W6 1/4 inch ply

[dswpro]

Just finished a pair of W6 1/4 inch ply, horn mounted tweeters.

WOW these are loud! Cant wait to use them on a stage.

A couple of notes on builds for future builders:

1/4 inch ply is a bear to deal with when you've been working with 1/2 inch. I'm probably going to build a couple of W8s and they will go much easier with the 1/2 inch.

When assembling the horn I found it very useful to first build a 4" by 4" by 4" cube, wrap it in plastic bags,
and assemble the horn around it, using brads lightly run through the throat walls into the cube to hold the horn together while the glue dries.

The cube also came into assistance when I jiggered up the phase plug on one W6. I had to cut out the phase plug entirely and make another to glue in. I found it much easier to use a hole saw and some scrap to create a phase plug than to cut the design out perfectly. With the cube in the throat, again wrapped in plastic bags gluing in the phase plug was a simple process. I guess I'm not as patient with a jig saw as I should be.

Also, I found it much easier to assemble the horn, then the shell top, sides and bottom and lower back keeping it square while drying, then later to join the two.

Also, when assembling the shell I added 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch by 3 inch strips on the inside corners to nail into, keeping away from where the horn will be when assembled.

Another item. It is a real bear to install the driver, even after drilling pilot holes.
I rotated the driver so three of the holes were accessible through the upper back then drilled a 1/2 inch hole in the lower back to give access to the fourth speaker mounting hole. After mounting the driver I glued in an automotive plastic body joiner to fill the 1/2 inch access hole using silicone sealant, This is easily removable if the driver needs repair.

I will try to get some pics soon.

[AntonZ]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I'm wondering why you intend to add WH8, is it for use on the same gig? What do you expect the WH8 to give that WH6 doesn't? Apparently the 6 is loud enough for your liking. But to go low enough for bass guitar or drums, I think you might rather need WH10. Just a thought, I might be wrong.

[Rickisan]

Intriguing. Eagerly awaiting pictures. Very much interested in the various lightweight builds. Great review/report thanks!

[byacey]

Another item. It is a real bear to install the driver, even after drilling pilot holes.

This is the nature of the design. The WH8s aren't driver install friendly either, and I imagine the WH6 is even worse. I've been tossing around the idea of modifying the driver cover to wrap around to the top and bottom of the box two or three inches to allow easier access to the driver screws and the crossover as well. The way it is presently, you need to almost be an endoscopic surgeon to work through the existing access opening.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

The way it is presently, you need to almost be an endoscopic surgeon to work through the existing access opening.

True, it ain't easy, but the alternative is a larger box that doesn't improve the result. The good news is that you only have to load the driver once.

[dswpro]

I constructed a pair of W8's from 1/2 inch ply, they worked out great. The main reason I went to 1/2 inch was the look and feel to performers. My W6's are so small and light they look like toys to the average musician. Once they fire up people cant believe how loud they get. But they can easily be kicked around and don't have a "durable" feel to them. I won't use them on a stage apron, even though two can cover a wide stage easily. So for now, I use my W8s in front, and the W6s on the side or rear of the stage, where things are more congested anyway and their small size lets them fit in next to a keyboard or drum rig.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

But they can easily be kicked around

Make them out of half-inch, lag bolt them to the floor, so that any doofus who kicks them ends up with a broken toe.

[hifibob]

oooh pics please

[miked]

Pics please!

[DJPhatman]

oooh pics please

Pics please!

Of what? The doofus or the toe??