Speaker baffle makers?

[Gnobuddy]

If you're somewhat OCD about woodworking finery then...

Oh, man. If it was only woodworking, I would be lucky. Like so many of us technically oriented people, I have a streak of perfectionism that I always have to be aware of, otherwise it will paralyse me, and keep me from ever getting anything done at all!

-Gnobuddy

[Enzo]

Take my advice with a grain of salt then. My cabinet making skills are this: Two cinder blocks and a plank...voila, shelving.

[E biddy]

This is what I do. There are many options on youtube like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR3LdG8Ir3k

[Gnobuddy]

I wouldn't trust sticky tape, but why not a couple small wood screws into the back side of the baffle piece to hold the scrap? Who cares if a couple small holes are in there?

That sounds like a great idea! Running with your idea, one could drill pilot holes for the eventual speaker mounting screws, and then use those same holes to screw on the scrap from behind as well!

-Gnobuddy

[Gnobuddy]

Take my advice with a grain of salt then. My cabinet making skills are this: Two cinder blocks and a plank...voila, shelving.

I've "built" a few of those over the years, too.

The housing complex in which I now live has a little wood-shop with a decent assortment of tools (including a table saw, belt saw, sliding mitre saw, drill press, an old scroll saw, and a router), so I'm trying to learn enough carpentry to at least be able to make halfway presentable objects.

My current project is a guitar amp I'm planning to give to a senior-citizen friend on a tight fixed income. Since it's for someone else, it has to look at least passably good. Since my friend has a physical disability, it needs to be light. That means solid-state, with a class-D power amp module to drive the two 6.5" speakers (sourced from a $5 thrift-store boombox), and a lightweight pine cab. I'm working on the preamp design, hoping a couple of JFETs and a few other tricks will allow me to make something without the usual nasty solid-state harshness to its sound.

I just glued-up the outer walls of the cab last night. The photos show it as of this morning. The front baffle is a light press-fit, as is the rear baffle, both just sitting in place for now (they will be glued eventually).

These boombox speakers mount from the front, so I used the router to cut the stepped holes you see. This cab will be sealed, and ported - I designed it to have double the volume of the original boom-box ported speaker enclosures (since there will now be two drivers in one enclosure), and will re-use the original two plastic port tubes. That's the reason for the recessed back panel you see. It will be hidden, recessed about 2" from the back of the cab, with the electronics between that, and a second purely cosmetic rear panel.

I still have to cut the 3" diameter holes for the port tubes, spray paint the baffle black and cover it with some sort of grille (probably a $1 place-mat from the dollar store, the budget is tight), round over the cab edges, make a control panel from aluminum sheet, and finish the electronics.

-Gnobuddy

[eschertron]

Before starting to cut, I drew a pencil guide line that passed through the centre of the circle, and for the final two router passes, I didn't rout all the way around the circle. Instead, I made two cuts, each one a bit less than 180 degrees, stopping just shy of the pencil line each time.

I got that this was where you were going...

So the central circle of wood was still attached to the rest of the baffle by two little strips of thin (~ 1/8" thick and 1/4" wide) wood, which kept it located and let me complete all the routing. I had a piece of scrap wood underneath, which supported that central circle, so it didn't break free from the weight of the router.

Once I was done with the router, I used an Exacto knife to cut through those little tangs of wood and clean up the edge, finishing with a scrap of sandpaper.

...and again am presented with more precise detail. On the road to Parnassus, I will always be half-a-day's travel behind.

[Gnobuddy]

On the road to Parnassus, I will always be half-a-day's travel behind.

Me too, I think it's what keeps life interesting. Imagine how boring it would be if you knew everything already?

-Gnobuddy

[ric]

I had two parents who were all thumbs, so I never had anyone to learn proper tool use from. I'll gladly take all the advice I can get from anyone good enough with tools to have been a trim carpenter!

Thank goodness for the Internet. It is so much easier to learn how to do things these days, and to avoid the most dangerous pitfalls. Still, there's nothing like a little coaching from someone who knows what he's doing!

-Gnobuddy

Hold on now, I never said anything about knowing what I'm doing! ;-)

[ric]

I've "built" a few of those over the years, too.

The housing complex in which I now live has a little wood-shop with a decent assortment of tools (including a table saw, belt saw, sliding mitre saw, drill press, an old scroll saw, and a router), so I'm trying to learn enough carpentry to at least be able to make halfway presentable objects.

My current project is a guitar amp I'm planning to give to a senior-citizen friend on a tight fixed income. Since it's for someone else, it has to look at least passably good. Since my friend has a physical disability, it needs to be light. That means solid-state, with a class-D power amp module to drive the two 6.5" speakers (sourced from a $5 thrift-store boombox), and a lightweight pine cab. I'm working on the preamp design, hoping a couple of JFETs and a few other tricks will allow me to make something without the usual nasty solid-state harshness to its sound.

I just glued-up the outer walls of the cab last night. The photos show it as of this morning. The front baffle is a light press-fit, as is the rear baffle, both just sitting in place for now (they will be glued eventually).

These boombox speakers mount from the front, so I used the router to cut the stepped holes you see. This cab will be sealed, and ported - I designed it to have double the volume of the original boom-box ported speaker enclosures (since there will now be two drivers in one enclosure), and will re-use the original two plastic port tubes. That's the reason for the recessed back panel you see. It will be hidden, recessed about 2" from the back of the cab, with the electronics between that, and a second purely cosmetic rear panel.

I still have to cut the 3" diameter holes for the port tubes, spray paint the baffle black and cover it with some sort of grille (probably a $1 place-mat from the dollar store, the budget is tight), round over the cab edges, make a control panel from aluminum sheet, and finish the electronics.

-Gnobuddy

That's a nice project on two levels. You're work looks excellent.

Built bass reflexes for the in the apt time of my slide mount car stereo. I think it really makes the most of small speakers.

[Randall]

To answer the original question, mojotone.com sells baffles. I recently bought a 4x10 baffle with grill cloth for under $80 shipped that I am very happy with. Worth it IMHO.

[eschertron]

So looking around the web, I find www.woodworkerssource.com which sells 5'x5' sheets of 1/2" 9-ply baltic birch, pre-cut into different same-size boards for shipping. It turns out the 30" x 20" boards are very close to the size one needs for a 2x12 cabinet baffle. Most plans I've looked at require baffles just a fraction or two of an inch smaller than the 30x20 supplied. Good so far. Including shipping, I can pick up 6 of these boards (makes up one 5'x5' sheet) for about U$100.
Now I just have to warm up to the task of cutting perfect circles and picking out a grillecloth material.

[bob p]

I think I saw baltic birch plywood at Menards, but don't hold me to that. If they don't have it in stock, they can get it for you. It comes in 4x8 sheets, and if you've got two clamps, a straightedge and a skilsaw you can cut them down to size.

I have a tablesaw with a table that's capable of handling full size sheets, as well as a radial arm saw, but back in the day I used to cut boards on my porch steps with a table saw, no sawhorses required. I just had someone stand on the board on the porch, with the part to be removed hanging off above the steps, and I'd cut it off with a handheld circular saw, using a clamped 1x2 as a guide fence.

When it comes to cutting speaker holes in baffle sheets, there are two easy ways to do it: One is with a handheld jigsaw, where the quality of the circles depends on your skill guiding the saw by hand. With practice this works extremely well. The other way to go is to use a router on a spinning arm to cut round holes in the baffle. This provides the best looking results, if you've got a router. Precision cutting of the holes isn't really necessary, as the speakers and grille will conceal any imperfections, especially if you use front mounting of the speakers.

[eschertron]

...but back in the day I used to cut boards on my porch steps with a table saw, no sawhorses required. I just had someone stand on the board on the porch...

Yeah, well, it's hard to find good help these days

I think I saw baltic birch plywood at Menards, but don't hold me to that. If they don't have it in stock, they can get it for you. It comes in 4x8 sheets, and if you've got two clamps, a straightedge and a skilsaw you can cut them down to size.

I did see Menards' offerings. The price is right, but with snow on the ground my front porch is probably the wrong place to be working. If I haven't pulled the trigger before Spring, I may reconsider.

Precision cutting of the holes isn't really necessary, as the speakers and grille will conceal any imperfections, especially if you use front mounting of the speakers.

So I've read. Precision is not my middle name! I appreciate your encouragement. The front porch has been my jobsite before, space is really tight around my radial-arm saw. I taught myself how to (more safely) use it for ripping, but 8' lengths just won't fit. Trimming a little along a 30" length is feasible.

[The Dude]

[eschertron]

video

That is a dirt-simple jig. Very nice!