Tube Amp Archive

Friend of mine shamed me into finishing my latest amp, so I want to get rid of some stuff that's in the way. Planning to give away a 12" speaker and an old amp, but I didn't have a cab for the speaker. Today I started throwing one together.

Question: do I really need to add screws to this thing? I made butt joints and clamped them up with Titebond III. Then I added these 2x2 pieces, also with Titebond.

I have a tendency to put screws in the wrong places, even after measuring.

Just using butt joints an cleats?You could get away with 1/4 crown staples a nd glue or just use screws.Or Get a pocket screw jig for about 30 bucks and you can forget about cleats and clamping

I like glue because you get more than one chance to get the position perfect.

I meant to say glue along with screws.Drill a hole a tiny bit lareger than the screw threads In the piece that the head is sinking into.Then you can line up the peices and the screw won't push the joint apart when you run it in.

You may get away with it if you don't plan to move the cab around a lot, or let your chubby friends sit on it

Actually, the baffle boards, assuming they'll be screwed to your corner braces, will be the things that hold this cab straight. If you cover the cab with a single long piece of tolex, that will help it hold together a bit too.

Be aware that if you install screws now, they will try to pull the braces up tight in both directions, which may un-glue them. That's why it's best to put the screws in while the glue is still wet.

I make drawings on graph paper of where all the screws will go, including baffles, braces and even corners, and try to space them evenly apart as best I can.

I'm not a professional woodworker, but here's what one of my cabs looks like after gluing, screwing and rounding off (I drive the screws deep and fill the holes with wood putty and sand flat):

[img683]http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346 ... 50_005.jpg[/img]

I know a guy that is a pro woodworker and he says just get the pocket screw jig,Cut it real straight and glue it good.It will be strong as hell.

Or just pre drill some holes a little larger than the screw threads and run them through.
Looks like you got it glued up so it doesn't matter now.

Ken is right the baffle and back panels will really stiffen things up

I got bored waiting and stuck screws in it. I also shoved the speaker panel or baffle or whatever in there. I haven't put the 11" hole in it yet. Tomorrow I buy vinyl.

I used these to set it up. Made life much easier.

Hey Steve! Wondered where you'd been.

Imagined all sorts of things. I saw that the Chinese put some guy in space but made no mention of the man's name.

Never know..

Call me old fashioned, bit I prefer a mechanical joint between parts. But if I were giving it away I'd do as cbass suggested and rock the pocket. Hell, even the great Norm Abram has been known to use "pocket screw technology".

Good luck with the project!

Dan

I was trapped near the Inner Circle of Fault.

I tried out for the Chinese gig, but I couldn't make the weight.

Few pics of my somewhat odd method.

O, nicer milling machine than mine.

I don't think I've ever seen someone use a rotary table to make speaker holes.

John

I just used it to make a guide slot for the router table.

Oh that's right you're the machinist dude!

Welcome back.