Build Thread: Krazy Kid's SSD12

**krazykid** · **02-19-09, 09:51 PM**

I will be running a Fi Audio SSD12" dual 2 Ohm base model with no extra options. An EP2500 will power it with a Reckhorn B1 for bass managment. All fed by and Onkyo TX-SR805.

The box will be a 23"X23"X23" cube yielding 5.75cu'. The EP2500 and the B1 will have their own enclosure on top of the speaker enclosure and flush out both pieces with the face of the entire box.

The port is a 3"X8"X58" slot port which will exit the side of the box, or if it will fit just under the amp box on top. The port displaces 1.08cu'

Subwoofer will be inverted, firing up into the box from the bottom. The speaker is 6" tall, so I figure I make the legs 8-9 inches tall. Base plate for the enclosure will be 25" squared and have a nice edge routered all the way around, and should provide a nice stable foot print and weight distribution.

Final volume will be 4.67cu', which will give me .17 to play with for bracing. Modeled volume was 4.5cu' tuned to 18hz.

**krazykid** · **02-19-09, 10:07 PM**

I started the port tonight. 1/2" MDF. over 3/4", this saves me about and inch or so lenght on the port.

Poor mans third and forth hands:

Routered the edges for the inside walls:

This gives you an idea of the port design. 58" total length:

Tomorrow, I will make the 1/4 round inside edges and glue them in to smooth out the 90 degree bends in the port.

**Ricci** · **02-20-09, 12:51 PM**

Subscribed.

Good luck with the build.

**krazykid** · **02-22-09, 02:17 PM**

Started the 23" cube and attached the port to the front panel. Wont be back next week to work on it until friday.

**digital desire** · **02-23-09, 11:17 PM**

Holy smokes, that is one complicated build!

I just put a maelstrom in a 21.5" cube, powered the same way, I would love to be able to play side by side. WAF came into play here with my choice, I would have gone 24".

So what pointed you to this choice in build? Looks great!

Almost looks like a TL design.

**krazykid** · **02-28-09, 04:26 PM**

I put the rest of the cube together and cut out the speaker hole and installed the port.

Next I added the amp rack on top. The seam between the cube and the rack is no big deal because I am going to skin the entire box in 1/2" cabinet grade ply and stain it all.

**krazykid** · **02-28-09, 04:29 PM**

Quote:

digital desire wrote:

Holy smokes, that is one complicated build!

I just put a maelstrom in a 21.5" cube, powered the same way, I would love to be able to play side by side. WAF came into play here with my choice, I would have gone 24".

So what pointed you to this choice in build? Looks great!

Almost looks like a TL design.

Yeah the port took a bit of thinking. so far so good, and the basic box is done. just have to come up with ideas for the feet and skin it in nice ply. I looked for the speaker first, and the SSD 12 was in my price range and modeled out nicely for the over all size of the box I wanted to do.

**krazykid** · **03-10-09, 08:26 PM**

The last few days I have glued the popular ply on the box. One more side to go and I can start routering.

I need ideas for the legs now. I think some steel 3" dia conduit will work. I think if i get a 3' hole saw and cut out the half inch ply layer, I can slip the pipe into that and glue the out of it, and it will rest on the 3/4" mdf layer. The my idea for the base plate is 2 layers of 3/4' popular and do the same thing. it will support the weight no problem, but you can pick up or move the box by the legs.

The other idea is rip a 4x4 down to 3x3" and rip 4" strips of popular and make a 4X4" popular square leg. both will require some work.

**Ricci** · **03-11-09, 04:37 PM**

So you are mounting the amp in the box? That's different. Keep up with the updates. I want to see how this turns out.

**Sonnie** · **03-12-09, 08:01 AM**

Very interesting indeed... looking forward to seeing the finished product and how it sounds/measures.

**krazykid** · **03-13-09, 09:43 PM**

Well I covered the entire box. I am using 3" PVC pipe for the 4 legs, so I cut the 1/2" layer out with a 3-1/2" hole saw and only went as deep as the surface of the 3/4" MDF. So I can insert and glue the legs in and mdf will support the weight. I added a layer of 3/4" mdf again beacue it didnt look like it would hold the legs very well. with only the 1/2" glue area.

I ripped some select pine into 1-1/2' pieces. Then routered a nice edge and ripped them again thinner to what you see here. I know I could have gotten trim but i like the extra effort and reward in doing it my self.

I am wrapping all side of the corners, except the very bottom surface, so i had to rip a 45 dont the edge. So here comes the hard part... Trimming out the corners. It is much likeplaying a game of 9-ball pool... each cut has to be perfect or 3-4 miters later your screwed. I worked with my fathers remodeling company for years, and can trim a window in my sleep, and can lay crown... this is MUCH harder and way more precise. And to make it that much easier on myself, I dont want nail holes so it is all clamped and glued. Here is ONE piece sofar.

**Owen Bartley** · **03-25-09, 02:37 PM**

Quote:

krazykid wrote:

Use a coaster, you animal!!

**Ricci** · **03-25-09, 02:43 PM**

Yeah baby! Drinking and power tools! My kinda guy.

**krazykid** · **03-26-09, 05:07 PM**

More trim... I kinda wish I shot it with the 18ga pasload trim gun, but I didnt want any nail holes and putty so it is clamp and glue! Gorilla glue is the nutts. It expands a little bit and hold like no other wood glue out there. Set time is about 4 hours I found. in about an hour or so it tacks up and expands about 80% of its way out. You could chance it and unclamp it, but the other 20% of expansion might open up the miters.

Almost done.

here is a quick sand of the miter. I have to fill the seem a little bit but once it is stained you will see a perfect edge. So far they are nice and tight where they need to be.

**krazykid** · **03-31-09, 11:03 AM**

Finish sanded the trim. The leading edge disapears right in front of your eyes as you sand it. I am very happy with how the trim came out.

Applied ZAR rosewood stain, and one coat of Minwax poly. Waiting for it to dry right now. I want to do 3 coats or so.

**Owen Bartley** · **03-31-09, 01:26 PM**

Looking good KK... What's the plan for the inside of the port?

**krazykid** · **04-06-09, 08:34 AM**

4 coats of poly are on, and dried for a few days. i have to have someone help me flip it over so i can make the base.

inside of the port will be sprayed flat black.

**krazykid** · **04-07-09, 01:21 PM**

I filled and leveled off the bottom surface with the trim with body filler. Then mounted the for 10" long 3" dia legs. The legs are just PVC pipe. I took a 3-1/4" hole saw (what ever the outside dia was not sure off the top of my head) and drilled the last 2 layers of the baffel board out, the last 3/4" mdf and the 1/2" poplar. That left me with the origional 3/4" layer of mdf to support most of the weight. Then glued the pipe in. Glue was on the sides of the hole and the bottom, so that it would tie all the layers together, then i dumped some glue inside the pipe and smeared it around with a wooden dowle for what ever reason! The whole saw left the fit nice and tight, so as i knocked the legs square it held perfectly.

I just sanded the legs with 320 grit and cleaned them with Prepsal. Prepsal is a great plastic cleaner and primer promoter. I sprayed a good coat of regular primer on the legs, and a heavy coat of high build primer/filler on the baffel and the body work I did around the edges. Ill come back to it in a few hours and final sand that and shoot it with silver, and clear coat. I am using PPG automotive silver metal flake base coat, and PPG clear. 2004 ford ranger silver to be exact. Since I have some left from a bumper i shot a few weeks ago.

**Owen Bartley** · **04-07-09, 02:39 PM**

OH! Duh! I just read back through your first post and realized that you're building in an amp rack. I was wondering what the two slots were for. That's a great idea.

**krazykid** · **04-08-09, 08:54 PM**

nevermind... got it working. update tomorrow.

**Mike P.** · **04-09-09, 05:38 AM**

Can't wait to see the pics of the completed sub!

**krazykid** · **04-09-09, 11:04 AM**

Here are the legs painted. Used automotive body paint and clear. I also installed the terminal cup, caulked and screwed it in.

To mount the speaker, I am using #12 i think they are, wood screws. i placed the speaker on the box, and used the pre-drill bit and touched the surface through the basket of the speaker, to give me the hole layout. then took the speaker away and drilled the rest of the way through. This way I can get a plumb hole, and I don’t hit the basket of the speaker with the drill. No need for t-nuts or anything when your going into almost a 2" baffle!

Here is a nice pic of the speaker.

Dual 2 ohm wired into a 4ohm load.. disregard the 2ohm stamp on the terminal cup

My buddy and I carried the box and speaker up from the basement. It weights every bit of 150lbs. We did however manage to nick the front of the trim... it was my fault. So I have to use a little wood filler, no big deal. I wired it up and just slid the amp in, still have to put the fan in the back of the box, and attach it, but I am in no rush right now. Here it is in the room.

Here is the rear setup and seating. Nice and simple.

This is the entire room. Pic is taken from my kitchen. The floor plan is WIDE open. Don’t look at the messy dining room table either

I still have to make some nice feet for the legs. I will use 2 pieces of 3/4" pine and make a nice stepped edge to it, and just cut out the leg hole on the top layer. That way all i have to do is lift the box up and put the foot on the legs. They will not be glued, the legs will just sit in side the feet. I also have to paint the inside of the port, install the AC plugs on the back and the 80mm fan for the exhaust from the amp. But I am taking a break, and watching some movies for a week!

**Mike P.** · **04-09-09, 11:33 AM**

What are your impressions so far?

**digital desire** · **04-09-09, 11:33 AM**

Very nice job.

Do you get any rattles from the amp in the cabinet?

**krazykid** · **04-09-09, 01:00 PM**

Well the setup is very nice. I placed a glass of wine on the coffee table, and at 13Hz, it shakes the wine. i am not talking little sound waves in the wine, I mean SHAKES the contents! I will take a video of that soon.

Sub audible is crazy! my floor shakes like a small earthquake from 11-17hz. Even the heat ducts are pressurizing and moving. I watched a little of the Dark Night bat man movie on BR last night and it is alot different with the sub that just the towers. The tower actually do an amazing job, but the sub fills in the hit. I forgot that I left the front stage on full range, and played a 10hz sine wave, and I watched my towers and center mids move wicked slow! it was actually pretty cool, but i quickly crossed them over, 100hz @ the center and 80 for the towers.

The only port noise I have is the sub 30hz stuff. Music doesn’t really go that low, so the sub doesn’t see alot of it. So far I am very impressed. more reviews to come.

The amp and B1 are just laying inside the box. I didn’t mount them yet. they rattle because fo that. I will lay some 1/4' rubber on the resting pads I made inside the box, and bolt them in. they wont rattle after that.

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