Pair of WH6 Lites build

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Seth
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#76 Post by Seth »

CarterKraft wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 1:02 pm FYI a inverter generator might be perfect for you.
I have the 3500 for camping and it is very useful around the house, the 2000 even more so.

https://www.harborfreight.com/2000-watt ... q=predator
Thanks Carter. A generator is a possible solution that I considered too. I didn't want to futz with gas cans and such, so I chose to just use my vehicles power instead.

I got all the lugs and quick disconnectors soldered onto the 1/0 AWG OFC welding cable and double heat shrink wrapped every joint. Came out nice. The darn wire cost almost as much as the inverter. :broke:

Also mounted the inverter up under the work bench in an attempt to mitigate dust from fowling it's cooling surface/fans. It has a remote turn on switch, so I mounted that in an easy to access location.

So, now the routine is roughly what it was before, but instead of plugging into the outlet just outside the door, I pop the hood and plug into my running car.

This latest inverter still won't fire the table saw up as it normally would. But, runs it just fine once I finesse it up to speed. Guess it's just something I'll have to deal with until I can afford to upgrade to a 2kW pure sine inverter. All the other tools (drill press, air compressor, etc.) fire up just fine.

Good new is, I'm back to being able to working on the project. Bad news is, I'm headed out of town tomorrow. Not sure if I'll be back before or after New Years yet. I'm anxious to get this project buttoned up and completed. I'll update ASAP.

Happy Holidays you guys :thumbsup:
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

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Seth
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#77 Post by Seth »

No pics taken, but I put a little time into the Wedgehorns today. I measured and laid out all the positions for the Top Hats and SPeakOn's and drilled the locations for the SpeakOn's out with a 15/16" spade bit. The top hat base and all of the jacks are going to be recessed, so I still need to make a template for each of the jack styles (round on the sides, standard rectangle on the bottoms and backs) and route out the patterns for each of the 6 locations, x 2 cabs. I have the backing plates I made for the circular jacks on the sides, but will have to make backers for the others too and glue them all in place. Once I get that stuff done, I think it will be time to mate the horn into the outer cabinet and start making some tweeter arrays.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

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Seth
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#78 Post by Seth »

Earlier in the week, I went to the shop space determined to get all the SpeakOn backing plates made and recesses routed out of each location. I made a little jig for the drill press, cut a strip of ply the desired backer height, and set the table saw up to cut the desired width. It all went like clockwork, nice little production line. Drill one end of the strip, flip it around and drill the other end, cut one end off, cut the other end off... wash, rinse, repeat. Had a handful of nearly identical SpeakOn backing plates in a matter of a few minutes.

I sat down to take a load off and contemplate a nifty strategy for routing out all the rectangle holes in the outer shell. Just fiddling, thinking, and brainstorming... I stuck one of the jacks in the hole from behind to get an idea of the footprint from behind. Then took a look at it from the outside. It looks really clean with just a circle and the jack rear mounted... just like Bill says to do in the plans. So, that's the route I'm going to take.

So, I put a 1/8" roundover bit in the router, softened up all the exterior holes , and gave them a little sanding. I used the backing plates I made and tacked them in place behind each hole to thicken the ply and give the router bit bearing a surface to ride on. So they came in handy after all.

After a little deliberation, I think I'm going to also take the route Bill has already mentioned in the plans, and just glue them in place. If I have an issue with them getting knocked loose, I'll deal with it at that time. Otherwise, I'm just taking time, energy, and resources fixing a problem that doesn't exist.

Was going to go ahead and glue them all in, but decided it would be best to wait until they're finished and painted before permanently gluing them in.

So, here's where they're at. Next step, glue them in their outer shells. Note the location I chose for the jacks on the backs to allow clean and easy jumping from one cab to the other if/when stacked.
20210114_145654.jpg
20210114_145702.jpg
20210114_145523.jpg
20210114_145554.jpg
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

Bruce Weldy
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Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#79 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Looking good!

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

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AntonZ
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#80 Post by AntonZ »

Wow, that's a lot of holes in those shells and it sounds like you are really thinking things through. It does however get me a bit confused. Just how many speakon connections are you installing in each cab? Looks like four or even six per cab, although perhaps some of the holes are for top hats. Also, the location of two connectors on the back plate means you will not be able to use these connectors when the wedge is resting on that side. It is my experience (owning a pair of WH8) that one speakon on each side (left and right) are optimal, both in allowing to connect regardless of positioning of the wedge, as well as the easiest and most efficient for daisy chaining.

Not questioning your approach mind you, just being curious and nosy here :noob:

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Seth
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#81 Post by Seth »

AntonZ wrote: Fri Jan 15, 2021 8:32 am Wow, that's a lot of holes in those shells and it sounds like you are really thinking things through. It does however get me a bit confused. Just how many speakon connections are you installing in each cab? Looks like four or even six per cab, although perhaps some of the holes are for top hats. Also, the location of two connectors on the back plate means you will not be able to use these connectors when the wedge is resting on that side. It is my experience (owning a pair of WH8) that one speakon on each side (left and right) are optimal, both in allowing to connect regardless of positioning of the wedge, as well as the easiest and most efficient for daisy chaining.

Not questioning your approach mind you, just being curious and nosy here :noob:
It IS a lot of SpeakOn connections. If I didn't go down the mental path of wanting these to do double duty as monitor and small PA, one on each side would have been all I'd do. I added 2 on the bottom for a clean in and out when on a pole and 2 in the back for clean and handy interconnections when stacked. I could have just added one on the back, but chose two just because... why not?

So, yeah... 6 jacks per cab.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

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Radian
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#82 Post by Radian »

Those are real good Seth. Top notch!
Good food, good people, good times.

4 - AT
1 - TT
1 - THT Slim
2 - SLA Pro 4x6 Alphalite

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AntonZ
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#83 Post by AntonZ »

Seth wrote: Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:54 pmSo, yeah... 6 jacks per cab.
Wow, and here I was, thinking the number six in WH6 referred to the driver size :noob:


With no further delay and a respectful wink I follow the spirit of our respected member Harley Dear and hereby present you with:
6x Neutrik award
6x Neutrik award


Well deserved.

Bruce Weldy
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#84 Post by Bruce Weldy »

:loler: :loler: :loler:

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

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Seth
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#85 Post by Seth »

Alright alright, it's been too long. I finally put together a sled/jig for the melded tweeter array's. I just used CA glue to mount all the pieces. I've had to make a few adjustments along the way to get it cutting as intended. It was easy enough to pry the stops up with a screwdriver to break the CA bond and just glue it back down again.
One side is the straight cuts. Flip the sled around 180º and adjust the blade angle to do the 45º cuts. Seems fairly repeatable.
20210613_133829.jpg
20210613_133841.jpg


Something that I hadn't heard any of you other guys talk about is the clocking on the barrels not being aligned straight up. Maybe it's not a universal thing. I was giving my head a pretty good scratching, wondering why more material was removed from one side's screw boss than the other when the spacing of the cuts looked pretty good on the mouth side. On mine anyway, the center barrel is clocked slightly counter clockwise, which meant the screw on one side would get a trim, but not so much on the other side.

See the clocking?
20210613_134849.jpg
Some screws got a trim, some didn't.
20210613_134649.jpg


Side to side spacing isn't 100% perfect, but the tolerances of the horns aren't completely uniform either. I'm fairly happy with how well the jig is set up now. Double trimmed units are coming out fairly regularly at 0.010" over the specified size. Good enough for me.
20210613_135016.jpg

Side note: I tried the first couple with the regular saw blade. But, every time the blade touched a screw, it grabbed and ejected it rather than cut it. Switching over to the abrasive blade solved that issue and maintained the jig stops cut dimensions that were made with the other blade.

Toying around a little bit with different glues to see which I like, or which combination and method I like the best before I start gluing these up.
Last edited by Seth on Mon Jun 14, 2021 5:50 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

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AntonZ
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#86 Post by AntonZ »

Seth wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 12:13 am Toying around a little bit with different glues to see which I like, or which combination and method I like the best before I start gluing these up.
I hope you kept the cut offs. Just drop those in a glass jar and add some acetone. Next day you have the perfect gap filling glue. Matching color to top it off. What's not to like.

Cut the pieces to smaller bits to make them fit the bottom of the jar, if necessary.

Make sure you have a good cap on the jar overnight, the acetone evaporates quite quickly. Keep in a well ventilated space, acetone vapour (like solvents in most glues) doesn't go well with your brain cells.

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Seth
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#87 Post by Seth »

AntonZ wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 8:19 am I hope you kept the cut offs...
I did save them, for just that reason. I have model cement, ABS Plumbers cement, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), and homemade ABS Juice/Slurry to test out and see which I like the best.

The model cement I got is a very thin liquid as opposed to a typical thicker consistency cement

I've done a couple test pieces with the model cement. It creates a nice joint without much pushout along the seams. It takes a little more time to apply with the tiny brush, but keeps it's application fairly precise and doesn't get cement where I don't want it. Brush one piece then the other, then brush the first and second piece again, then press the two pieces together firmly. It creates a fairly strong bond, but does fail along the seam with increased force/intention. So far, it looks like an initial bond with the model cement and buildup on the back with ABS plumbers cement or ABS slurry may be the way to go for me.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

Grant Bunter
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#88 Post by Grant Bunter »

Seth,
Have a look at this page on my build thread for the post from AntonZ:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=18214&start=45

Shows a way to line up the lugs for easier wiring...
Built:
DR 250: x 2 melded array, 2x CD horn, March 2012 plans.
T39's: 4 x 20" KL3010LF , 2 x 28" 3012LF.
WH8: x 6 with melded array wired series/parallel.
Bunter's Audio and Lighting "like"s would be most appreciated...

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Seth
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Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#89 Post by Seth »

Grant Bunter wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:03 pm Seth,
Have a look at this page on my build thread for the post from AntonZ:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=18214&start=45

Shows a way to line up the lugs for easier wiring...
Thank you Grant! I remember seeing that, but couldn't remember where I saw it. I think I'm going to do the WedgeHorns per the plans, keeping the wiring as hidden as possible, centered and in the valley behind the array. But, on my DR200's, where the rear of the array and wiring is completely enclosed and out of sight, I'm totally going to do it that way and not have to trim the screw area at all.

Thanks again for that link Grant :thumbsup:
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

howiez
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Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#90 Post by howiez »

Seth, I'm just getting to this thread. been spending all my time digging around in the DR builds...

The woodworking is beautiful. I love all the roundovers on the edges! The grills make me thing about expanded metal in my DR's, still not sure what I'll do there.

I also need to look into model cement as i'll be building melded array jigs this weekend. Then i'll get the itch to start gluing them together. I already bought some PVC and some ABS pipe cement to try. Not sure where I can find MEK...if I try to make a slurry!

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