BillFitzmaurice.info

After long deliberation and many changes of heart along the way, I finally decided to build some speakers. I found out how difficult it is find BB at a decent price in my area, but my searching was rewarded by finding a good company that would not only sell me BB/BB at $36, but would also deliver it for an additional $18 provided my order was in excess of $350..... No problem, says I, because 15 sheets comes out to a lot more than $350.....

My gracious employer also permitted me to use their 14" table saw for a couple hours Thursday afternoon to break down my panels. I figure that 2 hours with the saw saves me a week at home...

So I had the wood shipped to my work, which is 2 hours away from home, cut it up and graciously gave the borrowed shop a cleaning that left it nicer than when I arrived.

My focus is on the T48s at this time so that's where I'll do most of the work. I have the kits from SpeakerParts including 3015LFs so this should be at least enjoyable!

NICE! 14" table saw, eh? I'll bet it was one of the fancy sliding table ones. I'm jealous. Something with that kind of horsepower laughs at 1/2" BB. Can't tell in the pics if there are angles on the panels, but I'm assuming not. How do you plan to cut the required angles (and compound miters for the OTops)? Good luck and remember to ask questions any time. Better to ask and wait a day for a correct answer than to screw up expensive BB.

I'm about 80% with my T48s, but my OTops are done. Check my OTop build thread (in sig). It might be helpful for you.

It is a Powermatic brand saw (7.5 hp, 3 phase, 480 volt (EGAD!!!)) No sliding table though.
Just a real nice fence and a 4x10 outfeed table.
I plan to do the angles here at home. Happened to pick up a Sprunger brand (never heard of them) band saw today at a yard sale for $40. It has a cast iron tilt table (+45 deg, -15 deg) with a fence and slot miter. The guy said it worked so I took a chance..... Took it home and was making sawdust 10 minutes later with no truing required!

I started the layout this afternoon and cut some of the hand holes. I am not real impressed with my routing ability and will probably cut the rest of the hand holes with jigsaw and holesaw.

I only have enough room to assemble two at a time, so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks for the details. Make a jig for the handle holes! Trust me on this one. With a jig and a $15 flush trim/pattern bit for your router you can cut perfect handle holes. You only have to make the jig perfect 1 time and it doesn't even have to be out of expensive BB. I did not make a jig for the handle holes for my OTops and it took me two days just to make proper side panels w/o screwed up handle holes. With the T48 build I made a jig right off the bat. What a timesaver!~

draehn wrote:(EGAD!!!))

Yo, you got your bass strings mixed up -> EADG

Tom Smit wrote:

draehn wrote:(EGAD!!!))

Yo, you got your bass strings mixed up -> EADG

I see what you did there! Fellow Bass Player here.

miked wrote:

Tom Smit wrote:

draehn wrote:(EGAD!!!))

Yo, you got your bass strings mixed up -> EADG

I see what you did there! Fellow Bass Player here.

Yup.

I just attached panel 1 to the side. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong because I didn't manage to get PL on me......

Also got panel 2 and the driver anchors done and glued up together.

That's enough for one day. I took a fair amount of time getting the jigs and tooling together for the build so now things should progress smoothly. I don't want to rush.

If you're planning on a 1-piece flange, now is the time to get that cut out and glued to the top. Regardless of whether you use a 1-piece flange or the strips, be sure they have the correct angles cut on them and are facing the correct directions, as the flanges butt up with panels 2 and 3. Check my T48 build thread, as I have pics of this.

I was on the fence for quite a while about the single piece vs. strips. I finally decided to go by the plans. That decision was solidified when I milled 14" diameter holes in my access panels....

I had marked them "A" for access.... For some reason last night I thought "A" was for anchor....

We learn, we measure, we cut, we fit, we PL and we carry on........

Hopefully you have some extra BB to use. It is time-consuming, but I suggest you write on every single piece, what it is. "Panel 2" "Access cover" "Side" "Back", etc. When the sawdust starts flying and you've got panels leaned up/laying on every surface in your work area, it gets confusing.

I also suggest that after you have your lines drawn out on the side, that you line up the two sides, drill your screw placement holes and label the pairs of sides so that you can keep them together. "Side 1 and Side 1" written on a matching pair of sides, for example.

Yes, I have some extra material so it won't be a deal-breaker. I do indeed have things marked more clearly now.....

Good, glad to hear it. "Building" these things is really a half-and-half proposition. There's what I call "the prep work" which is getting panels accurately cut and labeled and then there's the "actual building" where you accurately assemble those parts. You can't successfully do the second part with successfully completing the first. I learned that the hard way with my OTops...I wasted so much wood and TIME.

Take your time, and when you get tired or frustrated, STOP and walk away. Oh, about PL; it gets everywhere and you will get it on you eventually. Buy the big box of disposable gloves. Between sweating and them getting caught on nails and sharp edges you will go through way more gloves than you think you will.

I keep boxes of nitrile gloves handy all of the time....

I know to step away on occasion and save the pint for after the days work.

Are yiu building the current t48s (front panel) or previous versions with top panels?