I worked at a joinery company for about 20 years so was very lucky to be able to get any odd sheets left over or damaged. The one on the left are Pippy Oak Veneer these are the speakers I am using at the moment they use an 8" driver. I finished these using a couple of coats of sanding sealer, then a lot of sanding with finer and finer grades ending up with 3000 grade. Finished with a few coats of clear Briwax.
The one on the right is actual a laminate not sure exactly which one as it was a damaged sheet, Walnut I think. As these are a laminate they were dead easy to finish, just a quick clean with contact cleaner and a coat of Briwax. These are the ones with the base port at the bottom which is formed by fitting an internal 30mm slot inside the cabinet. These use a 6.5" driver and hard to tell from this photo but are quite a bit smaller than the oak ones. I gave these to my Brother in law as he loved the sound of them. I do have enough drivers and crossover components to make another pair but fancied building something with the Scan-speak drivers in
Cheers Mark
It feels pretty good when you get to this stage as there is not much left that you can stuff up!!
After a chat with the wife and some references to the speakers looking like the space ship from Star Wars…. She does like them but wishes that they stay as light in colour as possible and do not darken over time as she likes the pale maple. So, water passed poly it is… This is a good thing as I know how to apply this finish well, and it dries quick allowing finishing in one day.
First few coats on. Applying with a roller and lightly hand sanding between coats with 230 grit. I keep lightly rolling until bubbles disappear then stop immediately and It flows out. Water based polyurethane is pretty easy to apply. May not give the deepest finish but…. Happy wife happy life as they say.
Congratulations Mark, it has been an inspiration to watch you complete this project. I’m amazed at your quality workmanship and just how quickly you moved through complex woodworking tasks with skill and care. I hope your listening enjoyment is multiplied due to your efforts. Simply astonishing!
Another big thanks for taking your time to document the process. It’s been very interesting to follow and the result is absolutely amazing! Your posts have also confirmed to me that I have neither the skills nor the patience to embark on such a project, so thanks also for sparing me unnecessary costs and frustrations!
Just a question on the sheeps wool placement - I guess the ‘stuffing process’ is simply that, no specific places. As the tweeter and mid are in a separate chamber to the base, then its a matter of just fill, right?