This is the maple on my elderly Fraim. It’s a lot darker than ‘new’ maple.
Hi Steve , can I be rude and ask for a picture of the speakers in question?
Best wishes
How flat is the veneer? Do you have to press it on evenly over the surface to get a smooth flat finish? It looks quite tricky. Lovely craftsmanship by the way.
Thanks, I like the look of this. It hasn’t darkened much by the looks of it.
It’s hard to capture the colour. Here is another example. Either way, maple is a nice wood with very fine grain.
The veneer is really flat. I have learned to just purchase paper backed veneer as it is much more stable and easier to apply for someone without all the proper equipment. The paper backer stops the glue being absorbed into the veneer so it doesn’t wrinkle. This lessens the need for a proper press. I use a couple of boards and buckets of sand to apply pressure whilst the glue sets. Not perfect but has worked really well so far. Doing it this way with paper backed veneer has never resulted in a failure for me. Not the case for raw veneer!
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Internal wiring run and holes sealed with a silicone adhesive. Veneer cut. One issue I have had to come to terms with is the inability to use the same pattern of veneer on both sides. This would need twice the amount of sheets and is another reason commercial speakers cost so much (large ones anyway). It should be ok though. Threaded inserts in the base for small adjustable feet. I know there are better options but not in the budget at this stage.
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With my veneer work, I’ve found the angle change edges can be a problem over time.
Wherever possible in the design I’ve used thicker section ‘real’ wood & blended it into the veneer.
My ash wood speakers …
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They look really great mike. They have really stood the test of time… Well I might be making assumptions there… When did you build? Using this method has been great for me and has lasted roughly 10 years on a previous pair of speakers. Although the finish coat was very shoddy.
What type of finish did you use?
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Just had a google and I can see that it has definitely gained a little more of a honey colour than from new. It is not a negative change though. Not like pine.
It’s definitely not like pine, and won’t go that horrible 70s log cabin orange. Have no fear.
I take it that the cutting bench is sacrificial then? My dad made me a workbench for my workshop, but with his hand-laminated top, it’s more like furniture, and I’m trying to look after it. I would have to make another bench if I wanted to cut something 
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Sorry for the delay in replying to your questions! The loudspeakers are not in direct sunlight which helps. If anything they have lost a bit of the pinkish hue that the veneers had when I first got them but they have not darkened as much as my previous speakers did which were made using Ash veneers. I made them in 2015.
I sent Troels a series of photos showing the various stages of manufacture which he hosts on his website.
The speakers themselves were made from alternate layers of 3mm MDF and 3mm Birch Faced plywood up to a thickness of 27mm. I used a Vacuum Bag to achieve the curvature for the sides. A slight depature from Troels solution.
I am a bit of a ludite when it comes to IT or just very dim or both hence the lack of photos accompanying this post. I will try and find some more. Anymore questions, fire away. Very happy to help anyone hoping to make their own speakers. Like I said in my original post. Very satisfying and enjoyable exercise.
Cheers, Steve
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These are my current loudspeakers alongside my previous ones. My previous speakers were made in 1998 and darkened with age as you can see but I did not use water based lacquer on them. Instead I used Cellulose based Sanding Sealer and Briwax. They were designed by Dave Berriman.
Cheers, Steve
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I just buy a sheet of something cheap to use as a sacrificial layer. The track saw gets a bit of use and it helps a lot to be able to cut right on the bench. It is a plunge saw and you can set the depth so most cuts only go a few mm into the surface below. It reduces dust and makes for cleaner cuts as it acts like a splinter guard for the underside.
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Go’day Mark, I built these in 2010.
I used a buddies cabinet makers machine shop for the build, the set up & accuracy for the various non-square angles, the routing for the internal sections & the bonding of veneers, trims & final assembly was a real plus. I was keen to do it all myself & he graciously instructed first & let me alone but under supervision.
The finish is synthetic & I did not do that, its a clear semi matt lacquer, it enriches the wood colour with a more golden hue & highlights the grain
Mark,
Nice to see somebody else using the SEAS Crescendo tweeters.
According to Falcon Acoustics “Seas T29CF002 E0040-06 Crescendo Tweeter - Excel Series is world famous as simply one of the best 29mm fabric dome tweeters ever made.”
I have been using these in a home-built cabinet with ATC SM75-150S midrange and Volt B2500.1 bass driver. I would recommend the Crescendo tweeters to anybody. Best I have ever used.
My cabinets started off in 1979 using Radford T90 drive units in a double-walled cabinet that has seen several internal rebuilds and tweeter upgrades to ATC ones. I finally needed a new front panel to accommodate the new 75mm ATC midrange drive, so got one professionally made. The new drive units also required a complete rethink on internal bracing and stuffing / damping materials.
The speakers are 3-way active (all-Naim active crossover and amplification). Only thing I need to do is adjust the bass level setting on my SNAXO 362 but I am worried I may not get it right and not be able to return to the original pot settings.
Don
Cheers for the comments. I am really looking forward to hearing it. Personally I would try to mark the pots in their original position and have a go at adjusting!
I was preparing to veneer the fronts and almost started when I realised I had not installed the magnets for grills! Building bigger more complex speakers really is a constant exercise in careful planning and execution of tasks. So easy to get something wrong if you aren’t focussed! Holes for magnets made slightly bigger and then filled with epoxy. I tasked my son with the job of finding the poles of the magnets. Turns out there’s an app for it!!
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I see that the wood is like broken on both sides of the screw. Or maybe it’s normal?