My Dual RL-p15 Sealed Design

**Bent** · **04-19-08, 10:53 AM**

The enclosure fell off the sawhorses today (one leg buckled... - be wary of this if you are building a large subwoofer, someone could be hurt if they are in the wrong place. as you'd never stand a chance of catching a 200 plus pound enclosure as it falls.)

Damage was surprisingly minimal, sanding and filler took care of it in about a half an hour, we are back on track - the enclosure is painted and the top sheet of 1/8" oak ply in glued down and setting as I type. It will be flush trimmed tonight.

**Owen Bartley** · **04-20-08, 08:24 PM**

Holy crap, you buckled a sawhorse?? I'm glad nobody was in the way to get hurt, that's for sure. And also glad to hear there wasn't that much damage to the enclosure, your carpentry skills must be up to snuff (told you)! The redesign looks good to me, how are you going to finish the wood trim?

**Bent** · **04-20-08, 10:42 PM**

Naa, I was too pigheaded to ask the neighbor for help.
I was trying to roll it from it's back to it's side on the saw-horses, I did so and then lifted one side of the sub to move the horse back into position. (it was a pair of those hardware store folding units made of metal, not the plastic ones you see holding the building materials in a previous picture. - quite strong when set up, but it started to fold as I moved it...) I didn't notice, and thump.

I've stained the tombstone shape as well as the top with a wipe-on gell stain, as clear as I could find to affect as little colour change as possible, they look really good. I should have done the back and sides in oak ply too (even my wife thought so), but I ran out of oak ply....

Oak corner moldings will adorn all four sides, 1-1/2" oak stuff will do the top, and I'm undecided about the bottom so far.

**Bent** · **04-21-08, 10:49 AM**

The Dept. of domestic affairs convinced me yesterday that it would be nicer with oak on the sides and back too - so the project is temporarily on hold until I can match the grain and colour with a new sheet of 1/8" oak veneer core ply.

the picture shows the stained top and the tombstone (but the tombstone isn't yet attached.

**Bent** · **04-21-08, 11:08 PM**

I have the first side (left) laminated with the 1/8" oak ply.
I was flush trimming it and had a small tear-out of the oak on the top of the enclosure. It's small, about 1/8" by 1/4", but its right on top at the front left edge.

I guess I have to soldier on though, huh?

needless to say, my wife is correct, it looks way better with oak sides.

**Mike P.** · **04-22-08, 12:58 AM**

Show us a pic when you're done laminating the oak veneer on.

**Owen Bartley** · **04-22-08, 06:21 AM**

Looking good Ben. Are you still going to use the tombstone for anything, or has it been rendered obsolete by the new design plan? I know it probably won't be ideal, but can you use wood filler on the little tear? Or maybe the glue-sawdust mixture trick, since you're not planning to change the colour with the stain.

**Bent** · **04-22-08, 08:33 AM**

I'm going to still use the tombstone, as it provides some nice visual contrast against the black enclosure face and dresses up the perimeter of the two drivers very well.
My two 15 RL-p's don't have logo's, they have a blank anodized aluminum cone as they were from the early production runs. I really think it's going to look good when I'm done.

I think I can trim a small piece of wood in a shape that will fill the tiny tear out. I'm not so stressed about it today.

**Bent** · **04-23-08, 10:16 PM**

since the 1/8 stuff overlapped the edges of the top, I've decided I'm not going to like the way the trim will look with the 1/8" edge being visible right under it.
I'm going to laminate 1 more piece on the top and flush trim it once the other side is dry (which I glued down this evening).

**Bent** · **04-24-08, 10:21 PM**

here's where it stands tonight. both sides are applied, the top has been scuffed and is ready for it's new laminated section to hide the construction ugliness.
The tombstone is temporarily clamped in place for a visual.

**Owen Bartley** · **04-25-08, 06:11 AM**

Hey hey, new pics! It's looking good Ben, I'm glad you're keeping the tombstone, it does give a nice visual effect. Is the back still black, or did you wood panel it too? Is there still going to be a base like in your renderings?

**Bent** · **04-25-08, 06:17 AM**

The rear panel is black - I like it
(plus, I have no more wood left).
Trim pieces will hide the edges.

I'm still doing a base of some sort - design to be determined...

**Bent** · **05-01-08, 11:30 PM**

Slow progress due to too few clamps, but here's some pics...
comments tomorrow.

**atledreier** · **05-02-08, 12:51 AM**

Looks awesome!

**SQCherokee** · **05-02-08, 06:52 AM**

you should post some pics with the drivers in there...it looks very nice

**Bent** · **05-02-08, 07:58 AM**

Thanks guys, the drivers will be installed once it lands in the rec-room.
I still need to put two more pieces on the back of the enclosure, finish the baseplate, stain the unstained trim - install about 8 pounds of acousti-stuff then install the drivers.

**Owen Bartley** · **05-02-08, 01:49 PM**

The trim looks nice, gives it a much more furnitur-ey look and vibe. And the vertical lines it creates between the trim pieces on the front and the tombstone give it a nice tall look in my opinion. Keep it up!

**Rodny Alvarez** · **05-03-08, 07:29 AM**

That's a nice build!!!

Can't wait to see the finished project!

**Bent** · **05-03-08, 09:57 AM**

Rodny, after seeing some of your work, I take that as an extreme complement.
Thanks - much appreciated.

**Bent** · **05-05-08, 06:46 PM**

it's on the base

**Owen Bartley** · **05-08-08, 06:10 AM**

Still looking great. I was about to ask if you had enough room for port clearance before I remembered this is a sealed enclosure. So what's left to do, other than mounting the drivers and firing it up?? Binding posts I guess? Where are you putting them, at the back, or on the bottom?

**Bent** · **05-08-08, 08:35 AM**

I'm still considering putting a few coats of poly over the stained wood.
Binding posts will be installed on the rear of the enclosure, I'll be either routing a pair of side-by-side 3" holes, or hole-sawing the same through the 1.5" of mdf at the rear, and mounting a piece of 3/8" thick plexiglass across the holes from the inside of the enclosure. A pair of binding posts per hole will then installed to wire to each driver. the fact that the plexi is inlo 3/8" thick should be negligible w.r.t. enclosure rigidity as they are only 3" holes rather than a large thin panel. I'll wind up with some nice recessed binding posts that way.

Oh, I also have to get the pig inside the house and into my basement without inflicting damage to either my house or my new subwoofer - that will be a significant challenge in of itself.

**Blaser** · **05-11-08, 03:49 PM**

Is it complete now? I would like to see some REW measurements upon completion if possible.
Very nice looking job Ben.

**Bent** · **05-11-08, 09:05 PM**

It isn't done yet, actually no more done than the last photos show.
I need to coat it in Old Dad's polyurethane, and get it inside.
As well as the terminal connections need to be made.

My service truck has been in the shop for the past week-ands-a-half, and that's where the majority of my hand tools live, so no tools, not progress.

REW measurements would mean me being somewhat computer 'litterate - which I aren't yet. I'll try to get some manual measurements with a borrowed SPL meter though, and post them upon it's completion.

**Bent** · **06-10-08, 01:41 AM**

New news, it's in the house - well over 200 pounds... (I'm thinking close to 300)
it's drivers are installed, and it looks like a million bucks.
my camera batteries are dead - pictures tomorrow.

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