DR200 Kent's build

[KentWhitten]

After months of hemming and hawing—sometimes obsessing over details, other times letting it slip entirely from my mind—I’ve finally broken ground on my build for the DR200. I'm making a pair of them from a few sheets of B/BB Birch. I prefer the BB over arauco ply as it doesn't seem to warp nearly as much and IMO the price is negligible for having a little more peace of mind. I'm a cabinetmaker so I get my sheets as inexpensive as it can get.

I have read through multiple build threads, and multiple of the speaker design step by step pages from Bill and I'll repeat what should already be ingrained in everyone by now, stick with the plans and don't veer from them. They're done quite well. I had no issues following the plans.

The hardest part of the drawing is just orienting yourself where the angles go. Luckily there's also a sketchup file and I was able to visualize it just fine.

I have my own method of cutting holes in plywood. It's almost like how a cnc does it, just manually. I place scrap pieces flush with the line, cut out most of it with a jigsaw, and clean it up with a flush cutting router bit.

And just as I hit my stride—braces glued, panels squared—I ended up in the hospital with a herniated disc. Three days, surgery, the works. Frustrating stall, but I’m beyond ready to get back to glue-ups and routing.

I’ll be sharing progress, tips, and the inevitable hiccups here. Anyone else power through a build while rehabbing an injury?

[KentWhitten]

When I went to go trim the throat plate, I forgot to put a 3° angle on it. Oops

The Woofer Blaffle H, as I like to call it

slightly off on the throat horn angle, nothing to worry about

[KentWhitten]

Layout of the baffle was so piece of cake. a 10" x 10", octagon, knock off 3". Attach. Easy

This was really fun to layout. I think I nailed it because most of the pieces fit right into place. The boob piece as I like to call it. My design software is Rhino 3d, and I like to double check all of the measurements. Not that I don't believe them, just an OCD thing of mine

I have a circle cutting jig, and I would highly, highly suggest getting one and using it here. It is invaluable for the cutoff pieces. BTW keep the cutoff pieces. Very important!. And don't just brush them aside, put them somewhere safe.

Attaching the top and bottom were so simple. A few well placed screws, very small screws, and this things is starting to take shape. Top and bottom at a 3° angle to each other

Horn sheath brace installed. For whatever reason, I didn't cutout the curved part of ease installation of the driver. That was nearly a mistake. Driver barely fit

Flange connector and sheath cleats installed. The sheath cleats, just to give you a heads us, are about the hardest, most important pieces to cut. Take your time here

[Bruce Weldy]

Great looking build! Sorry about the back....been dealing with a bad back myself for years.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

A bad back, the result of years of hauling too heavy gear, is what prompted me to design lighter weight cabs. One example: lugging a pair of 4x12 Kustom PA columns, one on each shoulder, from the club up the street to my house 1/4 mile away. When you're 17 and buff you can do that shit, but eventually you pay the price.