JBL GTx10

[Swerd]

These cabinets are turning into a labor of love, or is that a love of labor? They look heavy enough to require a forklift, and that is without the drivers or the outer layer of mahogany. With those cabinet bases, they look all set for the forklift. Do you have an audiophile grade forklift? Is the floor in your condo sturdy enough?

Seriously, you've done a great job just making use of all the found lumber. It made for a lot of complex construction, especially all that bracing, but it is going to be a one-of-a-kind design. OK, make that two-of-a-kind.

What are you going to do when some newby asks you for a copy of your build plans ? We demand 3D diagrams.

 

[Alex2507]

Is it a good album? If so, do you know if it's available on CD?

The recording is done well enough as is the norm for classical and I like listening to it well enough but have only listened to a couple of album sides. The quality of the performances isn't something I would really know how to evaluate since I have never heard any of the pieces performed by anybody else. I don't know if it's available on CD.

For the 3 bucks I paid for it, it has proven to be worth every penny.

It is nice to see this project coming along.

I will be surprised if you are not very happy with these.

Yes, it is a lot of work. But gear done right gives years of pleasure, and the work seems like nothing in the rear view mirror.

The work ... it's really an obsession at this point. My earlier test of the drivers gave me a good indication of their behavior. You did a good job convincing me to go with this alignment. Imagine if I had gone with the the box that's twice as big as this one. That would have been a disaster. I'm glad I listened to you as this box is on the verge of my ability to man handle.

These cabinets are turning into a labor of love, or is that a love of labor? They look heavy enough to require a forklift, and that is without the drivers or the outer layer of mahogany. With those cabinet bases, they look all set for the forklift. Do you have an audiophile grade forklift? Is the floor in your condo sturdy enough?

Seriously, you've done a great job just making use of all the found lumber. It made for a lot of complex construction, especially all that bracing, but it is going to be a one-of-a-kind design. OK, make that two-of-a-kind.

What are you going to do when some newby asks you for a copy of your build plans ? We demand 3D diagrams.

Do you think this might qualify as a contender for the most complicated first build ever?

These pic's show the bracing of the port walls being dry fitted.

After I glued and screwed the bracing to the port I put a bead of Liquid Nails or Phenoseal vinyl adhesive caulk on every joint I could get to in one of the boxes.Then the port/enclosure bottom got glued and screwed to the rest of the enclosure. Then the enclosure got glued and screwed to the base. I skipped the dry fitting on that last part and was left scrambling because the bracing wouldn't allow me to attach the enclosure to the base the way it was previously attached. I have learned from a couple of mistakes from one box and made corrections the second box. Hopefully I will learn things from this build and carry it over to my next build. I'm not cladding the whole enclosure, just the base. As it is I had a little trouble lifting the assembled enclosure onto that cart to mount it to the base.

I'm glad you get the part about this being the result of using the materials that I had on hand. Between PE and HD I'm out of pocket about 100 bucks so far. If I had a budget to work with this would all be different. If I had a budget to work with my name might be Greg and DIY would really stand for 'I'll Pay You".

 

[Swerd]

Do you think this might qualify as a contender for the most complicated first build ever?

Absolutely ! We should make it a DIY sticky - Attention Newbies - Don't do this!

Those cabinets look strong enough to withstand earthquakes. If your bass tuning comes out wrong, they can always be a matched pair of earthquake proof doghouses. The Japanese government may want to speak to you about updating their building codes. WTH, you could use those as nuclear reactor containment vessels .

If anyone had any doubts about your sexual orientation, your photos have made it abundantly clear that you love screwing. That's a lot of screws! Were they also found materials ? Maybe you could save some weight by removing some of those screws now that the glue has set.

 

[Alex2507]

As it turns out the holes I pre-drilled going from the enclosure side into the port wall happened to land in the same place as the pre-drilled holes going from the bottom into the side. So in those instances I was only able to use an 1-1/4" #6 coarse threaded drywall screw. (you can see where that happens because I shaded those spots in with a pencil so I wouldn't try to put the wrong screw in and either blow out the cabinet or snap the screw) That's not really enough so I pre-drilled another hole right beside it to accommodate a #8 1-5/8" deck screw. Yeah ... it's a lot of screws and those too were left overs from various jobs. If I were paying for them I would not be using coated deck screws.

Oh yeah, you'll like this. I don't have any 2-1/4" screws so I used the 2-1/2" for a certain spots but without counter sinking them. That worked good until I ended up using a 3 incher that got mixed in with them and blowing through the plastic laminate in the vent ... brutal, but kind of funny too.

I'm thinking those cabinets might be what folks call 'inert'. You're not going to want to be stubbing your toe into one of those. I know you think you can tell they look heavy but I don't see how anybody could know just how dense that brace material is. I mean the chances of running into that stuff is slim.

I was wanting to blow through the finish just to finally be done with this but I think I may have to keep the love turned up. Another odd thing I learned in construction is that the caulk job sells the Formica work. So in this case that means the best cabinet in the world is only as good as the finish ... and finish is the what causes me the most grief. Me and the HVLP are gonna become friends.

 

[Swerd]

I was wanting to blow through the finish just to finally be done with this but I think I may have to keep the love turned up.

Me and the HVLP are gonna become friends.

Think about how long Sean kept the love turned up on his ER18s. That took some kinda stamina. No pressure Alex, but I'm expecting you to do at least as well .

You're doing a great job and we all love the photos.

... the best cabinet in the world is only as good as the finish ... and finish is the what causes me the most grief.

Tell me about it. When I built my CAOW1s I made the cabinets twice. The first set became scrap after I veneered them because I cut the driver holes a half inch too close. I was so POed that I left them in the basement for a month without looking at them. Eventually I started over, and the second time for the veneer worked a lot better in general. Before cutting any holes I must have measured it all 8 times.

I might get motivated enough to rebuild my sub. I did a sloppy job on that cab, and an even sloppier job finishing it. It's in the corner, and isn't the focus of as much visual attention as the main speakers, but I've spent a long time ignoring how much I don't like how they look.

 

[Alex2507]

NOTE: Post started at around 5:00 PM

I will be surprised if you are not very happy with these.

Just thought I'd mention that during my quick and dirty test in a leaky unbraced box they still had more output than my Infinity PS 10's down low and their output more closely resembled a Qtc of .5 or .7 starting with an F6 around 20Hz as opposed to Eddie's AR sub that I sold him which acted like it had a Qtc more like 1.4 or 2 that had it's initial bump around 30Hz. I got to hear how one compared to the other with music and the AR sub did make more of a spectacle of itself.

There's nothing like a little knowledge to accompany listening observations.
I guess I should thank you for that too.

The Japanese government may want to speak to you about updating their building codes. WTH, you could use those as nuclear reactor containment vessels .

That is such an impressive bit of nut crunching that you were actually my second thought upon waking from my nap. Cheryl asked me where I was going as I climbed out of bed. I told her I was going to play some Neil Diamond.

My first thought was about a face and grill sol ...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-took a major break just now to get a 32"x48"x1-1/2" piece of OC 703 and
some spandex for the subs which was made possible by Rick's GPS, long
weird story but thanks again Rick.-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was in the middle of saying grill solution (for the subs) when it occurred to me to make that call about the insulation and spandex. But congrat's ... you've worked your way into my deeper psyche with that post.

No pressure Alex, but I'm expecting you to do at least as well .

I asked his mom what that finish looked like and she said it was just beautiful. The pictures don't really convince me but that statement from her leaves no doubt in my mind about the quality of the work. Even if I wasn't driving 40 miles to work on these I wouldn't attempt a piano finish. That to me is the DIY that you want to pay for. A pro shop that is set up with spray booths is hard to compete with.

I'm going to try to mix a custom color that works in my room. Now I'm thinking more along a reddish hue to go with some of the Mahogany I have in here. Don't worry, Rich. Ima gonna make you proud.

You're doing a great job and we all love the photos.

I appreciate that and I'm glad you're enjoying the build.

 

[Alex2507]

No Short Cuts

Everything I could get to got caulk.

I know I don't have to worry about having critically damped the enclosure
because I just couldn't get that much insulation in there but my surface
area goes up if you count the sides.

That's the bottom of the top with a bead of wood glue where it's going to
hit the bead of wood glue on the lattice. The perimeter has a bead of liquid nails.

I wanted to add more screws but I just didn't know where to put them.

Other than the front and rear caps on the bases I think I have two
functional enclosures. I'm likely going to do another test run with them after
a sanding and an application of Bondo. This time it will be with both drivers
firing. I can't wait.

I filled the screw holes with wood filler, removed the excess Liquid Nails and
turned them upside down so the wood glue would bead at the joint instead
of running like snot. When it comes time to drag them into the house I'll be
using a hand truck. They are ridiculously heavy. I could feel my back
protesting as I put these on the floor to fasten the lid. Next time around it
will be 100% plywood. No MDF or particle board. I don't like working with the
stuff and it's freakin' heavy.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Everything I could get to got caulk.

I wonder what Freud would've had to say about that....

Seriously, does the caulk around all the bracing serve a purpose. Just wondering. That is a serious build project you have there.

When we look up the word "inert" in the dictionary, we should find a picture of you. No..wait...that should be a picture of your subs. Yeah, that's it...

 

[Rickster71]

Very Nice!
Can't wait to see and hear these in Mantown, or the living room.

 

[Alex2507]

Seriously, does the caulk around all the bracing serve a purpose. Just wondering.

It matches the excessive size, excessive bracing, excessive Titebond Wood Glue, excessive Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive, excessive amount of screws and excessively complicated port.

I don't want anything in there to move other than the driver and some air.

Very Nice!
Can't wait to see and hear these in Mantown, or the living room.

These are for Mantown ... for now. I like the living room the way it is. Separating the subs in the living room and tucking them in the corners behind the couch with the THX x-over slope is a good sound and they are EQ'ed to cut a nasty peak @ 50Hz. Mantown has this boomy MB Quart sub that's fun but not even close to what my hopes are for the dual 10" JBL's.

I spent today with Davemcc and his wife bumming around Boston so
nothing got done on the subs but I got 36 bars of chocolate!

I'm hoping to see them here on Thursday. Drive down with Marie and you
can meet him and his wife plus there should still be some chocolate left.

 

[Alex2507]

I have the face and grill solution.

It's kind of complicated and I forgot the
camera at home so it's going to have to be a surprise.

The second coat of Bondo went on today. That sh!t's a b!tch to sand.
Fortunately I'm pretty good at applying it tight to avoid excessive sanding.

Maybe tomorrow will be the day for the primer.

 

[Rickster71]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-took a major break just now to get a 32"x48"x1-1/2" piece of OC 703 and
some spandex for the subs which was made possible by Rick's GPS, long
weird story but thanks again Rick.-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I somehow missed this the first time around.
Glad to hear you're getting use out of the GPS.
Something tells me you already had the spandex...just sayin.

 

[Alex2507]

Glad to hear you're getting use out of the GPS.
Something tells me you already had the spandex...just sayin.

The GPS has a 'Go to Spandex' feature built right into it.
Don't even act like you didn't know.

This just couldn't get any stranger if I made it up.
Eddie's across the street neighbor works at a Spandex factory.

After I saw what my nephew had done for a grill I knew that was what I wanted so I asked about the Spandex and Eddie's neighbor brought me several yards of it out of a trash pile. I passed it onto the other Brian because he needed some for air diffuser and return covers. Since then all this subwoofer stuff started and not only did I need the Spandex which I had given the other Brian but some rigid fiberglass that he had. The Spandex is very easy to breath through and a surprisingly tough material. Consider that when some ladies pull that sh!t over their @sses it looks like they have a sack full of door knobs in there.

BTW what I am calling a face is the second layer of 3/4" material on the front baffle. So far it looks like it is to be made out of 3 types of wood with curves but it won't cover the first layer 100%. Then the grill goes on that. It should look killer when I am done but I know that not every shot is a swish ... I'm just hoping this isn't an air ball.

 

[Alex2507]

Bondo Bondo everywhere ...
... the cut out in it's own hole keeps the dust out and will keep the paint off the OC 705.

I was trying to get a pic of the pencil lines to give an idea of the shape of things to come.

... and here is what I have to work with for the face plus some sticks of Maple.

The grill will be yet another yo yo yo dealio.

 

[billy p]

This is why I'm reluctant in accepting anything being offered as free...you know at some point you'll need to do something with it...jk....

Good work...Alex...sorry I missed this thread eariler...

Regards, Bill...

 

[STRONGBADF1]

This is why I'm reluctant in accepting anything being offered as free...you know at some point you'll need to do something with it...jk....

There is no such thing as a free puppy!

 

[Alex2507]

This is why I'm reluctant in accepting anything being offered as free...

It's time I came clean ... I'm building these for Doug ... that's why they're pink.

 

[billy p]

It's time I came clean ... I'm building these for Doug ... that's why they're pink.

Huh...even I know that is only the primer coat....

 

[Alex2507]

Huh...even I know that is only the primer coat....

Doug is going to be mighty disappointed when he reads that. ...

I had white primer on the first coat ... a water based latex.

My real color is on that test piece on the left side of the boxes. Its called Polished Mahogany and is just a dark maroon. For the second coat of primer I added a little paint to the primer to tint it. Now that I am shooting color onto the cabinets I am having trouble getting the paint to cover. I may have to go 2 steps back and re-prime with a deep base. That might not be such a bad idea because the Polished Mahogany is a semi gloss that I can see my filled countersunk screw holes through it at this stage of the game.

On the other hand if I keep going forward shooting color
and wet sanding the whole thing might just take care of itself.

Hmmm ... nothing is easy.

 

[TLS Guy]

Doug is going to be mighty disappointed when he reads that. ...

I had white primer on the first coat ... a water based latex.

My real color is on that test piece on the left side of the boxes. Its called Polished Mahogany and is just a dark maroon. For the second coat of primer I added a little paint to the primer to tint it. Now that I am shooting color onto the cabinets I am having trouble getting the paint to cover. I may have to go 2 steps back and re-prime with a deep base. That might not be such a bad idea because the Polished Mahogany is a semi gloss that I can see my filled countersunk screw holes through it at this stage of the game.

On the other hand if I keep going forward shooting color
and wet sanding the whole thing might just take care of itself.

Hmmm ... nothing is easy.

Alex, you can shoot paint until you are broke from the cost of paint, and your screw holes will show. Any depression or ridge that you can feel with a finger nail will show, always.

I have done enough body work to know that. So you must fill the holes completely and sand it down flat.

Bondo may be part of your problem. It is lousy stuff.

Go to your local body shop, with a good reputation, ask what they are using and where they get it. If they have a good reputation it won't be Bondo. If you are really nice, they might sell you some and give you some post graduate education.