BillFitzmaurice.info

Few build pics below. I'm building it out of 36x36x24.5" baltic birch. I was able to get it all to fit on three 1/2" sheets. If I did this again I would make it out of 5/8". I'm also using a biscuit joiner to assemble one side of it as well as major joints. The top (side) will just be glued (poly) on and held with clamps until it dries. I like the biscuits because I can dry fit everything before I assemble with poly. I am also moving the woofer access panel from the side to the back end where the sound opening is. I like this because it is a square hole, and then I only have one "ugly" side that has an opening of any sort. I stole this idea from Triticum Audio. After talking with them about a build of their's I found it can be done as long as you don't go too narrow and that your speaker will fit through the hole. So if you go narrower it may not be an option. My plan is to stain with cherry when I'm done. Few of the build pics below. Overall I am happy. Everything is fitting cabinet tight and my rough cuts to the finished cuts are within 1/16" of what Bill says the finished piece should be. I can't wait to finish it up.

Pics in the following post. I typed this out yesterday and had sizing issues and then accidentally closed my post tab before actually posting it.

alright pics are slow because I need to resize

I don't understand why you would want to build out of 5/8" ply.
That would require a total redraw of the plans.

Grant Bunter wrote:I don't understand why you would want to build out of 5/8" ply.
That would require a total redraw of the plans.

Because it's easier to work with. It would change your dimensions by 1/8".

milehighassassin wrote:

Grant Bunter wrote:I don't understand why you would want to build out of 5/8" ply.
That would require a total redraw of the plans.

Because it's easier to work with. It would change your dimensions by 1/8".

How in the world is it easier to work with?

milehighassassin wrote:

Grant Bunter wrote:I don't understand why you would want to build out of 5/8" ply.
That would require a total redraw of the plans.

Because it's easier to work with. It would change your dimensions by 1/8".

I agree with Bruce.
Ply is ply, and I don't find 5/8" any easier to work with than 1/2".
At least in my part of the world, thicker ply costs more.
It also weighs more. Perhaps that's not an issue for HT.

If there was a need for the cabs to be built with 5/8" ply, it would already be stipulated in the plans.

Must be something to do with the biscuit joints he is using.

Yes the biscuits are far easier on thicker. Thicker is generally easier because you have more surface to work with on the sides. I mean if thickness didn't matter, why not just use 3/8" or 1/4"?



In a 4x8 sheet of plywood, 5/8" weighs 8 lbs more than 1/2". So a 5x5 standard baltic birch it would be even less. The weight is minimal.

If you are dead set on biscuits to further strengthen or so it is easy to dry fit, next time use 1/2" plywood and use pocket screws instead of biscuits. I have built some of these cabs with pocket screws and they work very well.

AND, a few subs here have been built successfully using 1/4" BB by adding extra braces.

I've used biscuits on a lot of projects over the years, but not these cabs. If you have a table saw and make good cuts - all you need is the glue, some screws, and a brad nailer.

The PL Premium has all the strength you need and the screws and/or brads hold the panels in place until it dries. And it is WWWWAAAAAYYYYYY faster.

I agree with you Bruce for PA cabs but the OP wants to stain this cabinet cherry. Screw holes and even brad holes may not be desirable in a furniture grade cabinet.

CoronaOperator wrote:I agree with you Bruce for PA cabs but the OP wants to stain this cabinet cherry. Screw holes and even brad holes may not be desirable in a furniture grade cabinet.

Guess I should'a read a little deeper. But, BB is not the greatest wood to stain. Might be better to wrap the cab in veneer or a thinner ply of of nicer wood.

Bruce Weldy wrote:

CoronaOperator wrote:I agree with you Bruce for PA cabs but the OP wants to stain this cabinet cherry. Screw holes and even brad holes may not be desirable in a furniture grade cabinet.

Guess I should'a read a little deeper. But, BB is not the greatest wood to stain. Might be better to wrap the cab in veneer or a thinner ply of of nicer wood.

I saw a build earlier using BB with a cherry finish and it looked great. BB, I think finishes really nice considering it is plywood.

I've become accustomed to using biscuits. Honestly I find them very easy to work with and extremely strong.

I promise I'll get pics up soon. I guess I'll have to find my photobucket login. That will be easier than re-sizing everything. This site doesn't seem to like Google/Picassa for hosting either.

TIP While I'm thinking about it, I highly recommend you cut the width of all your pieces at once. I rough cut everything and then I went back and cut the width with the table saw set in the same position. Everything is exact and that will make this build a lot easier.

So far the toughest bit has been the circle cut made at a 45 for the woofer.

milehighassassin wrote:
I saw a build earlier using BB with a cherry finish and it looked great. BB, I think finishes really nice considering it is plywood.

I've become accustomed to using biscuits. Honestly I find them very easy to work with and extremely strong.
.

I just built a furniture piece where the carcass was BB.....it didn't stain well at all....but then, I'm not that good at staining...do they make duratex in woodgrain?

I like biscuits..... but, they are only for alignment - they don't add any strength to these cabs as the PL is stronger than the biscuits.