Loudspeakers
are a major cost in a sound system. With some basic power
tools, you can build beautiful loudspeakers with very
minimal cost. I built these Orioles without any professional
help. It may inspire you to diy your own speakers too.
I
have outlined the building stages for easy understanding.
Feel free to adopt or modify any steps along the way.
Box
Making
First
is the stock. Instead of using MDF, I decided to use normal,
cabinet grade, 3/4" Birch ply. This saves me the
trouble of veneering. Also, veneers are costly.
To
cut the panels to size, use a quality table saw. An accurate
fence is essential.
For
the joins, I use a biscuit joiner. A simple butt join
is strong enough. Apply water based, white wood glue (Elmer's)
liberally and clamp. Make sure the panels are 90 degrees.
Leave the clamps on overnight for the white glue to set.
When done correctly, the box will be a nice rectangle
once the clamps are removed.
Glue
wooden cleats for the front and back panels. Here, I switch
over to TiteBond as it's faster drying. Once it's properly
set, the front panel mdf substrate is glued to the cleats
with TiteBond and tightened with flat head screws. Obviously
the pilot holes on the mdf must be countersunk beforehand.
Leave overnight.
The
front panel is 1" solid, finished Pine (no knots).
Apply glue, in this case, Gorilla White Wood Glue (ran
out of TiteBond) and clamp. Leave overnight.
Next
is to tidy up the front panel. I use a router with a trimming
bit to flush the edges as it is slightly oversized (about
1/8" all round). Once it is nice and flush, a 1/4"
half round bit is used to soften the look. The raw speakers
are now ready for staining.
Finishing
The
finishing can be regarded as the second half in speaker
building. This is where the speakers will either look
like a million bucks or you will suffer from severe depression.
Below
are the steps in finishing.
1)
Sand all surfaces with 120 grade paper. I'm lazy, I use
a powered Finishing Sander.
2)
Vacuum off all dust.
3)
Apply Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner (for oil stain) liberally
to all surfaces. Birch and Pine are softwood. Without
the Conditioner, the stains will be blotchy.
4)
After the Conditioner is sufficiently soaked in (read
instructions on can for time), brush Oil Stain onto the
Birch panels. Allow to dry (read instructions on can).
Apply a second coat to deepen the color if necessary which
is what I did.
5)
For the front Pine panel, apply Gel Stain with a cloth.
To prevent the stains from bleeding into each other, there
is actually a thin gap of about 1/8" separating the
Pine panel from the Birch ply. This is done by raising
the mdf substrate slightly.
6)
Leave overnight for all the stains to dry thoroughly.
7)
Use #0000 Steel Wool to remove any raised grain. Gently
run the steel wool along the grain until the wood is smooth.
8)
Vacuum off all debris.
9)
Apply Sanding Sealer. Use the type that is suitable for
Oil Stains and Polyurethane topcoat. This application
seals in the stains and at the same time provides a base
for the final topcoat. Let dry.
10)
Sand all surfaces lightly with 240 grade sandpaper. Do
not over-sand.
11)
Vacuum off all dust.
12)
For the final coat, brush on Gloss Polyurethane Clear
Coat. One coat is enough. Best done when temperature is
about 70 F with humidity about 50%. Leave overnight or
24 hrs to dry (read instructions on can).
If
all goes well, you will be the envy of your friends. Good
Luck.