I haven't had much to post here lately, but I figured with the arrival of my final box of parts yesterday that I might as well. I'm building Premium Stage Four Pi's much like George's (replay) except I intend to modify the cabinet dimensions a little. Overall outside dimensions using 3/4" MDF and bracing internally will be 35" high x 18" wide and likely 14" deep for an overall internal volume of just under 4 cubic feet. Boxplot graphs don't look extremely impressive as the predicted F3 is just under 50 Hz, but I hope that room gain (relatively small room) and my decision to put the ports on the rear as opposed to the front of the speaker will help reinforce the bass a little bit.

Let me just say that I sure hope my wife will continue to be accepting of this project.... I've given her overall dimensions and tried to show her using approximations just how big these things are going to be. She was a little hesistant at first, but is coming around. She's not terribly good at visualizing things, so I hope that works to my advantage!

One thing I'm still not sure about is how exactly I'm going to finish these things. I still lean most towards veneer, but I haven't done it before and understand it can be a very unforgiving process. I've got beech veneer Ikea bookshelves in the living room so ultimately the stain I choose will likely be that amber colour. I was thinking that Oak might look better than beech, because it has a more pronounced grain but I'm not sure what to go with. What do you guys think? Also, I'm building my crossovers externally. Know where I could get small wooden boxes approximatley cigar-sized for a low price? The plan is to put the crossovers inside and then connect to the actual speakers with Neutrik Speak-on Connectors.

Thanks,
Colin

As far as veneering goes it really is not too hard. Just have enough to do the job and then some .Trim each piece an inch or so over size in all directions. When applying the contact cement try to get it evenly spread and you may need to put two coats on the cabinets if you find one coat soaks in too much. Also, be sure you get adequate cement on the very edges of the cabinet. That is where the veneer is most apt to de-laminate with time and it is easiest to spread the cement too thin. Use the solvent based contact cement as opposed to the latex/water based cement. It is MUCH better though you'll have to have ventilation- it's pretty stinky. Wayne I think recommended Bostick Sray contact adhesive but I've never used it. Try an experimental piece on scrap wood to get a feel for how much cement and what the drying times are like. and be really careful in positioning the veneer after the cement is applied because once the smallest section of cement touches the other surface it is virtually impossible to remove without damaging the veneer.

Good luck!

Garland