Enclosure Part II

This page is still WIP. The pic above is the latest available snapshot of wip status.
- latest update -

[06 Aug 2006]
Shortly after getting the tw, the rest of the drivers was received on 27 Jul 2006. Turns out only M4 and M5 bolts are required. Searched everywhere for Metric series square nut and found none. The experience from WUF project indicated that very small tolerance is needed for embedding the hex nut, or risk having the nut becoming loose. Seems like not much of a choice. Over the weekend all the remaining parts were purchased, namely Cherry veneer, synthetic glue and button head bolts.

Work done:

  1. Apply lacquer to cabinet interior.
  2. Completed final lamination of curve sides.
  3. Rout-level cabinet front face.
  4. Joined front 2 pieces of front baffle.
  5. Apply veneer to front baffle.
  6. Round-rout front baffle driver recess.
  7. Dug out recess for embedding hex nuts.

Pictures says a thousand words..


Enclosure back view (Sonus Faber like) ; Front view.


Sample veneer (lacquered 2 layers); rounded recess ; embedded nuts

Group shot; Front baffle with drivers fixed.

[13 Sep 2006]
Not much progress after 1 mth largely due to prolonged listening test - it was excellent!! I'm extremely excited to hear the final product. But that will probably be end of Oct if I'm lucky. Anyway, here are the pix with the front baffle installed and drivers mounted. The side openings are stuffed with foams to "load" the cabinet.



base baff littered with screws; interior walls covered with bitumen pads with Al backing



could not resist mounting the drivers for a quick listen - FABULOUS!!!!

Finishing Touches

[29 Oct 2006]
It took abt 4 weeks, but I finally managed to squeeze in enough time to do the side panels, veneering, lacquer and polishing. From earlier experience in making WUF#01, the veneering was 'easy'. Got lazy and forgetful, thus there's no WIP pix. Anyway, here's the final result.

Notice the nice sheen from the reflections. Compared to WUF#01, this is a much classier finish. Also, the wood grain is clearly visible and nicely stained.

For those interested to know how I achieve this finish...

Veneering

  1. After fixing all the panels using yellow carpenter glue - leave over night to settle.
  2. The veneer is real wood Cherry on paper backed at abt 1/2mm thick. I suppose most flexible veneer would do in terms of negotiating the curved profile.
  3. The enclosure is sanded down @ 100 grit(sand paper roughness) to remove any loose pieces and flaten the surface. Make sure a smooth and even surface to the touch is achieved.
  4. For the front and side panels, the verneers are cut to size to cover the entire surface within a single piece. Would have done the same for the back, but ran out of veneer - thus is was finished using two pieces joined at the mid-point.
  5. For the curved profile, the verneer are split along the groove.
  6. The veneer is fixed using synthetic glue. A thin layer is spread across the paper back side of the veneer and a corresponding layer spread on the enclosure.
  7. The glue is left to 'dry' for about 5-10mins. The two layers were then brought together making sure that alignment is near perfect before contact. This type of adhesive is also called 'contact glue' , and as its name sake suggest, it bond upon contact. Extreme care is essential to ensure an aesthetically pleasing finish. Any mistake at this stage is very difficult to remedy.
  8. During application, secure one end of the veneer and slowly progress to the other end. All this while, use a piece of scrap wood to press out any trap air bubble.
  9. Once fully laid - rub over the surface to ensure full contact over the entire surface area.
  10. Use a pen knife and trim away excess veneer over the edges, openings and smoothen using sand paper.
  11. Repeat until the all the surface are veneered.

Staining & Lacquer

  1. I use spraying to apply the stain - the easy way out.
  2. Still it is difficult to ensure a smooth and even stain. The good thing is that the stain is organic based and I used a cloth damped with thinner to manually 'even-out' the stain intensity.
  3. Once an acceptable degree of stain and nice visibility of wood grain is achieve, I lacquer over using standard paint brush.
  4. The key is to thin the lacquer to the 'right viscosity' - easy flow yet not dripping.
  5. Application should be brief and minimum stroke - execessive strokes over the same area will create unsightly defects as the lacquer dries fairly quick (thinner base)!
  6. Allow the lacquer to dry over night after each layer.
  7. Build up at least 7-9 layers or a fairly substantial thickness.

Polishing & Rub-down

  1. After the lacquer is allowed to dry for 2-3 days, sand down with grit100 to remove the paint brush grains.
  2. Sand with grit 400 to a smooth-to-touch surface. Use water as lubricant to prevent clogging of the sand paper. Take extreme care that water does not seep into the MDF, else the whole thing may break apart - should not be an issue if all surfaces are fully covered with lacquer.
  3. Sand with grit 600 followed by 1200 to achive a semi-gloss look. Again use water as lubricant.
  4. Polish using polishing compound and rub down till a shinny reflective surface is achieve. I used Dremel polishing compound that came with the Dremel turning tool.

 

#1 n/a
#2 n/a

Last update :: Sunday, October 29, 2006 1:15 PM