Building my new Speakers - Cutting out the Driver Holes and Recesses

With the baffles shaped and the notches cut out for the stands, I can layout the location for the drivers and get the holes and recesses cut. I'm flush mounting both drivers and using my trim router with a very simple circle guide.
Included in this video is a pretty neat way to get the centre back after you've cut it out. I made the mistake of cutting the recess to small (the tweeter wouldn't fit) and I had to re-cut it after I cut the hole. I used dowels that are the same size as the router bit to put the plug back and it worked like a charm.
This is part 4 in my series on designing making a pair of open baffle 2-way speakers to use as "surround" speakers in my listening room.

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[IBuildIt]

With the baffles shaped and the notches cut out for the stands, I can layout the location for the drivers and get the holes and recesses cut. I'm flush mounting both drivers and using my trim router with a very simple circle guide.
Included in this video is a pretty neat way to get the centre back after you've cut it out. I made the mistake of cutting the recess to small (the tweeter wouldn't fit) and I had to re-cut it after I cut the hole. I used dowels that are the same size as the router bit to put the plug back and it worked like a charm.
This is part 4 in my series on designing making a pair of open baffle 2-way speakers to use as "surround" speakers in my listening room.

[kyleolsen]

I love how simple you make things. Cutting perfect circles for speaker cutouts is a daunting task but after watching your video it seems easy peasy. Thanks John for all your hard work you do and all the extra work to publish your work to youtube.

[AugustusCardoso]

Sir, you are an absolute legend. Thank you so much for creating this beautiful content!!

[keith]

The adjustable circle jig is the best. Thanks

[MikMech]

It's 1am in Australia. (Sydney)
Won't be going to bed for another 7 minutes...

[tobiasjames]

Really nice video, no joke I already ordered the exact same tweeter (1x) about 4 months ago, now I have ordered a 2nd + i am getting 2x Scan Speak discovery woofers. Going to build/test baffles and asymmetrical arrangement to get best dipole peak/flat response. These will activity cross over to a pair at this stage I already have of 2x pieces of SB acoustics 12inch woofers on simple frames below :)

[isaeagle]

Nice details! I use calipers to measure each driver. Messed up to many times lol.

[mrpres]

Good stuff here, this is a beautiful build!

[TheRealAudioDidact]

John, I love your woodworking and you are one of my heros! It seems like you are designing the speakers on the fly e.g. speaker placement. Doesn't this have a gigantic effect on the sound quality and measured results of the speaker? Have you ever built from or tweaked a set design and tried to hit it right on? I'm just getting started and I took the build-from-plans route, but I'd love to hear what you have to say.

[impuls]

I would like to see a vid on the effects on chamfering the back of the midwoofers hole. Its supposed to have an measureable effect in REW.

[carlwrobel]

The dowels are f@#$&*( GENIUS. I literally just messed up on the dome version of those tweeters last night. Somehow I didn’t catch that 4.1” does NOT mean a 4-1/16 recess would be big enough😂😂😂

[johantaljaard]

Awesome build!!! Where can i view the router tool you made for cutting circles?

[JohnMGibby]

Very nice. How are you going to run the wires for the drivers? I wondered if you might split the boards to use the router to cut a channel for the wires and then glue them back together.

[PC-xjmw]

Hello. Where did you get the wood for the baffle? I am looking for stock that thick and 10"by 20". Thank you..

[macedindu]

"But, it will also loosen up on the drill press and probably fall out." xD

[jameshuntley]

What species of wood are you using? It looks really nice.

[gizmobowen]

What frequency will yiu be crossing over to the bases 😄?

[alanm.thornton]

You know I never noticed until recently that some tweeters are "surface" mounted and some are "recessed". I think you were already committed to the tweeters, but had you thought of using recessed tweeters? I would assume that comes with even more engineering to consider (width of recess, it's taper and curvature and how that affects it's projection?).

[T.A.C.S.]

Saddest thing about this project is we'll never get to hear the results

[Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Should add some wings of different width.