I have a question about the ports.

1- I am building the 2Pi towers. Will it make much difference if I use a 4 1/4" inch hole instead of the called for 4 1/2.

How long is the port. I know that you say that the port is the thickness of the wood. Does this mean that a tube is not required inside the box... just a hole? I am using 3/4" plywood stock, thanks again Wayne.

What I endedup with for the dimensions on the 2Pi towers is 14 1/2" x 16 1/2" x 46" outside dimensions (ya I know I goofed). I am using 3/4" birch plywood. I have 2x2 (1 1/2" x 1 1/2") in all four corners vertical from top to bottom where plywood sides and front/back meet, and top and bottom where top/bottom and front/sides meet (I saw this done by another person who built the 2Pi). I will be bracing with 2x2 also. My port came out about 1/8 too big at 4 3/4" (thats a pretty big hole) about 1/8 bigger that I tried to cut it but my sabre saw got away from me a bit. I would like to have used a hole saw for the port hole but could not find one that big. Good thing I decided to put the port hole in the back side. I think if it will help I can put something inside the port hole if I need to to make it a bit smaller.

Given all the 2x2 I have inside it will take up some volume so maybe the extra large box will not be a problem.

As far as the box size being a bit larger than it should be... maybe I will be O.K. with the port being 4 3/4" instead of 4 5/8" as specified.

What do you think Wayne?

Mind you, reflex boxes CAN be very sensitive to alterations, but given the fact we're talking about a big box with a pair of relatively small, stiff suspensioned drivers there is more margin for mistakes... To my experience at least. And as you mention yourself, having the ports on the backside makes it easier to experiment without messing up the look of the box.

Just my two cents. :)

I started with the intention of having a professional cabinetmaker pre-cut all the pieces for me, but for various reasons I won't go into I decided instead to have a nearby lumber yard make the rough cuts for me. I did the rest myself with simple handtools -- in a third-floor apartment of all places. Thus the odd dimensions.

Right now they are clamped together. Fiberglass installed but no bracing yet. Still, they sound wonderful!

ps, I dig using my 3 inch hole saw...VERY clean outward edges of the port holes. I think the same "mandrel"(sp?) takes up to 4 inch or larger saws...quite a wrist wrencher when it bites a bit too hard into the work:(

I have calculated that the larger box less the volume of the 2x2 bracing will leave me with an additional 1000 cubic inches of space in the cabinent. I will just assume that the large port hole will be close to what is required and see how it sounds. It may actually be pretty close.

I will get back to you soon as I am just about finished with the one box and will try it out before building the second. I have learned by doing that I can sometimes avoid mistakes or make things easier on the second one.