Tarkus Speaker design by Paul Carmody

[lovinthehd]

I had to break down some branches one day and was wearing my kilt. Last time ever I chainsawed in a kilt. Wasn't really a safety issue... I had steel toe boots on ...But I was cleaning sawdust out of my boots for a week!

I'd be more worried about slicing your femoral and now you've got me imagining what a kilt and chaps combo would look like!

 

[ryanosaur]

All things considered, a layer of denim won’t save your femoral or other flesh if you lose it with a chainsaw.
This was the nice makita electric saw… so more tame than the gas ones. Only had it kick on me once when I was first learning how to use it. Once I learned the rules it hasn’t been a problem.

Um. No comment on the chaps with a kilt…
I’ve seen the fringes of Fulsom St during the fair.
Not really my jam.

 

[lovinthehd]

No jeans wouldn't help that's for sure. Maybe a cleaner cut without the denim getting mixed in. The chaps I've used would have a good chance to stop it, tho.

 

[ryanosaur]

No jeans wouldn't help that's for sure. Maybe a cleaner cut without the denim getting mixed in. The chaps I've used would have a good chance to stop it, tho.

D@mn. I was hoping you'd bite on the Folsom St thing.

This is certainly a different look...

...than this...

Ok... back to the Tarkus!

 

[lovinthehd]

D@mn. I was hoping you'd bite on the Folsom St thing.

This is certainly a different look...
View attachment 59167
...than this...
View attachment 59168



Ok... back to the Tarkus!

LOL, I have indeed been to a Folsom St fair....a buddy of mine photographed it every year and we joined him one year (which was enuf for me, thanks). When I moved into my first place (on my own) in SF in '80 we had some gay guys living across the street....and one day one of 'em came out with the assless chap thing for all to appreciate (well, not for long, they got in the car and left). Hadn't seen that before. He at least was in good shape....

 

[MrBoat]

I was born before people started wearing latex gloves to protect their hands while they comb their hair.
I hung drywall for 20 years and before OSHA was around much. I've worked on appliances and circuits hot, and my 4" angle grinder at work has the guard removed.

Some tools I am extra cautious with such as the band, and table saws. I was cut-man for a framing crew for a year. The guys would toss down a scrap with rows of measurements on it and it was high production piecework so we really had to hustle. Would stack up 6 sheets of 1/2" ply and cut a bunch of 4' butts ahead of time when decking the roofs.

 

[highfigh]

I have roughly 15 years servicing and rebuilding electric motors and welding now for 30 years along with a minor degree in electronics. Electricity is no mystery to me (much to the dismay of the cable and other electronic sorcery pushers out there) and I respect it. I hold 250 amps AC in my hands every day and have to be aware of how and where to ground, including daisy chaining it to reach isolated parts at the same time.

I have had the circular saw since 2004 and built an 18' wood boat with it and repaired a 12' x 12' section of my roof with it two years ago. Also built all my other speakers with it, outdoors and a bunch of other projects. I also have two Makitas that I used to frame houses with but this metal one is better at staying tight to an aluminum straightedge.

NICE BOAT!

One thing I learned a long time ago- "Don't be the load".

Now that I know you have experience with motors, which brands offer very good value, in your opinion? I know about Baldor and some others, but I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive replacement motor for an imported dust collector- it had a 5HP 240V/50Hz motor that smoked soon after I turned it on. I wired it according to the label, to a power cord that matches the other equipment in my garage- I took it to a motor rebuilder and they checked it out- the field coil is shorting to the case. I think the guy who had it wired it to one pole. I might try that, but would really prefer using 240VAC.

 

[-Jim-]

I have roughly 15 years servicing and rebuilding electric motors and welding now for 30 years along with a minor degree in electronics. Electricity is no mystery to me (much to the dismay of the cable and other electronic sorcery pushers out there) and I respect it. I hold 250 amps AC in my hands every day and have to be aware of how and where to ground, including daisy chaining it to reach isolated parts at the same time.

I have had the circular saw since 2004 and built an 18' wood boat with it and repaired a 12' x 12' section of my roof with it two years ago. Also built all my other speakers with it, outdoors and a bunch of other projects. I also have two Makitas that I used to frame houses with but this metal one is better at staying tight to an aluminum straightedge.

@MrBoat , were you a Motor Winder?

 

[MrBoat]

NICE BOAT!

One thing I learned a long time ago- "Don't be the load".

Now that I know you have experience with motors, which brands offer very good value, in your opinion? I know about Baldor and some others, but I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive replacement motor for an imported dust collector- it had a 5HP 240V/50Hz motor that smoked soon after I turned it on. I wired it according to the label, to a power cord that matches the other equipment in my garage- I took it to a motor rebuilder and they checked it out- the field coil is shorting to the case. I think the guy who had it wired it to one pole. I might try that, but would really prefer using 240VAC.

Been a few years but A.O. Smith used to build a decent motor. They built for Sears and a bunch of others and I had worked on some 3-5 hp motors that had to be from the '40s and still going strong. Baldor is the best bet for continuous duty or for the long term. Just about everyone now is using CCA windings so it's like anything else. The bean counters have figured out exactly how long (like light bulbs) your motor will last. I tend to step up the hp a bit, or whatever it takes for the motor to run cool most of the time. Cooler running motors windings don't expand like hot running motors do. I like to still be able to put my hand on it comfortably after it does it's thing and beyond.

 

[MrBoat]

@MrBoat , were you a Motor Winder?

No. I learned repair and trouble shooting from a motor builder, though and used to watch him do it all the time. . By the time I came along, it was more cost effective to replace than rebuild, except for some rare or hard to get models.

 

[-Jim-]

No. I learned repair and trouble shooting from a motor builder, though and used to watch him do it all the time. . By the time I came along, it was more cost effective to replace than rebuild, except for some rare or hard to get models.

I took an apprenticeship with GE in it ages ago and was on tools for about 10 years. I worked on everything from 1 HP to 40,000 HP Motors, Generators or all sizes including large Megawatt Hydro Electric units, Steam Turbines, Switchgear, Transformers, Drives, etc. from various OEMs. In the industrial world the deliveries are often too long for companies to run without a spare, and it can be cheaper to repair.

 

[MrBoat]

Speaking of progressive rock, I just listened to Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein." Been a long time since I heard that and it is better recorded than I recall. My son just came out of his room like WTF? lol

I had never heard it with subs in play for that drum solo. Holy crap!

 

[ryanosaur]

Speaking of progressive rock, I just listened to Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein." Been a long time since I heard that and it is better recorded than I recall. My son just came out of his room like WTF? lol

I had never heard it with subs in play for that drum solo. Holy crap!

Such a good cut! We used to do that in our Pep/Show-band in college. I was always surprised when I would listen to Edgar Winter how seemingly atypical that is along his other material.

 

[MrBoat]

Made some progress, finally. Company in town, Christmas dinner, and it was dern cold outdoors, this weekend. Today, I took the day off as an after holiday rest day and decided to get all the main carcasses assembled. These stages inspire me to do the next. Still trying not to hurry and it's trying my patience. Once the motor gets revved up, it's hard not to shift to high gear and go machine mode on stuff. Fortunately, I only have enough large clamps to do one large cab at a time. So now I am indoors sipping on a Guinness while waiting for the glue to dry so I can assemble the last.

The rabbeted panels were all oversized 1/8" which allowed for a 1/16" overhang for the flush trim bit to make quick and neat work of. Also helps to square the joints when assembling. I am always surprised to see the corner-to-corner measurements so close each time. If this were butt construction, I would have to spend some time squaring things.

Had guests over Christmas and listened to Rickie Lee Jones "Pirates" CD on the Paul Carmody "Classix2" speakers in my bedroom after everyone settled down or left. Instantly hooked by those darn things. I let it play on as I fell asleep. Love those damn speakers. Have been sorely tempted to build the 2.5 version of that speaker if it's just more of what they do so well.

 

[highfigh]

Made some progress, finally. Company in town, Christmas dinner, and it was dern cold outdoors, this weekend. Today, I took the day off as an after holiday rest day and decided to get all the main carcasses assembled. These stages inspire me to do the next. Still trying not to hurry and it's trying my patience. Once the motor gets revved up, it's hard not to shift to high gear and go machine mode on stuff. Fortunately, I only have enough large clamps to do one large cab at a time. So now I am indoors sipping on a Guinness while waiting for the glue to dry so I can assemble the last.

The rabbeted panels were all oversized 1/8" which allowed for a 1/16" overhang for the flush trim bit to make quick and neat work of. Also helps to square the joints when assembling. I am always surprised to see the corner-to-corner measurements so close each time. If this were butt construction, I would have to spend some time squaring things.

Had guests over Christmas and listened to Rickie Lee Jones "Pirates" CD on the Paul Carmody "Classix2" speakers in my bedroom after everyone settled down or left. Instantly hooked by those darn things. I let it play on as I fell asleep. Love those damn speakers. Have been sorely tempted to build the 2.5 version of that speaker if it's just more of what they do so well.

I used dado and rabbet joints when I built my cabinets and had planned to make improvements, as needed. I made one or two tweaks to the crossovers, but since those were external, the boxes haven't needed to move far and certainly not out to the garage where I would have applied some kind of veneer/edge if they hadn't been the first version. Other projects got in the way, so there they sit, unchanged but very appreciated for their sound. Since mine are much taller than wide, the partitions needed to be an integral part of the cabinets and I cut dados for them to fit into, as well as gluing and using brad nails to hold while the glue dried. The face is rabbeted to accept the partitions and it fits into the case so well it really wouldn't need to be glued and nailed (that was just pressed into place, at first).

What will be on the exterior- veneer?

 

[MrBoat]

Boom-boom-tch

 

[MrBoat]

I used dado and rabbet joints when I built my cabinets and had planned to make improvements, as needed. I made one or two tweaks to the crossovers, but since those were external, the boxes haven't needed to move far and certainly not out to the garage where I would have applied some kind of veneer/edge if they hadn't been the first version. Other projects got in the way, so there they sit, unchanged but very appreciated for their sound. Since mine are much taller than wide, the partitions needed to be an integral part of the cabinets and I cut dados for them to fit into, as well as gluing and using brad nails to hold while the glue dried. The face is rabbeted to accept the partitions and it fits into the case so well it really wouldn't need to be glued and nailed (that was just pressed into place, at first).

What will be on the exterior- veneer?

Probably cherry veneer to match my subs. Is what I have on the Tempests as well so they all match with the subs.

 

[highfigh]

Probably cherry veneer to match my subs. Is what I have on the Tempests as well so they all match with the subs.

I don't know if you would want to do it, but if trying to make clean, crisp corners and edges with veneer sounds like a PITA, using a strip of solid wood and rounding it over is a good way to avoid chipping and tearouts. Canton, ADS and other manufacturers have done this and it looks very nice. If you have a bandsaw (or if you know someone who does), solid wood can be re-sawed to 1/8"-1/4" thickness and glued to the cabinets- that allows for rounding over, small bevels or if the face is thick enough, the sides and face can be dovetailed.

I saw the Vandersteen speakers in this photo at a local shop and thought they were interesting-

 

[MrBoat]

I don't know if you would want to do it, but if trying to make clean, crisp corners and edges with veneer sounds like a PITA, using a strip of solid wood and rounding it over is a good way to avoid chipping and tearouts. Canton, ADS and other manufacturers have done this and it looks very nice. If you have a bandsaw (or if you know someone who does), solid wood can be re-sawed to 1/8"-1/4" thickness and glued to the cabinets- that allows for rounding over, small bevels or if the face is thick enough, the sides and face can be dovetailed.

I saw the Vandersteen speakers in this photo at a local shop and thought they were interesting-

I have had a lot of years practice with laminates, including metal and also composites.

The raw, non-backed veneer on these was set in epoxy with a homemade press of sorts.

 

[highfigh]

I have had a lot of years practice with laminates, including metal and also composites.

The raw, non-backed veneer on these was set in epoxy with a homemade press of sorts.

Nice- didn't know your history with this stuff. Ever use the NBL (No Black Line) veneers?

Attitudes vary WRT veneering- I went to a WoodCraft store and asked a guy about their supplies and veneer stock but didn't expect someone who's there to sell products that are available in that store to let me know his opinion of it in such a condescending way. His reply- "No, I use the real stuff". My first thought was "So, the practice of veneering that started around 4000 years ago as a way to add decoration to the tombs of Egyptian Pharaos and later, on furniture for the living with examples of it are on display in museums around the freaking World isn't good enough for you?". I almost asked what he has made that might be considered 'impressive'. He might be a great woodworker, but he was a bit of a nobk about it (the k is silent).

Is that 'Leopard' Cedar on the larger cabinets? What finish did you use?

Your Imgur page shows two windows- one Art Deco and another that's Art Nouveau- is the Art Nouveau by McIntosh?