audio-talk

[andrew Ivimey]

I've heard 'em twice now - remarkable!!! - are they any good? I don't know.

I have lost almost all reason and certain pretence at objectivity, having heard millions of different kinds of speakers.

But I liked them and so I decided to build a pair.

So, I have two shaky hands, a clapped out jigsaw, a drill, an ordinary saw for playing tunes with a violin bow and loads of glue. I bought the wood before Simon’s ‘do’ and Beds Timber Supplies cut the sides, front and back for me. I’ve got some almost new 126s, but I’m supposed to have clapped out ones, no plasticine for the magnets (bathroom filler?) and a couple off days off work because I am all runny with cold, dizzy, shaky, my eyes and my nose hurt and I am beset by nightmarish er nightmares. Hooray for loads of paracetemol.

No nails and no screws – I’m told this is cheating. So loads and loads of glue. For weights – I have no clamps, I have slabs of lakeland slate (all marked with 301 and 401 shapes, ready for cutting and a Quad 303 which I found under a pile of old Hi-FiWorlds.

And off I go.

Worry worry worry, cut and saw, measure cut and saw, glue, glue glue and cut again. The speaker hole and how to get that odd shape – this is where a router would help, if a) I knew how to use one and b) if I had one.

Sand paper and wet sponges to mop up the excess glue.

After two days all the fiddly bits inside one cabinet are done and the second one has the outside bits glued.

Several tons of slate etc etc are holding bits together. Tomorrow after work, if it isn’t a bad sleepless night, I’ll have a look and get on with more cutting and gluing.

I’m not enjoying this at all.

Compare Dave’s photos …. Neat and helpful. Cheerful and a job well done; no chutzpah, just hard, skilled, painstaking and amiable work admittedly, but I wish I could do that sort of thing.

My gluing is not so neat, let’s face it, its like a house of cards where each bit relies on the other – 'no more nails' had better do its job. I’d rather use PVA but this is supposed to be stronger.

God! My head hurts and my left nostril is raw! drip, drip, sniffle, drip.

Time for a bath. Brother in Law arrives from California this evening. Maybe I can infect him with my cold and he can infect UsofA and they’ll all die and we can all start again and and and and ……….. think I’d better shutup.

Groan

- Moan

- - this way madness lies.

- - - sneeze, sneeze

To the bath!

[Dave the bass]

Rest Andrew! Rest!

DTB

[ed]

[pre65]

Brave man Andrew !

I would think twice,nay thrice,before attempting those if I was fully fit !

Good luck to yer sir !!

[Mike H]

[Mike H]

Jeez you're worse equipped than I am!



Plasticine on the magnets? What does that do?

[pre65]

Somewhere in my cupboards I have a packet of yellow "play dough" sorta stuff to go on my Fostex 206's.

It's to smooth the air flow on the back of the drive unit.

[Mike H]

You mean like where the ring magnet sticks out all around and makes a little 'step' both in front and behind, fill them in?

I have seen drivers with a round 'can' type enclosure over the back, now I know why that is.

[Scottmoose]

Like this, from Dave's site:

[Mike H]

Oo yeah...



DTB's got a web site?

[andrew Ivimey]

um, yeah but what if the glue doesn't stick!?!

the play doh is a must, I'll think of something but now all bits inside are glued and it is very very very cold in the shed, I think it is not going all to exact plan...

So tonight it gets a heater and we'll see what the 'no more nails' does when the morning comes.

But if it doesn't then its a total cock up and I'm back to Sidcup Screechers, Heils and Wharfedale Teesdales... for ever

and I'm not coming out to play... ever.

[Neal]

Screws are good.

[andrew Ivimey]

Now between you and me Neal, I like screws and you can always take them out afterwards and fill with dowel but lots of our chums would rather screw screws into their eyes.

When I did some Voigt pipes I used screws and glue and if they'd been any good with Sidcup Screechers I'd have done just that and kept them.

Now when all is said done, set up inside these Sabbies and it is time to put on the coffin lid so to speak, I am suposed to add generous glue and let gravity take over. I may yet use a few strategic screws, which can be dealt with later -

Perhaps, just perhaps I could have used a few more screws in the first place but I trusted what it said on the tube about strength and power. it was all I could do to stop the 'hard as nails' invading Poland.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

[pre65]

[Neal]

Cleaning his bike.