Dirty little secret I hope everyone else here shares

[67baja]

Hi,
My name is Paul and I can't build a square box. I am fairly certain none of my cabs will sit on all four corners at once. They have a wobble, a tiltyness, a non flat quality to them. I feel much better now that I have that off my chest. Am I the only one with this affliction?

I also learned this weekend I have no idea how to configure mics properly so they do not cause feedback and squeal and cause the crowd to make faces and cover their ears. Feeling much better to get that out in the open too.

[BrentEvans]

We all have to start somewhere. I hire out my carpentry because were I to build something, it wouldn't only be a little wobbly, it would be more stable on its corners than on its flat sides.

I can ring out mics though. That's easy (as long as you have some form of RTA or a well trained ear).

[67baja]

That is just it - look how many cabs I have built! They all perform spectacular (Thank you Bill for the amazing designs), but just not square. I think my faults lie in being in a hurry and not having a big enough work bench. Never any leaks so I do not feel like the builds are compromised, but damn if they don't wobble. The T30s I just built rock like a rocking chair! The problem is all me, or my framing squares are 80 degrees instead of the usual 90.

[Haysus]

Hi,
My name is Paul and I can't build a square box. I am fairly certain none of my cabs will sit on all four corners at once. They have a wobble, a tiltyness, a non flat quality to them. I feel much better now that I have that off my chest. Am I the only one with this affliction?

I feel your pain. My subs look like they had been built by pre schoolers. But they pound hard and sound amazing!

I also learned this weekend I have no idea how to configure mics properly so they do not cause feedback and squeal and cause the crowd to make faces and cover their ears. Feeling much better to get that out in the open too.

I have mastered this part. Keep reading, listening, and learning from the folks around here. You will make it.

[Hackomatic]

Hi,
My name is Paul and I can't build a square box. I am fairly certain none of my cabs will sit on all four corners at once. They have a wobble, a tiltyness, a non flat quality to them.

The way I see it, you have two options. 1. Always ensure you have a sufficient supply of napkins and coasters. 2. Blame the venue for crappy floors.

[Rich4349]

These things are usually the result of a combination of a series of flaws, not one single thing, such as an inability to measure, etc.

-Poor wood quality is a big one - I was AMAZED at how much easier a build was with 60"x60" CABINET GRADE BB. Insane how much less warping was going on. That's just one less BIG thing to have to fight during your build. And other than gas costs to drive 2 hours to a GOOD cabinetry supplier, the costs weren't really significant, especially considering how much stress this removed from the process.

-All rulers are not created equal! I found out HALFWAY through a build that the (drywall) T-square I was using MEASURED 'OFF' by about 3/32". That might not sound like much, but over time, those little errors can start to add up.

-Clamps are your friends. The more friends you have, the better. You can clamp and glue your way out of a lot of warping and slight mis-measurements. PL also helps excuse you there. You can be almost up to 1/4" off and it will fill in the gaps.

-Remember what side of the line your piece is going to end up on, and cut on the other side. Every blade's kerf / thickness can add to your miscalculations/ mismeasurements.

-Do the double diagonal measurement check BEFORE (and after) your cuts. For a rectangle, the AC diagonal measurement needs to equal the BD diagonal to be "square".

-Keep at it- you'll get better! (Even though you might ruin a few pieces of wood along the way.) Wait till you try your first stained build- OY. EVERYTHING shows!

[67baja]

These things are usually the result of a combination of a series of flaws, not one single thing, such as an inability to measure, etc.

-Poor wood quality is a big one - I was AMAZED at how much easier a build was with 60"x60" CABINET GRADE BB. Insane how much less warping was going on. That's just one less BIG thing to have to fight during your build. And other than gas costs to drive 2 hours to a GOOD cabinetry supplier, the costs weren't really significant, especially considering how much stress this removed from the process.

-All rulers are not created equal! I found out HALFWAY through a build that the (drywall) T-square I was using MEASURED 'OFF' by about 3/32". That might not sound like much, but over time, those little errors can start to add up.

-Clamps are your friends. The more friends you have, the better. You can clamp and glue your way out of a lot of warping and slight mis-measurements. PL also helps excuse you there. You can be almost up to 1/4" off and it will fill in the gaps.

-Remember what side of the line your piece is going to end up on, and cut on the other side. Every blade's kerf / thickness can add to your miscalculations/ mismeasurements.

-Do the double diagonal measurement check BEFORE (and after) your cuts. For a rectangle, the AC diagonal measurement needs to equal the BD diagonal to be "square".

-Keep at it- you'll get better! (Even though you might ruin a few pieces of wood along the way.) Wait till you try your first stained build- OY. EVERYTHING shows!

I'm not afraid of staining!


It looks good, but rocks and rolls.



How about veneering? Piece o' cake. One of the THTs I built and finished with Ebony and Maple veneer. Sorry I can't find the finished and poly'd cab. That one rocks and wobbles too.


Like I say, at this point I feel I am not a newb, but the squareness, umm, yeah maybe I am still a newb.

[Gregory East]

Don't assume your ply is square from the factory.
Check your diagonals are equal before cutting.

Some microphones pick up from the rear quite well, so pointing them directly away from monitor makes it worse!

[Rick Lee]

Thankfully my cabs usually turn out ok (you wouldn't expect a builder to say otherwise now would you ) but even with jigs things can sometimes get off a little because of a little bit of glue that you didn't catch sticking to the jig, etc.

If it's off a little bit you can usually fix it by screwing the rubber feet in tighter or looser or sanding it out.

[SoundInMotionDJ]

I have shimmed a couple of "wobbly" cabinets back to being (mostly) square with the plastic corner protectors. The biggest difference between a novice and a master is the ability to hide the mistakes.

[doncolga]

Mine are not square either. Nobody has ever said anything about it. I did impress my workplace once working with the PA. We had the governor visit and it was something like a 10 person panel, each with mics. Up to that point they'd had loads of feedback trouble and I was able to help with that. They even added a subwoofer and was able to make some placement suggestions that worked well. That was a good feeling.

[biggerrigger]

Don't sweat it we are all human.
I found out the hard way with a different project that your item is only going to be as flat as the surface that you build it on. Needless to say I had to totally scrap the build that I was 85% done with and start over from the beginning.
Long story short. Take the time to make sure your work surface is up to the task or you can forget having good results no matter what your building.

[Bruce Weldy]

Don't assume your ply is square from the factory.
Check your diagonals are equal before cutting.

+1

My last batch of BB was not square. My first move is to find the squarest corner with my carpenter square. Then all cuts start from there. But, on this batch, there wasn't a square corner, so then I had to check the diagonal - it was out. It took a while to make a small "sliver cut on the right angle to get it square....especially on 4-5 pieces, but it is well worth it.

[byacey]

The most important things to making anything square and true is careful measuring, and a saw that is set up properly. First thing to check is if the blade is running exactly 90 degrees square with the table of the saw. Next, check that the blade arbor is squared up with the miter slots and the fence locks down square as well. If any of these things are out, you won't be making square cuts. Always use a sharp blade.

It's been said that a poor worker blames his tools, but years ago I used to work on a saw where the arbor was slightly out of alignment with the table and it wasn't adjustable. I tried every trick in the book to get around this problem, but ultimately the saw had to go.

[gdougherty]

The most important things to making anything square and true is careful measuring, and a saw that is set up properly. First thing to check is if the blade is running exactly 90 degrees square with the table of the saw. Next, check that the blade arbor is squared up with the miter slots and the fence locks down square as well. If any of these things are out, you won't be making square cuts. Always use a sharp blade.

It's been said that a poor worker blames his tools, but years ago I used to work on a saw where the arbor was slightly out of alignment with the table and it wasn't adjustable. I tried every trick in the book to get around this problem, but ultimately the saw had to go.

This.

Having a good table saw with a good fence, a good track saw or a carefully crafted guide board and circular saw arena irreplaceable starting point. You don't necessarily have to have the best tools, but making sure they are accurate is where you have to start. My Ridgid worm drive circular saw came from the factory about 1degree off square. Never assume a new tool is properly setup. They almost never are.