In order to overcome my fear of failure, I decided to embark on a "throwaway" project, where I could build some speakers with no consequences for failure:
This is the result
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=17551361&l=530d18f080&id=552320696
2 bipolar rear channel speakers, and a centre channel.
I used scrap pine for the boxes, fibreboard for the back, some cheap Sony car co-axial drivers, and electrical blocks for connecting the speakers to speaker wire.
Did I mention I was being cheap?
Lessons learned:
- scrap wood might have warped while sitting there - it might not be straight anymore
- scrap wood might have been treated, which means that it won't absorb the stain properly
- 2mm fibreboard is too thin for the back - it can't take any kind of screw, so I couldn't attach the electrical block properly
- drilling through a board which has batting on the back is a bad idea - the batting wraps around the drill bit and pulls wires out
- jigsaws don't like drilling out speakers holes, use a circle jig and a router instead
- exposing the end-grain on the front face is a bad idea
- power tools absolutely rock for getting stuff done fast! Love my cordless screw driver.
- a table saw is waaaaaaay easier to use than a standalone circular saw
- building speakers doesn't have to be super scary, just adjust your expectations to your talents
Next up - seeing if I can build some mains!
This is the result
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=17551361&l=530d18f080&id=552320696
2 bipolar rear channel speakers, and a centre channel.
I used scrap pine for the boxes, fibreboard for the back, some cheap Sony car co-axial drivers, and electrical blocks for connecting the speakers to speaker wire.
Did I mention I was being cheap?
Lessons learned:
- scrap wood might have warped while sitting there - it might not be straight anymore
- scrap wood might have been treated, which means that it won't absorb the stain properly
- 2mm fibreboard is too thin for the back - it can't take any kind of screw, so I couldn't attach the electrical block properly
- drilling through a board which has batting on the back is a bad idea - the batting wraps around the drill bit and pulls wires out
- jigsaws don't like drilling out speakers holes, use a circle jig and a router instead
- exposing the end-grain on the front face is a bad idea
- power tools absolutely rock for getting stuff done fast! Love my cordless screw driver.
- a table saw is waaaaaaay easier to use than a standalone circular saw
- building speakers doesn't have to be super scary, just adjust your expectations to your talents
Next up - seeing if I can build some mains!
