Hi all
I have a project that I'd like to attempt once I have created a rough prototype, but I am quite new to doing 'proper' woodwork so am after some basic construction and material suggestions if people can humour my ignorance and newby questions. Apologies in advance if this is not the correct place for asking but it seemed like it would be.
What I would like to do is to create an amplified ipad speaker cabinet/dock using some nice quality hardwood in the construction.
I'm intending on using the guts from a set of active monitor speakers with a little extra wiring, and I'm happy with the electronics side of things, but my previous work with wood has been crude and hasty at best so I need advice with this. Partly I don't want to bite off more than I can chew as a novice, but partly just advice about construction techniques that would be suited to this project.
At a very basic level I'm planning on building something of outwardly similar proportions/style as this thing:
http://www.tdkperformance.com/en-us/Hom ... io-System/
But using wood for the cabinet, with smaller radius corners, and most notably that where the central speaker driver is situated in the above product is where the ipad would be positioned in my project. I was initially thinking of a rotating cradle to allow a change of orientation between portrait/landscape, but the more I think of it, the more I think it would end up looking silly and 'heath robinson', so in all likeliness it will be some sort of very wide slot that the ipad will simply slide into.
My intention is to build a very rough prototype speaker box first so that I can mash out the general layup and hopefully get my design mistakes out of the way with that where it won't cause a big waste of time/effort/money/tears.
Once that's done and functioning and I have ironed out any issues to then begin slowly trying to make a refined version from better materials and parts that will be a lot more pleasing to the eye/touch.
I have not purchased good quality wood in the past except for a bundle of Iroko battens that I used for various small items around the house and on my boat. So initially I had delusions that I could buy some 'sheets' of walnut and get cracking.
Of course in reality things don't work like that so I'm either going to have to lower my sights a little in terms of the wood used, or (assuming this isn't a cardinal sin on here - and apologies if it is!!) but to potentially use a cheap wood to construct the cabinet itself, then apply the likes of walnut veneer to it, and finish it.
I have a fairly well equipped garage with the likes of:
Bandsaw
Mill
Lathe (metal but sure I could use if for turning wood)
Bench sander
Pillar drill
And plenty of hand power tools like router, jigsaw, drills, belt sander, orbital sander, power plane etc
Plus chisels and the like
So I think in terms of kit I should have sufficient to enable me to make something slightly better than Blue Peter level, but I'm not used to using these things for anything that involves the words finish or finesse!
To begin with, as mentioned, I'm unsure of what sort of construction a cabinet like this should be. So if anyone can point me towards any relevant diagrams, tutorials, links etc that would help educate me I'd be really grateful.
In the meantime I will start coming up with approximate dimensions for the prototype box etc so I can start doing something.
Many thanks in advance for any helpful advice.
Jim
I have a project that I'd like to attempt once I have created a rough prototype, but I am quite new to doing 'proper' woodwork so am after some basic construction and material suggestions if people can humour my ignorance and newby questions. Apologies in advance if this is not the correct place for asking but it seemed like it would be.
What I would like to do is to create an amplified ipad speaker cabinet/dock using some nice quality hardwood in the construction.
I'm intending on using the guts from a set of active monitor speakers with a little extra wiring, and I'm happy with the electronics side of things, but my previous work with wood has been crude and hasty at best so I need advice with this. Partly I don't want to bite off more than I can chew as a novice, but partly just advice about construction techniques that would be suited to this project.
At a very basic level I'm planning on building something of outwardly similar proportions/style as this thing:
http://www.tdkperformance.com/en-us/Hom ... io-System/
But using wood for the cabinet, with smaller radius corners, and most notably that where the central speaker driver is situated in the above product is where the ipad would be positioned in my project. I was initially thinking of a rotating cradle to allow a change of orientation between portrait/landscape, but the more I think of it, the more I think it would end up looking silly and 'heath robinson', so in all likeliness it will be some sort of very wide slot that the ipad will simply slide into.
My intention is to build a very rough prototype speaker box first so that I can mash out the general layup and hopefully get my design mistakes out of the way with that where it won't cause a big waste of time/effort/money/tears.
Once that's done and functioning and I have ironed out any issues to then begin slowly trying to make a refined version from better materials and parts that will be a lot more pleasing to the eye/touch.
I have not purchased good quality wood in the past except for a bundle of Iroko battens that I used for various small items around the house and on my boat. So initially I had delusions that I could buy some 'sheets' of walnut and get cracking.
Of course in reality things don't work like that so I'm either going to have to lower my sights a little in terms of the wood used, or (assuming this isn't a cardinal sin on here - and apologies if it is!!) but to potentially use a cheap wood to construct the cabinet itself, then apply the likes of walnut veneer to it, and finish it.
I have a fairly well equipped garage with the likes of:
Bandsaw
Mill
Lathe (metal but sure I could use if for turning wood)
Bench sander
Pillar drill
And plenty of hand power tools like router, jigsaw, drills, belt sander, orbital sander, power plane etc
Plus chisels and the like
So I think in terms of kit I should have sufficient to enable me to make something slightly better than Blue Peter level, but I'm not used to using these things for anything that involves the words finish or finesse!
To begin with, as mentioned, I'm unsure of what sort of construction a cabinet like this should be. So if anyone can point me towards any relevant diagrams, tutorials, links etc that would help educate me I'd be really grateful.
In the meantime I will start coming up with approximate dimensions for the prototype box etc so I can start doing something.
Many thanks in advance for any helpful advice.
Jim