Help with wood choice?

[Bryan Mckendry 0]

I'm going to be building a second enclosure for my Fi Bl 15. For my first enclosure I made it out of Birch Plywood so what I was wondering was if Cherry, walnut or poplar would be good for a box?

[95Honda 486]

Are you talking Cherry, Poplar or Walnut plywood?

[Bryan Mckendry 0]

I'm talking Hardwood. I know poplar isint considered a hardwood though

[pmureika 31]

I'm talking Hardwood. I know poplar isint considered a hardwood though

The two best materials are mdf or baltic birch plywood. That would be my opinion. If you want you can build it out of any kind of wood.

 

But a ply wood would be better then solid wood.

 

I wouldn't recommend the other woods.

Edited January 16, 2015 by pmureika

[SpeakerBoy 64]

I'm talking Hardwood. I know poplar isint considered a hardwood though

The two best materials are mdf or baltic birch plywood. That would be my opinion. If you want you can build it out of any kind of wood.

But a ply wood would be better then solid wood.

I wouldn't recommend the other woods.

Why wouldn't solid wood be a good choice? Acoustics, or cutting difficulties?

[nigel 148]

Prone to splitting/cracking I would think. Solid pieces tend to do this as they dry.

Whereas with a ply, if one of the layers cracks/has voids it doesn't necessarily comprise the entire piece. ???

[Thumpper 266]

 I built a few enclosures out of real hardwood , measure 10 times and cut once

because one bad cut can be expensive....LOL

 

hardwood makes a nice looking enclosure but it has to be maintained

like a piece of fine furniture  ..   oiled so it does not dry out

Edited January 16, 2015 by Thumpper

[95Honda 486]

Hardwood, besides not liking to be attached at more than one axis and cracking, has too many uncontrolled resonant modes to use as a loudspeaker enclosure material.  Successful solid wood cabinets have used the butcher block approach to alleviate the two previously mentioned problems, look at Sonus Faber and you will see what I am talking about.

 

Acoustically, MDF is the best choice of materials in this thread.  High quality plywood is the strongest...  So choose you poison...   

[SpeakerBoy 64]

Those Sonus Faber speakers are a pleasure to look at o.o

While building materials are being brought up, is lexan/plexi an acoustically appropriate material for an enclosure, if it was the primary building material (not a window).

/endthreadjack

[Thumpper 266]

that's one of the reasons why those expensive Frugal Horns have a nice looking hardwood faceplate

and everything behind is either Baltic Birch or MDF

 personally I hate working with MDF because of the dust but it's the most acoustically dead

and the reason why I use it the most

[95Honda 486]

MDF dust is terrible...  It also isn't supposed to be good for you over the long run...  I know I have been breathing it for at least 20 years...

 

MDF is cheap, also...  We tend to forget that fact...  

[95Honda 486]

While building materials are being brought up, is lexan/plexi an acoustically appropriate material for an enclosure, if it was the primary building material (not a window).

/endthreadjack

 

I built some enclosures out of 1" acrylic (plexiglass) in the mid 90's for some Focal woofers in a car audio install.  It seemed to sound fine, but is a lot of work, took forever, I ruined a ton of material and spent hours buffing out scratches...  It was also expensive then, I can only imagine now...

[SpeakerBoy 64]

While building materials are being brought up, is lexan/plexi an acoustically appropriate material for an enclosure, if it was the primary building material (not a window).

/endthreadjack

I built some enclosures out of 1" acrylic (plexiglass) in the mid 90's for some Focal woofers in a car audio install. It seemed to sound fine, but is a lot of work, took forever, I ruined a ton of material and spent hours buffing out scratches... It was also expensive then, I can only imagine now...

I really really want to swap my basket out for a TI on my btl when I eventually recone it, would you mind if I messaged you about the details of building a plexi box when I do so?

[Thumpper 266]

I made a few enclosures with both Lexan and Plexi

 

the Lexan flexes/vibarates if used for large windows or panels and makes noise, it can not be bent either

because it has a memory and wants to flex back , Plexi can be bent with heat and it will hold it's shape

 

lexan scratches easily too

Edited January 16, 2015 by Thumpper

[95Honda 486]

 

 

While building materials are being brought up, is lexan/plexi an acoustically appropriate material for an enclosure, if it was the primary building material (not a window).

/endthreadjack

I built some enclosures out of 1" acrylic (plexiglass) in the mid 90's for some Focal woofers in a car audio install. It seemed to sound fine, but is a lot of work, took forever, I ruined a ton of material and spent hours buffing out scratches... It was also expensive then, I can only imagine now...

I really really want to swap my basket out for a TI on my btl when I eventually recone it, would you mind if I messaged you about the details of building a plexi box when I do so?

 

Sure

[mikel7829 90]

 

While building materials are being brought up, is lexan/plexi an acoustically appropriate material for an enclosure, if it was the primary building material (not a window).

/endthreadjack

 

I built some enclosures out of 1" acrylic (plexiglass) in the mid 90's for some Focal woofers in a car audio install.  It seemed to sound fine, but is a lot of work, took forever, I ruined a ton of material and spent hours buffing out scratches...  It was also expensive then, I can only imagine now...

 

 Acrylic was a going thing in that age for show in my area anyways.. seemed to be not much more flexing than MDF.. But the finishing was a pain! But that was the neon light era ...Saying that I feel old!! Clear enclosure neon lights was the trend.