Gluing up speaker cabinet - 1/16” inch gap to fix - need help please.

[sebr023]

Hi all!

Don’t know if I’m in the right section of the forum.

But I’m building some cabinet for some home theater speaker. I’ve already glued up the left and right speaker. Yesterday I glued the Center speaker.

Ive had my share of mistake on building the left and right speaker as I’m a beginner woodworker. But nothing I wasn’t able to solve or I couldnt live with.

I made a “bigger” mistake on the glue up for this cabinet. There’s a 1/16 gap on one of the edge of the cabinet.

The 100$ question: how could I save this?

A friends of mine told me that wood glue doesn’t stick to cured wood glue. 1/16 is a bit thight to go and sand/scrap cured wood glue.

If I clamp this, I am able to bring the cap tighter, but obviously I would need some glue to hold it.

The cabinet is birch plywood and I wanted them to stay that way, meaning I don’t plan on veneering them.

This is the orientation of the speaker, layed on its side.

The 1/16 gap is the middle :

2ft level to show the “bulge” (sorry lack of a better word) it causes.

If I don’t clamp and reduce the gap, the bulge will stay, and I will need to find a way to sand away the bulge, probably going through the birch veneer on the top of the plywood.
But I could pmace this face down, so it wouldn’t be a big deal I guess?!

Anyway, thank for your time and answer. Looking forward to read more advanced woodworker on this problem!

Thanks!

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[Crazyraceguy]

Is that outer "skin" glued to the core, or it just trapped in there?

 

[sebr023]

Is that outer "skin" glued to the core, or it just trapped in there?

Not sure what you’re referring too.
Everything you see in there is glued.
The bracing inside is glued in dado I did.

Hope this answer your question.

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[ChuckM]

That looks to be an easy fix to me since the glue-up has been pretty recent.

1) Put a clamp on either side to keep the top in position (shown in red on the sides)
2) Use a heat gun to soften glue in the gap (about 2 mins a time)
3) Remove as much glue as possible from the mating surfaces (spray water if needed & repeat 2)
4) Let dry
5) Apply fresh glue, and clamp everything home.

 

[sebr023]

That looks to be an easy fix to me since the glue-up has been pretty recent.

1) Put a clamp on either side to keep the top in position (shown in red on the sides)
2) Use a heat gun to soften glue in the gap (about 2 mins a time)
3) Remove as much as glue from the mating surface (spray water if needed & repeat 2)
4) Let dry
5) Apply fresh glue, and clamp everything home.

Thank you!
How / what would you use to removing glue in there?  Small ruler? Feeler gauge? Trying to think of something thin but relatively sturdy

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[ChuckM]

My tool of choice would be a palette knife or a putty knife. Anything stiff and thin such as card scrapers can do.

Something like this (price in CDN) -https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/knives/60274-palette-knives-for-woodworkers

 

[sebr023]

My tool of choice would be a palette knife or a putty knife. Anything stiff and thin such as card scrapers can do.

Something like this (price in CDN) -https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/knives/60274-palette-knives-for-woodworkers

Oh yeah! Makes sens! I have a small putty knife and have 2-3 pallet knife laying around!

Edit: spelling

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[sebr023]

My tool of choice would be a palette knife or a putty knife. Anything stiff and thin such as card scrapers can do.

Something like this (price in CDN) -https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/knives/60274-palette-knives-for-woodworkers

So just tried your suggestion, I will let dry over night and try to glue back up tomorrow.

When I was applying water with a spray bottle, I saw watered down glue coming out of the joint, so I guess that’s good news!

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[ChuckM]

Sounds good. Make sure the clamps stay long long enough after the regluing, and good luck!

 

[sebr023]

Sounds good. Make sure the clamps stay long long enough after the regluing, and good luck!

How long are you thinking? 12hr? 24?
I’m using basic Lepage yellow wood glue, the « pro » version I believe it’s called.

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[ChuckM]

8 hours should be enough since it isn't something subject to stress.

 

[sebr023]

8 hours should be enough since it isn't something subject to stress.

Thank you!

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[sebr023]

8 hours should be enough since it isn't something subject to stress.

Update:

Used 2: 2x3 steel piece to help spread the clamp force. Got a good squeeze out.

Even on the inside I got a squeeze out:

Which make me hopeful that the glue was everywhere it needed to be so the joint can hold!

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[Packard]

Just to throw a wrench in the works:  Most speaker builders use MDF as it resonates less than other sheet goods and improves the sound quality.

 

[sebr023]

Just to throw a wrench in the works:  Most speaker builders use MDF as it resonates less than other sheet goods and improves the sound quality.

It’s debatable. I’m not an expert, far from it, but there’s test out there that proved it not necessarily true.

Also, I bought the kit from CSS audio. They recommend both. Also, some other higher end speaker manufacturer uses birch ply.

I bought the 1TD for left and right and the 2TD for the Center channel. They’re very well brace for the type of speaker.

I would still be curious to see the measurement of both  speaker in MDF and birch plywood.

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[Vtshopdog]

Yes, MDF and Birch ply are both used. Designer usually specs the cabinet material.
Material used will change the sound characteristics, but who is to say what sounds best?

This fellow is a DIY speaker building icon of sorts and generally builds everything with BB plyhttp://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Diy_Loudspeaker_Projects.htm

Even if you are just a wood nerd and not an audio nerd his site has tons of beautiful build threads and is worth a look.  He does a lot of cool variations on building what in essence are boxes.
(fair warning, if you fall in love with something on his site and want to build, a kit will set you back minimum $1k and more likely $2-4k)

LOL - Speaker building was my gateway drug to buying Festool....

 

[jeh]

Just to throw a wrench in the works:  Most speaker builders use MDF as it resonates less than other sheet goods and improves the sound quality.

Can we get some type of data to back up your "most" statement? Sounds anecdotal at best.

 

[Cheese]

Just to throw a wrench in the works:  Most speaker builders use MDF as it resonates less than other sheet goods and improves the sound quality.

Can we get some type of data to back up your "most" statement? Sounds anecdotal at best.

Packard is correct in that JBL has always recommended MDF because it resonates less than ply. I purchased a JBL Speaker Kit back in the early 70's. It was a 20 page assemblage of written/technical material about proper speaker construction including materials and joint construction. JBL at that time recommended MDF boxes along with lock miter joints for every corner.

I still have a pair of the original JBL L100 speakers from the 70's & the L100's are manufactured from MDF with lock miter corners.  [smile]

And then there's the Altec Voice of the Theatre speakers. They were huge but constructed from all plywood. An interesting note is that I never liked the VOT sound because I thought its treble was too strident. Did the all-plywood construction generate some of the stridency?  [popcorn]

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] , re the JBL manual, was Baltic birch generally available as an option back then?

 

[Cheese]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] , re the JBL manual, was Baltic birch generally available as an option back then?

Not that I remember Michael, Baltic birch is a more recent thing. I just remember the MDF recommendation because that really surprised me. But then again after a little thought, it made sense because at the time the larger Wharfedale speakers were being filled with sand to dampen the resonances.