# speaker boxes, mitered corners don't quite join. Any thoughts on leather edge bandin



## smitkou (Jul 6, 2011)

I am (trying) to build some speaker boxes. First, let me start off by saying this is only my second woodworking project. Then, let me tell you what I have done to date. Please don't tell me all the things I've done wrong, I pretty much have that figured out. What I would like is some advise on how to make what I have look as good as possible.

I am building a pair of speaker cabinets which are 8 inches wide (across the front), by 9 inches deep. They are tilted back at a 7 degree angle, and are 42 inches tall. Well, not quite, the faces are 42 inches, but as they are tilted back 7 degrees, they are not actually 42 inches tall. 

Anyway, I veneered all the pieces first, then cut 45 degree miters on all of them. The thought was that they would fit together really nicely, and I could then glue them up without the need for screws or nails. HA!!! That's what I get for thinking. Anyway, here is my problem. I have put in 3 internal cross-braces for support, and have used a combination of finish/trim nails and hot hide glue to join all the pieces. They are quite stable, but are not perfectly aligned everywhere. So, now my thought is that I can fill any small gaps with wood putty or bondo, smooth that out by sanding, and cover these corners with something like a leather edge-banding. Unfortunately, I cannot find any such thing. Does anybody have any ideas as to how I can make these look somewhat nice? On hindsight, I should have built the boxes, then put on the veneer. But, I tried that with my first project (another pair of speakers), and the veneering went terribly. Of course, I was trying to clamp/caul raw wood veneer without straightening it, or having the use of a press. This time around, I used hot hide glue and a veneer hammer. The veneering went smashingly!! Until I sunk trim screws, which pulled up the substrate and a few spots of veneer.

Anyway, any input would be greatly appreciated. Can I just buy some leather and cut it to make this work? I'm not married to the leather idea, but I have a really nice walnut burl on the front baffles, and a fiddleback maple for the sides and tops, so another wood trim would be just too much I think. I am going to paint the back and bottom plates a dark brown. Then cover everything with shellac and several coats of a clear acrylic finish.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

I'd be inclined to try rabbeting all the visible edges that need fixing, and inlay some small solid pieces of wood in the rabbet...they could match, compliment, or contrast your existing wood. Then you could shape them to suit and finish them with the rest of the box.










I'd also be inclined to move those inductors away from the magnets of your drivers, otherwise the magnetic field of each can interfere with each other, so you may not get quite the result you were expecting. If the driver magnets are shielded, then there won't be a problem with those, but at the very least I'd turn the large inductor in the middle on edge 90° to the others to prevent them from interferring with each other.

Good luck.....you're doing great! :thumbsup:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

+1. I agree, the easiest fix would be to insert an inlay of sorts. You could use a pre-cut wood inlay strips in a wide variety of solids or patterns...check here.












 







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## smitkou (Jul 6, 2011)

*moving the crossover is not an option*

I have already glued up the box, and there are internal cross-braces below the crossover so there is no way to move them now. I will try to orient the two small inductors 90 degrees on their edges, though. I could move the crossover down on the other speaker, as I have not glued/nailed that box together yet. But, I am concerned that if I do that, it will result in two speakers having a very different sound.

I like the idea of the wood inlay, that seems a much simpler solution to trying to wrap all the edges with leather or suede. Probably much more affordable, too.

What if I buy some shielding material and put it loosely around the crossover? I am going to be filling the box with damping fiber anyway, so that might serve two purposes. It will help shield the inductors from the driver magnets, and it will keep the damping fiber from gunking up the electronics.

Thanks for the input, it is much appreciated!! :thumbsup:


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

smitkoku said:


> ....What if I buy some shielding material and put it loosely around the crossover?....


Excellent question that I'm not sure about.....seems logical though.


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