HDBRbuilder

Q-man, Yeah, I hear ya on the table saw!!! As far as I am concerned, the higher the RPM, the larger the diameter and thickness of the blade body is (for stability and its flywheel effect), the more sharp teeth you have on the blade (preferably alternating bevel chisel with straight chisels thrown between em), and the less vibration...the better. And nothing makes a better top than cast steel!! It's always great to have a good t-fence, a LARGE saw-table top, and fence rails that go way out from the blade to allow for wider cuts against the fence, too....but, alas....for me, I currently have to setle for an older model 10" Delta Contractor saw...at least it is alot better than some of the crap I see around...and I have learned to live with it...Actually...it is a pretty good ole machine all things considered!! That Carribean pine sure has figure in it like Southern Yellow Pine plywood...I hear ya on not wantin to build anything with plywood that acts like it wants to "crawl back to the mill like a lost snake"...LOL! Ya just gotta love baltic birch for stuff like drawer boxes and bottoms...hell...it even takes dove-tailing well!!...kinda ugly, but alot better than any other material I have found!!!...sure gives off alot of formaldehyde tho....geez...open the door to a shop with alot of bundles of it inside in the mornin after a hot night, and yer eyes burn for half an hour!!! Like I said earlier...it's nice to see another woodworker in here!!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Hey Folks, Back around 1992, I had to take my trusty old H/K 900+ receiver to the shop for a bad amp pot replacement...and a general check-up...I also took the old Teac A2340-R, DBX II model 124, and both the Soundcraftsman 20-12 A's in for check-ups. So that I could have something to listen to while these were in the shop, I drug out my "emergency integrated amp", a JVC A-K350 and hooked up the turntable, CD player, and cassette to it. But I missed having any FM to listen to. I went around to the pawn shops to look for some kind of tuner, but no luck...UNTIL...I noticed up high on a shelf back in a dark corner, covered in dust, an old tuner. I kinda wiped the dust off of the faceplate and saw it was a "DYNA". I had always really liked the old Dynaco stereo 400 amps, and I asked the guy at the shop if this tuner was for sale...and how much. He said he would let me have it for twelve bucks cause it had been in there forever!!! Hell, I figured even if it didn't work, I could get that much just for the working tubes outta it...so I forked over the dough, and got outta there before he changed his mind!! When I got home, I removed the cabinet cover and gently cleaned everything up inside of it with solvent grade ether, carefully removing the tubes, and cleaning all the electrical contacts off and then replacing them all. The next afternoon after I got off from work, I hooked it up to the JVC, and to the FM antenna from the H/K...and turned everything on...givin those tubes some time to warm up before turnin up the volume. Even running through the SS JVC, it sounded wonderful!!!...so clear and warm!!!...perfect for my Heresys!! I can't say I know a thing about it, but I sure would like to...anybody familiar with this model? I think I got a steal on it!!...and eventually would love to include it in a tube set-up...what do you think? ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Okay guys....Geez! I was using an analogy between General Motors and Klipsch!!!...did GM buy Daimler or BMW lately?...LOL! By the way....the Belle would be the Buick, and the LaScala would be the Pontiac in that analogy!! In no way was I trying to compare a GM product to BMW or Mercedes....but...if i were to look at the automotive world in general....maybe the K-horn is the classic 1933 Duesenberg, the Cornwall a 1937 Cord, and the Heresy an Auburn boat-tailed speedster?...oops...I did it again, didn't I?...E.L. Cord owned all of those marques....hmmmmmmmmm ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Klewless, Look closer....what you see on the far right of that picture is not the bottom of the speaker, it is the "shelf" baffle...to the right of that is the port. ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Trey, How can anybody ever forget ole Bois' d'Arc?...LOL!..that guy was killer funny!!!...always talkin some trash!!...I remember when he built those half-scale K-horns (actually about 1/4th size)..he was so damned proud of em!!..LOL!...they tested out about like a Heresy too!!!! He said "If I'd known that before I built em, then I woulda built some Heresys instead!!!"...LOL!! Is he still there? He used to call himself the "Cabinet-Shop Token"...LOL!...What a clown!!!...but a damned good builder..when I left they had him flippin back and forth between parts, LaScalas, and K-horns!!! He would come over and tail the mitered Cornwalls alot with me...Lynn would get mad because we were having too much fun together...Lynn never did catch on that when we had fun we actually got more built than when he told us to quiet down!!!!...LOL! "Ole" Bois d'Arc would wait til things got quiet in the shop, then holler out "We gotta get some SOOOUUULLL in here!!!"...LOL! I heard they stepped Lynn Stevenson down a few years ago and then he left awhile after that. Mr. Bradford was SOOOOOO laid back, nothing ever phased him at all!!!...he just rolled speakers into that booth, put the alligator clips on em and rolled through the frequency range...and rolled em out...very mellow old gentleman!!! In seven years there, I don't think I ever heard him say as much as I have already written here!!!...LOL!...but he was a true gentleman of the old school!!! I see Portis Gilley inspected yer cornwalls. He was such a cool gentleman...very young at heart...that morning when we all found out he had passed away...well...let's just say..it remained the quietest throughout the plant I had ever seen!!...He was much beloved by his co-workers!!!!! I'll give ya a holler sometime soon...I hope my recollections arent tickin anybody off!!!...Please let me know if they do!!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-30-2002 at 01:43 AM

Look at it this way, if Klipsch was General Motors, the three speakers you mentioned would be: Klipschorn=Cadillac Cornwall=Oldsmobile Heresy=Chevrolet Nuff Said!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Mace, As for the year of manufacture which is determined in the serial number sequence, since I don't have that data, I can't tell you, neither can I tell you how many were built for that particular yeazr, but others on this forum can. The "BB" was the code in 1977 for Ronnie Barhams and I, so we built that cabinet. Prior to 1977, "BB" was for Roy Byers and Ronnie...Roy moved up to build Belles when I started building. Gwin Cox was probably the best person final assembly ever had. She did your speaker. Mr. Bradford was the ONLY tester...he left everyday at the same time, but if there were alot of speakers left to test, then he came in earlier in the morning to catch back up before the rest of us got there. Each and every speaker was tested in his insulated booth!!!...if it didn't pass the test, the driver with the problem was replaced by its final assembler, then the speaker was re-tested! Even during a rush, ONLY the designated FINAL ASSEMBLY PERSONNEL installed the horns, drivers, networks, wiring, and hooked the wires to the terminal on the speaker back...the helper would be hauling pallets of backs over, putting on the labels, mounting the terminal on the backs, and after the final assembler finished with their job, the helper would screw the back onto the speaker. As for the clearance you mentioned about the back, the backs were cut about 1/8" under dimension to ensure they would easily fit into the opening. Those back panels often had a bow to them. A cornwall took a large panel. If there was a bow to the panel, it was determined in the paint room and the concave side of the bow was painted black for the back. When the back was installed in the speaker, one top corner was pulled tight up to the speaker inside corner, then screwed with one screw at top corner and side corner there...then screws were installed down that side pulling the bow down out of the panel...then across the top, then down other side and across the bottom...this ensured the speaker cabinet remained square at the rear...standard procedure. As for your loose bit of insulation stuck to your midrange horn driver...those drivers came with the Klipsch label already glued onto the back with contact adhesive...this adhesive can remain sticky for years...and sometimes some of it extended beyond the edges of the label...I think a mouse got into your speaker after it was sold, through the ports in front, and began stealing insulation out of it for its nest...and when it tore the insulation, a piece of it stuck to the driver. I hope this answers your questions. ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Taylor, Welcome to the forum!!! I have a used pair of LaScalas headin my way in a few days, myself!!! If your scalawags were built in the years John said, then look on the back edges of the speaker...should be one or more 1 or 2-letter codes stamped in (this is not part of the stamped-in serial number but is on one of the side upper rear edges)...these codes may not be stamped into the edge very deeply!!! you may have to look hard for them!! Let me know what the codes are and I may be able to tell you who built and sanded them! Let's hope it was Jay who built them and Frances Hale who sanded them they were the best for LaScalas back then!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Q-man Back when I was building at Klipsch, we used Duofast staple, nail, and brad guns. This Senco guy came out one day and left about six Senco finishing nail guns and the sasme number of staple guns with us to try out. The old Duofast nail guns were heavy and bulky and had terrible balance with straight handles makin em unweildy to use, but the new Senco nail guns felt just right in the hands, alot lighter, and all around better. The opposite turned out to be true for the Senco STAPLE guns though...not as consistent on recycle, not as consistent on performance, etc, as the old Duofast ones. Well, we used the nail guns for a few weeks, and got spoiled by em, but we all preferred the Duofast stapler over the Senco stapler. When time came to decide which ciompany to go with, the number crunchers wanted to stick with one company for ALL the guns. Well...we vetoed that crap and showed em a mix of the two gave more production. When I left we still all had Senco nail guns, but Duofast staple guns...LOL! The gals back inthe sanding room hated to fill in those "T-shaped " holes from the nail gun's driver...always bitchin about it. Well,, one day they were sittin around on break talkin about how hard it was to fill them holes and I grabbed my nail gun, tore it apart, took the driver out and went to the grinding wheel. Then I carefully "relieved" each side of those "tops of the 'T'" back about 1/8" from the tipwith the "relief" gently flairing back out to its original width over the next 1/8". I built the rest of the cabinets that day using that driver....the next day or two , also. Well, those sandin room gals had to find something else to ***** about, then cause they just loved puttyin them square holes so much!!! We took off our safeties too...on the senco nail guns we ever so slightly ground off the sharp edges at the tip of the guns, and then buffed em smooth as glass. Then we could just drag em across the grain of that birch veneer firing away and not leave a scratch!! After that my production of birch heresys and cornwalls increased about 10-15% per day on average!!! Wouldn't it be nice if those biscuit makin companies came out with spline material made just like biscuits but where you could cut it to length for continous joint reinforcing instead of having to use multiple biscuits? Then you could just take the table saw and groove the edges, glue em up, stick that spline in there and voila!!! Seems like they should have figured that little profit-maker out already, don't it? I use masking tape alot to align and clamp mitered edges, ever try that? Alot easier than using a bunch of clamps!!! But ya gotta use a good tape!! I figure ya have used it before, but if ya haven't I will go over it with ya...it is great with birch plywood!!...really gives ya a nice sharp toe-toe on those joints...hardly ever need to use any putty at all!! Another thing...for using brads or finishing nails to secure a miter where veneer is concerned and you dont want any nail holes to fill afterwards...there is this little gouge tool, you just gouge shallowly through the veneer just into the substrate under it and it curls up...then you nail into the little opening there, take some of that woodworker's superglue, and glue the curl back down...works great!!! After ya sand down the panel where you have done this, you never know it was even used!!! Boy, you get that baltic birch for half what it costs here!!!!...geez!!! Again, it is nice to see another woodworker in here!!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

ChemPharma, Did you also re-veneer the outside of the cabinet and the "roof" panels of the "doghouse" in this project or were you one of the lucky ones who got some LaScalas with nice figure to the birch? I can tell from the pics you have posted how all this went together...side cross-pieces, first, then side uprights(cut for a tight fit to the cross-pieces), then reverse routine for front, except that top edges were left nominally 3/4" higher than original top of cabinet all around...followed by mitered routed trim inserts into the "framework".....but I am curious about the bottom-front cross-piece...mostly about its WIDTH there...as in: is it also nominally 1-1/2" wide?...would love to see closer view. Again, great job, and thanks! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-29-2002 at 05:01 PM

Chempharma, Of course if the Cornwall were to be re-introduced as a cottage industry-made item, certain upgrades common in today's highest quality speakers (ie., the crossover/wire/terminal contacts/etc.) would be up-graded. And certain special options would be available to the discerning audiophile...at addtional cost, of course. But the cabinetry and integrity of the design would follow those built before, with of course in the finely-veneered models, matched veneers, etc. Of course the Decorator birch cabinets would also be available, but I would imagine that the match of them to each other in outer veneers would be much better, providing a more aesthetic appearance. As for any solid lumber being used anywhere in the cabinet construction, that is just not viable...too many problems in using solids...veneered lumber core panels and plywood are much better for cabinet construction and longetivity.... But...if there was available time certain "not the norm" touches could be provided I am sure. That is what this entire thread is all about...basically: "If the Cornwall were to be re-introduced maintaining its integrity of design and utilizing same components, what models/versions would you like to see and what options would you want?" Also what upgrades?...providing the integrity of design and functionality are NOT compromised!! Thanks for your input!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Ed, I was just making a point as to what causes deterioration of elements found within the crossover networks' components over time. It isn't the air, it is what is IN it. Corrosion is the biggest problem, along with build-up of airborne contaminants(grunge)...especially on electrical contact points open to the air. I sincerely believe that if just the wiring contact points were on occassion cleaned and a good contact point assured that most of the problems people have with the networks over time would never occur in at least ONE LIFETIME!! Add to that a good dusting of the open-to-the-air cross-over assemblies...preferably utilizing a shot or two of low-pressure compressed air!!...like in those little cans people use to clean computer equipment. And occassional unhooking of the contacts, a shot or two of contact cleaner or solvent grade ether, and a re-application of a bit of di-electric grease to stave off corrosion can make a world of difference(a tiny dab of this grease worked into the bristles of a tiny paint brush is excellent for doing this...gives very light coat)!!! Klipsch always made its best attempt to provide the absolute best materials and craftsmanship in its speakers and components, but like anything, regular maintenance helps ensure longetivity. As for your query as to which caps tend to deteriorate more rapidly than others...and why...I have no idea...but I would bet that Al.K can answer that one for us!!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-29-2002 at 03:05 PM

Candle wax on speakers...hmmm First of all, that can't happen if the candles are kept away from them in the first place. If you HAVE TO HAVE CANDLES, then please find some other place to put them!!! No matter what precautions you take, accidents are gonna happen...face reality!! I am the first one to admit that things get put on top of speakers, but use some common sense about it...rule one might be to explain to the significant other that speakers don't need accessorizing...that is for tables and shelves!!! Hint, Hint!! It may help to ask her: "Darling, do you think 2,000 dollars(insert price of new set of speakers here) is too much to pay for a pair of candlestands?"...."Well, baby, SO DO I!!" If the candle wax is a glob on the grille cloth and has not permeated THROUGH it, some Ice against it will make it alot easier to remove. Put the cloth against a hard flat surface after chilling the wax. Take a plastic spatula and slide it under it and pop it loose as you slide the spatula under it. If any wax remains or has permeated through the cloth, then after removing the glob, take paper towels, put on BOTH sides of cloth. Then take iron and set it to low heat and iron each side of this...the wax will melt and soak into the paper towels...you continue to change out the paper towels and repeat this until all the wax is removed. For any residual wax after this, take some dry-cleaning solvent and sponge it off, then gently rub it with heavy duty liquid detergent...let this remain for a few minutes, then with a wet sponge gently rinse it out of the cloth. Repeat until there is no noticeable wax remaining. As for scorching, whatever wood is scorched has to be removed...nuff said. If just the veneer, then a really good antique restoration place can patch it or re-veneer it unless it is heavyily figured or burl grain...then it has to be re-veneered to match. If it is scorched through the veneer, then the scorched wood has to be removed, the surface filled and sanded flat, and new veneer applied. For candlewax on oiled wood veneer surfaces...chi8ll the glob with ice or even better one of those re-freezable ice-pak things...take nylon/plastic spatula and working in direction of grain slide under glob and pop it loose, being careful not to scratch the wood or lift its grain....again take paper towel and iron set on LOW!!! Be careful not to apply too much heat or you will cause the veneer to separate from its substrate, or scorch the veneer...repeat as necessary...give speaker a good oiling and hand rubbing blending in the stain edges...repeat! None of these fixes are easy. PUT THE FRIGGEN CANDLES ON SOMETHING ELSE!!!!! GEEZ!!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-29-2002 at 01:30 PM

Chempharma, Thanks for yer input. As for your reference to the "current" demand for a speaker like the Cornwall in the marketplace...you are in alignment with my thinking. I also believe that in today's market dominated by small satellite speakers, the Cornwall would have difficulty holding its own if it is mass-produced for general sales..with all the peripheral expenses in a modern-day large corporate structure adding to its cost BUT, I also believe that if it could be re-introduced as a licensed product being made with loving attention by people who care in a cottage industry environment nearby the factory, it would be viable. Especially if it was built as before, utilizing the same components as the originals, with upgrades as necessary. This way, it would not produce problems incurred with commiting a corporate employee base to its production, could be offered as a special order item option, original drivers/components could be utilized, quality control could be monitored, Klipsch could collect a licensing fee, and the cottage industry building them could make a decent living from the production of them. In addition, they could be shipped from the plant, if the cottage industry was nearby, along with its other plant-built models. For many years Klipsch survived with little advertising...and I am sure that if the company would just include a bit of advertising for the Cornwall in the flyers that include the entire heritage line-up, mentioning that the Cornwall is special order only, that cost could be tacked onto the per unit produced licensing fee. Either way, among people who talk audio, the best form of advertising is word of mouth...ie., "Wow, those speakers sound great!!...what are they?" "They are Klipsch Cornwalls, but, sadly, haven't been made in awhile...but, just recently they were offered on a limited re-issue built under license nearby to Klipsch and marketed by them. They are also just like these you are listening to!! You may have to wait awhile to get them, but they are worth the wait!" Just my thoughts on the subject..... ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Q-man, High-Five!!...and thanks. It's always a pleasure for me to know that there are others around who have spent alot of time tryin to get sawdust out of their ears over the years! I often find myself feeling sorry for folks who, with the absolute best of intentions, decide to begin a project utilizing the least expensive materials, and don't understand they will end up regretting it later on. Too many times I have seen folks with a burning desire and outstanding latent ability run headlong into a brick wall in a woodworking project...causing them to give up on ever attempting one again, and thereby losing an opportunity to enjoy learning the art. By no means do I consider myself an expert at woodworking. Like anything else, there alot of different ways to do end up with the same result, and therefore alot of different opinions about the best route to take. I do, however tend to offer up ADVICE to those whom I see heading in what I perceive to be the wrong direction. All that I can offer up to them is the bit of wisdom and "tricks of the trade" that I have aquired over the years...based on my experience and on what has been taught to me by others. Everybody makes mistakes, as do I, but I try to learn from these mistakes and not repeat them in the future..and am more than willing to offer up what I have learned to others. It would be a blessing to me to someday meet you so that I can "pick your brain" in a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. BTW...I noticed a pneumatic tool in the pics posted...is that a duofast stapler or brad gun? Also, when you were assembling up the mitered panels, did you reinforce the glue-joints with brads or staples fired into the miters from the outside of the cabinet?...just wondered. Looks like yer prototype was in pine plywood...had to be alot of fun dealing with its tendencies to warp and curl while gettin those mitered edges together...LOL!!!...especially if you didn't brad or staple em along the mitered joints as you tried to get em to go together tightly!!..I can just picture it in my mind...been there, done that...way too many times!!! JUSTIN: When you talk to your uncle, mention the use of baltic birch 11-ply...and remind him you intend to paint it anyway...see what he thinks...he MAY be able to get you a very good price on it, too! The reason I mention this is your statement about the MDF being denser and therefore more amenable to acoustic applications...as is the Baltic birch!!...YOU CAN"T GET MUCH MORE DENSITY THAN WHAT BALTIC BIRCH GIVES YOU...LOL! You will find that out the first time you pick up a sheet of it!!!...LOL! As for the baltic birch being just a tad undersized in thickness compared to American birch 3/4" plywood, I can't tell you if that would adversely affect the performance of the horn...you have to refer that query to Q-man. Hope I have been some help to you!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Justin, Go with the 7-ply cabinet grade birch...yer uncle can get it cheaper for ya than lowes will sell it...just be sure the inner plys are birch too, and NOT poplar. You will appreciate it when you go to make those miter joints and glue them together...poplar plys will suck up the glue and swell outward, causing you to get a crappy miter-joint(not as solid as it needs to be), while birch inner plys will give you an excellent clean strong joint!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Justin, Look at how Q-man's horn is constructed...in the photos..with screws... and miter joints at the angles; with butt-joints everywhere else. Then go to the 2-channel audio system section of this forum. Click on my posting titled: "The Adventures of Engineer Jim". READ IT!...pay particular attention to the part about the "MDF vs. Plywood Debate" when you get down to it. Q-man, himself, noted early in this thread that he was building that horn out of inexpensive PLYWOOD first, in order to see how it goes together, while planning to build it out of better plywood after testing his prototype...IF HE WANTED TO USE INEXPENSIVE MATERIALS, THEN WHY DIDN'T HE USE MDF FOR THE PROTOTYPE? If you have very little experience in woodworking, I can understand your confusion, but, I have well over 35 years of woodworking experience...and I am SURE your own woodworker uncle would agree with me (ESPECIALLY, once he sees how the horn is assembled!!) that MDF is the LAST thing you would want to build these out of UNLESS you were one helluva woodworker, and wanted to spend a helluva lot of time AND money in the construction!! Even then, the first time the MDF gets wet it will turn to "oatmeal" and be ruined!!....Poolhouse, remember? Lastly, keep this in mind about the low price of MDF: "You get what you pay for!" ------------------------------------------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-29-2002 at 02:10 AM

MARTY65(Dan), RE: Loaner speakers for emplyoyees use during the time I worked there. Yes, there were a few pairs of LaScalas and Industial Heresys available for loan to the employees when I worked there. These were generally ones that had been returned for slightly damaged cabinets during shipping, but still functioned per specs...that damage was repaired, and they were generally either shot with the industrial textured black finish or fiberglassed and shot black. All the employee had to do was to get his/her name on the list and tell when they wanted to use the speakers(pick-up and return dates/times)and what the speakers were to be used for(ie., inside or outside use). The speakers were loaned on a first-come, first-served basis until they were all loaned out...and the length of the loan could not exceed seven days. There were also two or three pairs of LB-76 models for loan in the same manner. ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-29-2002 at 01:59 PM

Mace, As for the possibility of me having built those cabinets, Look at the back of the speaker...on the back edge of the left side(as you face it from the back), look up at the top just below the joint. There should be some letters stamped into it...some may be feintly stamped, some may be easy to see...those are the sander and builder codes..it you can tell me what they are I may be able to tell you who built and sanded them. As for one label not being filled out, and that bit of insulation on the mid-range driver...it sholdn't be there, and whoever did the final assembly either didn't notice it there(VERY unlikely), OR it was stuck elsewhere inside the cabinet when the back was put on and wasn't noticed and ended up stuck to the adhesive that held the driver's PWK label when the cabinet was moved around in packing or shipping.....As for the label, the final assembler must have grabbed one while not paying attention and not realized it hadn't been filled-in yet when he or she put it on. One note here: The fall of 1977 was hectic as hell...especially thru November, when the first MILLION-DOLLAR month in the company's history occurred...there wasn't to be another million dollar month for a few years. The quality and integrity of the speakers produced then was not compromised, but on occassion the mad rush left labels not completely filled out!!!...This was one of the points brought up at a quality control company-wide meeting the following January, after some of the dealers had complained about the labels. Yours was likely built during that mad rush to get all those speakers built and shipped out! When you have six trucks waiting to load at a two-truck loading dock and you are still doing final assembly, testing, and packing of the speakers for those loads, AS the loads are being LOADED ONTO the trucks!!...and half the people involved in the packing and final assembly/inspection are from another department just to help out...and EVERYBODY has been putting in 14 hours or more a day for at least 6 days a week....little things like that happen!!! As for speakers being built using MDF while I was there from 1976-1983, ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!...just two lascalas and two heresys as prototypes... and they were never sold after testing...I think they ended up being burned! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-29-2002 at 12:57 AM

Justin, FYI...if you try to use MDF, you will REGRET IT! IMHO...the most practical use for MDF is trashcan lining! Nuff Said! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

Dan, I can understand your confusion over this. When I worked at Klipsch, the plywood used for the LaScala, and for the sides/top/bottom of the DECORATOR style Heresys and Cornwalls, and for the front panels and tops of DECORATOR Style K-horns was 3/4" thick Birch 7-ply plywood. The interior plys of this plywood were also of BIRCH. This is the same cabinet=grade plywood used by quality cabinet-makers today. Now, for ANY of the panels that were "fine" veneers, such as black walnut, oak, mahoghany, rosewood, ebony, etc., the panels were POPLAR LUMBER-CORE plywood. To see the difference look at it like this: 1. picture a panel made like a butcher block is, with the boards laid out side by side and their ends pointing north and south and edge-glued together. This would represent the POPLAR LUMBER CORE. 2 then take a thin sheet of birch veneer and glue it onto this butcher block, with the direction of the grain pointing east and west. 3. flip the entire thing over and glue another thin sheet of birch to the other side, with the grain pointing east and west. 4. now you have a lumber core with one layer of veneer on either side. 5. next, glue one more sheet of birch veneer on JUST one side of this, with its grain running NORTH and SOUTH instead of east and west. 6. now flip the entire thing over and repeat step 5. but instead of using a birch sheet of veneer, use oak, or black walnut, or rosewood, or ebony, etc. 7. you now have what we used for the fine-veneer panels of the cabinets..... a poplar lumber core fine veneer plywood....the CORE of the plywood is SOLID POPLAR LUMBER instead of a bunch of plys, but the SKIN is a double thickness of thin veneers on each side of that core. Does that make sense? ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-28-2002 at 10:39 PM

cc1091, Thanks for the comments, and as soon as I figure out your suggestions, I will duly note them. Once again remember that this thread is about re-introducing the Cornwall in cabinet configurations that have existed in production models in the past...NOT in ANY NEW configuration. NOR...is this thread in anyway directed at the development of a NEW DESIGN of loudspeaker cabinet, which would entail extensive research and development. The HERITAGE series of Klipsch loudspeakers are called such for a reason...they are the HERITAGE of the company, and of PWK's designs!!!! As for Klipsch ever dropping the Heresy from the line-up of its Heritage series...that would be PURE FOLLY!!! Now-a-days even moreso than before, the Heresy model is the "bread and butter" speaker of the series. Look at it this way: Even when I worked there from 1976-1983, for EVERY SINGLE Belle Klipsch model sold, there were at least SIX KLIPSCHORNS sold, at least FIFTEEN CORNWALLS sold, at least THIRTY LASCALAS sold, and finally, at the VERY least THREE-HUNDRED HERESYs sold!!!!!.....and I believe that the ratios would remain about the same today, EXCEPT EVEN MORE HERESYs will be sold!!!!...if for no other reason than their being the smallest of the cabinets!!!!...Not only that, but they are also the least expensive model, the simplest to build, and use the least materials and man-hours by far!!!! As far as MDF goes...IMHO, MDF is best utilized as trashcan lining!!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-28-2002 at 11:26 PM

Justin, Course description: Plywood 101. Standard FULL-sheet sizes for plyood are 4'x8'. Q-man's speaker is made from 3/4" THICK plywood. In 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" plywood, you can find it made with 5 plys (not nearly the best for what you are planning to build); 7 plys (which in a cabinet-grade plywood has 5 interior plys and two thinner outer veneer plys for a total of 7); and 9 plys (which is the most dimensionally stable of plywood made in North America, but also in a cabinet-grade it is the most expensive!!) There is one more option: Baltic Birch plywood, which comes from Russia, is METRICALLY-SIZED, and is most commonly available in approximately 5'x5' sheets, with a thickness of just about 1/32" UNDER 3/4", and has a total of ELEVEN equal thickness plys....BY FAR THE MOST STABLE OF ALL! It is very hard, making it tough on saw blades, router bits and such. It will virtually last forever ( I can attest to this, since I made an UNPAINTED canoe rack from some, and the rack has been out in the weather for over 10 years and has yet to have a SINGLE ply separate...yes, I live in AR!!!). BUT ....it costs about 55+ bucks a sheet!...and remember the sheets are SMALLER! Also, for your intended use, this may be your best bet since it will be exposed to very high humidity close to the pool!!! But!!!...it is generally not found with a nice figure to the outer veneer-plys, and MAY have "footballs" in it (where little football shaped plugs have been inserted when a knot or other irregularity has been cut out)...but if you plan to have the speakers laminated or veneered it poses no problem. Now, I don't know what plywood YOU are talking about at just 5 bucks a sheet, but it isn't what you will be wanting, trust me!!! Even a 4'x8', 3/4" 7-ply birch cabinet-grade is around 45+ bucks a sheet on a good day! The 7-ply cabinet-grade birch comes with inner plys of either birch or poplar. Poplar is cheaper, but the birch is better. I hope this helps some. P.S. Don't Use PINE plywood, you will regret it!!! ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

On your Forte's, the "Clr" stands for clear laquer finish..don't oil them..a very light wipe down with gunstock wax (can find it at walmart)followed by a good quick buffing will help protect the laquer finish, though Klipsch has been leaning away from offering their speakers with hand-rubbed oil finishes the past few years, simply because it is a labor intensive process..requiring the speakers be oiled one day, and re-oiled again the next, and given a second day for the oil finish to "set-in" before packing for shipping...time is money!!! Your KLF-C7 is more likely than not, a clear or satin laquered finish...I don't believe they have been offered in an oiled finish, since they are a much newer model than your others. Again, don't oil these either, but a bit of wax to protect the laquer is fine. I used to use a touch of "Pledge" on my laquered speakers, but..."Pledge" no longer has wax in it, just cleansing agents...and leaves no real protection for the finish after its use. ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

The problem with old cross-overs on Klipsch speakers isn't so much that they wear out...but more that their exposure to the elements deteriorates them more rapidly. On all the Klipsch speakers except the Heresy (which has the cross-over inside an "air-tight" environment, the cross-overs are exposed to the open air, a bit less so for the Cornwall, since the only air that can circulate must go through the ports. When you are dealing with anything that is in the air that flows around them gathering up on the individual parts of the network (ie., dust, residual smoke, airborne contaminants such as what allows you to smell the bacon frying in the kitchen, etc.), then the problem is always present. Heat, cold, moisture/humidity, and exposure to sunlight also contributes to this problem. Add to these factors the physical and sonic abuse many Klipsch speakers have had in their lifetimes. Even the excellent ALK crossovers, over time, will be adversely affected by these factors. ------------------ If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-28-2002 at 03:27 PM