osb for test purpose

[john naayen]

the osb boxes are my test boxes for the basement. dont all have a panic LOL .i just wanted to see what kind of sound diffrence i would get. the other boxes will be plywood. not to say that i haven't used osb to build boxes in the past, but i have had some good results from time to time. as for its use in a tuba it whould be a total waste of time and money, i have found that osb is a lot more pliable and also has a tendency to resonate if you dont use stuffing in the box. So to end that note yes i would only use plywood to build these and most others.

[Tim A]

What are you hoping to 'test'? Since we all know the performance and build integrity with ply will be better than OSB, testing anything but your construction skills is a waste of time.

Forum members will be quick to tell you when you're doing something wrong. Once reason is we've seen people cut corners, have less than expected results, and blame everything but their own bad decisions. It's happened more than once.

[john naayen]

over the years i have gathered a pile of speakers odds and ends from yard sales etc. the cab will be run at home in a rather small sitting room 10x12 so low volume will be used most of the time. so the thought was to try the different speakers in the cab till a some thing acceptible was found and some of this stuff i have here is used or tossed as the woman would prefer.

the original cabs will be built acording to specs as these will be used in the dj biz.

[wb2]

the original cabs will be built acording to specs as these will be used in the dj biz.

I can't help but notice you're using carpenters glue, will you be using PL Premium for the next build?

[DJPhatman]

I can't help but notice you're using carpenters glue, will you be using PL Premium for the next build?

Great catch, wb2! i didn't notice the carpenters glue in the first pic!

To john naayen: even as "test cabs" these will not perform well, even at low volume, as the design of the O12 is air-tight! Air leaks from anywhere in the construction of the cab that are not designed in, such as tuned ports, will absolutely ruin the performance. Another quote from the plans:

Use a polyurethane base construction adhesive, such as PL Premium, applied with a caulking gun. Polyurethane expands as it cures, filling gaps to ensure the airtight seal that a speaker cabinet requires. However, urethane is also messy to work with. After applying a bead to a joint release the pressure on the caulking gun trigger and plug the end of the tube before it oozes all over your workshop, and you. Do not use traditional woodworking glue, as any air leaks in the joints will severely compromise performance.

The forum members, myself included, are not trying to be asses to you. We are simply trying to stop you from making very glaring mistakes in your build process that will ultimately come back to bite you in the ass! You construction material aside, not using proper sealing in the cab guarantees failure of the cab, and possibly magic smoke. Plus, with a bad cab, none of the drivers you have on hand will sound good.

[bgavin]

I like to test horn designs in the unfolded layout first. OSB or other cheap crap is ideal for concept testing. These boxes are built, tested, cut up, and sent out with the trash.

If there is any possibility at all that your box will be put into service, building with OSB is a complete waste of effort and material. Unless the box is a permanent installation, MDF is also a waste of effort and material. I've done a LOT of building in MDF. The only time to use it at all is for a permanent installation, and you are already stuck with it in your stock bin.

[Frankenspeakers]

Ditto on the "not tryin to be asses to yeh" just trying to save you from yerself
I've tried osb for speaker boxes before and was not pleased at all. It was designed for structural sheathing on walls, like going under siding or stucco, or the real thick stuff as underlayment. It is designed to be strong laterally (on the plane of the fibers) but is very weak otherwise. It's a pain in the butt to work and Elmers or Tightbond glues will pretty much guarantee leaks. Been there done that, this was way before my adventures in BFMworld! I wouldn't even bother to do a test box (my personal opinion- subject to contradiction) I usually make a cardboard mockup and then whip out the plywood.