HDBRbuilder Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Well, I finished with the doghouses for these oak LaScalas...they are gonna be pretty special!! Why? Well, I deviated from some of the established procedures of the Klipsch production method, as follows: 1. The factory just bangs the t-nuts of the motorboards into the motorboards. I feel that, since the t-nut flanges are sticking up past "flush" in the first section of the bifurcated pathway of the folded horn, they could possibly cause some distortion. Therefore, I used a Forstner drill bit, and countersunk the t-nut flanges into the motorboard so that their flanges don't potrude into that pathway. Then before sinking the t-nuts into those countersunk holes, I applied some woodworker's superglue to them to add extra holding power. After that, I buttered up the flange side of the motorboard where the countersunk holes extend just past the outer diameter of the t-nut flanges, with bondo, and sanded everything flush there...nice smooth pathway for the sound to travel over!! Only a possibility of a portion of the woofer mounting bolts will be potruding into that soundpath now!! 2. On each side of the doghouse, there are boards that attach to the edge of the motorboard. At the factory, they just glue and nail these on, as did I...BUT...I took some bondo, and filled in the end grain of these boards where the factory normally just leaves the sawn edge there. Since this sawn edge is the last part of the doghouse where the soundpath leaves it, I decided it outta be as smooth as possible, too...therefore the bondo of the edges, then a sanding nice and flush and smooth with the back side of the motorboard there. (For those of you who have factory LaScalas, just reach up into the bass bin and feel the back side of those boards...you will see what I mean by a rough edge!) 3. Finally, a sealer coat and light sanding, then another coat of clear satin urethane on the back side of the doghouse, where the soundpath follows it between the wings...the wings got the same coats of finish on the side toward the soundpath. 4. I used 3/4" baltic birch for the wings, since it is so solid...much more solid than what the factory uses there. 5. Motorboard is 9-ply Birch plywood...also more solid than what is normally used. 6. The "V" sections were attached to the rest of the doghouse sections with glue and SCREWS, instead of just nails and staples. 7. The panels for the "V" sections of the doghouses are book-matched to each other...and done up in pairs. 8. The panels on the sides of the doghouses have their forward edges veneered in oak, too. 9. When assembling up the two panels for the "V" of the doghouse, at the factory they glue up the edges of the 30 degree miters, and then assemble them together using nails through the outside into the opposite panel...nailing from each side. This leaves nail holes to fill. I don't like nail holes...FILLED OR NOT!!..when they are on the SEEN portion of a project!! So I built a jig for alignment of the miters, glued up the panels, used a few tiny staples to hold the panels together at the ENDS(where the staples wil never be seen...just as they do at the factory)...BUT, then I removed the panels and used the old "masking tape clamping" routine to pull the "toes" of the miters together at the joint...you have to work quickly when doing this because the glue sets up rapidly...then I put the assembly back into the jig and let it completely set up before removing it!! Result: No nail holes to fill...no filled nail holes to see!! Some may ask: Are they gonna be strong enough without those nails in there? The answer is that the GLUE is what HOLDS a project together, the fasteners in this case only act to secure the parts while the glue sets up AND to provide a bit of clamping power ...masking tape provided the clamping power for me, and secured the parts together while the glue set up!! More to come later this week!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Please post some pictures when you get a chance... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 7, 2002 Author Share Posted October 7, 2002 I have been taking some pics with my 35mm, but it will be awhile before I finish off that roll of film. A buddy is supposed to come out tomorrow and take some digital pics of some stuff...so I will hopefully have some pics to post in a day or so of work in progress. Keep in mind that building just one pair of these is alot of work...but building FOUR pairs, as I am doing, is 4 times the work!! LOL! Hopefully, some of you forum members will be wanting to take three of these pairs off my hands soon!! They will all be built the same, but with slightly different grain characteristics in the wood. Making them out of oak is one thing, but book-matching some of the pairs' parts, and pair-matching other parts is a bear...and leaves more scrap than just doing a standard "factory build"!! I sure wish the companies who make veneered plywood would make the center-match of slice veneer line up with the finished edge of the sheets...all of this measuring, scabbing on a straight piece at an angle, and ripping it out that way is getting to be a real pain!! LOL! BUT....the final result SHOULD be candy to the eyes as well as to the ears!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killerbee_vr6 Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Sign me up for a pair. I love my La Scalas, but the cabinets are well, beat up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 8, 2002 Author Share Posted October 8, 2002 Killerbee...email me for details: Jahren60@aol.com As things stand right now...I have no plans to build any more from oak, so the first downpayments for these three get them reserved for the buyers. After these three pairs are gone, then...IF THERE IS DEMAND, I may build some more...so far there doesn't seem to be enough demand to even sell these three pairs!! But...maybe once the pics get posted, that will change!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 11, 2002 Author Share Posted October 11, 2002 See the attachment for a pic of me sanding on one of the doghouses prior to putting the finish on them earlier this week. Notice the beer gut...LOL! Hell, I am almost 50, I am AUTHORIZED a bit of a gut!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 11, 2002 Author Share Posted October 11, 2002 See attachment for a pic of one of the pairs of doghouses prior to getting the finish applied. Note the book-match in the "V" portion, and the veneered front edges of the side panels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 11, 2002 Author Share Posted October 11, 2002 See attachment for a pic of the second pair of doghouses prior to having finish applied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 11, 2002 Author Share Posted October 11, 2002 see attachment of pic of one of the first pair of doghouses...note the construction...no nail holes at the front of the "V" as on factory-built ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtkinney Posted October 11, 2002 Share Posted October 11, 2002 Beautiful work. Nice little shop you have there, I'm jealous. I have to move the trucks out to get to the tablesaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 11, 2002 Author Share Posted October 11, 2002 Jim, Thanks. Right now its borrowed workspace. I am hoping to have my own little shop eventually. Maybe, it there is enough interest(meaning paying customers...LOL!), I will end up having enough to rent out a little shop in the next few months. At this time I am being allowed to use some shop space at a friend's small company, but that can't go on forever!! Not fair to him!! This weekend I will be finishing-up getting the rest of the parts prepped for the final assembly and finish application of the first two pair next week. Hopefully, before the end of the week, I will have pics to post of the first two FINISHED pairs of these oaken scalawags!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted October 11, 2002 Share Posted October 11, 2002 They're gonna be pretty....... John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_tx_16 Posted October 11, 2002 Share Posted October 11, 2002 Here you go HDBRbuilder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 11, 2002 Author Share Posted October 11, 2002 John...thanks Justin...thanks, yet again! Tomorrow I get after getting the finish on the upper and lower sections of bass bin...the inside of the sides, and the backs. One sealer coat, and two top coats...by Monday, I will already be assembling both of the first two pairs up...then onward with the second two pairs!! I opted to build two pairs of them at a time because while I am waiting for finish coats to dry on the first pairs, I can do assembly and such on second pairs' sub-assemblies, such as doghouses...already have wings and motorboards finished for them...their doghouses will be getting finish on them as I finish final assembly of first two pairs of cabinets. Since nobody has stated a claim to any of these yet, the second two pairs will be getting the same finish as the first two pairs. I always use one container of finish that never gets used except for sealer coats, since there is possibility of contamination with dust (even though I blow it the surface off with compressed air and then wipe it down, first), and a second container for final coats...I also use two separate brushes, and brush cleaner containers for the same reason. I have found that I can end up with an extrememly smooth finish by eliminating this possibility of particle contamination to the final coats' finish and applicators. Over the years, I have gotten pretty decent at brushing on polyurethane finishes...LOL!...but it wasn't always that way!!!...LOL!...I hate to see it glopped on...it looks so unprofessional to me!! One of the keys is that when I sand the sealer coat to smoothness, I never use new sandpaper...but instead I use previously used 220 grit garnet...just HAND sand LIGHTLY til you feel no drag, and then feel it to check for smoothness...and continue sanding til it is ready for topcoats....sounds strange, but it always has worked out well for me!! The other day my buddy asked me if I could afford some new sandpaper...I just laughed and said "Wait til you see the results of this method!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vavoline Posted October 12, 2002 Share Posted October 12, 2002 Purtty, verrry purtty. Those will do justice to those killer Heresys you have, Andy! Maybe the best lookin Scala-Wags ever built! Please post finished pics!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregorius Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 HDBR, Excellent workmanship, a true craftsman! Regards, Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 Very nice indeed! I sure wish I could afford them. Just out of curiosity, how much will you be charging for the cabinets? You can Email me at mlindsey@dewberry.com if you like... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Man Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 HDBR, I've been busy doing some horn comparing and havn't taken the time to comment about your project. I just want to say now, that your work looks very nice and that I know how much extra time it takes to build them with the type of joints you discribed to me durning our phone conversation. I might build a modified LaScala to hold a different midrange horn for my center channel. If I do I will also make it out of oak to match my Klipschorns. I hope they look as nice as yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkbks Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 This is beautiful work. Whatever you're asking for them is probably too little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 14, 2002 Author Share Posted October 14, 2002 Thanks guys...I put in about 12 hours on them and some parts for some others today. Just bondoing up the back side of the motorboard t-nuts takes some time...LOL! Now I have another 8 woofer motorboards ready for whatever...LOL! I ran the double overlapping rabbet joints for the bottom/side joinery today...half again as much glue-bonding surface, and boy are they gonna be tight joints!!! Tomorrow I will run the dado into the sides for the vertical panels at the top of the doghouses...gonna inset those panels about 3/16" into the sides...that outta stiffen up the box and the sides somewhat!! I am gonna run the double overlapping rabbet joints for the backs into the sides tomorrow, too. That Freud dado set I got a few years back continues to amaze me...it is still as sharp as the day I bought it!! I honestly believe that any resonance problems associated with LaScala sides can be at least partially solved by appropriate joinery techniques. Plain butt joints are easy and more conducive to the manufacturing process, but they are NOT much on stiffening up a box the size of a LaScala bass bin!! Using two different types of plywood core COULD have been more of a problem, but I guess I lucked out...both types are just about 3/64" shy of 3/4" in thickness...must have been my lucky day when I bought the stuff!! LOL! Actually, I am using 4 different types of plywood, but the only stuff that I was worried about dealing with was the stuff for the main body. The motorboards are made out of a 9-ply birch plywood...similar in lay-up of its core plys to baltic birch. Baltic birch is being used for the wings' construction and for the "door" to the bass bin...I decided that baltic birch on the very bottom, securely attached to the bass bin bottom would HAVE to provide some extra stiffness on that panel!! Geez, that stuff is expensive!! I learned that I need longer arms if I am gonna be handling 3/4" baltic birch by myself very much...those 5'x5' sheets are quite an arm stretcher!! I routed out the woofer door holes today...all I can say is that it sure pays to do an accurate lay-out when making a router form!! I am proud that my routed openings are better than those of the factory LaScalas I have...too bad I wasn't around to train the guy on the router who routed up the parts in my factory LaScalas!! When I was there routing, the holes were at least symmetrical!!! GEEZ!! It only takes a few minutes a day to adjust a router form back to "true"!!! It must be hard to find good workers around Hope now-a-days or something!!! LOL! Hopefully, by the end of the week, or at least by Sunday, I will have the first pair finished and the second ALMOST finished!! Next week I am hoping that I will get the third pair finished, too!! The 4th pair are gonna be mine, but I am gonna have to sell two pairs before I can finish mine! Bummer!! I am asking $1450 a pair for the three pairs I am selling...50 bucks of that is a crating charge...basically crating material costs...gonna wrap them in visqueen, then surround them with 1" styrofoam panels, then snugly build flakeboard crates around the styrofoam panels. Some folks apparently think I am asking too much...but I am keeping track of material cost and labor and I am coming out under minimum wage on these!! Plus...when you are ripping out book-matches and such, you end up with alot of waste...no matter how hard you try not to do so!!! And I have to figure out how I am gonna put all of this waste to use!! I hate to waste lumber!! One of the BB members expressed some interest in me building up some LB-76 cabinets, but all I have is labelled drawings...no dimensions that go with them. Another thing...those German LaScala plans are totally screwed-up...I have been checking my work against some of the plans out there...and none of them are right!! Hell, the German plans don't even have the correct angles for the wings!!! I don't know how they came up with what they have, but it is WRONG!!! FYI: The single MOST USED hand tool during this project(besides a tape measure, of course!!)? A big SQUARE...gotta have one to ensure proper "square" and alignments!! Well...time to close this post...I will keep you folks updated!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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