Hello and first question about the David

[airwreckc]

Hi,

I have purchased the plans for the David and plan to start constructing two when I clear the garage of another project. I have built houses over the last several years and have accumulated some different interesting materials. I have some 5/4 (1 inch) thick solid (not plywood) board stock in a very stable vertical grain. It is very old wood (heart pine or douglas fir, I believe) and I believe it would make a beautiful looking pair of speakers. My question is: If I can laminate the boards properly, is there any issue regarding sound quality to make the speaker boxes out of thicker material? If I used 1" material for the box walls, would I need to change the thickness of the interior sound baffles? Would it be OK to make the sound baffles out of plywood or should it be the same material as the box walls?

Thanks!

[Bruce Weldy]

Hi,
I have some 5/4 (1 inch) thick solid (not plywood) board stock in a very stable vertical grain.

Long term you will probably have cracking as the solid wood swells and shrinks. The inner baffles would mostly be running with the grain, however, the top and bottom of the speaker compartment would be across the grain along with the top and bottom of the case. Since it needs to be airtight inside, I think you would really be risking leakage due to the swelling and contraction of the wood.

Now, that said, you could always build the box from plywood, then wrap it with veneer or your solid stock - it would be real heavy.

If you have a good bandsaw, you could always resaw the stock to a 3/16 thickness and do bookmatched sides - now that would be really pretty.

[airwreckc]

Bruce,

Good point about the swelling. Thanks...