JBL GTx10

[Alex2507]

Doesn't look like much, does it?

The front baffle and sides are plywood and the top, bottom and back are presswood.
The first one is on it's back.

This is the mouth of the port assembly before assembly.
It will get plastic laminate instead of the usual black paint.

I got the alignment from TLS Guy about 3 years ago. On my last job I garbage picked the wood. Annunaki makes it look simple and maybe for him it is but I have no auto pilot to fall back on. When I get tired the mistakes happen. After pretty much two days this is all I got ... not to mention all the time spent working on design, layout and trying to conform to the various spec's.

DIY is much easier when you get somebody else to do it for you.

Considering DIY but paying some one..lol

This is in fact my first goat roping and it's not how I envisioned it at all.
So far I still got all my fingers and toes.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Looking good Alex. Keep the pics coming and graphs if you got them.

I want to do a DIY project but work and family life keep getting in the way...that and laziness!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I feel like I'm even more noob than Alex..

Are you making pair of subs??

 

[annunaki]

Good start here Alex. Sometimes the "making it look easy" part is in the photo's one takes

I will admit that I had a lot of advice to fall back on when I first started in enclosure construction at the age of 16. 2 of my uncles were carpenters and my father is quite literally a jack of all trades and very good at most all of them. I had some great teachers more or less.

One of my brothers is now an expert carpenter and he has plenty of great insights as well.

Take your time, measure twice and cut once. Above all patience is important when it comes to DIY. One must also not be afraid to make mistakes. As long as one learns from the mistakes to prevent them in the future you will continue to improve your skills.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

What drivers are you putting in those?

 

[Alex2507]

Keep the pics coming and graphs if you got them.

No problemo with the pic's but the PDF is too big to post(109 kB) and I don't know how to post them anyway.

--Description--
Name:
Type: Vented Box
Shape: Prism, square (optimum)
--Box Parameters--
Vb = 2.44 cu.ft
V(total) = 2.518 cu.ft
Fb = 25.84 Hz
QL = 6.69
F3 = 26.61 Hz
Fill = minimal
--Vents--
No. of Vents = 1
Vent shape = rectangle
Vent ends = two flush
Hv = 2 in
Wv = 12 in
Lv =

I feel like I'm even more [of a] noob than Alex.. Are you making pair of subs??

Yep. This is really a practice run for me to get somewhat familiar with the process and to see what these subs will do.

Sometimes the "making it look easy" part is in the photo's one takes

Ohhhh ... you mean like these pic's showing how the assembled vent just slides right in?

... and like these pic's showing those fancy joints and plastic laminate on the inside of the vent?

It does look easy, doesn't it?

What drivers are you putting in those?

JBL GTx10's ... Eddy of the Deck had them kicking around so they were free like the wood. I purposely doubled up the vent wall against the exterior wall so the vent would have a meatier boundary than just the 3/4" of the enclosure.

 

[annunaki]

No problemo with the pic's but the PDF is too big to post(109 kB) and I don't know how to post them anyway.

--Description--
Name:
Type: Vented Box
Shape: Prism, square (optimum)
--Box Parameters--
Vb = 2.44 cu.ft
V(total) = 2.518 cu.ft
Fb = 25.84 Hz
QL = 6.69
F3 = 26.61 Hz
Fill = minimal
--Vents--
No. of Vents = 1
Vent shape = rectangle
Vent ends = two flush
Hv = 2 in
Wv = 12 in
Lv =



Yep. This is really a practice run for me to get somewhat familiar with the process and to see what these subs will do.



Ohhhh ... you mean like these pic's showing how the assembled vent just slides right in?

... and like these pic's showing those fancy joints and plastic laminate on the inside of the vent?

It does look easy, doesn't it?



JBL GTx10's ... Eddy of the Deck had them kicking around so they were free like the wood. I purposely doubled up the vent wall against the exterior wall so the vent would have a meatier boundary than just the 3/4" of the enclosure.

Very cool Alex!

The vent photos are interesting! And yes it looks very easy that way!

Nice work so far!!

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Nice, keep the pics coming. Can't wait to see it all done. You got me itching to start my new sub project now! Damn you

 

[Alex2507]

Can't wait to see it all done.

Me too but the part you really want to be watching is the build
because I keep tripping over those chain links set in the concrete.
They are everywhere.

Now is the time for me to be thinking about bracing.

Any football fans in the house?

If you're wonder what that pic is doing in here you have missed the point.

 

[Swerd]

Nice looking work on those vent assemblies. Using laminate board is a good idea. It seals the vent inside surfaces the easy way.

After looking at this photo, I wonder if those two layers of ply, one from the vent assembly and the other from the box wall, will vibrate against each other. A few screws and/or adhesive should prevent that. Did you have any other ideas for that?

 

[Swerd]

Any football fans in the house?

If you're wonder what that pic is doing in here you have missed the point.

The point is that Alex is worried about the referee making the right call under difficult circumstances.

Backfield in motion?

Illegal use of the hands?

What a tough job. Does this league have any rules about how many times the referee can watch instant replays in slow motion?

Are costume failures part of this game? And if so, what kind of halftime shows are there?

 

[STRONGBADF1]

You got me itching...

He's been accused of that before.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Eddie is making good progress.

 

[Alex2507]

The point is that Alex is worried about the referee ...

What referee ???

Using laminate board [] seals the vent inside surfaces the easy way.

That needs to be sealed? ... I mean yeah, of course ... that's why I did it. I guess I'll spray the other internal vent surfaces then. I think I have some spray poly there. I only did that for looks and now that I think of it it'll hide dust better and be easier to keep clean.

I wonder if those two layers of ply, one from the vent assembly and the other from the box wall, will vibrate against each other.

I take it you mean my cleat to support the cut portion of the baffle? I'll screw and glue everything before it's all said and done. I'm getting a little antsy and think I'm going to just add a few screws, slap the bottom back on and get the drivers in there to do a quick and dirty test. If for some reason either of those drivers is fubar I want to know before I assemble the other vent and brace up both enclosures ... plus I need the reward factor and promise of better things to follow.

Eddie is making good progress.

Not so Earl Strongbad Waddington F1ton of Audioholicspool !!!

Eddie is out of the loop on this. He thinks I'm an idiot for not using brad nails.
I'm gonna ask him why he didn't use brad nails on his deck.
Then he will call me a d!ck ... again.

 

[Swerd]

That needs to be sealed? ... I mean yeah, of course ... that's why I did it. I guess I'll spray the other internal vent surfaces then. I think I have some spray poly there. I only did that for looks and now that I think of it it'll hide dust better and be easier to keep clean.

Seal all the inner surfaces if you worry that the wood will swell & shrink with changes in humidity during the year. Aren't you the guy who said you should judge a carpenter by how he does finish work inside a closet? If this cabinet is just the trial version that you will build again later with nicer materials, then nevermind. But if you think you might keep them and (did you say earlier you would cover them with black laminate?) you should put some kind of sealer coat on the bare wood inside the cabinet. I always wonder if this is really necessary with a plywood or MDF speaker cabinet, but it's easy to do, so why not?

I take it you mean my cleat to support the cut portion of the baffle? I'll screw and glue everything before it's all said and done. I'm getting a little antsy and think I'm going to just add a few screws, slap the bottom back on and get the drivers in there to do a quick and dirty test. If for some reason either of those drivers is fubar I want to know before I assemble the other vent and brace up both enclosures ... plus I need the reward factor and promise of better things to follow.

Yes, any point where the vent assembly touches the inner surface of the cabinet can vibrate. It's just like a bookshelf speaker sitting on a flat shelf without any rubber feet. A quick & dirty test with the driver will let you know if more screws or glue is needed.

Eddie is out of the loop on this. He thinks I'm an idiot for not using brad nails.
I'm gonna ask him why he didn't use brad nails on his deck.
Then he will call me a d!ck ... again.

A true audiopile would never use steel screws or brads - maybe brass . Steel might muck with the woofer's electromagnet . The audio purist would of, course, use glue and clamps and no screws at all .

 

[Alex2507]

Seal all the inner surfaces if you worry that the wood will swell & shrink with changes in humidity during the year. Aren't you the guy who said you should judge a carpenter by how he does finish work inside a closet?

Judge not and thou ...
Yeah, my father said that. I think he meant you could judge not only a man's skill in finish carpentry that way but what kind of a person he was.

If this cabinet is just the trial version that you will build again later with nicer materials, then nevermind. But if you think you might keep them and (did you say earlier you would cover them with black laminate?) you should put some kind of sealer coat on the bare wood inside the cabinet. I always wonder if this is really necessary with a plywood or MDF speaker cabinet, but it's easy to do, so why not?

It's not a trial version. I think these materials are good enough for these drivers. Before I go crazy with braces I want to see each driver installed and functioning without any mechanical issues. Then I'll brace them up properly and seal the innards as you suggest. I haven't decided on a exterior finish but not black laminate. First of all I don't have any black laminate. I do have a whole mess of Mahogany to clad it with ... maybe just paint. I'll see.

With press wood and MDF it is necessary to seal all sides so the wood doesn't absorb moisture from the atmosphere and warp toward the finished side from expanding as those materials are know for in the presence of moisture. Since this is reclaimed wood (Tiger Maple veneered panels hanging in high end office space) I got to see the subtle effects not sealing all sides had over time. Bracing would have stopped the warping but under the stress of being in a sub I imagine it would only further compromise the integrity of the medium but I'm talking above my pay grade here.

... any point where the vent assembly touches the inner surface of the cabinet can vibrate. It's just like a bookshelf speaker sitting on a flat shelf without any rubber feet. A quick & dirty test with the driver will let you know if more screws or glue is needed.

I'm down with overkill on all that. I'm going to use screws first and then disassemble, clean off all burrs, glue and re-screw everything last. Glue makes you pay hard for your mistakes. Dry fitting is key especially as how I am going with these ideas as they come. As a matter of fact I glued that cleat to the vent. That's a mistake. Now I can't pick the vent up to get glue under the bottom part of the vent as it is pictured ... it will only slide out, not up.

Glue is like the last step for me since design is going on at the same time as the build.

The audio purist would of, course, use glue and clamps and no screws at all.

That's what TLS Guy recommends and I understand why but I refuse to spend that kind of time on drivers of this caliber. There is a reason screws exist in this world and it is a practical one. This hobby has just incorporated my last obsession with wood ... (Doug, put your hands up and step away from the computer) ... and this new obsession with audio.

 

[GO-NAD!]

So why didn't you try the Kappa enclosure? Looks like a simpler build to me. I'm not trying to be snide - I'm just curious. Your enclosure looks overly complicated to me. Bear in mind, that observation may better reflect my basic skill set, than the actual level of complexity. Hope it works for you!

 

[Alex2507]

So why didn't you try the Kappa enclosure? Looks like a simpler build to me. I'm not trying to be snide - I'm just curious. Your enclosure looks overly complicated to me. Bear in mind, that observation may better reflect my basic skill set, than the actual level of complexity. Hope it works for you!

I don't have Kappa drivers. That's just economics. I think you're suppose to use a DCX 2496 to EQ that build and that's more economics not to mention the learning curve involved in using one. The material available to me might not have been enough to complete that build (more economics) and my room is too small for a couple of subs that size (you guessed it, more economics).

This is what I was able to come up with using the drivers, reclaimed millwork and alignment that I do have. The alignment provided to me had a specific vent size that matched a maximum 12" depth that I wanted at the time (3 years ago). Now when the garbage picked wood came my way I incorporated that vent size into a piece of existing millwork that I cut in half to produce the three sides of ply making up 1/2 of each box (already pre assembled). My requirements for enclosure dimensions are no longer fixed. I wanted to bang something out with Dr. Carter's alignment. He modeled a few different enclosures for me and spent yet more of his time explaining to me what was smart and what wasn't so smart. This is what I was able to turn out using what I had.

I've seen your work and to me it looked slick.
This is Sawzalot's Kappa. It's slick too.

I mean I would rather have a couple of those in a bigger room and a big brain to use a fancy EQ but God dealt everybody a different hand and that for me was just not in the cards. I was blessed with good looks and huge feet. The other thing is that I liked the look of the port having a more substantial boundary and being off center and vertical.

 

[Swerd]

I think this promises to be an excellent project. Your work on the large rectangular port looks great.

Many less expensive sub woofer drivers can do quite well if put in a cabinet that is properly designed for them, and if the cabinet is braced well. It is easy to spend a whole lot more money on subs and get very little in return.

I look forward to more build pictures and some results.

 

[GO-NAD!]

I don't have Kappa drivers.

Sorry, I should've been more clear. I meant using the Kappa design, but changing the enclosure and vent dimensions to suit your drivers. That said, I look forward to seeing how you progress.

I've seen your work and to me it looked slick.
This is Sawzalot's Kappa. It's slick too.

Well, thank-you. I'm not sure I'd put myself in the same category as Sawz though. I don't think I have the attention span to do the kind of work he does.