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Folded Horn Bracing [message #21469] Mon, 10 April 2006 07:45 Go to next message
gfederys is currently offline  gfederys
Messages: 46
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Hi All, I'm finishing/refinishing Loather Fidelio's. The cabinets sound very sound doing the "knock on wood test", all but the mouth of the horn. It seems to reverberate. I was thinking about putting in a horizontal brace, let's say 1 X 2, with the leading edge rounded or beveled to avoid standing waves and help dispersion. My thought was to avoid adding needless extra weight to the already heavy cabinet by doubling up the sides. The material used was HDF. Will I be helping or hindering the sound of the cabinets by bracing the mouth of the horn in this way? The drivers are Loather DX3's. I would appreciate thoughts, comments, and suggestions. Thanx everyone.

Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21470 is a reply to message #21469] Tue, 11 April 2006 11:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill Wassilak is currently offline  Bill Wassilak
Messages: 402
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (1st Degree)
Better to brace, especially at the mouth since that's the output of the horn.

Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21471 is a reply to message #21470] Tue, 11 April 2006 12:58 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Yeah, plus that's where the wood panels become largest. Inside near the throat, the panels are small enough braces might not be needed but on the large end, they definitely need braces.


Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21472 is a reply to message #21470] Tue, 11 April 2006 13:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gfederys is currently offline  gfederys
Messages: 46
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Will doing it this way affect the perfomance of the horn?

Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21473 is a reply to message #21472] Tue, 11 April 2006 14:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill Wassilak is currently offline  Bill Wassilak
Messages: 402
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (1st Degree)
No not at all, the wavelengths coming out of that part are to large to have any effect at all.

Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21474 is a reply to message #21469] Tue, 11 April 2006 15:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
akhilesh is currently offline  akhilesh
Messages: 1275
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
The bracing will work, based on my readings.

Another thing that will work based on my experience is if you put some filler around the mouth of the horn (anything that adheres and has wood spackle-play dough consistency will do). You can then sand it down and paint it the color of the box.

This should allay any fear you have of hindrance to sound waves.

-akhilesh

Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21475 is a reply to message #21471] Wed, 12 April 2006 09:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gfederys is currently offline  gfederys
Messages: 46
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Thanx all for the really helpful hints. Since the cabinets are made of HDF and I plan on painting them, I'm going to router, seal and sand, seal and sand, seal, etc, all the exposed edges with West Systems epoxy and filler. That should take care of akhilesh's suggestion. I still think they'll probably need a horizontal brace in the horn mouth as well. There are 2 corners per cabinet that are hollow and probably should be filled. I could drill a small hole and fill them with something. Any suggestions?

Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21476 is a reply to message #21475] Wed, 12 April 2006 10:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

You can fill with expansion foam but be careful! Expansion foam can easily burst a cabinet as pressure builds so don't use too much.


Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21477 is a reply to message #21476] Wed, 12 April 2006 10:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gfederys is currently offline  gfederys
Messages: 46
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Thanx. I guess 2 more questions now. How much is enough? (Too much is pretty self evident. Is the stuff pretty acoustically dead? Do one of the do-it-yourself chains carry something like this? Any brand names better then the other. Someone else suggested sand.

Re: Folded Horn Bracing [message #21478 is a reply to message #21477] Wed, 12 April 2006 10:59 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

You can buy cans of foam at local hardware stores. There is an expansion ratio listed on the can, so that will help know how much to use. But if you fill blind, you'll still be doing it by the seat of the pants. It helps to have a couple of access holes drilled (or even more for large areas). That way you can fill in one and watch through the other. It also allows accidental over-fill pressure to be relieved by exiting the holes rather than bursting the panels. Once the foam has set, glue in wood plugs that match the finish grain and you're set.


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