeter portion:

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Woofer portion:

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[JaxLax]

Crossovers are done.
Eventually gonna test them this week.
Hopefully get them closed up in the next two weeks.

[wkhanna]

progress is a beautiful thing!

[JaxLax]

X-overs are done

Crossovers are bench tested and awaiting final solder and install!
Gonna let the 4yr old do the soldering [since no one will ever see his boogers] then get them in.
Next up, like I said, gonna get them in, foam, and seal up the cabinets.
So I'm gonna start to disassemble the 3.0 Mini-Statements so I can repaint those cabinets to match these [I've never been satisfied with my spray job, so I'm gonna roll them with a cabinet roller (to match my very satisfied with sub) and add a roundover on the front face].

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[JaxLax]

X-Overs mounted.
Next up FOAM.

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[wkhanna]

we like pictures...!

[JaxLax]

FOAM!

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All panels glued.
I've already taped over the penetrations.

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So now it's on to an all sides trim bit (only needed on the front though) to clean up any edges. First sand. Thin layer of filler. Resand. Add a round over to the front. Then paint.

[Jim Holtz]

I have a suggestion. I'd take out the vertical piece of foam on top of the crossover. it gets into the back of the driver. Also, I don't see any foam on the back wall? It definitely should have some there.

Jim

[JaxLax]

JIM!
the vertical piece is just kind of there...I didn't glue it for just this reason. I could decide if I liked it or not. So I'll yank it out after I get the cabinets finished before installing the drivers.
I know I didn't put any on the back walls, but it felt/looked like it'd be (2) 1" strips in between the side peaks.
I can't really get any above the tube, between the cup and tube I could do a single peak strip, the bottom is where I put the biggest inductor and it sticks out pretty good into the space, perhaps another single or 2x2" section would fit....
Small cabinets just don't leave a lot of wall space (especially after splitting the crossovers in two [so they can fit out the woofer hole]).

[Jim Holtz]

JIM!
the vertical piece is just kind of there...I didn't glue it for just this reason. I could decide if I liked it or not. So I'll yank it out after I get the cabinets finished before installing the drivers.
I know I didn't put any on the back walls, but it felt/looked like it'd be (2) 1" strips in between the side peaks.
I can't really get any above the tube, between the cup and tube I could do a single peak strip, the bottom is where I put the biggest inductor and it sticks out pretty good into the space, perhaps another single or 2x2" section would fit....
Small cabinets just don't leave a lot of wall space (especially after splitting the crossovers in two [so they can fit out the woofer hole]).

Poly fill to the rescue! Take out the foam and replace it with a hand full or two of poly fill and you'll be good to go. Just keep it away from the back of the driver. You can get 1 pound bags of poly fill at hobby stores in the upholstery section. Walmart may have it too.

HTH

Jim

[JaxLax]

Done.
will grab some next time I'm out in the area.

I've got time as finishing these cabinets and repainting my other mini-statements will mean it'll be a few weeks to get it done/staged/find the large block of time.

[JaxLax]

Cabinets are ready for paint!
Sanded and added roundovers!

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[JaxLax]

SO NOW I NEED SOME HELP or at least thoughts about scheduling.

I am going to refinish my 3.0 statements to look like these (sand, roundovers, and repaint) and I'm having some issues with figuring out the best way to do them.

Obviously the easiest to paint and finish would be ALL AT ONCE, but that means my entire system will be down for about a week or so (between the work, paint drying, etc)
OR
I could do the surrounds and one other, then reinstall those and take one tower and do it, then do the other. So I could at least use the system while doing the work, even if it means one channel will be missing during a month or so (when you think I could do one channel per week).

[JaxLax]

paint

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[JaxLax]

Paint drying

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[JaxLax]

Essentially Finished!

Got the center reinstalled and IT LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER!

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Surrounds are done!
I'm going to add roundovers and repaint the floor standers from my 3.0 mini setup next, so I'm going to put the surrounds in their place while working. Also, I haven't ordered the mounts for them anyways and I have to test the wiring in the house for the surrounds. I found some under the carpet for surrounds, but when the previous owner left; he didn't mark anything. So I have 4 wires that will hopefully be the ends for the two surrounds. If not, well, that's when things get iffy.

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[Jim Holtz]

Lookin' good! :T

Jim

[JaxLax]

Lookin' good! :T

Jim

Thanks!
Hoping to get the mounts ordered this weekend and I'll be starting the floor standers on Sunday hopefully.

[Jim Holtz]

Thanks!
Hoping to get the mounts ordered this weekend and I'll be starting the floor standers on Sunday hopefully.

Before you mount the Micros on the wall as surrounds, give them a listen as mains. I think you'll be surprised how good they sound. Curt did a spectacular crossover job as usual. Yes, they will make excellent surround speakers.

Jim

[JaxLax]

Before you mount the Micros on the wall as surrounds, give them a listen as mains. I think you'll be surprised how good they sound. Curt did a spectacular crossover job as usual. Yes, they will make excellent surround speakers.

Jim

JIM!

That's oddly the plan. I've reinstalled the center (flipped the tweeter) and it's even better than before, but I'll be using the Micros as my L/R mains while I refinish the MiniStatements. I'm going to sand, add a front roundover, and repaint like I did for the center. So it'll probably be two weeks of break in time as mains before they get moved back to surround duty.

Thanks again for all the help and thoughts.