HowieZ DR200 build

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Seth
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Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#31 Post by Seth »

Howie... you're cruising through this build at a good pace! Inspiring me, big time! I'm questioning my reasoning process that leads to seemingly endless procrastination in getting my DR200 builds off the ground. Glad someone's get'n busy!
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: HowieZ DR200 build

#32 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Tom Smit wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 3:20 pm Okay. It is now a couple of hours later since you posted the photos, which makes it time to clean off the PL from the front edges of the sheaths. Removing the PL when it is soft enough, without smearing, makes for easier cleanup and better matching of mating parts.
+1

I don't even use a chisel. My trusty old putty knife (that I put an edge on) works great. I try to never wait more than an hour or two.

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."

howiez
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Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:23 pm
Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#33 Post by howiez »

Tom Smit wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 3:20 pm Okay. It is now a couple of hours later since you posted the photos, which makes it time to clean off the PL from the front edges of the sheaths. Removing the PL when it is soft enough, without smearing, makes for easier cleanup and better matching of mating parts.
Thanks for the reminder!
I did in fact do this, and it was much easier. I have never seen anyone mention that. I had always waited half a day or overnight kinda thing. It always seemed to come off ok with a sharp chisel if I get good squeeze out. But I will say, doing it a couple hours after, while it was kinda dried putty like, was very easy. If my chisels had been freshly sharpened, it would have gone even better. This will have to by my MO from now on!

howiez
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Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:23 pm
Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#34 Post by howiez »

Seth wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 3:31 pm Howie... you're cruising through this build at a good pace! Inspiring me, big time! I'm questioning my reasoning process that leads to seemingly endless procrastination in getting my DR200 builds off the ground. Glad someone's get'n busy!
HA, i procrastinate! l bought this wood in August. I think i ordered all the drivers and crossover components in July.

I will say, despite the skill level required, i'm enjoying this more than my Titan48 build in August/September. I feel like i'm making much better progress, or it's turning into something tangible much faster. I suppose it helps that i'm building two, so I'm able to make twice the parts with one setup. So I guess i get more bang for the buck that way.

howiez
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Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#35 Post by howiez »

Bruce Weldy wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:56 pm I don't even use a chisel. My trusty old putty knife (that I put an edge on) works great. I try to never wait more than an hour or two.
Bruce, i'll try that next time, never even occured to me to use just a scraper/spatula. Thats what i've been scraping off the copius amounts when i over PL and get epic squeeze out. I thought I had squeeze out all figured, my last two Titan builds seemed to have a minimal amount and I felt like a tube of PL went a long way. This time around I feel like a 4 year old in pre-k eating paste and oozing art supplies everywhere.

howiez
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Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#36 Post by howiez »

I should note we got our first snow of the year today (that stuck/covered the ground). After a week of high 50's and even 60's last week, now i'm forced to be careful about temp overnight. I have a small radiant Mr. Heater in my single car attached workspace that warms it up jiffy quick. But after parts are glued up (or painted) i'm taking them a few steps away into the heated basement so the PL will cure properly. Probably helps me move faster as i'm running out of warm weather.

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Seth
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Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#37 Post by Seth »

howiez wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 10:18 pm HA, i procrastinate! l bought this wood in August. I think i ordered all the drivers and crossover components in July...
Bah! I scoff at thee. Merely a slight delay. I bought enough drivers, tweeters, and crossover components to build 8 DR200's in 2018. Got a bit of inspiration a year ago and bought enough lumber to build 4 of them in Jan 2021. Also have drivers and lumber for 4 T39's... all just needs assembly and I'll have the kick ass PA I've wanted since I was a teen drooling over gear in Guitar Center. It'll happen. Probably this coming Jan or feb. In the mean time, I'm really enjoying your build thread! Thanks again for taking me along for the journey :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
Posts: 382
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:23 pm
Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#38 Post by howiez »

Well today I learned I should have glued the back braces on before the sheaths. I really wanted the sheaths a hair proud on each end to cut flush with my multi-tool. I sanded them up nice, then murdered the back braces on the first cab with my nail gun. I tried 3 lengths of nails. I just wanted a couple pins to hold them while I cut the reflectors and glued those in too. No dice, I had to clamp a flat across each pair to hold them flush, and then a 90 block to keep them plumb/square. Then I clamped the heck out of them every which way but loose. I musta shot 10 nails in the first pair trying to get them to stay tight. Nails coming out everywhere! I put all of 2 nails in the second pair and clamped them right away.
No way I'm getting in there in 2 hours to clean up my ooze. I'll have to suffer through that cured.
Back brace clamp mess
Back brace clamp mess
Then I started cutting the pipes to a bit oversize before I make some kinda jig to split them.
reflector pipe
reflector pipe

jemo1234567890
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Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#39 Post by jemo1234567890 »

What a beautiful build thread of your first DR200s howiez. :hyper:

That's a good inspiration for mine in the near future.

howiez
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Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:23 pm
Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#40 Post by howiez »

Finally back to the woodshop today. Too much going on all week. Or I was too peeved about the mess I made...

I scraped all the excess PL off the back braces. Cab 1 is splintered a bit from the million billion nails I attempted to shoot. Cab 2 is nice, no splinters, 2 nails each side.
cabinet 1 splinter mess
cabinet 1 splinter mess
cabinet 2 survived without splinters
cabinet 2 survived without splinters
I used my detail sander and orbital sander to clean up the back braces a bit after I c'sunk all the nail heads and cut off the ones shooting all over.
cabinet 1 throat after sanding/cleanup
cabinet 1 throat after sanding/cleanup
cabinet 2 throat after sanding/cleanup
cabinet 2 throat after sanding/cleanup

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Seth
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Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#41 Post by Seth »

Howie, you're doing a fine job, my man :thumbsup:

The more I look at your pics, the more I really appreciate how bad ass this design is (Great job Bill :thumbsup:). All the little pieces, and angles, and radii/curves. I commend you Howie, for choosing to take it on. It looks sooo cool!
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
Posts: 382
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:23 pm
Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#42 Post by howiez »

Seth wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 6:09 pm Howie, you're doing a fine job, my man :thumbsup:

The more I look at your pics, the more I really appreciate how bad ass this design is (Great job Bill :thumbsup:). All the little pieces, and angles, and radii/curves. I commend you Howie, for choosing to take it on. It looks sooo cool!
Thanks to you, and thanks to all the rest for the positive feedback. This is daunting for sure.

I'll have some pictures in the morning of the reflectors glued in. I also read in another thread about stuffing that reflector before assembly. I glued polyfil in the sides of the sheath near the reflectors and stuffed the reflectors before gluing them in. That was tough enough, so glad I didn't wait.

Hoping to cut and pre-curve my back halves first thing tomorrrow. Then i'll work on the side braces, fitting them up, trimming them to match rear braces/fit the cab.

And at some point I need to work on the array jigs. I had planned for that today but just ran out of steam.

howiez
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Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:23 pm
Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#43 Post by howiez »

Well, small mishap overnight. I have to move my cabs in the house every night now becasue temp is getting below 60 in my attached garage after I turn heat off a few hours.
My son helped me cary the clamp monstrosity into the basement and one reflector shifted and was proud. I was worried about the seal so I cut it out with a multi tool and started over.
It's re-attached and held with a clamp while the side braces are nailed and glued on.
cab 2 reflector reglue
cab 2 reflector reglue
I had the side braces within about 1/4" of size, so I used the straight edge method from the plans to scribe a line. Each was belt sanded to match it's sheath, and cut down to correct final width. I put one nail in each end to hold it, and two staples from inside the sheath into each. Then I leaned the sided on and clamped to hold them while curing.
cab 1 side braces gluing
cab 1 side braces gluing
cab 2 side brace
cab 2 side brace

howiez
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Location: Fox Valley, Wisconsin

Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#44 Post by howiez »

I think I may pull out the poly fill i glued in the sheat beside the horn throat and re-do with foam carpet pad or something. I thought it was about 1" thick ( my wife loaned me some from her craft room), but it seems very thin/light now that's in place and I look at it again. I see carpet pad and such in the plans, and saw egg carton foam on someones build, any suggestions?

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Seth
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Re: HowieZ DR200 build

#45 Post by Seth »

The carpet padding specified in the plans is felt padding, not the typical foam padding. I got the remainder of a roll of felt padding from a carpet store, free. He said it's been on his shelf for years and I'd be doing him a favor if I took it. But really, I think foam mattress topper (not memory foam topper) is fine and most commonly used in the driver chamber along with the light stuffing of poly-fill down the sides.
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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