Titan 39 build

[heavybdrums]

I will be building 4X Titan 39's, max width (28" outside, 27" interior parts) and loading them with Eminence Kappalite 3012lf's.

Here's the first one, parts all cut:

[Guitbusy]

I will be watching this, as there is a T39 somewhere in my future...

[heavybdrums]

I will be watching this, as there is a T39 somewhere in my future...

cool I will post more pics as it happens then. First mistake from plans misread, says to mark the position on one of the cab sides for all the interior baffles. I marked on both side pieces and drilled both together, which is fine except the plans say mark one then drill both so the good side of the ply is out, but I didn't flip the second (bottom) sheet before clamping and drilling, and therefore didn't create mirror imaged sides with the good sides out. Simple correction was to fill holes with Bondo of the wrong sheet, flip it then redrill them.
Firstly these plans for the Titans are in order differently than the Wedgies I had built before. With Wedgies the plans start you cutting out most all of the parts before getting to any assembly in the plans. Also the Wedgie plans have a cut sheet diagram at the end to help with efficient parts layout on the sheet. The Titan's plans are not ordered in this way. They have you cutting and assembling as you go (if you go in the order the plans are laid out in) Personally I don't like working this way, changing from assembly to cutting then assembly.... So I went through the plans cutting all the parts at once. Also there is no sheet layout cut diagram given in the plans for the Titans. That's ok, I know how to layout cuts efficiently on a sheet of plywood (I work as a carpenter/painter and have built furniture)
And, before someone chimes in....... Yea Yea I know of the cut sheet program and I hate it, it's clunky and hard to use/takes too long to make it work and I'd rather just lay all the parts out on the sheet.

But there are lots of parts to cut, though none are complex, I spent 4 hrs measuring...checking...looking at sketchup...remeasuring, head scratching...then cutting etc etc to cut out all the parts, but I feel it's all downhill after that.

One piece of warning; the handle positions are not so conveniently and exactly defined in the Titan plans as they are in the wedgies. Make sure you figure (by way of sketchup) which panel needs to have the handle holes 1/2" further in from the edge for the way the panels join because that's not defined in the written plans.
BUT REALLY, SO FAR, THESE SPEAKERS ARE JUST TOO FUN TO BUILD!!!!
If you put all the optional handle pockets in these cabs..that's a lots of oblong handle pockets, and totally worth making a pattern jig and using a pattern following bit in a router to make them.

[heavybdrums]

Yea..i SAID "THAT'S A LOTS OF"

[ripNdeb]

I marked on both side pieces and drilled both together

That's kind of chancy. It assumes all your panels will be perfectly square when they're glued in place. Check your plans again. Mine (I forget the date) say clamp or screw the second side in place and reach in and mark all the interior panels you can reach (paraphrasing) - then you'll know exactly where to drill the second side.

[heavybdrums]

Current plans say:
Drill two holes, 1/16 inch diameter or so, through the middle of each panel
joint, a couple of inches from either end. On the opposite face of the panel draw lines
connecting each pair of holes, showing where to drive fasteners. Clamp the second
side to the first. Drill though the pilots, draw connecting lines on the second side as
with the first, showing where fasteners will be driven when it’s attached.
Though I am sure either technique would work fine, and a combination of the two is likely necessary, adjusting as needed.

[commander_dan]

I never understood that part of the plans either, it assumes perfect construction accuracy. Better off not bothering with it IMO, as the trace method will ensure your pilots are exactly where they need to be.

I did the 2 sides together thing on my first cab and then realised it was pointless as that cab (nor any others for that matter) didn't turn out perfectly square. I then had to fill the old pilots and drill new ones after doing the trace method.

[heavybdrums]

I never understood that part of the plans either, it assumes perfect construction accuracy. Better off not bothering with it IMO, as the trace method will ensure your pilots are exactly where they need to be.

I did the 2 sides together thing on my first cab and then realised it was pointless as that cab (nor any others for that matter) didn't turn out perfectly square. I then had to fill the old pilots and drill new ones after doing the trace method.

Thanks commander, I will keep that in mind as this progresses to assembly. Waiting on forstner bit and pattern bit from Rockler to make the handles, and glad I have not yet begun as per these recommendations. There is no substitute for experience, and as I have none on this design, being it's my first T39, it's greatly appreciated.

[heavybdrums]

Had today off from work so I started this T39 build, got this far and had to wait for glue to dry. Here panel #3-4 joint I could screw, but panel #2-3 had to clamp and let dry, trying to screw that joint caused misalignment as the screw pulled the joint out:



Here I had to screw blocks to the panel to get something to clamp to. View from the other way:

[Bruce Weldy]

And that's why you should get a brad nailer. I've never had to wait for a panel to dry. Screw 'em from the bottom and shoot the joint where the panels meet with an inch and a half brad....move on to the next panel.

[commander_dan]

And that's why you should get a brad nailer. I've never had to wait for a panel to dry. Screw 'em from the bottom and shoot the joint where the panels meet with an inch and a half brad....move on to the next panel.

+1. Brads are so much faster. I bought mine for a measly $89, best investment ever. Although I already had a compressor..

[Rich4349]

And that's why you should get a brad nailer. I've never had to wait for a panel to dry. Screw 'em from the bottom and shoot the joint where the panels meet with an inch and a half brad....move on to the next panel.

+3!

[Guitbusy]

$19.00 at Harbor Freight, if you already have a compressor.
http://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-b ... 68021.html

[Bruce Weldy]

$19.00 at Harbor Freight, if you already have a compressor.
http://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-b ... 68021.html

And if you don't have a compressor - get one!

They are pretty cheap nowadays. And you will use it all the time blowing sawdust out of the way. I've had mine for over 30 years.....it's an old craftsman....I treat it badly...never add oil...only drain the tank every few years....yet, it still pumps out air - all day, every day.

[heavybdrums]

$19.00 at Harbor Freight, if you already have a compressor.
http://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-b ... 68021.html

Thanks guys for the brad nailer hints. I could actually borrow a compressor and brad nailer from work, and will probably do so on the other 3 Titan 39's I'll build for just this joint. I however won't be using it in general, I'm hooked on the strength and ability for screws to pull joints together, even though I usually remove all screws near the edges of the cases after glue has dried. Many ways to skin these cats.

now for some more progress:

beginning of second horn wall:



I have included all appropriate optional handles and decided to put the jack plate on the back, using nl4mp jacks.



view from the bottom with braces:



front view:


end view bracing the braces to hold the back strait and square:



bottom installed, speaker set in hole for shits and giggles:



another view:



bottom angle brace installed:



another view of the same:



I'm really having fun building this Titan 39, it sure is big (max 28" outside width). I can already (as I have with the 4X wedgies I have built) feel confident that the rest of these will be a snap to build. Love me some multi decade metal cranked to build by with my shop "stereo":