Bordeaux Build

[jacket_fan]

After some emails with Curt and Jim, I am going to attempt a Bordeaux build. I was looking for a design that could compete or improve on the Maggie 3.6s I have had for quite a about 10 years. Not quite ready for John's Wavecore Ardent, although I look forward to the challenge of building that cabinet. Mr. Holtz has put together a great data package and Curt did a great job explaining the design philosophy in several emails. I am excited to find out how good DYI can be.

This afternoon was spent using the cut sheet to make lots of MDF dust. I hate MDF dust. All of the cuts I could make using my little Jet saw were done outdoors. (It was a beautiful day in Atlanta for cutting outside) The other cuts were indoors on the Unisaw. Trying to manhandle a 4 by 8 sheet of MDF gets harder every year older I get. These are going to be heavy speakers. Nice that there are going to be two enclosures each.

The enclosures are going to be the fun part. I hope ya'll will help me through the crossover build.

(Jim, there were a couple of dimensions on the cut sheet that were left off, but otherwise well laid out very easy to follow)

[Jim Holtz]

Hi Mark,

It looks like you're off to a great start! Excellent tools and I've got to tell you, that the nice weather you have makes us folks from the frigid Midwest and north country extremely envious.

Sorry about the missing dimension on the cut list. I hope the document joining it filled in the blanks. Thanks for starting a build thread. This will help other that are interested in the Bordeaux.

Jim

[jacket_fan]

Yes the weather today was a blessing. If the lows get in the teens we are frigid, we even had two snows this year. With highs in the 50s I was in a t shirt.

Yes Jim, the dimensions are clearly shown on the detail drawings! So easy to fill in.

In previous subwoofer builds, I had cut rebates in the panels to get them to line up during gluing and clamping. To keep everything aligned this time without that, is it best to pre drill holes and use finishing nails to keep all of the large panels in place when clamping? There are a few braces inside that during pre fit I am not sure how to keep square. I suspect you have a way you do this to keep everything aligned and square.

[Jim Holtz]

Yes the weather today was a blessing. If the lows get in the teens we are frigid, we even had two snows this year. With highs in the 50s I was in a t shirt.

Yes Jim, the dimensions are clearly shown on the detail drawings! So easy to fill in.

In previous subwoofer builds, I had cut rebates in the panels to get them to line up during gluing and clamping. To keep everything aligned this time without that, is it best to pre drill holes and use finishing nails to keep all of the large panels in place when clamping? There are a few braces inside that during pre fit I am not sure how to keep square. I suspect you have a way you do this to keep everything aligned and square.

Hi Mark,

I'm a fan of brad nailing for placement of the panels as I glue them up. I tack them into position and then clamp them solid with corner clamps to hold them square. I'm guessing there are others with much greater cabinet building skills on the forum that may have better ideas than I. A master cabinet builder, I am not. 8O They are solid, however.

Jim

[707kevin]

I've been putting off building Anthologies for a few years now...and then these come along....It's like trying to choose all over again!
I'll be watching this one!

[TEK]

Hi
do you have a link to the design?
I expected to find it at http://speakerdesignworks.com/, but I could not find it.

[Jim Holtz]

Hi
do you have a link to the design?
I expected to find it at http://speakerdesignworks.com/, but I could not find it.

Hi Tek,

Sorry, it hasn't been posted on Curt's website yet. He's super busy and just hasn't had time. HERE is the post that announced them with the main items. I do have complete CAD drawings and cut lists for the cabinet plus an expanded BOM and build tips along with a few pictures I took to clarify the assembly. If you're interested, send me an email and I'll reply with the whole package.

I'm glad that Mark has created a build thread. I think it'll answer a lot of questions about the cabinet build and provide valuable feedback for those that are interested.

Jim

[TEK]

It would be interesting to here how these compare to the Ardents :-)

I’m a bit curious (amoung others due to a comment from darell in a different contex)
How would the RS225-8 compare to the SW223BD02?
As the Wavecor element has 200w rms vs Dayton 80w rms the wavecor can of course take more abuse and output more volume, but as longvas you stay within the range that the RS225-8 can handle - how would these two drivers compare in sound signature? If the both got their ideal box size, what kind of differences could you expect from them?

[BobEllis]

Mark, I look forward to watching this build progress.

Like TEK, an Ardent comparison would be interesting. Don't let the woodworking scare you. It's not as hard as it looks and my skill level is most accurately described as making sawdust. I'd like to at least re-veneer the cabinets after seeing Ron's but my sweetheart won't let me.

[Jim Holtz]

It would be interesting to here how these compare to the Ardents :-)

I’m a bit curious (amoung others due to a comment from darell in a different contex)
How would the RS225-8 compare to the SW223BD02?
As the Wavecor element has 200w rms vs Dayton 80w rms the wavecor can of course take more abuse and output more volume, but as longvas you stay within the range that the RS225-8 can handle - how would these two drivers compare in sound signature? If the both got their ideal box size, what kind of differences could you expect from them?

Hi TEK,

Honestly, I have no idea how the RS225's we used compare to the Wavecor SW223BD02. I've never heard the Ardents or any Wavecor driver that I'm aware of. If Jon used the Wavecor, I'm sure its the best. He likes to go 1st class.

That said, Curt and I've used RS225's in the Finalists, Statements, Anthology's and now the Bordeaux. They have an F/3 of 32 Hz. in a 35 liter cabinet (single use) or 70 liters dual and are very clean and tight with the dynamics we want. Curt has tested them in all our designs that they're used in and in dual configuration hold their composure to 112 - 115 DB. Thats way louder than I play them but there are many builders that do. They also fit our target cabinet sizes. Did I mention they are very affordable too? If we were pushing them higher than the 350 - 500 Hz we cross at we might find a difference in other woofers that would make them worth the 2-6 times the cost of the RS225's but in the range we use them in, I simply can't hear a difference in sound quality between them and $300 Scans that I've heard. If we pushed them higher, I'm pretty sure I would hear a difference but we use them where they perform the best. YMMV....

Can you point me to the link where Darrell was discussing them? Now you've got me curious.

Jim

[TEK]

No link, we were messaging about a center design where the comparison between wavecor 7” subwoofer driver and the 8” RS225 came up.
From his description I got the impression that compared to dual 7” wavecor dual 8” RS255 gave more dynamics.
But he better comment himself so that I do not «put words in his mouth» that he does not agree with.

In my childish naivity I think that bass has two different parameters.
- How fast the elements can start/stop, and thereby giving you that «kick» in the chest feeling
- How powerful it can reproduce a deep tone over some time, and then I assume xmax and power handling is essentual
And in that contet I’m wondering if wavecor and dayton might have different strength...
But hey, I really have no clue - this is just some loose ideas

[jacket_fan]

The only thing worse than cutting MDF is routing MDF. Got the Jasper jig out and made more MDF dust today. I hate it when you break the "hole" loose and the router hits the side, and yes Jim I did round over the woofer hole as you suggested in your notes. Also outside, routers make lots of dust.

[jacket_fan]

Jim, a couple of questions.

1. How did you cut out the upper and lower shelf pieces. Did you use a router, a scroll saw or something else. Trying to make these from pieces would have been hard to make square.

2. Would it be OK to leave radii in the corners?

Thanks

[BobEllis]

After too many of those nips freeing the center I've settled on routing a groove deep enough to guide a flush trim bit on, cutting the waste out with a sabre saw then use a flush trim or pattern bit to finish the hole. I've never been totally successful with double stick tape. You could also use a chamfer/roundover bit to finish the hole if the circle guide passes are cut deep enough.

[Jim Holtz]

Jim, a couple of questions.

1. How did you cut out the upper and lower shelf pieces. Did you use a router, a scroll saw or something else. Trying to make these from pieces would have been hard to make square.

2. Would it be OK to leave radii in the corners?

Thanks

Hi Mark,

Excellent progress!

I simply cut the shelf braces on the table saw and then sketch out the areas I'm going to remove for the window pane and then punch a couple holes in the take out area with a hole saw bit. Finally, I use a sabre saw to cut the panes out. Mine are not pretty but very functional. I figure no one sees inside the cabinet so I'll spend my time and energy making the outside pretty. A lot of guys like to use a router to cut them out and make them pretty. Your choice. :-) I use my table saw where ever I can. The pieces are always square and fit perfect that way if I do my part....

BTW, if you're asking about routing the complete brace out of the MDF sheet, you can, but I wouldn't. That sounds like a LOT of work. These are just braces to make the cabinet solid and eliminate any ringing from sound waves.

HTH

Jim

[dar47]

Hmm, yes for bracing drill a holes in 4 corners, cut close to the line you have marked with the sabre saw and round over half the thickness on 1 side half and half on the other, little sanding in the middle. If you have real thick bracing I do what Bob does but do 1 pass with router not all the way through, then drill 2 small holes in the groove on either side of groove large enough for sabre saw bit to get all the way through. Finish with Sabre and Flush.

Circle cutting with the Jasper should be,

sacrificial piece on bottom, then your piece you want the whole in on top, clamped the good and sacrificial to your table.

drill for the Jasper pin into the sac piece as well as good piece, make sure the pin is through both pieces.

Use a couple of passes to get through your good piece and the router won't move after you finish the cut as the pin is in the sac piece holding it from skipping into your good piece.

Go slow when you know your finishing the cut on the last pass.

Don't want to high jack!

Jim you asked for a compare of the RS225 to the Wavecor SW223 8-9" woof. I was mentioning to TEC, I had the DM's version of the RS WMTW center with the Dayton RS225 in it and thought the RS225's put out and were more dynamic (chest registry) at 18' away compared to my current Wavecor center which has the SW182BD01- 7" driver, not the SW223 8-9".

If you add the SW223 to a center Build I bet the ball goes the other way, "no replacement for displacement".:B

[Steve Manning]

Circle cutting with the Jasper should be,

sacrificial piece on bottom, then your piece you want the whole in on top, clamped the good and sacrificial to your table.

drill for the Jasper pin into the sac piece as well as good piece, make sure the pin is through both pieces.

Use a couple of passes to get through your good piece and the router won't move after you finish the cut as the pin is in the sac piece holding it from skipping into your good piece.

Go slow when you know your finishing the cut on the last pass.

.:B

+1 on the the Jasper stuff and I also use double sided tape between the boards. Use double sided carpet tape from Lowes seems works very well.

[jacket_fan]

A little more progress today. Experimented a bit on how to cut the centers out of the braces.

Using a router is not the way to go. Way too hard to find a methodology to do cut the enters out.

Tried a big Forstner bit, a hole saw and finally a bit I have used to cut holes for running Romex in houses. Romex holes win! Ended up drilling the corners and finishing with a scroll saw. Not pretty but much faster. I cleaned it all up with a round over which makes it look a bit cleaner, but Like Jim told us, it is on the inside and no one will see. For vanity sake only. Dry fit looks pretty good. A couple of spots will need a bit of sanding to be perfectly flush.

I spoke with Mark at Meniscus, he is putting together a kit for the Bordeaux, so if anyone is interested in building these, he is an excellent contact.

[TEK]

For you next build I would recommend using a hole saw (do a google search for hole saw or holesaw)!
For just cutting some braces this will probably do:

[jacket_fan]

TEK, I did try a hole saw, but they are a pain, and not as fast as the big bit. With a hole saw, I ended up getting the "hole" stuck in the center and getting it out took too much effort. It also tore up the back side of the MDF.

Look at the picture above, the bit in the drill on the right worked much better. The hole saw I tried is on the left next to the Forstner bit.

Next up is to make the upper back baffle. It has a 1/4 inch frame that I figure I could mess up easily.

[Steve Manning]

Another idea for keeping you center pieces in place while routing. I had been meaning to give this a try for a while but finally got around to it today. Since the center is pretty much scrap, if you have a brad nailer, pop a couple of 1 1/4" brads (assuming your cutting 3/4" material ) inside the bit diameter into the spoil board underneath. Your also going to have to clamp the outside of the baffle in place as well. This certainly won't work for small pieces, but baffle sized stuff it seems to work very well.

[jacket_fan]

Great method Steve, will give this a try because I still have the outer baffles to finish.

I have been dry fitting the boxes together and the only real discrepancy I have found is on the top box rear baffle. The shelf does not line up with the cut out of the rear piece. I think either the height of the hole needs to be smaller by 1/4 of an inch or the tube holders shorter by 1/4. See pic below. Did not look like this in Jim's photo. Not sure where I messed up. The picture is looking forward towards the tweeter hole.

For those that follow, the rectangular hole in the rear baffle has thin sides. Be careful when you cut these. I was using a vintage Craftsman scroll saw which vibrates like crazy. I was careful to keep the thin portion supported. MDF is not the strongest material.

[Jim Holtz]

Great method Steve, will give this a try because I still have the outer baffles to finish.

I have been dry fitting the boxes together and the only real discrepancy I have found is on the top box rear baffle. The shelf does not line up with the cut out of the rear piece. I think either the height of the hole needs to be smaller by 1/4 of an inch or the tube holders shorter by 1/4. See pic below. Did not look like this in Jim's photo. Not sure where I messed up. The p[picture is looking forward towards the tweeter hole.

For those that follow, the rectangular hole in the rear baffle has thin sides. Be careful when you cut these. I was using a vintage Craftsman scroll saw which vibrates like crazy. I was careful to keep the thin portion supported. MDF is not the strongest material.

Hi Mark,

I double checked the dimensions in the plans and they are correct. The cutout edges should be 1/4" which isn't real strong but it's strong enough to provide support for the top baffle. Once everything is glued up, it becomes a very solid cabinet. The shelf brace is 1/2" MDF and it looks like you might have used 3/4" instead? Also, the outer front baffle on the top cabinet is created from 1/2" MDF rather than 3/4". The outer on the bass cabinet is 3/4".

Sorry for any confusion the combination of 3/4" and 1/2" in different locations may have caused. I selected materials based on space and strength requirements that I thought would end up with a very stiff and dead cabinet. I just updated the build tips document I include with build info.

It's looking good!

Jim

[jacket_fan]

You are correct, I have the shelf at 3/4 inch. Good catch and thanks for correcting me. I will remake the shelf using 1/2 inch.

The 1/4 inch width seems fine, I was just commenting on something during the build process and my vintage scroll saw.

[jacket_fan]

Remade the shelves out of 1/2 in and they fit perfectly.

Still waiting on Meniscus to put together and order. Seems they are busy and the Bordeaux is a new kit for them. Spoke to them again last Thursday and got put off until Monday. Hopefully they will get caught up and get something out tomorrow. I am not going any farther until I have all parts on hand. Sit and wait...

[jacket_fan]

Got the Bordeaux kit in from Meniscus. So the build can continue.

I would recommend to anyone building this design to use Meniscus. The information they provide with the kit is invaluable to an amateur like me. They included boards for the crossovers and stick on sheets to show exactly how to layout the crossovers. They even included Tootsie Rolls! Very nice customer service.

I am including the required, "I don't have enough clamps" photo.

[jacket_fan]

And as far as router technique. What I found works for me is to use progressive plunge depths. In opposite orientations. Say the first is clockwise, the second is counter clockwise. Then the final is where you can see the bit. Stop as you finish the final rotation with a gentle pressure towards the center. It leaves a small amount of material, but no marks on the outer wall of the cut. It also helps from getting the cord tangled.

This is probably better for me because my ole bit is not the best.

[CBM87]

Got the Bordeaux kit in from Meniscus. So the build can continue.

I would recommend to anyone building this design to use Meniscus. The information they provide with the kit is invaluable to an amateur like me. They included boards for the crossovers and stick on sheets to show exactly how to layout the crossovers. They even included Tootsie Rolls! Very nice customer service.

I am including the required, "I don't have enough clamps" photo.

I was also confused about candy in the hardware baggie. I figured someone misplaced some components in their candy dish [emoji23]

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Steve Manning]

Some nice progress. I should be hauling my clamps out shortly as well for glue up.

[Jim Holtz]

Excellent work Mark! :T

Very nice clamps compared to my Menards and Harbor Freight collection.


Jim

[jacket_fan]

Made some progress over the weekend.

The kit from Meniscus includes all the drawings and instructions. Components laid out on the diagrams. Will finish this week.

The tweeter cutout is taking some ciphering on my part. The experimenting I have done has me at setting up a fence to guide the router. Trying to do all 4 sides with one set up got way too complicated. So I think I am going to do something like the picture below. Cut one side at a time.

On a test piece I was able to control the cut pretty well. The straight edge is the fence and the router base moves smoothly along it. Will do both baffles at the same time. Cut one side. Rotate, cut the next side, repeat. Then clean up any rough edges. I will report on how this goes.

If someone has a great way to cut these, please report. My previous attempt at cutting rebates for hinges using a jig did not go well and I am searching for options.

I have a question. With 3 boards of cross over, how do you do the input? Do you go from the binding post to board one, then daisy chain to board 2 and 3? Or do you split the input and have 3 pigtails off the wire coming from the binding posts? Or does it matter?

[Jim Holtz]

Made some progress over the weekend.

The kit from Meniscus includes all the drawings and instructions. Components laid out on the diagrams. Will finish this week.

The tweeter cutout is taking some ciphering on my part. The experimenting I have done has me at setting up a fence to guide the router. Trying to do all 4 sides with one set up got way too complicated. So I think I am going to do something like the picture below. Cut one side at a time.

On a test piece I was able to control the cut pretty well. The straight edge is the fence and the router base moves smoothly along it. Will do both baffles at the same time. Cut one side. Rotate, cut the next side, repeat. Then clean up any rough edges. I will report on how this goes.

If someone has a great way to cut these, please report. My previous attempt at cutting rebates for hinges using a jig did not go well and I am searching for options.

I have a question. With 3 boards of cross over, how do you do the input? Do you go from the binding post to board one, then daisy chain to board 2 and 3? Or do you split the input and have 3 pigtails off the wire coming from the binding posts? Or does it matter?

Hi Mark,

Basically all the positive inputs from the boards are connected to the positive binding post and negative connections on the crossover boards are connected to the negative binding post. One wire with 3 separate pigtails is fine. Do not connect them in series.

Thanks to the many that contributed to my thread about about how to recess irregular drivers, (check it out) this looks like the simplest way to do perfect recesses. https://www.htguide.com/forum/showth...l=1#post627869 You'll also need one of these or similar; Whiteside Router Bits 3001 Template Bit with Ball Bearing

The actual cutout for the driver can be handled by a saber saw if you like since it won't show or with the router and straight edges if you prefer. It was suggested that after tracing the square driver frame use a drill (1/4" maybe) to create the rounded corner and then use Jon's method of a simple square template with the template bit to cut the recess.

HTH

Jim

[jacket_fan]

I spent some time this week working the "square hole" exercise. As Jim suggested I traced out the pattern by removing the front face of the driver. I also ordered a router bit, but could not wait. I just used a straight edge. Which actually worked great. I had a couple of perfect holes. Except one dimension was a bit too short. The rework was not nearly as perfect. Hole ended up a bit tall. A great exercise none the less.

This may be the first woodworking project I have used the calipers to measure...

[Alaric]

With a hole saw, I ended up getting the "hole" stuck in the center and getting it out took too much effort.

A dab of epoxy and a light spring in the bit?

[Jim Holtz]

I spent some time this week working the "square hole" exercise. As Jim suggested I traced out the pattern by removing the front face of the driver. I also ordered a router bit, but could not wait. I just used a straight edge. Which actually worked great. I had a couple of perfect holes. Except one dimension was a bit too short. The rework was not nearly as perfect. Hole ended up a bit tall. A great exercise none the less.

This may be the first woodworking project I have used the calipers to measure...

Looks very good! :T

Jim

[jacket_fan]

An off the wall question. If I attach the outer front baffles with fasteners instead of the usual gluing method making them removable, would that affect performance?

The hobbyist in me would like to try a hardwood front baffle out of contrasting hardwood. That is why I would like to be able to remove the MDF baffles. And replace them later with hardwood.

[Jim Holtz]

An off the wall question. If I attach the outer front baffles with fasteners instead of the usual gluing method making them removable, would that affect performance?

The hobbyist in me would like to try a hardwood front baffle out of contrasting hardwood. That is why I would like to be able to remove the MDF baffles. And replace them later with hardwood.

I don't see a problem with that but perhaps some of the cabinet building pros can chime in with their thoughts.

Jim

[Browncoat]

The hobbyist in me would like to try a hardwood front baffle out of contrasting hardwood. That is why I would like to be able to remove the MDF baffles. And replace them later with hardwood.

It can be tricky to combine hardwood and plywood, since the former moves much more than the latter. Plywood is considered dimensionally stable in two dimensions, and the third dimension (thickness) is so small (e.g. 3/4") that it doesn't matter.

[TEK]

There is no reason that you could not have a detacable front baffel.
If the speaker is closed you should take extra care to ensure that you have clean and straight surfaces so that you get a tight seal between the box and the baffel.
You should use a gasket to ensure a good seal.

If you have a solid wood baffel it is actually important that you do have a deatacable baffel as that will allow the baffel and the box to move independently.
You should incorporate the dividing line between the baffel and the front as a part of the speaker design as it will be almost impossible to have a deatacable baffel without it beeing visible that the baffel and the rest of the speaker is two different parts.

[Steve Manning]

+1 on what TEK recommends ...... take a look at some of the speakers that Magico does and how they seal the baffles.

[jacket_fan]

Guys, I tried to get more info on the Magico speakers, it looks to me that they use aluminum in their designs with some high tech enclosures. But did not find info on how they sealed baffles other than there is some material between the baffle and the enclosure. I recall seeing some Meadowlard speakers with solid wood front baffles and they look like they have a layer of something between the wood and enclosure as well. I suspect they have some interesting methods.

Since there is an inner and outer baffle on the Bordeaux design, what I was contemplating with the baffles was to initially fasten the outer baffle to the inner baffle just for the initial listening experience. If I love these more than my Maggies, then I could spend more effort in the final finish. My efforts with veneer have not gone well. Therefore I was looking at other finishing methods.

Back to the build process. I wanted to pass along some of the mistakes I made so anyone with a later build might not have the same problems.

In routing the recesses in the bass front baffle, I routed to 8 3/4 inch diameter. The driver is also 8 3/4 diameter. At lest measuring with a tape they are. I do not have calipers big enough to measure exactly. The problem I had was the driver did not fit in the hole. See first picture.

The second picture shows a pencil line I traced around the driver. The last shows my cobbled up fixture to hold the router while I cut a larger diameter hole. I went with 8 7/8, but 8 13/16 would also work I think.

Not sure if tolerances got me or what, just passing my experience along.

[Steve Manning]

Here is a picture of one of their speakers, not sure of the model. I believe they attach the baffle to the back of the cabinet with a threaded rod. I think you will get the idea from these pictures.

[jacket_fan]

Thanks, I do get the idea. That is quite a complicated piece of work. Magico has some incredible engineering in their speakers. And lots of custom parts. The gasket (o-ring) is what has my admiration. I am really impressed with what I have read so far. Makes my plan so trivial.

[cfbuck]

Mark

I have had some experience using hardwood on the outer baffle. Over the years I have made about 12 pairs of speaker with hardwood baffles and have not had one baffle failure yet, even though I live in a dry cold winter, high humid hot summer environment.

I had seen a David Ellis 1801 speaker (a Dennis Murphy design in 2002/3?) and became interested in using a hardwood baffle on some Dennis Murphy's MBOW speakers that I was building. Jim Salk had built a couple of those 1801s and I paid him a visit in 2005. By then Jim was starting to build his own speaker design with hardwood baffles. If you want to see his work go to salksound.com and take a look at his Veracity Series, which is his oldest line. You will see some of the best cabinet work on speakers anywhere. Jim showed me his hardwood baffle. My baffles are not removable however. I use a simple method of gluing the outer baffle to the inner baffle with NoMoreNails or other flexible adhesives which will also form a seal. However, I don't see why insert nuts or Hurricane nuts could not be imbedded in the back of the outer baffle and attached to the speaker with bolts from the inside of the cabinet. Of course some rubber gasket would have to be trapped like the Magico one pictured to seal the cabinet. Precision in the fit would be necessary to get the two baffles solidly together to get the benefit of a solid thicker front baffle. The advantage of a removable baffle would also allow a changeout if the hardwood did fail. I have seen an image of one of David Ellis' baffles with a split. Be warned that hardwood baffles are not failsafe.

To see a previous thread where the use of hardwood baffles was used and discussed, see this Finalist thread Finalist Build with a Couple of Wrinkles. Read post Home and then skip to page 3 and resume at https://www.htguide.com/forum/showth...light=finalistpost #80. This may give you a few ideas to explore.

[jacket_fan]

Thanks for the info. I really like the finish on the speakers in your avatar. I assume those are hardwood too. I agree with you on what I have seen with the Salk speakers. And quite frankly, in seeing pictures of his creations over the years, are what got me wanting to do something similar. His use of exotic woods and a spectacular finish. More like fine furniture than just speakers.

Your post got me thinking that a RTV or other .010 or .030 gasket material would work as a seal. But not an o ring gasket like the Magico. I could not imagine getting a solid seal between MDF and hardwood.

I understand all to well about the difference in MDF and wood. I built a pair of Zaph speakers and had the veneer split after I finished them. I was quite disappointed. It was my attempt at a curved cabinet.