- Enclosure Construction & Assembly -
The enclosures for these speakers are constructed of 3/4" MDF,
and it takes almost two full sheets of material. The overall cabinet
is a simple three-dimensional rectangle, with only a few extra
construction features to add complexity. First is the midrange
enclosure, which as I mentioned previously runs the full depth
of the cabinet, so is essentially a hollow square tube. This was
built separately and then installed as the front and rear panels
were secured.
Due to the 3/4" roundover I planned on using along the front
edges, I also added some secondary 3/4" cleats to the front
edges of the sides, top, and bottom. This provides extra joint
strength and bracing of the front baffle. I cut some of my scrap
material down to create cross bracing between the front, rear,
and sides.
The cabinet finish I chose was the Band-It melamine pro duct,
which I like because of its durability and attractive looks. The
birch and black finishes would create a nice contrast between
the front baffle and sides. However, for a speaker this size, the
melamine can get quite costly and the iron-on application is quite
time consuming. If I was building this without as much concern
for the looks, I would use either peel-and-stick vinyl or a simple
painted finish. As it was, wrapping the melamine around the front
roundover was quite difficult and required a heat gun, iron, some
precise trimming, and very hot hands.
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