After finally getting this x carve, (1000 x 1000) setup, this is my first project. A friend wanted me to make him some speaker boxes. The boxes are 3/4 mdf. The fronts are 1 1/4 mdf. He bought the veneer and supplied me with the speaker dimensions and told me what he wanted. He was pleased with the results. This was all done on easel. I’m working on the learning curve with onshape.
David,
Those look great! Can you tell us more about how you finished them?
NIce veneer work!
I’m playing with my first veneer project in reconstructing a sewing machine cabinet with shop made veneer.
I recently made a speaker shell for a friend who plays guitar…LOUDLY.
He even managed to blow out the joinery on a factory made speaker cabinet and asked if I had any ideas how to make one that would hold up to his pounding.
My solution was to make a pine box with dovetailed joints and a 3/4" mdf front a and rear panels.
He hasnt broken it yet, so far any way.
I am working on a spiderweb speaker grill made of 3 layers of .10" white oak with the grain oriented in 3 directions for strength.
I’ve tried cutting it once but the straight flute bit i was using was giving me alot of tearout on the inside edges and was unsatisfactory so it will find new purpose heating the shop this winter. next attempt will be with a spiral upcut bit.
I’ll post pics once I get things figured out.
Thank you. I did the finish with Minwax Polyurethane Clear Gloss. Six coats sanding each one ending with 1500 grit.
I don’t know myself but this guy says that mdf has the sound technology. He listens mostly to classical. So far I haven’t done anything with other woods. I bought this machine for inlay for end grain cutting boards. That’s what I make mostly. I’m using the dewalt 611. I need to get into this more. You just brought up something I hadn’t thought about. Tear out. I guess it would work about the same as my router table. Run the grain with the bit you are using. I know thats not always an option.
Thanks for expanding on your finish technique David.
You did right with MDF. Speaker builders like MDF for several reasons, the two big ones being that it’s dense (meaning it won’t resonate and thereby change the frequency response of the drivers) and it tends to be stable (it doesn’t tend to grow, shrink, warp or bow with changes in temp and humidity). It (or HDF, which is just even heavier MDF) is he ideal material choice for good quality speakers.
That’s not to say that any other material wouldn’t work… Actually, most car speakers are just bolted into the steel body of the car. If you’re interested in the best possible sonic performance though, you should consider MDF
running with the grain really isnt an option since it in all reality will be end grain or a percentage thereof since I have 3 plys running 120 degreees to one another.
But that is for another day since,
Sorry, got sidetracked with the sewing machine cabinet for now…
That looks amazing! Congrats
Very nice work. Im looking to buy one of these machines myself. Looks like some
cool stuff you can make.
