Home made cubes

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jimbob
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Home made cubes

Unread post by jimbob »

All this talk of cubes on here has got me wanting to get on with a project I've been thinking about. I'm planning on building a pair of cubes using 18mm marine ply and steel lining the cabinets. I will be buying a pair of 8 inch drivers off the doc and he has advised which tweeters to use.

I will be documenting the build step by step.
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_D_S_J_R_
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

Can you make some boxes for me as well please? - MDF will do ;) I can't cut wood in a straight line (or curved for that matter and don't do enough DIY to justify a proper circular saw, which would do the job in seconds.

Choice of tweeter would be interesting. The Doc's choice I wasn't sure about originally, but after a few weeks running, they were fine (I now know it's me and my ever changing ears, NOT the speakers!!!). I would like to try the SB ring-radiators though - similar cost I believe and an itch I'd like to scratch -

http://www.sbacoustics.com/index.php/pr ... dc-c000-4/

Probably no difference in this application, but the itch is there to try one day...
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way...The time has gone, The song is over, Thought I'd something more to say...

jimbob
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by jimbob »

I thought about MDF but after doing a bit of reading have decided to settle on ply. I'm not 100% sure of the construction yet - I might mitre the front, back, top and bottom then add the sides similar to the cubes or I may dovetail instead. I'm no expert woodworker and it may take a couple of tries before I get a decent fit and finish.

If I do manage to make something presentable then I would be happy to knock together boxes for anyone with worse woodworking skills than myself!

As far as tweeters go I want to use what the doc has advised but I'm not against the idea of experimenting.

As a side note I priced up 20mm acrylic as the doc uses and it gave me more of an appreciation of what good value the docs cubes are. The cabs would have cost mega money and wouldn't have been worth doing myself.

This first pair will probably be kept as stained ply as I think the side panel edges will look really nice with the exposed ply layers. I may look at some exotic veneer for a second pair.

I just need the baby to sleep more now so I can make a start... :lol:
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orbscure
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by orbscure »

jimbob wrote:I will be documenting the build step by step.
Looking forward to this James :epop:
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jimbob
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by jimbob »

Thanks Pete. I hope people find the process interesting and I hope it inspires people to maybe have a go at making themselves a pair of speakers of whatever shape and size they want.

I will be really happy if I can make a pair of cubes which sound wise at least resemble what the doc does!
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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

I have no problem with home made wooden Cubes, or up dating old MDF mk1s, as long as everyone realises quite a percentage of why the actual NVA jobby does what it does is because of the acrylic cab. BUT you will get a very fine speaker probably 80% there relatively if you follow my advice. They will still see off anything musically I have heard so far in my audio experience.

From me you will only get finished acrylic cab speakers. Personally if you can do it then I would use Ply as it is better than MDF, but MDF is cheaper. I wouldn't use Chipboard. Drive units are listed in the DIY room and I will have to add the 4.5 inch driver which would go in the Cube3 type. Tweeters your choice but my choice is expensive and as there are no mods I do to it are better bought direct from ebay or other sources. Visaton G 20 SC 8ohm, go for about £50 to £60 each on ebay.

jimbob
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by jimbob »

Thanks for the input doc. I would be happy if I can produce something 80% of what your cubes can do. I am willing to take onboard any advice you will give me! I have made my mind up about using ply and going for 4mm steel for the lining. Also I will be using the tweeters you have suggested. They are not cheap but I do want to make a good job of the speakers and I have zero experience of different tweeters.
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

Way to go :grin:

I seriously am interested in a plain pair of boxes, preferably with driver holes, should you succeed with yours... It's a 'different' presentation to the forward facing squirters we're normally used to and there's absolutely none of the phasey amorphous quality that Bose, 'briks and Sonabs exhibit...
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way...The time has gone, The song is over, Thought I'd something more to say...

jimbob
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by jimbob »

I have no experience of cubes so I don't really know what to expect. Like I said if I do a decent job of the first pair I will be happy to send some boxes your way ready to take drivers.
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jimbob
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Re: Home made cubes

Unread post by jimbob »

With regards to the steel lining how important is the extra rigidity the steel provides? I assume the main purpose is to add mass and want to know if it would be worth losing the rigidity of steel but gaining some extra mass with the use of lead? I would be looking at using code 4 lead if it would be more suitable than 4mm steel?

Any input it greatly appreciated! :grin:
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