making your own cabs

[hazza]

im thinking (as summer is on its way) that i might make my own 4x12 or 2x12 speaker cab, ive got some friends who are good woodworkers, and I know that the speakers must be 16ohms to run with my amp.

it seems pretty simple to make a cab, but has anyone here had any experience of doing this?

im thinking of using some cheapish celestions?


any tips?

cheers
h

[hazza]

or am i being hoplessly naive? i really dont have a clue!

[JDO]

cab building is great fun if you like wood working. i personally like the woodworking part of amp building as much as the electrical work. the only thing that you might be nieve on is the cost. it's pretty expensive to build a nice 4x12 cab. a 2x12 isn't so bad - depending on what materials you use. if you're looking for a project and some fun, by all means have at it. if you're looking to save money, i don't think you will (expecially on the 4x12). the best resource i've found on the web for cab building is http://www.webervst.com/wwwboard/enc...encboard.html?
hope that helps.

[AtomicMassUnit]

Also doing tolex/tweed is a lot of work compared to the woodworking. I did a 2x12 fender style with black tolex and silver grille, and the cabinet building and grille clothe was quite fun, but the tolex part I found tedious, and it didn't save much money in the long run either. Stained hardwood is the route I'm taking with the next amp project.

Atomic

[Ringo]

check on the Weber BB's,
http://www.webervst.com/vstbbs/bbs.html
under the enclosures link, there are some links to tutorials for cabinet making , tolex and grill cloth installation etc.. at the top.
Also some of the guys who hang out there are very good about sharing their know how.

I've never tried to make a 4x12, an angled 4x12 would probably be a lot of work, straight 4x12 not much different than a 2x12 except bigger obviously.
Good materials can run the cost up no doubt, but if you like woodworking and or know some folks with the equipment it can be fun.

I've made several smaller cabinets, don't have the gear do to do the fancy fingerjoint/dovetail etc.. butt joints, glued and screwed or doweled work well too though.
I have an auto interior business, so the tolex and grill cloth is the easier part for me.

[Steven]

I have built both a 2x10 cab for my 63 Vibroverb RI and a cab for my Winfield amp. It is great fun and not to difficult (if you have the right tools and somwhere to mess around with it). Tolexing the stuff is the difficult part but it is not impossible to get good results. Read the info in the links above and get to it. It really is great fun.

[Rob DiStefano]

I build my solid pine cabs with dovetailed joints, stained and polyU'd finish, birch ply baffles with rear mounted "retro look" cane grilles, open or closed or ported rear panels, and integral carrying handles ...



... these cabs are *extremely* toneful and "lively" because they don't wear covering "overcoats". Email me if you'd like an Excel spreadsheet that outlines the materials (you can plug in each item's dollar amount and get a running build cost), dovetail process (I use a Porter-Cable dovetail jig, but the schedule works the same for most any brand DT jig), and my complete step-by-step cab building process.

[hazza]

thanx rob, very very nice looking cab! i will let u know about emailing me the spreadsheet, gotta talk 2 a friend bout this first!

ta

[bkief1]

For your cabinet, you must provide something solid for the speaker(s) to be bolted to with minimal/no air pockets. For that, I'd recommend marine-grade plywood. Solid, heavy, but worth it!

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by bkief1

For your cabinet, you must provide something solid for the speaker(s) to be bolted to with minimal/no air pockets. For that, I'd recommend marine-grade plywood. Solid, heavy, but worth it!

I use 1/2" 7 lam birch ply - quite solid, pretty looking grain, takes stain well. All plys are susceptible to voids, but I see no need to use an exterior grade ply, particular expensive marine ply, but YMMV.

[JDO]

rob, i have a question about your cane grill. if i'm seeing clearly from a pic on your site you don't put the cane on a "baffle" and then put it on the front baffle. it looks as though it's between the speaker and the one baffle that everyone sees. is that correct?

if so, have you ever done that will just regular grill cloth. i'm wanting to make a cab kind of like the carr mercury

i was told that i would have to make a traditional baffle and then mount that to the front of the amp. essentially making the baffle pretty stinkin' thick. i really don't want to do that. i have to just have the front baffle, grill cloth, and speaker. have you done that?

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by JDO

rob, i have a question about your cane grill. if i'm seeing clearly from a pic on your site you don't put the cane on a "baffle" and then put it on the front baffle. it looks as though it's between the speaker and the one baffle that everyone sees. is that correct?

Yes ... sorta. Right, only one baffle board. There's a "tone ring" between the baffle and the speaker - this is a 3/4" ring of solid pine spacer that I rout out and screw in the speaker from the rear. In fact, the only external screws you'll find are in the rear panel and feet. Yeah, I like that "retro" olde tyme radio look.

if so, have you ever done that will just regular grill cloth. i'm wanting to make a cab kind of like the carr mercury

i was told that i would have to make a traditional baffle and then mount that to the front of the amp. essentially making the baffle pretty stinkin' thick. i really don't want to do that. i have to just have the front baffle, grill cloth, and speaker. have you done that?

Yup, same as I do with cane. After talking it over with Ted Weber, I think it's good idea to use a spacer ("tone ring") between the speaker and baffle (speaker - spacer - grille - baffle) - this makes sure that any violent cone excursions won't hit the baffle and allows the sound wave some air space after leaving the cone and before hitting the grille.

[JDO]

rob, it's going to be a while before i can get around to making this cab. if you don't mind, whenever you build a new cab, could you take a few shots of the spacer and how it's all mounted for me? i think i get completely what you're saying but i want to make sure and a pic speaks a 1000 words. as i said, it will be a while before i get to it so it's not like i have to have them now. or even a month from now.

[Rob DiStefano]

Someone had emailed me with some questions about cane speaker grilles ...

They're amazingly strong, way more durable than cloth, clean up lots easier than cloth, won't "muffle" the sound/tone/volume at all, about the same cost as grille cloth, and IMO cane is easier to install than cloth because it goes on in a semi-rigid state. You MUST soak cane in water for several hours before stapling it on to the speaker or grille baffle boards - the cane will tighten like a drum! Then ya just spray it with 3 or 4 clear coats on both sides to protect (yes, do use polyU spray and NOT nitro! ).

Heck, I just "re-grilled" the seat on my Old Town canoe and I used the same cane that I use on my cabs! Works great!

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by JDO

rob, it's going to be a while before i can get around to making this cab. if you don't mind, whenever you build a new cab, could you take a few shots of the spacer and how it's all mounted for me? i think i get completely what you're saying but i want to make sure and a pic speaks a 1000 words. as i said, it will be a while before i get to it so it's not like i have to have them now. or even a month from now.

I've got some images of speaker spacers stored somewhere - I'll post them tomorrow for sure.

[JDO]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

Someone had emailed me with some questions about cane speaker grilles ...

They're amazingly strong, way more durable than cloth, clean up lots easier than cloth, won't "muffle" the sound/tone/volume at all, about the same cost as grille cloth, and IMO cane is easier to install than cloth because it goes on in a semi-rigid state. You MUST soak cane in water for several hours before stapling it on to the speaker or grille baffle boards - the cane will tighten like a drum! Then ya just spray it with 3 or 4 clear coats on both sides to protect (yes, do use polyU spray and NOT nitro! ).

Heck, I just "re-grilled" the seat on my Old Town canoe and I used the same cane that I use on my cabs! Works great!

you've got me intreged. what i'm looking at doing is making a 5E3 cab (for my 5E3 clone chassis). but i'm going to make is a little deeper and possibly taller. i'm going to use smooth brown fender tolex for the sides and smooth blonde fender tolex for the middle (one piece for the top, front, and bottom that will just wrap around). i was thinking of using oxblood grill cloth cause it matches well with the blond and will give a nice contrast. what do you think the cane will look like? or, would it be possible to paint/dye the cain to give it that oxblood look? i like the idea of it tightening up as it dries. plus, it is much stronger that cloth.

what's your thoughts on this?

and a future thanks for posting those spacer pics tomorrow and a thanks for all the help so far.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by JDO

you've got me intreged. what i'm looking at doing is making a 5E3 cab (for my 5E3 clone chassis). but i'm going to make is a little deeper and possibly taller. i'm going to use smooth brown fender tolex for the sides and smooth blonde fender tolex for the middle (one piece for the top, front, and bottom that will just wrap around). i was thinking of using oxblood grill cloth cause it matches well with the blond and will give a nice contrast. what do you think the cane will look like?

Nice.

or, would it be possible to paint/dye the cain to give it that oxblood look?

Absolutely. You can use most any stain/dye to color the cane.

i like the idea of it tightening up as it dries. plus, it is much stronger that cloth.

WAY stronger than cloth!

what's your thoughts on this?

Go for it!

I get my cane from The Country Seat - the superfine weave.

and a future thanks for posting those spacer pics tomorrow and a thanks for all the help so far.

Sure, no problem. Here's a "kit built" speaker spacer ...



... I made a quandrant template outta cardboard, transferred that to the 3/4" pine, cut'em out with a jig saw, glued and stapled'em together - this wastes lots less wood than if you used a routed out single or (double edge glued) large board.

When the spacer's glue has cured, put the speaker on top, mark for all 8 speaker holes, drill the speaker spacer holes (larger than the speaker screws, about 3/16" diameter holes).

After cutting out the speaker baffle hole, I spray some clear to the rear of the baffle board to protect it from the wet cane. Then staple on the wet cane (a squared prewoven cane sheet that's about 1" bigger all around than the speaker - i.e., a 14" square for a 12" speaker). Allow the cane to thoroughly dry, this may take overnight but usually a few hours in the hot sun will do. Then I glue on the spacer right over the cane grille (aliphatic resin carpenter's glue). When the spacer's glue is dry, I spray clear polyU over the spacer and both sides of the grille.

I mount the speaker from the rear, using eight 1-1/2" s/s pan head screws, with a small washer under the screw's head - this is a pre-determined length that will not push through a 1/2" (.475" thick) birch ply baffle. No need to drill pilot holes in the baffle, you want the screw to thread its way in for about 3/8". That's it.

In the coming month I'll be building a 15" speaker cab for my Winfield Harvard tube amp - the usual dovetailed 3/4" pine box w/cane grille, spacers, 15" Weber 15F150 speaker. I'll be using cheap, carefully selected Home Depot 3/4" pine that I've been "seasoning" over the Winter. I'll take pix of the whole process and share with all that're interested.