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La Scala LF build


rplace

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On a woodworking scale from 1 being I don't know what a router is and 10 being I'm a master carpenter and do it for a living. How hard is it to build a La Scala bass bin? It is my understanding that the Khorn is much difficult than the Jubilee. Or at least more parts/cuts. I've never built anything speaker related before, but I have a table saw, router, chop saw and home made dust collection system.

 

Doable? Plans/cut sheet? Advice?

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6 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

Sell me your LSI's so you can afford the project.....;)

 

Oh you are reading my mind. Plan to "test" the LF part of the LSIs in my main room with my Oris top end. I'm not in love with my Onken-esque bass bins my Oris sit on. Can't explain it but to me looks matter. Thinking if I like the LSIs under the Oris. I'm finally going to right-size my life. Sell the khorns, Forte II, LSI and various other gear. BUT first I'd have to build the most pretty La Scala cabinets know to man. That last sentence probably means I'll just have a house/garage full of speakers till I die.

 

Still got Super Heresies? Maybe partial trade.

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6 minutes ago, rplace said:

BUT first I'd have to build the most pretty La Scala cabinets know to man. That last sentence probably means I'll just have a house/garage full of speakers till I die.

I totally get it....

 

Yes, have one pair left.

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About the most difficult part of the build would be the angles on the front two pieces of the doghouse in having to build a jig as it's quite an awkward angle.  Plus, the diverter ramps have an angle beyond the 45 degree that a table saw can do.  But if you can build a jig and test those angle cuts out on scrap before committing to the real wood you're using, you'd be good to go.  Along with my uncle who was a master craftsman/wood worker, I built a set of La Scala's from rudimentary plans back in maybe 1980 or so.  I was more of the "gopher" but he's what got me started down that path of loving to build stuff.

 

I built the set of Belle clones (link in sig) and I would say that the veneer work was the most time consuming of all.  It took me a few months to build them but that was having weekends only to primarily work on them....and not even every weekend.  It was fun, for sure.  I could knock them out faster, now, but that veneer work is what takes longer.

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5 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

I totally get it....

 

Yes, have one pair left.

 

Maybe I should just reskin my LSIs in zebrawood and sell you the tops.

 

3 minutes ago, avguytx said:

About the most difficult part of the build would be the angles on the front two pieces of the doghouse in having to build a jig as it's quite an awkward angle.  Plus, the diverter ramps have an angle beyond the 45 degree that a table saw cab do.  But if you can build a jig and test those angle cuts out on scrap before committing to the real wood you're using, you'd be good to go.  Along with my uncle who was a master craftsman/wood worker, I built a set of La Scala's from rudimentary plans back in maybe 1980 or so.  I was more of the "gopher" but he's what got me started down that path of loving to build stuff.

 

I built the set of Belle clones (link in sig) and I would say that the veneer work was the most time consuming of all.  It took me a few months to build them but that was having weekends only to primarily work on them....and not even every weekend.  It was fun, for sure.  I could knock them out faster, now, but that veneer work is what takes longer.

 

Hijacking my own thread, was/is the belle any easier that gophering on the LS? I've not looked at specs in a long time but seem to remember the Belle is a bit of compromise in sound for being pretty. Also thought that was in the midrange horn department. If talking about LF section only how to the LS and Belle stack up against each other.

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9 minutes ago, avguytx said:

About the most difficult part of the build would be the angles on the front two pieces of the doghouse

 

I totally agree.  If you look at the angle that they come together, it's pretty sharp.

 

Otherwise, it's kind of "just a box".

 

You know....it could be a great excuse to buy a track saw!!! (if you don't already have one)

 

 

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I think the compromise is in the midrange department but opinions online, and in this forum, will vary all over.  I think mine sound great and maybe that's attributed to all new parts or just my degraded hearing over the last 20 years; not to mention having tinnitus.  I built the Belle's because I definitely like the looks better and there was never a pair locally that were in reasonable shape and/or matched their asking price.  So, versus buying a pair just to change out all the drivers, redo crossovers, etc., I just built a set. 

 

The bass bins aren't really that difficult on the Belle and I wouldn't really see the LS's as being that much tougher overall except for that doghouse point and keeping it sharp.  Are you going to veneer, duratex, or something else?  Heck, I've even thought about building a pair of Klipschorns using the speakerlab plans as I have 80% of the parts to go in them; I'd just need the horns.  I just like building stuff.  lol

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8 minutes ago, Coytee said:

 

I totally agree.  If you look at the angle that they come together, it's pretty sharp.

 

Otherwise, it's kind of "just a box".

 

You know....it could be a great excuse to buy a track saw!!! (if you don't already have one)

 

 

 

I thought about buying a track saw (Festool, DeWalt or Makita) before I started my build but I ended up just buying some new Diablo blades for my circular and table saw.  I used a 4x8 sheet of 2 inch thick polystyrene from Home Depot to lay the 4x8 sheets of Baltic Birch on for ripping them down to manageable table saw size on the floor.  I bought a Kreg attachment for my circular saw and it did an awesome job of making the big cuts.  Worked like a champ along with a bad a$$ blade.  lol

 

https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p424/rip-cuttrade/

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13 minutes ago, avguytx said:

 Are you going to veneer, duratex, or something else?  Heck, I've even thought about building a pair of Klipschorns using the speakerlab plans as I have 80% of the parts to go in them; I'd just need the horns.  I just like building stuff.  lol

 

At this point it is just the thinking stage. I for sure need to move my LSI LF sections into my room and see how that sounds to my ears. It would have to be a stunning veneer like you did. I've already got an ugly pair of black boxes under my HF Horns. I could probably veneer those bass bins, but I currently can't stand the big 10" driver front and center. Maybe a frame, grill cloth and magnets in the corners to hide them and call it a day. So far I don't have any complaints about the sound.

 

I've got a Big Green Egg and a few winters ago used marine plywood with this really nice veneer on the outside....can't remember what it was but looked like a giant Klipsch box on my deck. Anyway finished it with a two part marine epoxy for a plastic like finish. Even poured my own concrete top for it with 25 pounds of glass marbles mixed in. I've been thinking I need a new project like that. I too like working with my hand form time to time as I sit at a desk all day for work.

 

I do like the belle look better than LS even if we are just talking the LF part. I've got a Belle center already so have a prototype. Heck, I could build a 3rd as long as I'm cutting wood with all three matching veneer. Sell the Khorns/Belle and have my own version up front. Damnit you guys. You are supposed to be talking me out of this not making me more work.

 

Your build thread was fantastic. Thanks!

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I have built a pair. It was challenging but fun. Aside from a few angle cuts they are fairly simple. If you build your own you can include every tweek and upgrade straight from your garage factory. 

 

Just thinking about trying to veneer an already built pair makes me stress out. What a pain it must be to get all the seams just right. If you are like me and they are not perfect it would drive me nuts. Building a pair has to be easier.

 

I enjoy mine every day

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The LS is a doable project since you have a table saw.

 

I made "bigger belles" a few decades ago.  Then gave them away.

 

I used a flat piece in front like a Belle to avoid the pointy angle.  There is also the matter of the "ramps:" in back having a similar pointy angle and I just used a square cross section batten in a similar way.  The back edge of the sides of the  dog house are pointy and because mine were more like Belles I didn't have to deal with that.  But a batten would be helpful.

 

The dog house and sides should be all the same height.  You can rip a panel of ply without moving the fence.  

 

Back in the day I drew out everything (orthogonal views) on a very big roll of drawing paper.  Expensive.  I have seen that there is three-foot wide wrapping paper (?) with a one-inch grid on the back.  Look for that.

 

I would not hesitate to change some dimensions a little.  E.g. the LS is just over 24 inches deep and therefore you can't just rip a 4 x 8 in half.  Shortening it by 1/4 inch will not hurt anything and you'll have room for the kerf.

 

People have pointed out that the interior of the dog house on the factory unit is just a tad too narrow to take alternate 15 inch woofers and have to grind down the metal.  Therefore you should consider increasing that by 1/4 inch. 

 

In later projects I recalculated and cut to metric..  It is easier to cut to mm's than 32nds if your table saw has that. 

 

So, Mr. Blue Note, where are you located? Smile.  

 

WMcD

 

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I would say a 7ish due to the angle cuts. 

 

On ‎8‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 5:42 PM, Schu said:

This is harder...

The Khorn has more intricate cuts, that may make it more challenging.  I would take on building a Jubilee or building a Jamboree again over attempting the Khorn and for the performance of the Jubilee bass bin over the Khorn a Jubilee would be worth the challenge.

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On ‎8‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 3:15 PM, avguytx said:

About the most difficult part of the build would be the angles on the front two pieces of the doghouse in having to build a jig as it's quite an awkward angle.  Plus, the diverter ramps have an angle beyond the 45 degree that a table saw can do.  But if you can build a jig and test those angle cuts out on scrap before committing to the real wood you're using, you'd be good to go.  Along with my uncle who was a master craftsman/wood worker, I built a set of La Scala's from rudimentary plans back in maybe 1980 or so.  I was more of the "gopher" but he's what got me started down that path of loving to build stuff.

 

I built the set of Belle clones (link in sig) and I would say that the veneer work was the most time consuming of all.  It took me a few months to build them but that was having weekends only to primarily work on them....and not even every weekend.  It was fun, for sure.  I could knock them out faster, now, but that veneer work is what takes longer.

You mean the "wing" assemblies (term used at the plant), which are not diverting anything, since they are the first flares of the bifurcated horn lens.  The easiest way to cut the angles on them is to build a jig that clamps to the rear fence of a miter-saw.

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On ‎8‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 2:59 PM, rplace said:

On a woodworking scale from 1 being I don't know what a router is and 10 being I'm a master carpenter and do it for a living. How hard is it to build a La Scala bass bin? It is my understanding that the Khorn is much difficult than the Jubilee. Or at least more parts/cuts. I've never built anything speaker related before, but I have a table saw, router, chop saw and home made dust collection system.

 

Doable? Plans/cut sheet? Advice?

See the attachments:

1977LaScalaDim1.jpg

1977LaScalaDim2.jpg

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4 hours ago, HDBRbuilder said:

You mean the "wing" assemblies (term used at the plant), which are not diverting anything, since they are the first flares of the bifurcated horn lens.  The easiest way to cut the angles on them is to build a jig that clamps to the rear fence of a miter-saw.

 

Yeah...I guess that's it. I'd read here somewhere they were called that by someone so that's what I went with. 

 

I built a jig that I ran them down my table saw on. Worked really good. 

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On 8/28/2018 at 5:42 PM, Schu said:

This is harder...

 

klipsch_k_horn_speaker_system_sm.pdf_1.p

 

Than this?

 

nolid-finalflare-2.jpg

 

  I like the picture. I used to build horns for Lowther drivers. About my fourth cabinet I started to go over the top on details.

   I would put two 45 degree bevels on the inside wall. Not audible, just makes you feel like it has been done as well as possible. Same with the braces, I would bevel them for airflow. 

  It would take maybe two hours to do the bevels with a router bit. Make it a 42 hour project instead of a 40 hour. 

  But great work there. 

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Years ago I drew out HDBR's plans full scale.  They're perfect. 

 

Again there is a lot of chances for tweeking.  A design with a collar would be a bit more beautiful.  A little wider doghouse.  Taller top hat for more recent tweeters.  Tweeter at the side if you want to reduce height.  Use what I'm calling battens to avoid the sharp angles (you can then build using a circular saw and a guide).

 

You could use 1 inch MDF for the sides.  I don't know the effects of using sandwiched ply like just adding 1/4 inch to 3/4.  Of course just bracing too.

 

There is a schematic on the forum for the last crossover before the LS-II. 

 

WMcD

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