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Technics Cabinet Re-builds - BuzzzFuzzz


BuzzzFuzzz

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A few pics for today.

 

Giving the Sony cabinets a good day curing before rolling on the final coat.

 

Playing around with speaker stands today...

 

   ...  had these lying around for years, pulled apart for restoration and forgotten.  Water damaged at the bottom, so the bases were discarded for MDF, and shortened due to the same damage, but also for speaker height - win, win.

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Also painting two speaker stand platforms, and having more success with the finish from a gloss red spray can...

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24 minutes ago, BuzzzFuzzz said:

bracing an old cabinet may create higher resonances

this applies to all cabinets.

24 minutes ago, BuzzzFuzzz said:

may erroneaously consider the same would apply inside every speaker.

Lining the walls of speakers with fluffy things does nothing.

Some sort of rubber or squishy mass will make the panels more demped....  but this is nowhere near as effective as bracing.

It depends a lot on the box, materials, and the frequncy range of operation.

 

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7 minutes ago, davewantsmoore said:

It depends a lot on the box, materials, and the frequncy range of operation.

The box is 400mm square, 700mm high, made from chip board, and has a 1 inch baffle of MDF.

They are three way, but I don't really know the frequency range...  I have limited specs.

 

I'm about to head into work for dinner service, will be back on line later tonight.

 

Edited by BuzzzFuzzz
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A few finishing touches over the last few days... almost ready to re-assemble the Sony's, which I decided to finish with another spray coat instead of a roller.  Not the greatest finish, but I'm happy with them, and much better than before.

I'm waiting for the gloss black to cure for a few days before taping them up to paint the baffle, the baffle will be silver hammertone spray...

 

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I've done some panels for the tweeters in the hammertone paint...  very easy to paint with...

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The drivers have been given a gloss red trim in homage to Cerwin Vega...

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I've cut some o rings from 6mm adhesive mat for mounting the drivers for both the Sony's and the Technics...

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...  and glued some mdf battens for bracing the Technics cabinets as suggested...  Thanks @davewantsmoore

What do you suggest for placement?  Is there merit to a 2/5 - 3/5 placement for the horizontal, and centre placement for the vertical?

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It's very tempting to hurry things along, but giving the paint enough time to cure is crucial.

 

I've applied the final gloss red coat to the speaker stand platforms, there is a little dimpling, but overall I'm very happy with one of my first finishing paint jobs with gloss paint, especially considering I have no indoor facilities for painting...

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I'm joining the local Men's Shed, out here in rural NSW, this coming Wednesday...  I've been down to introduce myself and find out exactly what happens there...  $50.00 membership fee and access to a great workshop, with the collective experience of its members.

I shall give an update later...  I think it would make an interesting thread if there are members here who are also members there.

 

 

 

Edited by BuzzzFuzzz
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Finished off the Sony cabinets...

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Overall, I'm happy with the result.  I would do a couple of things differently, and...  yes...  I did get a little impatient, hence the silver cord trim to cover up the edge.

The driver mounting frames are screwed and glued to the baffle.  I decided to leave them, as removing the glue would have damaged the wood.

 

They sound pretty good to my ears too.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

G'day Folks.

 

I've joined the local Men's Shed, or 'Shedders'.  3 hours a day, 3 days a week, which matches my work hours perfectly.  I haven't met all the members, but I'm the youngest at 53 so far.  The old boys like to get the fire going and have a good chat while the more spritely get the work done.  A range of jobs from decorative pieces to repairs and also making metal frames, garden seats and the like.  A large 30 metre avery was constructed on site for a client recently.

 

A wealth of experience and the right tools for the job.

 

My mum has already had me remove the balcony screen doors and take them in for repairs.  It was this that actually prompted me to join, as she mentioned that she wanted the boys to do them.

Speaker work will be on hold for a week while the doors get a complete rebuild.

 

Speaking of speakers...

 

The Technics cabinets have been waiting, primed for painting which I won't do until I've assembled for a test run first.  The crossovers are almost complete.

 

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A HUGE shoutout to Doug @Tubularbells for these fine examples of craftsmanship.  

Even though he is held in high esteem around these parts, I would like to acknowlege the help and sopport this dude provides for me and many other members here.  He and his like make me proud to be a member.

 

I can't wait to finally get down to Melbourne.  I've had to cancel two trips now.  The first was planned well in advance, the second was to pick up a recent pruchase of another full Optonica system, and yes, another pair of Technics, two way speakers.

 

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These were kindly picked up for me by @ThirdDrawerDown and stored at his place for the time being.  Thanks mate.

 

I will take the cabinets into the workshop on Monday...

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I'm removing some of the internal damping materials so I cand glue and clamp some internal bracing.  That is the final stage, they will be ready for assembly and a test run when the crossovers arrive.

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Looking at Doug's work I'm considering replacing the drivers with improved quality, same specs.  Like we did for the crossovers.  There is nothing wrong with these cabinets, they are well built, I've only had to replace the rear panels on both.  There was no internal bracing either, so I'm hoping for a bit of a tighter sound.

 

I've been working on the Stereo rack, recycled from a gardening clean up job when I was in Queensland.

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It's ready for painting this week.

I will fill the legs with sand.  I have the plastic caps for the tubing, but may need something stronger for the bottom.  I'm also hoping one of the boys can show me how to turn some nice timber caps to polish up for the tops.

 

I live on a wonky timber floor and levelling will be crucial.

I've decided to make a small platform for each legs to stand on.  They will have three eye bolts screwed into each one.

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Yet again I'm reminded of the value of patience in all things stereo.  It's also teaching me valuable planning skills with woodwork and painting.

 

I've been playing around with different speakers and amps...

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... and yes, It's becoming a 'thing' to include a pic of the Blu Boy.

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I'm still not confident to write about my thoughts regarding sound, but I'm definitely listening to better quality recordings and getting some great music, but having some concerns about average recordings sounding a bit, well you know, average.

I have to remind myself that I'm never going to attain a superb sounding system.  Listening to other members systems a while back certainly gave me a taste for quality audio, and ever since I have been focussed more on the sound rather than the music.  It does annoy me a little... sometimes.

 

I do look forward to to the day when I can settle back and relax with a sound that I love and a good variety of quality music for whatever suits the mood. 

Making the rack and speaker stands has been a long time coming too, it will also have a huge impact with some cohesion through a completed room set up.

I guess maybe that's everyones ideal.

 

 

 

 

         

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G'day Folks...

 

A little nippy out here this morning... days are getting longer now... nice in the sun, or by the fire lit every morning in the Men's Shed.

 

I'm settling in with some new tools at my disposal, finally having access to a full workshop for the first time in my life.  This morning I had my first crack at edge routing.

 

Here's a few pics of some of the older boys, workshop, and a couple of jobs...

 

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A very friendly and helpful group of gents.

 

Are there any Shedders amongst the SNA crew?

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... back to regular threading...

 

Edge routed the amp platforms for the stereo rack... still a little touching up to do on the corners.  One thing I've noticed in the shed is a lack of lighting... not complaining, mind you... just a suggestion.

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These are measured for a perfect amp fit, and should look very nice.  I would like to use springs under the platforms... I have Whites Anti Vibration Pads, but may use 1 inch sections of pool noodle to start with and purchase springs one set at a time.

 

I use rubber balls on milk bottle caps under a bamboo cutting board for my turntable.  I tried squash balls but they deformed.  I found some larger balls at a sport shop and they do the job very well... but, I've always been embarressed about the look of them.

I picked up a second board to cut up and make a skirt.  Little did I know they aren't solid...

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... but it came up OK.  I'm on the hunt for a nice piece of hardwood for a replacement.  I didn't like the fact that my TT platform was essentially hollowed out.

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I'm struggling with selecting paint colours.  The stereo rack will be in three, shelves, platforms and frame.

I would like to use the grain in the TT platform and have some Black, Japan, Gloss Stain & Varnish.

 

This will help me by being the first colour choice, I can work with the finished platform to match the amp platforms, then match the shelves to those, then match the frame.

 

It has been a real challenge to decide on the colour scheme.

 

Right now I have Charcoal Hammercoat, Black Gloss Enamel, and a Grey called 'Heavy Metal' Enamel from Bunnings, which I bought for the name, but wanted a dark, not black, for speaker baffles.  The name was a bonus, and will be proudly pointed out whenever anyone is visting.

 

For the frame I'm thinking of a Gloss Claret spray...

 

I finished holes in the back panels for the first two Technics cabinets...  one vent and one for connection plate.  The original boxes were not ported with a tube, simply vented with a hole, which I'm leaving as is.  Also cut all pieces for a small 10 inch sub box...

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These are the four platforms for the stereo rack footings...

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I'm suspecting I may be over complicating things here.  With 3 x 4 adjustments it may be too difficult, but worth a try.  The unpainted piece is only for the pics, protecting the undercoat.

 

Enjoying things much more now that I have the right tools and knowhow at my fingertips.

 

Cheers.

 

 

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Greetings Stereo Heads.

 

Happy days here... the crossovers arrived for the Technics cabinets.

I've lots of pics for the last week, and a few words to come later tonight...  I've put one of the cabinets together for a listen in mono, and I'm very happy so far.

 

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I'm about to throw down with the second cabinet now, with another post later on.

 

They'll be dismantled again for completion and detailing,

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Currently listening to Leonard Cohen's 'Ten New Songs', CD ripped to wav, through the Philips media player 3.5mm out, into RCA aux on the Sharp Optonica SM-4100.

 

Bloody lovely!

 

I've owned these speakers almost 20 years.  I've always loved them... the sound, that I paid $50 per pair, and I have two pair.

 

I recently blew up my Optonica SM-5100, by foolishly hooking up four x 6 ohm speakers at once.  I used to run one pair of 8 ohm and one pair of 6 ohm quite regularly, and didn't think twice hooking up two pair of 6's.  Lesson learned.

I picked this SM-4100 up recently thanks to other members here, classifieds, notification and assistance in picking up and shipping.  Thanks to all of you...  you know who you are.

 

I've run these Technics with the SM-5100 amp for almost 20 years as well.  I'm very familiar with this combination, never interested in upgrades of any sort...  until I joined this bloody forum...

The SM-4100 is almost identical to the SM-5100, it has fewer features and buttons, but the sound is very familiar and comfortable, a timely replacement until I get the 5100 sorted by Doug in Melbourne.

 

As you can see from the start date of this thread, it has been 12 months since I stripped the first pair, and a few months now since I stripped the second.  I've been listening to other speakers in the mean time, the Sony's and the vintage Hokutone drivers.  It's been a while since I've heard the Technics.  We all know how quickly we adapt to change.

 

As I sit here and type I'm thinking that I don't really need anymore gear.  I'm not amazed or surprised, but I'm very impressed...  this sounds so good...  comfortable, warm, rich, full...  the bottom end has clarity and punch, and the vocals are sitting nicely.

 

There seems to be much more detail and scope in the soundstage.

 

1.  Replaced back panels due to crumbling.

2.  Added internal bracing.

3.  Mounted drivers on outside, instead of inside.

4.  Mounted drivers on 6mm adhesive foam backing.

5.  Had crossovers updated and made with higher quality components...  Thanks to TubularBells.

6.  Reconditioned cabinet...

 

   ... That's it.

 

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Not easy getting these clamps on with only one pair of hands.  Took some time and tested my patiece...  I still have to glue the back panel in and then brace it.

 

The crossovers arrived today, they were on the doorstep when I got home.  I walked over excitedly, only to have my heart sink when I saw the state of the box...

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Luckily everything was expertly and lovingly packed by @Tubularbells and there was no internal damage.

I've had two amps and a TT sent through Oz Post with no dramas.

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The volume knob goes to 40 on the Optonica, I'm running at 12 ( not 12 o'clock ), and have ample sound.

Will be interesting how they sound being reacquainted with Metal after a few months reprieve.

Will also give the turntable a run tomorrow.

 

Cheers for now.

Ant.

 

 

 

 

Edited by BuzzzFuzzz
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So glad there finally up and running and that (thankfully) no damage occurred. The speakers should really open up with the new crossovers.

 

For those who haven't seen these were the original.  Note the originals also had that nasty sound robbing protector switch on the tweeter ?  

 

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And these are the revised versions

 

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Edited by Tubularbells
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Ahoy there Matey's.

 

Ticking along nicely.  Overjoyed with the sound of the Technics speakers...  finding it difficult to break down for finishing.

I have to mount the crossovers properly, glue and brace the rear panel in, recess the driver holes to mount them flush with the baffle, and then finish painting.

 

Having them sitting here in undercoat white has me inclined to paint them gloss white, instead of black & charcoal.  I really like the clean look of the white.

 

I haven't touched them since hooking them up, but must push myself to finish them off.

 

I had my first go with the plunge router and Shed made jig today...

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Only a test on a piece of scrap.  The jig worked very well, nice and clean cuts requiring a little sanding ( not done ).

Now that I am able to cut circles a whole lot quicker ( pardon the pun ), I'm keen to get the Technics finished and get going on the next build.

 

I'm pulling apart the other pair of Sony Speakers and making new cabinets from 18mm ply.  They are two way speakers.

There are two sub speakers from the same set of speakers, and I'm making new cabinets for them as well.

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I hope to make three way speakers with two cabinets ( if that makes sense ).

I have the sub cabinets cut and undercoated, and have been waiting to get comfortable with the router to cut the driver holes.  That will be done on Wednesday...  then I can assemble my first cabinets.

The Sony's have a basic crossover which I'll play around with, using the old Technics components and some others I have lying around from other speakers.

 

I know that is not the way to do it...  without measurements.  I will be hunting a microphone soon so I can really get into it.  I reckon having a play around with what I have, measuring with my ears, will be good experience too.  It will help me understand what's going on with each component.

 

On the side...  I've started pulling apart the Tip Shop speakers, with Hokutone drivers, for reconditioning.  They are in pretty good nic...

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I've already replaced the tweeter with an Acoustic Research bookshelf speaker tweeter, and it sounds pretty good.  When I'm able to measure, I will re-assess the tweeter.

 

I need some advice on the baffle for these...

 

Notice how the baffle is behind the raised outer rim.  I'm assuming the rim was used to lift the cut off grill cover away from the drivers.  I'm not sure about having a raised lip around the full edge of the baffle...  but I could be completely wrong and it may be there for acoustic reasons too.

 

Anyway...  I've cut new baffles to size from 18mm ply.  They will be mounted on top of the raised edge, one for the tweeter and one for the mid/woofer.

 

I'm wondering if I should open up the old baffle with a jig saw, or leave it in behind the new baffle.  As the cabinets are in pretty good shape, I'm inclined to leave it original, but will cut it out if it should be opened up.

 

I'm leaving the veneer, which is almost perfect after 40 - 50 years...  maybe a light sand and varnish to bring a bit of sparkle back.  The outer rim of the original baffle will be grey, and the new baffles I'm thinking of doing in a retro '70's orange.

They will be braced internally ( I'm pleased that I took advice from @davewantsmore and braced the Technics cabinets )

Thanks Dave.

 

I've been gluing and clamping a stockpile of braces...

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Finished off the Stereo Rack feet...

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Undercoated the rack itself...

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... and began painting the shelves with a charcoal hammercoat ( roller ).  I prefer hammercoat spray, I found rolling it to be quite tricky and a F*cking pain in the arse to clean up.  I'm committed with a 1 litre tin, but may finish them off with another spray can.

 

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That's it for now.  Stay tuned for a lot more prgress in the coming weeks as my router skills develop.

 

Sweet.

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2 hours ago, BuzzzFuzzz said:

Uh Oh...  Look what I just found on GumTree...

 

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Do I need three pair? 

I'm so impressed with the improvements inmine so far, I'm very tempted to make an offer... no price listed.

What drivers are in the speakers, do you know?

 

SS

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17 minutes ago, Sub Sonic said:

What drivers are in the speakers, do you know?

G'day SS.

 

I'm not 100% sure...  they appear to be the exact same as this build thread.

There is only 1 pic on the listing, and no model number listed either.

 

If you check out the first post on this thread you will see the driver info that I have... no specs, just part numbers...

 

  "  I have four Technics SB2755 - 8 Ohm - 200W Australian made speakers to re-build.  The drivers are made in Taiwan, high EAS 65PH86A-T, mid EAS12PM289T, low 30PH359T.   "

 

That's all I can offer mate...  but I would not hesitate buying them, upgrading the crossovers with the ones TubularBells made for me...  They sound great.

But, I have enough speakers, and would be being greedy buying these, especially if another member was interested.

If you feel inclined, go for it!

 

Let me know if you need a link?

 

Cheers.

Ant.

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Hello Groovers and Shakers...

 

I posted a basic amp question recently, about switching off to change over inputs and speakers. 

Making a couple of stupid mistakes recently...  hooking up 4 x 6ohm speakers at once put an abrupt end to my Optonica...  and fiddling around in low light without my glasses on... I had a stray speaker wire touch the back panel of my newly aquired Rotel, blowing a fuse.

 

I took the oportunity to touch up the Rotel lid which had a couple of scratches...

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Second hammertone coat on the rack shelves...

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Still a little streaky...  have just sanded back and will apply the final coat with a spray can.

The Hammertone paint is tricky to work with a roller ( and brush I would imagine ), a painter at the Shed was surprised at the good, not great, finish I achieved.

It goes tacky very quickly...  by the time I did two strokes, it was already thickening, and I noticed a spider web type of thread coming off the roller as it moved.  This left behind small fibres which had to be sanded smooth.

I won't work with it from a tin again.

 

I'm repairing the AR tweeter face plate for the Tip Shop speakers...

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Using electrical tape and filling up with superglue, sanded back and polished with a Dremel type tool.  Not sure if paint will stick to the superglue, maybe should have used epoxy resin, as my brother pointed out.

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Yesterday at the Shed, I was able to finish my router practice cut for the driver holes...

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A little scorching...  but not too shabby.

I was using one of the bits from the Shed, with no idea how much use it has had, and no experience to judge for myself.

I will buy some new bits just to be sure.

 

 

The catalyst for me becoming a Men's Shed member was my Mum wanting the balcony screen doors re-conditioned.. I went down to arrange it and became a member.

I have the doors stripped, run through the thicknesser, biscuit joint cuts re-made, and now ready for assembly. 

The speaker work has slowed as a result, as I can't expect the boys to do the work for me now that I'm on the team.

 

 

I'm going to have a crack at making some speaker spikes...

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I'm seeking any advice If anyone has done this before?

 

 

I'm tempted to paint the slab of sandstone for the TT...

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The colour is going to clash with the rest of the scheme.

Any advice for this one too?

 

Today I'm working on the Tip Shop speakers... sanding and filling the front edges and gluing / clamping the internal bracing...

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I've realised the veneer is vinyl, and not sandable / stainable...  I've done a search on restoring vinyl veneer, but there ain't a lot of info out there...

Any tips here would be much appreciated...  I wan't to keep the outside original at this point, and the veneer is in very good nic...

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I just want to give it a bit of a polish, to bring back a little sparkle.  Would a wax work on vinyl veneer?

 

Pumping the Technics speakers right now.  I'm waiting to finish the Tip Shop speakers, which sound really good for what they are, before dismantling the Technics for finishing.  Then I can listen to them while the Technics are completed.

At least until the TDL's arrive from Perth, which I just bought from @spayne59 - Cheers Mate.

 

That's it for now...

 

Rock On!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

G'day Folks.

 

Haven't posted for a while, had a cold for a few days, knocked me around...  the worst part was missing two days at the Shed.  Had a covid test...  easy peasy...  an odd sensation that nose swab, you sort of feel it...  but it sure makes your eyes water.  Results in 48hrs... all clear.

 

It's been just over two months since I really started working on these speakers, and stands, and the stereo rack, and the TV rack... and then some more speakers.

I've made a few mistakes... and learned a lot on a short time... but there is so much further to go.

 

Designing and building a pair of speakers is a lot more involved than I thought.  I use the word 'involved' rather than complicated... as it's not necessarily difficult, but it's complex for sure...

 

I'm nowhere near ready to design speakers and crossovers...  but Im ready to stock up on some crossover components.

An alternative is to purchase a microphone and download some measurement software first...  but my computers are old, one running Windows 7, the other Vista ( yeah, Vista ).  I might have to fork out for a new lap top, so that is holding me back with the microphone outlay.

 

I found a tutorial on DiyAudio about chosing / making crossovers by listening.  A few formulas to use with driver specs and a lot of 'try it, and have a listen'.  If I have a few parts to swap around, I should be able to adjust configurations and fine tune some what.

 

I've been looking into baffle step, and baffle shape...  I think measurement will be required to adjust the more subtle tweaks there.  I'm rounding my edges, and placing the drivers in a location that is different from each edge.

 

One mistake I made with the Technics...  was to add internal bracing without thinking about mounting the driver from inside, as they were originally mounted.  I decided to mount them from the front and never considered inside mounting when adding the braces...  they now prevent inside mounting... permantnetly.  It is something I regret, as I won't be able to return them to normal. 

When I saw the drivers mounted in the original layout, from inside...  I thought it odd.  It's a thick baffle.  But I believe now that some drivers perform better this way, so I would like to change it, alas...

The Technics baffle have a straight edge too, something that is too big a job to warrant changing.

 

With the new Technics cabinets, I will inside mount the drivers and round the edges.

 

I've almost finished the 'Tip Shop' speakers...

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With three pair of speakers reconditioned, almost... it's almost time to sit back, listen and tweak what I've done so far, using some different valued crossover parts, and hear what my brain can pick up.

 

There has been some great material posted on SNA recently...  SirSydistc's monumental build, and gthe dude pulling apart the sub woofers...  excellent work guys.

 

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The Stereo Rack is getting very close...  the colours are worked out, final coats almost on... the white sandstone slab will be gloss claret like the amp platforms...

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The light doesn't reflect the true colours in the above pics.  The greys are lighter than they look.

 

Here's a few more pics...

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The TV stand has been cut in half and the frame is primed... hanging in the last pic...

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Going the retro '60's / '70's orange and veneer combination...  reminding me of the rumpus room at home in Brady's Gully Road.  Those who knew me then will remember.

 

That's the stand platform mocking the baffle, but that's the colour.  The rim will be grey.

 

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All fitted out tonight...  all holes drilled...  ready for final undercoat and finishing. 

This was the easiest way to replace / change the baffle.  The old one is still in place.

They are sealed cabinets too...  I'll be screwing these pretty tight, with some thin foam insulation.

 

I have changed the baffle of these speakers in a major way.  Leaving the original baffle in behind the new one gives me the option to go back.

The new baffle gives a little more volume to the cabinet, but some of that would be offset by the volume of the new internal bracing...  they're quite chunky.

...  and I'm not sure how the original baffle will interact with the new one, whether I should jigsaw it out.

 

The next boxes are two small low range cabinets for Sony 10" drivers.  18mm ply.  Same dimensions as the original boxes, but built like brick sh!t houses...  in the same rough, hand finished, painted timber style.

 

The wood is cut...  have to router the driver holes,,,  then build my first boxes.

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