Introducing the SSA-WG

[sdl2112]

:a> YES, this is totally overkill.

And I LOVE IT. They look smashing good!:dancenana:
And isn't that the whole point of DIY - to be able to just go totally overboard and make it they way YOU want it to be, without having to think about any commercial stuff! arty:

Thanks TEK! I agree 100%...Once you are done with a project and looking back it makes it all that much better. Not once have I ever looked back and said I shouldn't have put in the extra effort :T. At work I have to compromise...at home I don't :B.

[sdl2112]

Nothing in this design is being overlooked or skimped over imo!

Thanks Matt...that's my goal. I'm breaking this project up into many mini projects. Focus on one task at a time...

[jim1961]

Scott, you are to speakers what I am to room treatment

Another parallel is breaking the task into smaller ones. What I have done via room treatment was probably a dozen or more individual smaller projects. I applaud you taking the same approach to your speakers.

[Steve Manning]

Scott, where does the refrigerator dolly attach when you need to move these? 8O Looking good as always.

[sdl2112]

Scott, you are to speakers what I am to room treatment

Another parallel is breaking the task into smaller ones. What I have done via room treatment was probably a dozen or more individual smaller projects. I applaud you taking the same approach to your speakers.

This project has really given me a lesson in patience. Break off enough of the project for a beginning and end...think out the process...have fun building. Next have a few beers admiring your work and on to the next mini project...:T

[sdl2112]

Scott, where does the refrigerator dolly attach when you need to move these? 8O Looking good as always.

Thanks Steve!...Moving the speakers has been a real concern. I have been looking at building a platform for my dolly. The base alone weights 18lbs....my total speaker estimate each is close to 200lbs.

With the many big speakers I've seen built here....Any suggestions?

[Steve Manning]

Thanks Steve!...Moving the speakers has been a real concern. I have been looking at building a platform for my dolly. The base alone weights 18lbs....my total speaker estimate each is close to 200lbs.

With the many big speakers I've seen built here....Any suggestions?

Depending what your going to do for spikes/feet, you can do what Wilson Audio does, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXn6JkwonA. About 30 seconds into the video look at how they move their speakers around.

[sdl2112]

Thanks Steve...I probably will get some 4 wheel dolly carts along with my 2 wheel hand truck. Once finished I'm not too worried moving them around. It's at the various states of assembly that I hope I don't gouge a surface. I might make some type of gurney to be safe. Anyway for feet I'll be using Slipstick CB505 floor protectors. They work on carpet, wood or tile and allow you to tilt and slide. That is one reason I raised the MDF skirt off the floor as not to rub when tilting/moving the speakers.

[Steve Manning]

If you have a Harbor Freight close by they have these http://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-x...lly-61899.html, I got a pair when I built the Jensen's and they worked out great. Even with all that lead you stuffing in those things these dolly's will handle a 1000 lbs.

[sdl2112]

Yes I do have a HF close by...thanks again for the tip and at a great price :T

[sdl2112]

OT Post: Pets

Not the update I was expecting to give but this is an off-topic post I wanted to share.

Pets...

For all the pet owners I ask that you give them a hug today because you never know when they will be gone. Just the other day I was going to post in TEKs recent thread that includes pictures of the holidays with pets. I didn't really have a good holiday scene so I didn't post one but pictures like that show how important pets are to us.

Now just two days ago my cat Snoopy of 12+ years started acting lethargic...then got a little worse so I took him to vet yesterday morning. They found serious internal issues...heart murmur, low red blood cell count...etc. I admitted him to the vet then to emergency clinic and now he had to be put to rest this morning. It happened so fast....he was just running around like a kitten the other day.

I'm not writing this for people to feel sorry for me. It's to celebrate the joy and happiness of our pets. We all hope we outlive our pets so we know this is going to happen...then we just have to move on.

Below I just wanted to celebrate Snoopy's life with a few photos. He was a real cool cat :T I will miss him very much :cry:

-Scott

Snoopy as a kitten


Finding a comfy sleeping spot


He would never drink from his water bowl


He thinks I made that for him


He and his brother who passed away 10yrs ago

[TEK]

So sorry for your loss.

It does however seems like he had a happy and giving life that lasted a good numbers of years. It's not much more we can want for our pets.
Remember to keep those good memories!

[Steve Manning]

Sorry to hear about Snoopy, Scott, I can relate to them being a big part of you life ...... I have one of our 4 fur balls sitting in my lap helping (not!) me type at the moment. It is certainly never easy when you loose one.

[bigjohn]

My condolences Scott, I know how you're feeling, those little fur balls can sure tear a hole in your heart. We just lost our cat Starbucks on Thanksgiving, he had gotten into a fight with our newest dog and what the vet thought was a minor wound turned out not to be and he got sepsis.

[sdl2112]

Thanks all for your support!

[sdl2112]

Finally an update...

I haven't made much progress lately...there's been a few distractions since the holidays. I do have a few updates now...:T

I can't say it enough... the devil is in the details. I continued with the lead lining, yes I know real exciting but it's in my build plan

I am applying it to most exterior panels and the mid cabinet for isolation. I'm keeping the area where the x-overs reside free as I don't want interaction with the coils.

I'm using Loctite PL premium fast grab polyurethane for the adhesive.

More cutting to size


Applying it to the panels


Now when I clamp them together I don't want the squeeze out to bond to each other so I use wax paper. It works great...no sticking at all.


Clamping the panels


Now on to the interior panels

[JonMarsh]

Devil is in the details, in deed- time consuming details, but so necessary! Good to see you're getting a little time in, hope more frees up. I know how that goes- I'm time slicing my Sunday afternoon between tasks, just got out of the wood shed and finishing a batch of biscuit joinery for the second stage prototype of the Minerva.

[sdl2112]

Now the not so great update...

Over the holidays I constructed the lead layered base. I recently noticed a slight separation of layers.

It was minor but I wanted to see the bond strength so with a little encouragement I was able to separate the layers with less effort then I would have thought.

I followed the Loctite surface preparation instructions...essentially just cleaning the surface and applying a light water mist. Well after further investigation, non-porous materials like lead are difficult to adhere to. Others recommend scuffing up the surface with 80 grit sandpaper. Hindsight is now obvious, the lead surface is so smooth there's nothing to adhere to. Now the bond was probably good enough for my use as the base will always be in compression and there's little stress on the lining. I tried a sample with the sanded lead and the bond was much better. I debated if I should go back and redo it...well for peace of mind in the long run I decided to redo it all. It really wasn't too bad and now I can sleep better at night :E

Pulling the lead sheet off a side panel


Sanded ready to re-attach


Base rework


Lead sanded with a 80 grit sanding disc

[Steve Manning]

Hey Scott ..... After schlepping this bamboo around what on earth possessed you to think your cabinets needed more mass !! :E Looking good though.

[Steve Manning]

Over the holidays I constructed the lead layered base. I recently noticed a slight separation of layers.

It was minor but I wanted to see the bond strength so with a little encouragement I was able to separate the layers with less effort then I would have thought.

I followed the Loctite surface preparation instructions...essentially just cleaning the surface and applying a light water mist. Well after further investigation, non-porous materials like lead are difficult
to adhere to. Others recommend scuffing up the surface with 80 grit sandpaper. Hindsight is now obvious, the lead surface is so smooth there's nothing to adhere to. Now the bond
was probably good enough for my use as the base will always be in compression and there's little stress on the lining. I tried a sample with the sanded lead and the bond was much better. I debated if
I should go back and redo it...well for peace of mind in the long run I decided to redo it all. It really wasn't too bad and now I can sleep better at night :E

Would it be worth throwing some screws in the mix in case the glue does let go on the earlier boards?

[sdl2112]

Back on course...

OK...now that the panels are being re-clamped, I started cutting the sound damping material. I'm going with wool felt to line the cabinets. In the past I found it difficult to cut. I started looking for a better utility knife then the traditional "box cutter". I was surprised that there were few choices of utility knives with decent replaceable blades. I did find one diamond in the rough. It's the Havalon Piranta knife. I think it's mainly a skinning knife but it has surgical sharpness and has replaceable blades :T I was able to cut 1/2" wool felt in a single pass...highly recommended.

First cut


Enough wool lining for the pair :T

[sdl2112]

Would it be worth throwing some screws in the mix in case the glue does let go on the earlier boards?

Thanks Steve...I feel good with the bonding now. I redid every panel...:B

As far as the added weight...once I get an idea in my head it's hard to let go...these will be quite heavy. I've estimated them to be 200lbs each.

[jim1961]

Thanks Steve...I feel good with the bonding now. I redid every panel...:B

As far as the added weight...once I get an idea in my head it's hard to let go...these will be quite heavy. I've estimated them to be 200lbs each.

I though mine were monstrosities at 130lbs each :E

Your going to have to have a custom made dolly to move them im bettin'.

[sdl2112]

OK...I'm done re-applying the lead. I started on the x-over boards, sealed them and the base with SealCoat. Baltic birch splinters quite easily so I like to seal it. I also started applying the wool felt to the mid-cabinet panels. Once glued up I will have little access.

I must say this build is coming together very nice. I've never attempted anything like this...it's been very rewarding but I still have a long way to go... :T

Making the x-over boards and sealing with SealCoat


Attaching the boards to the panels


Setting up to apply the wool felt


Here are the x-overs boards attached...I have four per cabinet. I'm thinking one each for the tweeter, mid, woofer sections and one for the impedance compensation circuits. I just hope I have enough room...premium components take a lot of space 8O


Here I'm applying the felt

[TEK]

Looking good - can't wait to see them assembled!

[Steve Manning]

I just picked up some of that Seal Coat for the Minerva's ...... it was recommended to go under the lacquer that will be the top coat.

[sdl2112]

Looking good - can't wait to see them assembled!

Thanks TEK...I'm looking forward too...another nervous step. I'll be out of town next week so I'm not sure when I can get to them.

[sdl2112]

I just picked up some of that Seal Coat for the Minerva's ...... it was recommended to go under the lacquer that will be the top coat.

Steve...yes SealCoat is a good sealer and it's compatible with everything. I was going to ask what finish you are going to apply. Lacquer is probably my favorite. I did find it difficult to apply on a project a while back. I lived in Houston at the time and between the 90% humidity and mosquitoes and not enough ventilation....ugh. I'll do a few trials on mine before I decide. I may just go with Seal-A-Cell and Arm-R-Seal..it's hard to beat and easy to apply.

[Steve Manning]

Steve...yes SealCoat is a good sealer and it's compatible with everything. I was going to ask what finish you are going to apply. Lacquer is probably my favorite. I did find it difficult to apply on a project a while back. I lived in Houston at the time and between the 90% humidity and mosquitoes and not enough ventilation....ugh. I'll do a few trials on mine before I decide. I may just go with Seal-A-Cell and Arm-R-Seal..it's hard to beat and easy to apply.

Scott ..... trying something new, it was highly recommended by the lumber yard that did the cnc work. They use it for the signs that they make and said it holds up well and is easy to work with ..... Valspar Zenith, Waterborne Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer. Have a gallon of it tinted for the "painted" portions on the stand and cabinet. Of course putting down some sealer first.

[sdl2112]

Updates...

I was out of town this weekend but managed a few updates Friday and Sunday evening.

First I drilled the driver mounting holes. A good thing with bamboo is that you don't need inserts :T. I tried successive screw insertions on a test piece and they create great threads, not like MDF. I centered the drivers with shims, then centered the mounting holes with transfer punches.

A few pics below...

[sdl2112]

Cabinet assembly

Sunday I started the cabinet assembly. I elected to do it in three steps. I didn't want to try assembling the whole cabinet at once...too many shifting part at once scared me :E. I glued the top and the two middle shelves first. Once dry they will provide alignment for the rest of the process.

Here's a view of the set-up


To keep the sides from adhering to the top I placed wax paper at the corners so glue squeeze-out would not inadvertently connect them.
Top Left


Top Right

[sdl2112]

A few more pics...

If you haven't noticed I like a lot of pictures....

So here's a few more of the clamping process.

Speaker one clamped.


Alternate view.


Second speaker before assembly.


Second clamped view.

[Steve Manning]

Nice progress Scott .... those are some solid looking cabinets ........ by the way what's in the unmarked green bottle I see in a couple of those pictures ...... a new type of glue maybe?

[sdl2112]

Thanks Steve...yes the other green bottle helps with glue application .

[meb46]

Very nice work... keep the photos coming!

[JonMarsh]

Looking good, love to see more LBL! :T

[sdl2112]

Thank you guys...I think this forum is helping the bamboo industry :B

[dar47]

Ya, but I think we need to bump it up a notch and start fronting the LBL with some Panzerholz Ply. A lot more weight but way more dense and only $400 a sheet in Can. You guys in the us can't use it it military class and you would do something bad with it, haha

[Face]

My local specialty lumber yard stopped replying to my emails after I inquired about Panzerholz, lol.

[Steve Manning]

I found this place for Panzerholz, apparently it's used in pianos as well ...... http://www.mypianoshop.com/store/Del...-Material.html

[sdl2112]

Final assembly dry fit

It's been a little while since I had an update. Here I did a dry fit of all the panels now that the shelves are glued in place to help alignment. I added felt to the rest of the panels, loosely attached the base and installed the drivers. I want to know now if there will be any surprises. 8O

Side view 1


Side view 2


Base with port shown, I'll make a plug for the sealed version


Midrange-tweeter compartment


Front

[Steve Manning]

Looks like your getting close there Scott ..... glad to see you back at it.

[JonMarsh]

Ya, but I think we need to bump it up a notch and start fronting the LBL with some Panzerholz Ply. A lot more weight but way more dense and only $400 a sheet in Can. You guys in the us can't use it it military class and you would do something bad with it, haha

+1. PH all the way! :W

[JonMarsh]

Looking very good, Scott- wish I could here them!

[meb46]

Awesome work - Looking forward to hearing your listening feedback!