WH8 Completed

[Jools4001]

Just finished the first of a pair of WH8s; well the eagle eyed will see that the grille is freshly cut from a 2 metre x 1 metre sheet of hexagon pattern mild steel sheet - so that still needs painting and screwing onto the grille mount, but apart from that...



No build thread as such because my camera was busted and I only joined the smartphone revolution a few days ago.

RTA'd it yesterday before the hex sheet arrived and gave it a test. I won't get a chance to test it with the band until Tuesday's rehearsal, but first impressions are that it sounds more balanced and with less mid range honk than some posts on here suggest. I'm running it via a DEQ2496 with everything below 120 and everything above 12.5k pulled down and seem to get pretty loud without feedback.

So what did I learn from the first that has made the second build easier?

• 1. Take your time over measuring and cutting wood and especially angles - a digital angle guage is a great tool
  2. If you get your cuts and angles right these things go together like a dream
  3. Dry fitting with accurate pilot holes and screwing panels together perfectly flush makes reassembly with PU a piece of cake
  4. Read your sketchup and plans - I managed to glue the brace between the bottom and lower back to the wrong panel, then had a scramble to correct it in the middle of gluing up the shell - don't do that.
  5. I was dreading cutting and gluing the plastic on the tweets but this turned out to be one of the easiest parts.
  6. I found that my circular saw blade wasn't able to make a deep enough cut to trim the 15 degree angled horn, so I ended up using the cut as a guide and finishing it off with some death defying routering that would have had a health and safety inspector having kittens - don't try this at home folks, I thought afterwards that I can continue playing bass because I still have all my fingers, but a single slip and it could've ended in tears. No speaker cab is worth that SO BE CAREFUL.
  7. If you go for max dispersion and make the panel mount tweets as I did, I found I didn't need the half moon cuts to ease the tweet mounting, just inserting the array on the diagonal and twisting it straight once the drivers are in does the trick.
  8. If you want a full grille and panel mounted tweets, you can't inset the grille mount too deeply otherwise the tweets overlap the horn throat...don't ask me how I know this. I ended up making the mount by cutting the required angle on the edge of a the ply sheet, then cutting a 5/8 strip measured from the longer side of the angle, then insetting from the front edge by 5/32

The second cab is hard on it's heels, then it's onto some J12 lites. This build has been a lot of fun and with a very satisfying outcome, I can see how this becomes an addiction and I'm already pondering a T48 and pulling the trigger on the CD.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

I'm running it via a DEQ2496 with everything below 120 and everything above 12.5k pulled down and seem to get pretty loud without feedback.

I can run my W6s to 120Hz so long as I keep the volume reasonable; W8s are safe to 100Hz if you like it better going that low. The key is to make that decision based on how it sounds along with the mains, as you'll hear low end from them anyway and may not need to go low with the W8s.

[miked]

That looks fantastic! I've also discovered that dry-fitting the pieces together with screws makes assembly sooo much easier. Great job. Please post more pics. Don't see too many WH's on here.

[Bruce Weldy]

That looks fantastic! I've also discovered that dry-fitting the pieces together with screws makes assembly sooo much easier. Great job. Please post more pics. Don't see too many WH's on here.

Here's my WH10 build from a couple of years ago. I know the plans have changed some, but there may be some build ideas/techniques that are useful to someone...

http://billfitzmaurice.info/forum/viewt ... hilit=WH10

[Jools4001]

Thanks Mike, I'm also a fan of your build threads. Your OT12 thread was an inspiration when mulling over what plans to go with and I've just been going over your T48 thread today - and I am one of those "old skool" guys who likes lots of detail. I'm a twitterphobe and simply don't get the "modern" imperative of stating everything you have to say inside 140 characters...all it ends up being is a long bitty thread of multiple posts that are more of a pain to follow.

I knew I needed good vocal monitors since I'm the only backing vocalist in our band and, often, neither me or the lead vocalist can hear ourselves - just end up singing into the ether and hoping that we're in tune - luckliy, the recordings of our gigs suggest we are in tune more often than not and just have the occasional wobble, but it's a horrible feeling that I hope the W8s help us resolve.

I was less sure of the mains and wavered between OTops and subs or Jacks - I have plans for both. I decided to go with J12 Lites because some of our "stages" are so small that you might be able to squeeze one sub in but definitely not a pair, so I decided that since you can use Jacks without a sub, but that they'll also work with a sub if there is the opportunity to use one then...

Anyway, I've been pondering another solution to the sub dilemma....but that's a question for another thread.

I've also been looking at Bruces T39 and W10 builds, although I'll admit to a few wobbles over the W8 build when Bruce's W10s seemed to be obstinate at providing the goods.

What is great about this forum is the willingness of old hands to help newbies like me, hopefully I can hang around long enough to contribute my own experiences and learning back into the melting pot

[Scott Brochu]

Now that is something to be proud about.
It looks great!

[Grant Bunter]

That looks fantastic!
Even without painting, that perf grill is great too.

Liked your tips, I also have my digital angle rule nearby at all times when building.
I also run mine off a DEQ, with all sliders on the GEQ below 100Hz and above 12K down.

(Pssst hit the bypass button one day, at low voltage. These, to me, sound good a la naturale as full range boxes)

Since jools' camera was playing up, Mike, if you interested in WH8s:
http://billfitzmaurice.info/forum/viewt ... 30&t=18596

[Jools4001]

Thanks all, and thanks Grant...how could I forget your W8 build in the credits for my decision to go with a BFM project...and thanks for answering all my other dumb questions on tweeter options, DEQ settings etc etc...

I'm very encouraged by the success of the first build...I share the common view that the mouth panels are the trickiest bits to get right (a tad more so if you go the panel mount route), and I will fess up here, the mouth panels are what is holding up the second build...

I cut the mouth panels for both cabs all at the same time, then decided to concentrate on finishing one cab rather than building two in parallel. I have to work outside, with a Workmate on the patio, and I was happily working away listening to the Test Match on the radio, when the storm system that helped England retain The Ashes (sorry about that) chucked a sudden shower down on me. I hurriedly threw all my power tools and stacks of cut wood into the adjacent summer house to stop them getting soaked. I've glued up the shell of the second cab, and went to make a start on the horn section...but can I find the mouth panels!!!

I've got everything else, and I know I cut the damn things but I've turned the summer house and the shed upside down and can't see them anywhere....and I have no more 1/2" BB. I do have 2 8 x 4 sheets of 1/4" BB and the cut sheet for my J12 Lites suggests I'll have plenty of offcuts to laminate enough 1/4" together to cut another couple of mouth panels, but I know I'll find the originals as soon as I do that so I'll have another look tomorrow.

[Bruce Weldy]

I'll admit to a few wobbles over the W8 build when Bruce's W10s seemed to be obstinate at providing the goods.

My situation wouldn't necessarily be comparable to yours if you are just putting mainly vocals in the monitors. Our problem was trying to get a good mix of the whole band in there.

I have a feeling that more time with the EQ might have yielded better results. But, I just couldn't get it where I wanted it in the time I had to sell the change to the band.

[miked]

I'm happy to hear that one of my threads helped you! That means a lot to me. As I've stated before, I'm old-school and need to see things from many angles before I can understand how it works. Though I'm quite computer-savvy (I work in the industry for a living) I'm Twitter-averse too! 140 characters, my ass; I can't say "Good morning" in less than two full pages of text. LOL!

I know my threads are wordy, but that's what I appreciate in others' threads, when I'm trying to learn something. Better to have too much text and filter out the good bits, than to be left wondering "Did he mean cut off 3" or leave 3?" or something like that.

I hope your Wedgehorns work out very well for you. I've not built them, but I've seen pics/descriptions of the build. Most notably, Bruce's excellently-documented thread. I'll say this: If you can build WH's, OTops would be considerably easier for you. "Mastering the compound angle cut" basically sums it up.

Welcome to the BFM fold, Jools4001.

ps
Your username is a nice reference to a Ric, BTW. I'm a fellow bass player as well. Before discovering BFM cabs, I built a 15/6/1 fEARful with the 3015LF. It is the Godzilla of bass cabs and the only bass cab I use. I do not use the tweeter; the l-pad is permanently at 0%...a waste of money, in hindsight. But it's there, should I ever want/need it. My rig, as it sits in my office ATM.

[Tom Smit]

The second cab is hard on it's heels, then it's onto some J12 lites. This build has been a lot of fun and with a very satisfying outcome, I can see how this becomes an addiction and I'm already pondering a T48 and pulling the trigger on the CD.

[escapemcp]

Just finished the first of a pair of WH8s; well the eagle eyed will see that the grille is freshly cut from a 2 metre x 1 metre sheet of hexagon pattern mild steel sheet - so that still needs painting and screwing onto the grille mount, but apart from that...

Where did you get the hex sheet please? Was it an eBay purchase? Thanks,
Aidan

[Charles Jenkinson]

Possibly this chap:

http://www.speakergrills.co.uk/

The last I heard he (or his supplier) was re-tooling to get a higher percent open mesh. The image on the website looks about as far as you can go - any more and it'll be the autumn leaves effect when the punch pulls out.

[Jools4001]

Hi Aidan and Charles,

Not eBay or speakergrilles. I got it from http://www.wiremeshfabs.co.uk/ just follow the perforated link, then you can filter by mild steel and open area. I wasn't bothered what pattern it was just as long as it was over 60% open area, but I must admit that the hex looks cool and it's 64%... So I ordered a 1.6mm thick sheet.

It was quite spendy at nearly £60 with VAT and shipping, but it arrived in a couple of days and it's a 2m x 1m sheet, so I will have plenty to do all the cabs I'm planning.

Thanks all for the positive comments and Miked, I also have a Barefaced Big One, it's virtually the same as a fEarful 15/6 (in fact I asked a question about a fEarful build and Greenboy replied that if he was in the UK he would just get a Barefaced cab...so I did). I love the tone but I just started another thread due to problems I'm having squeezing enough out volume out of it. I've managed to convince people I'm playing at maniacal volumes but I don't think I am, anyway...gives me a Jack 15 lite build to ponder

[escapemcp]

http://www.wiremeshfabs.co.uk/

Very nice link... thanks