It’s great to see that the PSA forum has maintained it’s good character, thanks to Paul, Elk and you all. I’ll have to go down the street to Parts Express if you bring another design.
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Thanks for the link to the Iconoclast post. Galen is perhaps the most intelligent and straightforward guy I’ve ever met and he really did Iconoclast from the bottom of his heart. He loves audio and wanted to make a change that people could take advantage of and not be taken advantage of at the same time.
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Beautiful design!!! Welcome to PSA.
Will,
Just so there is no mistake, I have no connection to PS Audio, and don’t work there. I’m just a forum member and a fan of the company and their gear. Didn’t want anyone to think that I speak for the company.
Cheers,
Mongo
The final decision;
The veneer I use in Bulgaria is known as “Birds of Maple”, in the world is also known as “Bird’s eye” . We reach the moment of very specific activity - veneering with natural veneer. When veneering panels, details is in one plane, there are no problems. There is only a requirement - the person who collects the individual pieces has good skills, the rest is completed by the pneumatic press.
When we talk about a complex shape, our immediate association is for “Vacuum press”, but there is a limit to the thickness / height / of the workpiece. If we are talking about veneering of a flat surface with motifs on the surface - it does work, but if it is another massive form dont.
Due to the complexity of the process, i will pay close attention to it. My technique is complex, risky on a large scale and I definitely do not recommend it to enthusiasts with little experience! A natural veneer can bend tangentially or radially, usually masters prefer to work in just one direction - for less headaches.In my method of processing, I use both bending directions simultaneously, but add a third diagonal bending.
The other main problem is the adhesive with which it sticks the veneer, it is polychloroprene, this glue does not allow you to move the veneer, once touched to the base there is no other chance-stays there. If you try to move it, you will break the veneer at the moment, and when we talk about “Birds of Maple” with a price over 40 EUR, the feeling it’s not pleasant!
I will explain my technique for cutting veneer before gluing it.
On the finished cabinet of the loudspeaker, from " India paper" / she is the closest with the veneer / I make the templates that should lie perfectly on the base. The problem is in the wrong shape, the veneer after gluing in one part, changes his shape, although everything has previously been matched perfectly. It requires a lot of attention, patience, and proper judgment, which part should squeeze, otherwise balloon spaces are created, which are very difficult to correct without being visible later. Sometimes, depending on the type of veneer, moistening helps, but this action also requires judgment with experience.
Here is the place to show what kind of glues I use - those;
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After veneering the next steps are, to make the desired color , and the following finish manipulation , spraying with high quality automobile acrylic lacquer.
To obtain the desired gloss, after about the tenth layer, the surface after each new one subsequent layer (total about 20-25) is polished, the result is this end product;
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Beautiful work.
Cheers.
Meet with my logo, please! The name of the my loudspeakers - “J&N” are the initials of Joro/ my nickname / and Nelly/nickname of my wife / and this is ours logo.
Some think," It looks like the J and N are giving each other a high five". Yes, that’s right, it’s been 40 years together!
in reality;
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Very impressive workmanship. Have you ever built any boats? Looks like a similar challenge.
Thank you for appreciating my work!
I have never made boats in real sizes, more than 50 years ago I designed models of yachts in a "Ship Modeling Club’’, we put them in artificial lakes and my models swam, I even have prizes.
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Outstanding craftsmanship! Nothing sounds better than good DIY. Kind of like eating home cooked meal instead of a restaurant. 
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I will show you one of my projects, which I had to change basically right at the very beginning - the back speakers ;
We all know, what is the ideal shape for the speakers- sphere. For technological reasons, it is difficult to do, especially with three tape loudspeakers. I strive to make the second most effective form - the egg. To begin with, I schematically design this way.I calculate the approximate volume, how do I find the right volume, will show you later in my project .
The loudspeakers are “SEAS”- Excel T25CF002 “, W18EX001- 6,5” . Everything is handmade, no “CNC” machine is used, First option;
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You should make the cabinets from clear material to show off all of that artwork in wood on the inside. Beautiful workmanship!
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Thanks, Baldy, no need to see a construction! The beauty inside is heard outside.
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Spheres seem to work well as deployed in my speakers (not my picture):
Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3.1.
In my room (at some point):
[Different layout, now.]
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Again, great work.
Painstaking and patient effort, no doubt…
Thank you for evaluating my project!
I have no idea what you posted as a photo, for me these are “illuminati”, this are is not my speakers!
For the next stage / the shells of the cabinets / I made this “home matrix”/well known to you /, with its help I bent 8 layers with 4 mm beech plywood;
I am approaching to the measurement of the internal volume.
I’ll show you a few more photos, but I have one requirement, try to tell me, please how i was calculate this complex, irregular curved shape! There will be no prizes, but please try!
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