# Sticky  DIY Speaker and Subwoofer Enclosure Tools



## Sonnie

This is where we will list tools we use and recommend for the DIY speaker and sub enclosures. You may also wish to post where to purchase the tool and/or the best price you have found.

Please *do not* ask questions about the tools in this thread... simply list them and if necessary explain what it is best used for. If you have questions about a particular tool, please start a new thread... otherwise questions posted here will be moved or deleted.

Please copy your post to this same thread in DIY Subwoofers... thanks!


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## Sonnie

This is the router I ordered based on recommendations here at the Shack...

Bosch 1617EVSPK 2.25 Horsepower Electronic Variable Speed Plunge and Fixed Base Router Kit

Price: $179.00 shipped from COP Bosch (Reconditioned)


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## FlashJim

*Jasper Circle Jigs*

Sure, you can make your own trammel to cut holes with your router, but why bother? Jasper Audio (Fellow Houstonians!) made a great jig already. I own the Model 200 and the Model 400. If you only get one, get the Model 200. The jigs are calibrated to be used with a 1/4" straight bit, but any size will do. You'll just have to adjust your cut accordingly.

*Only use the Jasper Jig with a plunge router.*

The Model 200 will cut circles in 1/16" increments from 2-1/4" to 18-3/16" in diameter.

*Model 200*










The Model 400 is perfect for tweeters and small midranges, cutting holes from 1" to 7-1/2". 

*Model 400*









_____________________________________________
Jim
Houston, TX


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## Exocer

Clamps clamps clamps...
I own just 4 of these and they were enough to build my Natalie P's without any screws...In fact these clamps WERE my screws







The more you own the better


















Home depot has these cheap









_________________________________________________
If you don't have a BFD for your sub, get one fast!
If you don't have REW, get it now!


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## FlashJim

Clamps, most definitely!

*Bessey K-Body clamp*









The K-Body by Bessey is really nice because the clamping surfaces are large, flat and are parallel. The K-Body is perfect for clamping panels at right angles.



*Rockler's "Sure-foot" pipe clamp*









The "Sure-foot" has features like a broader base that doubles as a hanger when storing the clamp. I also sprung for the zinc plated pipes because the black oxide used on regular Home Depot type pipes react to woods like oak, leaving a black mark. Plus, they look good.







I also have the clamp pads and Rockler's brand new EZ-Clutch that aids in removing the clamps.

You don't need tricked out pipe clamps like mine to have the same results. Order up some inexpensive pipe clamps from Harbor Freight and go to Home Depot or Lowes to get your pipe. That'll serve you well. 

_______________________________________________
Jim
Houston, TX


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## JCD

Here are some additional tools I'd consider getting:

*Beginner*
*Table Saw* -- a circular saw would get the job done, but a table saw is just so much better/easier.
*Multimeter *-- just one of those things you're going to need to be sure that your electronics are working correctly. This is one of the better sites I've found offering advice for a new DIY person. It's geared towards headphone amps, but the issues are pretty much the same. If you take a look at the first movie he's got, he makes suggestions for different types of equipment to buy, including multimeters.
*Soldering Iron* -- same site offers advice on buying an iron and has some excellent instructional videos.
*Loudspeaker Design Cookbook by Vance Dickason *-- a great reference book for the DIY speaker builder. There are other books out there that are good too, I just have experience with this one.

*Intermediate*
*REW/TrueRTA* -- It's kind of ironic, I'm a mod here but still haven't used REW yet. Anyway, some sort of testing software will be needed. REW is free and, I've been told, does a good of taking all of the relevant measurements needed during testing. TrueRTA is relatively inexpensive and has been recommended many times in the past. If you're going to buy TrueRTA, just go for the top of the line version -- you're just cheating yourself if you don't.
*SPL Meter* -- Frankly, EVERYONE with a sound system should have a RS SPL Meter. There are just too many reasons to have one.
*Laptop/External SoundCard* -- You'll need some sort of computer to run REW/TrueRTA. An external sound card will also be required as the built in soundcards are terrible. A soundcard I've seen recommended is this one by M-Audio, and this one as a step down.

*Advanced*
*Woofer Tester* -- Wanna get the true T/S parameters of your specific driver? This is the tool for you. You CAN get the same information with a mic and keeping a log and performing some calculations, but this is SO much easier.
*Calibrated Mic *-- Probably the best inexpensive microphone would be the Behringer ECM8000. The RS meter can also be used, but the ECM is (much?) more accurate.


__________________________________________
JCD


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## Brian Bunge

Sonnie,

When you get tired of being completely covered in MDF dust go to toolcrib.com and order a DeWalt DW621 plunge router with dust collection. It was one of the best purchases I ever made. As a matter of fact, I wore out the first one I had and now need to buy a new one. The other DeWalt I have has ****** dust collection so I'm going to pick up another 621. 
___________________________________________
Brian Bunge
RAD Home Theater
_RADically Different!_


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## technimac

Here's my favorite - an 8ton hydraulic jack that helps in the veneering process!










You can never have too many clamps!









Cheers, Bruce


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## Sonnie

Hey Bruce... it looks like you have room for one more on the left side there....


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## technimac

Sonny,
THat's what I thought too







- oh well, next time. 
But first I have to keep an eye out for one of those _2 for 1_ sales on bar clamps.









Cheers, Bruce


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## dynamowhum

I use the Porter Cable 7529 plunge router with the vacuum port. Router bits 1/4" upspiral for cutting out the speaker holes, 5/8" mortise bit to cut speaker inset, 3/4 round over for the baffles and finally a 1" laminate trim bit to clean up in pieces that are to proud. If you veneer you might need a 1/4" bearingless trim bit. All these should be in new carbide not recycled carbide. 

I recommend 36" bar clamps as they are pretty good for most projects. Those 48" are just awkward and get in the way walking around your project. I don't like ratchet style clamps as I have broken so many of them. 

I like Titebond 3 glue as it has a longer set up time so you can nudge them into place, especially those big panels. One man shop so to speak makes assembly a lot slower with one set of hands. It cost a little more than Titebond 2 but to me it is worth it. 

A good table saw is just great to have repeatability and speed of process. I have built 7 boxes now and I wouldn't want to do any without one. 

If you don't have a drill press get one of those little jigs that fit on the end of your hand drill to give you perpendicular holes. You will need that for using that Jasper jig. 

I don't use screws or nails as the glue is much stronger than the MDF or plywood. 

A good 12 or 14.4 volt drill is great to have. I have a Hitachi 14.4 and I really like it. I have had Dewalt in the past and was disappointed in them. They just did not hold up.

Thats all I got on the top of my head for now. Cheers.


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## Guest

I recently started using a Kreg pocket hole jig for speaker cabinet assembly. I now use less clamps and can build cabinets faster (I don’t have to wait for the glue to dry before moving on to the next glue joint). Pocket hole screws self tap, are offered in various lengths/sizes and come in coarse and fine threads types (the coarse threads are for man made material like MDF). Plus pocket hole screws are stronger than a butt or dado joint.

The Kreg jig is foolproof and is offered in a couple of different configurations ranging from $20 to $140. There is a system selling for about $60 that has everything one would need to build cabinets. One thing for sure… it doesn’t take long to spend way more than this for a couple of descent Bessey clamps!


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## Glyptoron

Hi,
Just to say that WT2 is available at :
http://www.woofertester.com/ and works fine !
Regards.


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## Anthony

My tools:

Woodworking:
Bosch 1617 kit mentioned above
Milwaukee 1525 3HP fixed base router (in table)
Craftsman 22114 table saw
Porter Cable Biscuit Jointer (works great for MDF or ply cabinets)
Air compressor and brad nailer (great for quick-tacking a joint before screws)

Tons of clamps (I'm partial to the Bessey K style clamps, but I have a lot of variety)
Kreg pocket hole jig (K3 Master System). Used it on cabinets but not speakers yet.


Electrical:
Weller soldering station (the $60 one from PE, not the $100 monster)
Gateway laptop
M-Audio MobilePre preamp
Behringer ECM8000 microphone
California Profile 65W Amplifier and Radio Shack 12V power supply (for test and measurement)
Speaker Workshop software
Room EQ Wizard
Radio Shack multimeter (I know, it's a POS but it gives me the rough answer  )

That's all I can think of for now, but that's what gets used the most. I'm currently putting my shop back together after some rewiring (put a screw right through a power cable while installing a shelf -- GFCI saved my bacon). Once it's back together I'll snap some pics and post.

In case you can't tell, I woodwork on a lot more than just speaker cabinets


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## Mongrel714

Today I started to work on my current project and realized I left my circular saw at work, so I dug out this old black and decker saw, I don't know how old it is but it is made of a totally aluminum casing, I've had it for 15 years, It came in the ttol box on a truck I bought from an elderly gentleman, no telling how long he had it, BUT, thats not the kicker, this saw has been totally underwater in a flood at least twice since I've had it, I haven't touched it till today, well, I'm happily sawing away with it now, a new blade and its just like new, runs great, heres to B & D!!


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## Anthony

Yeah, those old B&D (and Craftsman) tools are still great. Usually the metal cased ones still work fine. Somewhere in the late 70's and early 80's, both B&D and Craftsman farmed out their work to China and focused on making tools lighter and cheaper with "space age" materials. The result was cheap plastic tools with motors that burned out, bearings that seized, and casings that cracked. 

there is a bit of overlap where you can find some plastic cases with the old motor assemblies and they are good if they were taken care of.

B&D is still in the toilet (they've changed ownership about five times IIRC); no focus on quality -- just cheap and gimmicky. Craftsman is making a comeback, though. Some of their better tools are made by Bosch and Porter Cable -- if you can identify those, they are of great quality. The others are made by Ryobi and no-name Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturing houses. Avoid those at all costs.

I love old tools that work great. I had a Skil saw that looks similar to the one Mongrel showed. It worked great, even at 30 years old) until the motor finally gave out a few months ago.

Sorry if I come across as a tool snob. It's just sad to see once-great tool companies make business decisions for the worse . . . 


Edit: Caveat -- I actually have a Ryobi bandsaw and B&D drill (so I'm writing from experience here  )


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## kbone

a good table saw


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## enigmaticEntity.

*=== Enclosure Calculators ===*

http://dbdynamixaudio.com/category/calculators/

Some nice calculators for making just about every type of rectangular speaker enclosure.

Includes: 

Acoustic Suspension
Vented Enclosures (off and on axis)
Transmission Lines (single, multi-fold off and on axis)
Bandpass (4th, 6th)

And some others.

e.E.


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## Yad

technimac said:


> Here's my favorite - an 8ton hydraulic jack that helps in the veneering process!
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> You can never have too many clamps!
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> Cheers, Bruce


very awesome!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:


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## Anthony

Every time I think I have enough clamps, I do a project that requires more


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## littlemike

Best saw guide system I have used:

http://eurekazone.com/products/detail/sgs.html

I have the 114" system. Not cheap when compared to the simple straightedges, but really cheap when compared to the Dewalt, Makita, or Festool tracksaws, which is a more accurate comparison. 

I can split a 0.5 mm pencil mark every time, though I do have to put them in the right places. I cut all of my sheet goods with this system (and I have a very nice tablesaw)

No affiliation other than being a very happy customer.


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## alaok

As broad-based tools for an earnest diyer, making enclosure will concern with a lot of things: design tools, woodworking tools...... And I think, some accoustics measurement tools are needed also, use them to tune the enclosure.


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## djdiaz

This is something I cobbled to gether for smallish to to large circle cutting. The wooden pieces are 1/2 and 3/4 sheet stock glued together. The top (3/4" piece) has a 1/4" slot centered lengthwise which accepts the double locking knobs. The flip side has a slot centered to accept the flat bar stock. 

I through drilled and tapped 4 four 1/4-20 holes in the bar stock. The threaded holes can accept either a 1/4" pivot pin form the bottom or the two locking knobs from the top. The nice thing is that you can move the pivot pin to any hole in the bar allowing one to cut holes from about 3" to to over 60 inches. I also drilled and installed t-nuts on the end of the jig to accept an extension for cutting any size arc. Really works great.


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## bambino

A good saw, Circular with a straight edge or better yet a fine tuned tablesaw.
Router with good variety of bits (i prefer freud) also a circle jig.
2 cordless drills
clamps, clamps and more clamps
Did i mention clamps?


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## Anthony

I don't think you mentioned clamps. Do I need more clamps? 

I have about 30, and sometimes it still doesn't seem like enough (I always need one a little bit longer or smaller than what's left on the rack) :doh:


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## bambino

Anthony said:


> I don't think you mentioned clamps. Do I need more clamps?
> 
> I have about 30, and sometimes it still doesn't seem like enough (I always need one a little bit longer or smaller than what's left on the rack) :doh:


Oh i allmost forgot you need lots and lots and lots of clamps.:rofl2:


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## tshifrin

So what do y'all use to draw/lay out large circles? I can't seem to find a compass larger than a 12" circle.

Tom


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## CarolinaNomad

tshifrin said:


> So what do y'all use to draw/lay out large circles? I can't seem to find a compass larger than a 12" circle.
> 
> Tom


One way is to place a nail in the center of the circle and tie a 6" wire to the nail and a pencil.


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## Anthony

I do wire/string for drawing large circles. 

Rockler.com (and others) sell larger trammel arms for bigger circle routing, but you can easily make your own with a scrap of plywood. Drill for a pivot on one end and use your router base to co-drill the mounting holes on the other. You can make any size you want, it just usually isn't adjustable (at least not with some work at it).


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## Oktyabr

Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue is the bomb! WAY stronger than the wood you are gluing. Well... once you have collected all the clamps from every garage sale in town you need something for the clamps to hold, right? :R


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## phivates

I too endorse Titebond 3 for virtually all wood bonding unless gapfilling is an issue, then Gorilla-type polyurethane is called for. As an old car audio guy I recommend hole saws for mids and tweets...but I already have dozens of 'em. Dust collection!


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## JohnWu

Panasonic WM61 Mic is one of the choice for the people who intend to DIY his own speaker testing.


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## Big Dave

My carpenter grade table saw. Out of everything mentioned this is the one thing I would miss the most. I would not even attemp anything using a hand circular saw. They are good for builing decks and framing but not for cabinetry. Did anyone mention a Dado blade?


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## Anthony

I have an Infinity Dadonator set and love it. 6 tooth chippers and a nice full set of shims (and a cheat sheet to dial you in). Glass smooth dadoes.


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## loach71

Very nice circle cutting jig!


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## loach71

tshifrin said:


> So what do y'all use to draw/lay out large circles? I can't seem to find a compass larger than a 12" circle.
> 
> Tom


Go to Lee Valley Tools and buy some trammel points. With some planed hardwood and these points you can make a compass of any size needed.


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## Demsy2000

I bought the Makita 3901 biscuit jointer, the only available brand and type available in Jakarta. A bit expensive but worth every cent of it, makes perfect joints so easily, anytime. 
I built the Troels Gravesen DTQWT huge cabinet using this biscuit joiner, precision is very good and also very strong. Highly recommended!


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## FlashJim

Clamps. Lots and lots of clamps. I started with pipe clamps and they've served me well. 










A couple of years ago I stumbled across a great deal on Jet parallel clamps. I'm patiently waiting for another sale. I want more! A clamp rack is a "must have" too.


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## dgmartin

May I add... Great for trimming veneer around driver flange recess
WHITESIDE #SC28C DADO TRIM BIT WITH SMALL PILOT - 1/4" SH X 1/4" CL


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## Odougbo

Another DIY circle cutter ploy:
Been using them for years, have three set up, they all work about the same - easy/fast.
The bosch is a nice router for speaker projects, the micro depth adjustment is super.

The inboard handle may need to be removed now and then; added a extra 3/8" hole in plastic handle (side) to access the bolt.


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