Brines M10-A10 MLT Speaker Build.

[Tayler_mann]

acousta stuff

For noise dampening this is a great product. I've used it on all my speakers I've built and also stuff walls with it for in wall speakers. There is a science to it as you don't want it dense and you also don't want there to be to little. You need to fluff it out really well to creates good air/stuffing mixture for best results. I just made a MNK clam shell woofer  for myself as I made 4 others for customers and was more than happy with the results of the acousta stuff. My friend came across a set of Macintosh tweeter, mids, woofers and crossovers we made custom cases for and that is what Macintosh suggested to use on top of a few other products and casing techniques. I don't think I have ever heard better speakers in my life listening to his Sota sapphire table, bottle head pre-amp, and Macintosh speakers paired with two Macintosh amplifiers. It was a sweat sound only Donald Fagen and the steely dan crew could truly bring out the best in.

 

[Tayler_mann]

P.S. since it is an audiophile thread here is a pic of the bottle head pre-amp built. I machined all the copper and made the emblems. I helped to make the box but my mentor did most of the work. It sounds as beautiful as it looks.

 

[JeremyH.]

There's been lots of comparisons and testing between dampening material. Many have found a determent to sound with some of them. Accustuff actually made midrange woolly, and a number took it out after someone pointed this out. (don't recall specific thread).

I seriously encourage trying no-rez. It cuts on a bandsaw SUPER easy, tablesaw is a little messy. You may not know if but the man who developed it at GR is responsible for designing a lot of popular speakers today, and some that are considered the best ever made.

I've used it, and that's how I know about cutting it. Then you just stick and peel it on. It's so easy to even go around ports.

 

[Cheese]

acousta stuff

...and that is what Macintosh suggested to use on top of a few other products and casing techniques. I don't think I have ever heard better speakers in my life listening to his Sota sapphire table, bottle head pre-amp, and Macintosh speakers paired with two Macintosh amplifiers. It was a sweat sound only Donald Fagen and the steely dan crew could truly bring out the best in.

[member=42383]Tayler_mann[/member]
Well if it's good enough for the Mac folk, it's good enough for me.

I'm assuming the 2 McIntosh amps were valve amps?

 

[iamnothim]

I ordered 4lb of Acousta Stuff
They have specific directions got MLT speakers.  That did it for me.

 

[Tayler_mann]

acousta stuff

...and that is what Macintosh suggested to use on top of a few other products and casing techniques. I don't think I have ever heard better speakers in my life listening to his Sota sapphire table, bottle head pre-amp, and Macintosh speakers paired with two Macintosh amplifiers. It was a sweat sound only Donald Fagen and the steely dan crew could truly bring out the best in.

[member=42383]Tayler_mann[/member]
Well if it's good enough for the Mac folk, it's good enough for me.

I'm assuming the 2 McIntosh amps were valve amps?

Unfortunately no it was the 2 channel 250 watt solid state amps. One amp powered the woofer on one channel and the second channel was the mid and tweeter and of course one amp per left and one per right. I can't remember the exact model number of the amp and I appologize my iPhone is a fan of auto correcting Mcintosh to of course Macintosh. Another thing that sounded absolutely amazing was playing David gilmore 5 channel stereo through the oppo and onkyo pre-amp.

One thing to get back to the speaker build for the veneer. If you decide to do a lot of veneer work buy a vacuum press. You can build your own for around $500 or less if you already have a compressor and it is super simple. It's so easy to do veneer with one. Also with speakers remember you need completely uniform adherence from the veneer. A small weak spot or void of pressure will cause rattling and possible separation. My speaker I build i do out of a soundboard or high density MDF, or high grade Baltic birch ply. My favorite was when I experimented with sound board. It was a little dead at first but after tweaking with the acousta stuff and woofer position it was nice punchy bass. It could also be because the two hifi woofer wired in a clam. [big grin]

 

[Cheese]

[member=42383]Tayler_mann[/member]
That's even better news...The sonic transparency of both Mac valve and solid state gear is pretty impressive.

I have a Mac Stack in solid state and it is sweet...always wanted a Mac valve amp but after watching and listening to my Audio Research preamp and poweramp during a lightning storm it became scary. The speaker cones were going in the wrong direction and making nasty noises. The preamp and D100 poweramp eventually puffed my speakers before I was able to pull the plug. Kind of reminds me of an incident I had earlier with a SAE solid state amp. Another nasty experience when high powered amplifiers are not properly controlled.

You know the cool thing about this thread, is that after a number of years, a lot of audiophiles, turned woodworkers, turned investment bankers, turned contractors, turned furniture makers, yada, yada, yada are once again turning to and restoring the sound systems that they enjoyed in their youth...that's a good thing. Music is indeed therapeutic.

I give Festool kudos for providing the bandwidth to allow disenfranchised folk of all kind to communicate with one another on a common thread while we continue to lure Luke towards a path of sonic purity at his expense...

 

[Wuffles]

One thing to get back to the speaker build for the veneer. If you decide to do a lot of veneer work buy a vacuum press. You can build your own for around $500 or less if you already have a compressor and it is super simple. It's so easy to do veneer with one.

Like this one?

It's in the bag.  We will see if I got incredibly lucky and not have the burl shatter around the edges of the holes.
The holes should have been plugged/supported.  The sound when the burl was sucked down was sickening. [eek]

[attachimg=1]

 

[peter halle]

I think that he  was referring to a hinged cover vacuum press table versus a bag.  Easier to work with if you do it a lot and have the dedicated space for another table.

Peter

 

[Wuffles]

I think that he  was referring to a hinged cover vacuum press table versus a bag.  Easier to work with if you do it a lot and have the dedicated space for another table.

Peter

Right on, all greek to me and I'm just trying to keep up.

 

[iamnothim]

I think that he  was referring to a hinged cover vacuum press table versus a bag.  Easier to work with if you do it a lot and have the dedicated space for another table.

Peter

Howdy Marshall Halle,
Nope.  It's a JoeWoodworker V2 build it yourself vacuum bag.
[attachimg=1]

 

[iamnothim]

All the veneer is a total bust.  I'm not going to use a single splinter of the stuff I bought from Certainly Wood.  The maple edges fractured all over the place when I used a router, chisel, or scalpel.  I was so made at the veneer glue that I tried Titebond III.  Mistake on a piece that big.  The maple wrinkled because I was too liberal with the glue and the edges had loose spots.  I have to learn how to mix it for the next project.

Below you can see completed veneer projects that were much more complicated than the maple.  It slays me that I couldn't get it to my satisfaction.  I also didn't like the maple I used to edge the plywood.

On the upside... Yesterday I spent a stupid amount of dough-ray-me on 4/4 quilted maple.  I think I stated earlier that you shouldn't use solid hardwood for speakers.  Guess what?  I is going to use solid hardwood on the sides.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

 

[rvieceli]

Luke  - Not to divert your build thread but talking about solid wood... Have you seen these guys speakers?

https://www.fernandroby.com/products/details/the-beam-tower-speakers

Ron

 

[Wuffles]

Luke  - Not to divert your build thread but talking about solid wood... Have you seen these guys speakers?

https://www.fernandroby.com/products/details/the-beam-tower-speakers

Ron

Wow. They are amazing. I wonder how easy that would be to knock up, I got some large beams recently and they're just a trip hazard currently.

 

[iamnothim]

Luke  - Not to divert your build thread but talking about solid wood... Have you seen these guys speakers?

https://www.fernandroby.com/products/details/the-beam-tower-speakers

Ron

Ron,
Those are "Mack Daddy" class.  Wow!
I guess you can use solid wood.  Once again, I didn't know what I was talking about.
Thanks for posting.
Luke

 

[Tayler_mann]

I think that he  was referring to a hinged cover vacuum press table versus a bag.  Easier to work with if you do it a lot and have the dedicated space for another table.

Peter

Right on, all greek to me and I'm just trying to keep up.

Actually you are right [member=20162]Wuffles[/member] I had read earlier in the thread about using cauls. I had assumed that was the way he was doing the veneer process. I was talking about bags I beleiev hinged presses are quite expensive for a larger press.

I had a veneer project one time where I had troubles with my glue as well. I tried a polyurethane glue that actually once I dialed in worked well but to messy, a two part roll on veneer glue that was horribly stinky and messy, and actually finished with tight bond III and  instead of doing larger panels did them in their individual sizes. Also, I learned that the 1/16"-3/32" veneer is the way to go even though it costs and arm and a leg to get it. Those veneer projects you posted are amazing as well.

As for using hardwood for speakers....it is up to you. [smile] we all have our own opinions and in the world of audiophile there will always be something wrong with something in someone's eyes if you can follow that.

 

[peter halle]

I think that he  was referring to a hinged cover vacuum press table versus a bag.  Easier to work with if you do it a lot and have the dedicated space for another table.

Peter

Howdy Marshall Halle,
Nope.  It's a JoeWoodworker V2 build it yourself vacuum bag.
[attachimg=1]

Not you.  The other poster made the suggestion if you were to be doing more.  LOL.

Love this thread!

Peter

 

[Cheese]

As for using hardwood for speakers....it is up to you. [smile] we all have our own opinions and in the world of audiophile there will always be something wrong with something in someone's eyes if you can follow that.

[member=42383]Tayler_mann[/member]
FWIW...Back in the mid-seventies I decided to construct a pair of JBL 4333 speakers and at the time, JBL offered a speaker building kit for a few $. In the kit JBL stated that all of their speaker enclosures under a certain cu ft level needed to be fabricated from 3/4" ply or MDF, and any speaker enclosure larger than a certain cu ft level needed to be constructed from 1" MDF.

In all cases however, all joints were to be of lock-miter construction and glued. Any interior support panels/structures were to be screwed and glued. There was to be no removable back on the speakers as all speaker components were to be loaded through the speaker holes on the front baffle panel and then fastened in place.

That was considered state-of-the-art 40 years ago.

 

[junk731]

I think that he  was referring to a hinged cover vacuum press table versus a bag.  Easier to work with if you do it a lot and have the dedicated space for another table.

Peter

Right on, all greek to me and I'm just trying to keep up.

Actually you are right [member=20162]Wuffles[/member] I had read earlier in the thread about using cauls. I had assumed that was the way he was doing the veneer process. I was talking about bags I beleiev hinged presses are quite expensive for a larger press.

I had a veneer project one time where I had troubles with my glue as well. I tried a polyurethane glue that actually once I dialed in worked well but to messy, a two part roll on veneer glue that was horribly stinky and messy, and actually finished with tight bond III and  instead of doing larger panels did them in their individual sizes. Also, I learned that the 1/16"-3/32" veneer is the way to go even though it costs and arm and a leg to get it. Those veneer projects you posted are amazing as well.

As for using hardwood for speakers....it is up to you. [smile] we all have our own opinions and in the world of audiophile there will always be something wrong with something in someone's eyes if you can follow that.

The best glue I know of for veneering is Unibond 800, if you want a single setup glue go for Unibond One or the very least Titebond Cold Press. Stay away from flexible fast drying PVA glue like Titebond 3, there's a reason why they aren't used.

John

 

[iamnothim]

I've had four 8" DMT diamond stones (coarse, fine, extra fine, extra extra fine).  They are great but I didn't like the small honing guide I had.  So I bout the Veritas MK-II Honing Guide.  It's great.  90 degree edges right on and it sets the correct angle easily.

Here's what I found.  Since the 30 deg. setting on the cheap guide wasn't real 30 deg. you will be sharpening a long time.  Yes it sets a micro bevel.  Doesn't matter.  Micro or not you will be sharpening a long time.

I started with chisels.  Not to bad went pretty quick.  Next up a Lie Nielsen block and no 5 jack plane.  Much harder steel.  Much longer time.  I sharpened my old no. 4 with a new Veritas HM-V11 steel.  I thought it went pretty quickly...... until today when the plane didn't perform well at all.    Am I the only one that's sharpened the chip breaker rather than the blade???

So I locked in the PM-V11 blade.  I'm here to tell you that is very, very, Hard Steel.

Recommendation.  If you get the homing guide order the "Extra Coarse" stone, if for nothing more that the first sharpening.

[attachimg=1]