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Lets talk plywood and mdf


The Dude

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I might add guys, PLEASE use a good respirator when woodworking if you don't have a good dust collection system. I spent all last spring learning about, and setting up a 6" dust collection system in my shop. I spent many years sucking up dust during my projects and had no idea the potential dangers of fine dust to my lungs.

Take some time to review the information on this site: http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.cfm

The information will convince you that a general dust mask will not do. Also, if you are working in a structure attached to your home, you are spreading the fine dust into your home.

MDF is particularly nasty. As a minimum, use a respirator with real filters. Be careful out there.

Thank you. I had no idea the standard dust masks weren't adequate.

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What about using OSB plywood and then using 1/4" birch skinned over it?

I could be wrong, but I would think there would be way to much flex, and voids.

Correct. If you are going to build a speaker of sub cabinet, I don't think there is anything better than BB or Apple Ply. The many layers of the BB give it great strength and as a general rule it is flat and resists warping. I have not found any other type of (inexpensive) plywood that is better. As I mentioned, I have heard the apple ply is excellent, but I have not gotten my hands on any.

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What about using OSB plywood and then using 1/4" birch skinned over it?

I could be wrong, but I would think there would be way to much flex, and voids.

I have seen it used for some subs and according to this link there are no voids... http://www.norbord.com/na/blog/plywood-or-osb-panels-which-is-better-2 It is way cheaper.

Edited by ellisr63
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What about using OSB plywood and then using 1/4" birch skinned over it?

I could be wrong, but I would think there would be way to much flex, and voids.

I have seen it used for some subs and according to this link there are no voids... http://www.norbord.com/na/blog/plywood-or-osb-panels-which-is-better-2 It is way cheaper.

Oriented strand board (OSB) would be the absolute worst choice for speaker cabinet building.

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What about using OSB plywood and then using 1/4" birch skinned over it?

I could be wrong, but I would think there would be way to much flex, and voids.

I have seen it used for some subs and according to this link there are no voids... http://www.norbord.com/na/blog/plywood-or-osb-panels-which-is-better-2 It is way cheaper.

Oriented strand board (OSB) would be the absolute worst choice for speaker cabinet building.

Why? I have seen it used for subs and according to the link I posted it has no voids.

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What about using OSB plywood and then using 1/4" birch skinned over it?

I could be wrong, but I would think there would be way to much flex, and voids.

I have seen it used for some subs and according to this link there are no voids... http://www.norbord.com/na/blog/plywood-or-osb-panels-which-is-better-2 It is way cheaper.

Oriented strand board (OSB) would be the absolute worst choice for speaker cabinet building.

Why? I have seen it used for subs and according to the link I posted it has no voids.

It has no density.

I used it before for wall sheathing & I-beam floor joist construction when i was building houses & see it all the time when shopping for plywood & shop stuff.

Its super cheap and it has a purpose but not for cabinet building.

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Why? I have seen it used for subs and according to the link I posted it has no voids.

OSB is hard and pretty tough, but not on the edges, if you hit the edge with a hammer it starts to flake and crushed easily from the edge you would not want to build any kind of cabinet with it it's designed as a cheaper replacement for CDX(cheap) plywood. For one thing there usually is some strands that become unglued on the outside and could vibrate.

True it has no voids but that's it's only attribute, do not trust anyone who builds anything serious with OSB , If they can't do better than that they just don't care, really cheap or really misinformed.

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Good to know... I had purchased some plans for a Horn loaded sub that was built with OSB. I will most likely be building some SPUD subs instead.

Build them with a better wood, you won't be sorry, also OSB is not very smooth depending on what kind of finish your thinking of.

I like the spud, I only have one and would like to build another for the other corner, it's amazing what it can do with small drivers, it's a cheap build for a good sub. There is also the bigger brother of the Spud using bigger drivers if that fit your space better ?

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Wow that duder guy is good !

I didn't like where the access door was and changed it to the side to get it off of that corner where they are normally, thought it would be stronger, and easier to build and access..

I changed it and put both drivers on the side where they can be removed from the new access hole.

This one was not required to be pretty, it was going to be hidden.

post-9700-0-60580000-1390961687_thumb.jp

Edited by dtel
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The wood question is a good subject, glad you brought it up Duder. Plywood gets used in my shop. When Mr. Detel said "

"Also when looking for sheets without dings from handling I was told by a store employee we don't like when people look through a stack and pick out sheets. I asked, well the sheets with a bad corner must be cheaper because i will not pay 50 a sheet for bad edges, go ask your manager what he thinks, I think he got the idea as he walked away and no one came back."

I was once again reminded of how much so many of us are so similar. Thanks for the grin's Detel :) Yea this is a great place to hang out.

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Good to know... I had purchased some plans for a Horn loaded sub that was built with OSB. I will most likely be building some SPUD subs instead.

Build them with a better wood, you won't be sorry, also OSB is not very smooth depending on what kind of finish your thinking of.

I like the spud, I only have one and would like to build another for the other corner, it's amazing what it can do with small drivers, it's a cheap build for a good sub. There is also the bigger brother of the Spud using bigger drivers if that fit your space better ?

I was thinking of maybe 4 SPUDs in my theater... 1 SPUD (or maybe 2 behind my back row) would work, and maybe 2 of the larger versions for the front screen (if I could find the plans for them). I wish that i would have had the cash when they had they Super SPUD kits. I would have bought 2 of them!

Looks like I will be getting 2 of the Super SPUDS! I will see how they work out and maybe get 1 or 2 SPUDS for under the back row of seats when the HT is completed.

Edited by ellisr63
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