Maybe a silly question, - but not for me.... Over the years I've built several hifi and PA speakers, and in most cases bolting the speakers to the cab is easy-peasy...
Now I'm about to start amp and speaker cab for a project I'm doing, and came to thing of how to attach the speaker to the front panel.... I have acouple of 12" Celestions stashed away, but since they're in a remote store, I don't remember the type number, - not one of the traditional classics, but that's what I have for starters..... This may not be the ideal speaker for a ODS clone, and a possible change of speakers may not fit the bolt pattern..
How do you usually attaach the speakers?? Removable grille? Speaker on subpanel bolted to the front panel?
These are very popular for mounting speakers. The Fender style are the easiest. All of these must be mounted to the baffle ***BEFORE*** stapling the grill cloth to the baffle. Of course, if you have detachable grills as seen on many later cabs or many hi-fi cabs, you can use just about anything. Hole patterns are pretty much standardized.
One other consideration is that if you use studs to mount the speaker you are exposed to the danger of poking a stud through the cone. T-nuts and other threaded inserts do not have that risk. Another need is to have the nut or bolt stay put in what is obviously a high vibration environment, while not requiring it to be tightened so much that the speaker frame is distorted. Keps nuts are good for this if you uses studs, but if you use a bolts and threaded inserts, a star washer is probably a good bet, perhaps with just a bit of soft thread locking compound applied to the bolts.
Well, thanks guys.. I know of all those gizmos.... Somehow I thought about a dtachable subpanel from the inside, fixed to the main front with carriage bolts, but probably making it unnecessearly complicated... Grill cloth directly on the front panel or on a separate frame??
Aurora wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 4:53 pm
Well, thanks guys.. I know of all those gizmos.... Somehow I thought about a dtachable subpanel from the inside, fixed to the main front with carriage bolts, but probably making it unnecessearly complicated... Grill cloth directly on the front panel or on a separate frame??
If speaker is rear mounted, grill cloth can go directly against front face. I spray paint my baffle AND t-nuts black so they don't shine like little beacons thru the cloth.
I build and repair tube amps. http://amps.monkeymatic.com
I don't care for T-nuts as much as I thought I would. T-nuts have a large head that can hang over the edge of the hole if you aren't careful. Next time I build a cab, I plan to use threaded inserts. I'll see if they are better.
Phil_S wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 10:41 pm
I don't care for T-nuts as much as I thought I would. T-nuts have a large head that can hang over the edge of the hole if you aren't careful. Next time I build a cab, I plan to use threaded inserts. I'll see if they are better.
When issue with T-nuts bothers me, I cut them with a Dremel. Easy.
I build and repair tube amps. http://amps.monkeymatic.com
I'm a bit of a weirdo when it comes to speaker rear mounting non cast frame speakers. I drill a tap sized hole for 8-32 screws [so they'll cut 'threads' into the wood when turned in], counter bore to recess the head 1/8" or so and start the screws into the hole until I've got 1/4" left proud of the surface. Mix up some two part epoxy and stuff it into the hole and screw them the screws in snug. Fill remaining hole with epoxy and let cure. Sand flat and spray paint flat black. 20+ cabs so far.
I've not had issues with setting the speaker over the screw studs - I angle the speaker so I only approach on stud and then angle it to line up the next stud.
For EV and similar I use #12 screws as I front load those. Not a fan of T nuts - had some come loose. I've used the threaded brass inserts for chassis mounting in combo cabs - the right sized hole makes it 'easier' to insert and you really want them straight.
I had always used T-nuts for my cab builds. However, the last cab I built I used the Fender style shown above - reverse threaded screw and kept nut. I'll never use anything else.
You are going to want a frame on the front of your baffle board to raise the cloth away from it. If you put the cloth directly on the baffle, it will rattle and buzz. I made this mistake...once.
Phil_S wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 10:41 pm
I don't care for T-nuts as much as I thought I would. T-nuts have a large head that can hang over the edge of the hole if you aren't careful. Next time I build a cab, I plan to use threaded inserts. I'll see if they are better.
When issue with T-nuts bothers me, I cut them with a Dremel. Easy.
I've got a Dremel. That's not exactly what I'm getting at. In the interest of full embarrassment I'm talking about when the drilled t-nut hole is nearly open on the edge of the speaker mounting hole. The Dremel won't fix that but there is nearly always some play in the screw hole on the speaker frame to manage some degree of imperfection on the screw hole location. Recently, I acquired a small drill press through Craig's List. I imagine next time I can do a better job of centering my screw holes on the baffle. Sheesh. I can't believe you got me to admit this.
Over the years I've built several hifi and PA speakers, and in most cases bolting the speakers to the cab is easy-peasy...
I'm talking about when the drilled t-nut hole is nearly open on the edge of the speaker mounting hole. The Dremel won't fix that 