First cabinet build - recommendations, plans, pictures...

[trumpus]

Hey all,

THis is my first post here, and I'm hoping I might be in the right place for some recommendations and tips for building my first speaker cabinet (and if all goes well, then a head cab as well).

I would like th build a 2X12 or 2X10 hardwood extension cabinet, which I will stain rather than tolex. I am thinking convertable back because I can't decide between open and closed

I am not much of a wood-worker, but I will be working with a friend of mine who is - he builds furniture and most recently several kayaks. He's got a fully outfitted shop and is ready to go! Having never built one, I am hoping that I can garner some advice, tips tricks and maybe even some pics of the building process.

I'm fairly clueless, so I really need advice on every step of the process. I'm especially interested in:

- wood types - shell and baffle
- dimensions (if important)
- how to mount a baffle, grillcloth and back panels
- bracing if necessary

I realize when all's said and done, I will likely spend more than if I bought a cabinet, but we are thinking this could be a fun project to use his shop for and some time to get away with a few beers and some power tools!

Any help would be awesome!

Thanks,
Brian

[black_labb]

there are multiple ways and materials depending on what you can do and what you have available. why not do some research then ask what you dont understand?

[trumpus]

there are multiple ways and materials depending on what you can do and what you have available. why not do some research then ask what you dont understand?

I have and I thought my post above referenced some specific questions the answers to those would be a great start for me!

Thanks,
BRian

[black_labb]

sorry if i come across rude or anything, but i say that because the questions you ask are close to the whole story to a cab.
you've decided on an open backed design that can also be closed off, and you want it for 2 10" or 12" speakers.

reguarding the questions, id say search. you dont even have to use the search function, as their are already threads that address your questions in the cabinetry forum on the front page. the 5th thread is cabinet wood, so you can read that and tick that off your list.
the question about the dimensions seems to be a reasonable question. the dimensions dont matter in an open backed cab, but will be relevant in a closed back design. a larger volume within the cab will allow the speakers to produce lower notes, but the larger the volume, the more it will resemble an open backed cab. i assume you have read about the differences which is why you want to try both.

reguarding how you mount things, there are so many ways. have a look at people's builds, there are plenty within this forrm. my 1x15 bass cab shows how i did everything (or you can figure it out with the pics). the only thing that isnt spelled out is the grillcloth, which is mounted to a frame an then pushed into place, as it was tight.

if you want to see peoples cabs they made, just go into their threads, at least a quarter of threads in cabinetry are people's cabs they built. were not going to repost our builds in your thread. have a look. we make these threads so that people can learn from what weve done and try it themselves, not just to show off.

bracing depends on what you are making the cab from, and what you are aiming for.

[trumpus]

Thanks for your input.

I have read through all the threads here (all 3 pages of them) and done fairly extensive searching here, on TGP forums and some of the DIY forums. It seems that there used to be a few websites with pretty complete step by step instructions, though these are non-working links right now. Other than that, I have found tons of pictures, which are helpful, but still leave me with some specifics with regards to build, which I was hoping could be answered in a somewhat complete, step-by-step type thread or website (if one exists).

So, I guess there just isn't a complete resource out there. I found the London Power book on building speaker cabs and have held off, hoping the info would be found for free on the web, but I guess I will have to buy this, since it seems that no one is interested in creating a step-by-step resource for newbies

[black_labb]

i think the issue you are having is design wise, as you dont feel comfortable designing the cab on your own. am i right? why not design the cab by making a few sketches and then showing us, and we can tell you what will work and what wont, and point you to what you need to know. i dont feel that a speaker cab for guitar would need a book when you have the internet at your disposal. all it really is is a box with speakers mounted in it. have a look at how to make boxes on the net, it should tell you a bit about joining methods and such. the box doesnt need to be high tech, just needs to hold together and not rattle with the vibrations.

[trumpus]

i think the issue you are having is design wise, as you dont feel comfortable designing the cab on your own. am i right? why not design the cab by making a few sketches and then showing us, and we can tell you what will work and what wont, and point you to what you need to know. i dont feel that a speaker cab for guitar would need a book when you have the internet at your disposal. all it really is is a box with speakers mounted in it. have a look at how to make boxes on the net, it should tell you a bit about joining methods and such. the box doesnt need to be high tech, just needs to hold together and not rattle with the vibrations.

Great idea! I'll try to make some drawings this week - I'll likely have to scan the, but i'll try it out and see!

Brian

[tubeswell]

Research is a good idea as black_labb mentioned. Maybe you should swat up on some theory about TS parameters and cabinet design. I found this page interesting.

http://www.duncanamps.com/technical/speaker_cab.html

[trumpus]

OK - so I sat down last night to start the process of designing the cab. I started by making a list of what I thought I would need in terms of supplies and realized my first specific questions that I need to answer...

- what size and type of wood should I use for the "brackets" that the baffle and back are mounted to?

- what size and type of wood should I use for the grillcloth frame?

Once I know these, I think the design process will go a bit quicker, so any help or recommendations would be great!

Finally, I was wondering if someone could point me in the direction of where to purchase the screws with the silver washers (and what they are called) that are used to attach the back to the cabinet (a la Fender amps).

I have decided that I would like to build a 2X10 or 2X12, convertable back which I would like to look like this one (from Bob Burt):

[black_labb]

for the baffle and the grillcloth frame i used the same pieces of 18mmx18mm tasmanian oak (australian wood) , but any hardwood of similar dimensions would work fine, whatever the hardware store has will be suitable assuming it is a hardwood. i used butt joints for mine so those pieces were also used to line the inside of the butt joints as well to make it stronger.

if you wanted to fingerjoint like that cab (the corners) it is a fair bit of work, but looks good and is plenty strong. i havent bothered as i expect my cabs to be thrown around alot, but if you want to make a hardwood one thats probably not what you are planning on doing with it.