Wes Nance

Brian, Hank, Dan, Al- time for a glueing up the box tutorial!

Hi guys,

I've built a few speakers now, and I'm getting much better cutting my parts with the table saw, much more square, all the same size, etc.

Now I think I can greatly improve glueing up the boxes. I did a sub last night, and while the edges were flush when I glued the top/bottom/sides, it turned out they weren't totally square (just slightly trapezoidal) and made putting the braces in a pain.

So, for all of us non carpenters, do you guys have any hints, tricks, etc., that would help us out?

My usual routine is to glue up the top/bottom/sides nice and flush, and then glue the front and back on which are slightly oversized and then trim with a flush trim bit. This is working OK.

Do you guys flush trim by hand or on a router table? Do you make any jigs to hold the parts square if you're building a bunch of the same speakers?

Thanks! I know there are other people that could use some efficient advice. . .

Wes

Chris Keen

I assume that you are just using butt joints?

If so, make sure as much as possible, that you have your blade raised perpendicular to the table (90 degrees), and that you have your table saw as dialed in as accurate as possible (blade parallel to the miter slot, fence parallel to the miter slot when locked down, etc). Outside of this, you might make yourself some accurate 90 degree jigs to assist you when glueing the boxes up, so that you keep your angles true.

A common mistake is to use too much glue, which can cause the two surfaces to slip and skate on each other. Another common mistake is to use too much clamping pressure, with the wrong types of clamps. If you take a few minutes to think about the type of clamp you are using, and the way the force is applied. Also, sometimes people will put a clamp on and have one end further out than the other, instead of being parallel with one of the edges. This can cause a drift when force (torque) is applied. Interestingly, it's not as simple as you think, but at the same time, it's not rocket science. Take time, make accurate cuts, and make accurate clamps, and all should work it's way out. The mistakes you make provide you with valuable lessons.

Chris
Marantz sr8200
Onix Rocket 750,200,250 speakers
Panasonic rp82

AllanRW

Few pointers.
Blade must be square along with square to the fence.
If you do not have a air nailer.
Build your cabinets if you can using Dato and rabbet joints.
Very easy to do with the table saw, just need a dato blade.
Life will be so easy after you get the dato blade.
Other than that it can get tricky to keep the pieces square and screw them in place.
With a brad gun you can smoke a cabinet in just about 2 minutes total square ready clamps.
Some use staple guns as staples pull harder into the joint.
But I brad nail all cabinets then clamp them over night.
The brads make the assemble fast and you clamp them for the night.

Like I said if nothing else get a cheap dato blade, I used a $45.00 CND stacked steel blade set for over 100 cabinets and i finally got to the point and went and spent a few $$$ on a Forest Blade set up.

At times I use the router table for dato and rabbet joints if I am doing lots of them or a single cabinet all depend what is ready to use the table saw or the router table.
The trick 1 way or the other use a good vacuum to get the dust.I used a shop vac full time for a few years till I a few problems beating and that was it.
A 2hp General went in the shop all with 6" PVC and blast gates at all the machines.
I have attached a photo if you have not got this off another board.
I turned a regular shop vac that would otherwize need a filter cleaning ever few minutes to keep the filter clean.
You just go to a built in vac store and get a double filter for a house built in vac that will fit your shop vac.
Never need to purchase another shop vac filter again.
And every other day just lift the top tap the outer filter bag and the dust just drops off the filter.
Once a month I wash the cloth outer filters and the cartridge filter still clean after a few years of use and I mean clean.

Best of all no dust gets threw the filters at all.So this makes a cleaner shop to boot.


The machine was my first collector went threw 2 motors in 6 months and then got a General.
Not the twin 4" pipes gpoing to the router table on the right.

Al

http://www.rawacoustics.com

Wes Nance

Thanks guys,

Good suggestions, and slightly different points of view, which was the whole point! Everybody has figured this out for themselves, and if we can get a couple "secrets" from everybody, then we who don't build tons of cabinets can do it a lot better the next time.

Keep 'em coming!

Wes

Brian Bunge

Wes,

To ensure a square box, measure the diagonal lengths across opposing corners. If they're the same, the box is square. If not, it isn't. If one side is longer then push in on those opposing corners slightly to move them back in and the other two back out. Then remeasure. Continue until they're the same. Then clamp it and leave it until the glue dries completely. Then attach the 5th side and install your bracing. Then attach the last side.

I usually cut the last two sides slightly oversized and then flush trim with a router.

Brian Bunge
RAD Home Theater

Seth_L

If you know your fence on your table saw is square you really should cut all pieces that need the same length at the same time.

For example if you know you need two sides and the top of the box to be 20.5" wide you should set the fence on your saw once and cut all 4 pieces to the 20.5" dimension once after another (without moving the fence).

Wes Nance

Al,

Thanks for the tip about the vacuum bag- I'm going to try that.

Brian,

Thanks for the measuring tip

Seth,

I do as you said, cutting all similar lengths at once as much as I can.

I'm still hoping to hear from Hank, as I think I remember that he just glues his boxes up with no screws, and I can't remember if he uses brads or not. . .

Wes

Seth_L

I've could have glued a few of my boxes with no screws or nails (based on the fit), but it's too much hassle. Why bother?

Wes Nance

You don't have to spend time filling and sanding the screw holes, etc. Plus I'd probably screw it up dryfitting and trying to predrill the mdf, etc.

I can totally see using a brad nailer (if I had one-hmm, father's day is coming up. . .) for the convenience, but not screws, especially on a smaller box. Just my totally amatuer opinion, though, of course!

Wes Nance

You don't have to spend time filling and sanding the screw holes, etc. Plus I'd probably screw it up dryfitting and trying to predrill the mdf, etc.

I can totally see using a brad nailer (if I had one-hmm, father's day is coming up. . .) for the convenience, but not screws, especially on a smaller box. Just my totally amatuer opinion, though, of course!