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When Ya Got Wood......Watchagonnado?


django49

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I have accumulated enough shop built cabinets, that I need to do something about selling some. Maybe. Someday.

In the meantime, I have been cleaning out surplus stuff and realized I still have many supplies laying about. Wood, for sure. Some great and unused 12" speakers. Tolex and grill cloth and handles and wires. Oh WTF, I'll just use it (some of it) up by building some more.....

I think I figured out how to build my all time favorite speaker cabinets, the Forte 3D style, a bit more efficiently. So, work in progress..... Not quite picture perfect routing, but not too bad either......And it will all be enclosed anyway. (A person can never have too many clamps!) One sheet of birch plywood is enough for two 1 x 12s, with some left overs if cut carefully.

The internal reflecting panels will be installed later.

This style is relatively small and light, but a simple 1 x 12 combines the best of both open and closed back tones.....And sounds like it is 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. At least. Stack one with an Alnico Cream atop one with an EVM-12L and it is a monster. To my taste, at least.

 

Forte 12 1 5 22.jpgforte 12 1 5 22 2.jpg

I like to use uncovered woods rather than plywood (see below) but since I have the other supplies.....Doing the tolex work is a PITA, but I have the supplies. I am thinking one will be done in "tooled western" and the other in "python". A bit indulgent, I suppose.....

After I did the series with 15"speakers, I decided I was not completely thrilled with the "antiqued" finish on my earlier pine and walnut 10" varieties....So I got out the sander and stripped them down to refinish with a clear satin poly. I think they look a bit better. (A variety of Forte, Thiele and open back styles).

Forte 1 12 22 21.jpgForte 10 12 22 21 2.jpg

Lots of fun to experiment with different combination of speakers. A Thiele and Forte are a great combination, for example. And small and light enough to be pretty portable.

Yes, one of these days I need to find some good local homes for some of these offspring......

(Some older Tolex efforts......I STILL need to get around to installing the Mesa-style leather corners).

IMG_1839.JPG

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I particularly like the cabinets you are creating. If it would make sense to send them overseas.

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I always wanted to build a Forte style cab shaped like a Mini Recto  made of pine. I cut the shell pieces about a year ago but never finished the project (among my many others). I wish I had half the equipment you have, all I got is a circular saw, cordless drill and jig saw.  Nice work you have there though !

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14 hours ago, gorch said:

I particularly like the cabinets you are creating. If it would make sense to send them overseas.

 

10 hours ago, tweed said:

I always wanted to build a Forte style cab shaped like a Mini Recto  made of pine. I cut the shell pieces about a year ago but never finished the project (among my many others). I wish I had half the equipment you have, all I got is a circular saw, cordless drill and jig saw.  Nice work you have there though !

It would be difficult to get me to ship overseas......Based upon issues with shipping recently, I am hesitant to ship anything, even in the States. then there is the packing and weight.  The 1xs are not bad. The 2 x 12 Forte (which I absolutely love) has 2 fairly heavy speakers (most so, the EVM) and it is both heavy and bulky. Not to mention that the two raw speakers alone cost me near $500.

There are a few pro builders that make replicas. I think the run about $400 for a 1 x 12 WITHOUT speaker, over $700 with an Alnico Cream. God only knows about shipping. A relative "bargain" if you get the 2 x 12. BUT, I don't like their standard configuration.....They show as the bottom being a more standard closed back. For my own build, I made the top and bottom separated into two chambers (sharing the panel between upper and lower). But with each having the 3D style......With a "Plug and Play" panel, I can select either speaker at 8 ohms (great for stereo!) or run as a 2 x 12 at either 4 or 16 ohms. But again, it is a bloody load, so I prefer stacking a pair of 1 x 12s.

I am getting old.....I can recall when speaker cabinets were pretty cheap....

Tweed.....I do not think advanced tools are absolutely essential. Most of what I do here COULD be done with a Skilsaw, jig saw and drill. Of course it is easier and more exacting with a table saw to get perfectly square panels. But if you use a simple fence and a few clamps, you can do that. To be honest, it IS much easier with more tools. I use a biscuit joiner to make the glue joints rock solid. Cutting the internal grooves, not so easy. Unless you have a router table......I have done it with a handheld router, but you need a good shop built jig AND firm control. Even then, the results were not exactly pretty....But that is all internal, so at least you cannot SEE the sloppiness.

The side ports were cut with a jig saw......Using a spindle sander makes short work of getting the edges are cleaned up from the rough cut of the jig saw. That would be a bitch by hand.

Oh yeah, I also use the router to round the edges of the cabinet, as well as the ports.

BTW, there IS a shortcut. Rather than rout the grooves, perhaps use 1/2" plywood and glue thin strips in place to more or less provide the same "break up the sound waves" result. Not as aesthetically pleasing, but (again) hidden away inside.

I know you can also use a LARGE CNC machine to cut these panels out of whole sheets of plywood. Maybe the commercial builders do that. WAY above my pay grade!

I got a helpful hand from someone that took pictures and measurements of an original cabinet which enabled me to work backward and reverse engineer them. More than happy to pass on such ideas to others!

I may have a delay in finishing these....No one locally seems to have the contact cement (for tolex) in stock. Other than in the small bottles. Must be a "supply chain" issue.

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I should get some folks that are closer to me to try some out......That would give me a second opinion on whether anyone else shares my tastes in tone and projection.

After TWO major shipping problems in the past couple years, I am not planning on any shipments any time soon........

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3 hours ago, Jimbilly said:

I just happened to be a bit in your direction for work today (Olympia), I heard that I-5 was flooded further South,  -  hopefully you're on some higher ground.

We seem to be in a good place. We have a "wetlands" at the end of the property where the water has definitely risen......Some of the ash and alder trees I planted  are surrounded by water. If it gets real wet and THEN the winds get high, we are always in danger of having some of the Leyland Cypress (They grow fast, but the roots tend to not keep up) come down like last winter.

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At risk of boring, but I think there are a few folks that here have some interest in building their own....So, progress pictures that may help illustrate the steps toward completion.....

Still to come are the internal reflecting panels on the sides and back. I have 6 different tolex varieties to choose from. (I may also have some reddish snakeskin if I dig deeper into the vault). I like the python and tooled western styles, but tweed would be cool too.

Forte 12 1 7.jpgForte 12 1 7 22 3.jpgForte 12 1 7 22 2.jpgForte 12 1 7 22 4.jpg

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29 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

Can I get a rocking chair with speaker built into the bottom? 

If I aim the speaker the right way and apply enough power, it could be both self-propelled and provide good vibrations. Which reminds me of a girl friend long ago that discovered she liked to sit on my 1 x 15 cab when I played because......."Ooh, hit that open power chord again!" Sort of a 6 cubic foot vibrator.

BTW, my mother got a chance to try the rocker recently and loved it. Makes her bad back very comfortable. I am not sure about taking on another one, given my very SLOW rate of work on something so complicated in terms of joinery, etc. And she is over 95, so there is that.....But I found someone who builds professionally who can build one to her exact body dimensions (slightly scaled down) at what I consider a real nice price, even if not exactly cheap.

He is building it with figured sapele. Sapele is a member of the Mahogany family. It is a great alternative to genuine Mahogany. Sapele is stiffer and heavier than the African mahogany. It is said to be 16% harder than Red Oak. So it should be real sturdy. Here is a link to of one he built previously. I hope to have it for her in April.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222939817/maloof-inspired-rocker?click_key=96e88d67f5876ece414b8b82fe42838a18a029f5%3A222939817&click_sum=1bd1dff1&ref=shop_home_recs_1&sca=1

And I thought I had some GUITARS with fancy woods!

Zach Chair 2.avif

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been known to get carried away......More material than I thought. WTH, I will try a tweak or two on the 2 x 12 HORIZONTAL version. Might be useful  for a STEREO setup. Planning to make one in stereo with a versatile Plug & Play Panel, the other with a pair of matched 16 ohm speakers wire for 8 ohms. I like the Plug & Play as it allows the 8 ohm speakers to be driven separately for stereo, or as a 2 x 12 in either 4 or 16 ohms without rewiring. Remains to be seen whether a center panel will be needed for better separation or if the internal reflectors are adequate for that.

I think I am short a pair of 12" speakers, so I need to go shopping.

In the process I had a slight brainstorm of sorts and came up with a more efficient way of doing the internal routing. Not perfect (you can likely see from the work in progress), but a lot closer than my prior versions. Remains to be seen (heard) if I prefer the result. So, instead of a pair of 1 x 12s, I will end up with FOUR more 1 x 12s and a pair of 2 x 12s. Then I gotta figure out what to keep....

Forte 1 20 22.jpgforte 1 20 22 a.jpg

BTW, I also decided to try something a bit different for the new gadget from Quilter, the Mach 3. Really a pretty impressive compact package, IMO. I sketched up a headshell....Oversized so the large 6 button footswitch and cables will fit in the back/bottom. I will cover it with tolex to match one of the cabinets. Black and white "python snakeskin" maybe(?) That, with a lightweight 1 x 12, will make a compact and easy to cart about rig.

quilter 1 20 22.jpgquilter 1 22 22 a.jpg

 

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Progress.....Slow but steady. Great fun (challenge) to get all the pieces cut to fit and the tolex fitted and wrapped. Still need a handle and feet and the head screwed into the top slot. Same for the cabinet plus the internal deflectors, speaker and wiring. But getting there. Looking for someone that actually has a pair of 8 ohm Alnico Creams in stock at a fair price.

You might say it has a biting tone. 🙄

python 1.jpgpython 3.jpgpython 2.jpg

The other 5 cabs are at a similar stage of completion. One each in tweed, dark tweed, cream, black tooled western and red snakeskin. The rest of the grille cloth should arrive on Tuesday.

python 4.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

So, I think I reach the finish line, with the exception of a few tolex loose edges and application of acetone to remove excess cement. I am not going to say they are perfect, but they all work the way they should and look fairly decent. I now have these cabinets, as well as the ones I made earlier, finished off with leather corners Mesa Boogie style. (Side note......I bought leather patches from both Mesa and another supplier. Trust me.....If you are going to do it, go with the Mesa parts. The others are thicker, but that makes them extremely hard to "stretch" around the corners for a good fit. I learned a few tips if anyone has an interest is doing this).

First, the Quilter headshell and cabinet.....

forte 2 15 3 a.jpgforte 2 15 2 a.jpgforte 2 15 1 a.jpg

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A little bit of detail on construction, at risk of showing rough edges before clean up.....

Forte Feb 2 a.jpg

 

And the 2 x 12s. The regular tweed is set up for stereo to match my Swart head. The dark tweed is sorta the same, but set up for mono (2 16 ohm speakers).

forte 2 14 5 a.jpgforte 2 14 4 a.jpgForte Feb 5 a.jpg

forte 2 14 7 a.jpgforte 2 14 6 a.jpg

And the 1 x 12s.....Don't ask me why I made so many.....But I had excess materials and speakers, so WTH......

forte 2 14 1 a.jpgforte 2 14 2 a.jpgforte 2 14 3 a.jpg

I think I am done for awhile. Now I gotta spend some time breaking in the speakers and deciding which ones I want to keep. For first trials, I really like the alnicos, but that is no surprise based on my track record. The side by side Alnico Creams sound huge with only 5 watts per channel (Swart Stereo) driving them. Better than the vertical 2 x 12? Hard to tell, though the Alnico Cream on top and EVM on the bottom is killer and my prior favorite. Either one sounds great in stereo (even if it is weird having the stereo separation up and down rather than side by side!), but the Plug N Play input also allows use as a 2 x 12 in mono. And either is sounding great with the Fuchs ODS head. Even though the power rating for all those speakers is way higher than the amps put out.

The 1 x 12 with 100 watt Jensen Blackbird is also promising, but it needs to be broken in a bit. They jury is out on various varieties of ceramics.

All in all......Not as perfect as a pro builder would make them. OTOH, they did not cost over $1200, as a 2 x 12 with alnicos would cost at Avatar. Good enuff fir gummint werk as we used to say at City Hall.

 

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