Introduction: Cedar (Cigar?) Box Speaker Box
Inspired by the Munny speakers, but not willing to spend more than $10, here's my instructable using old computer speakers, a wood box from the thrift store, and lots of hot glue.
Step 1: Salvaged Parts
-Ugly old speakers. One with circuit board, control knobs/buttons.
-Cedar box. I got this one at a thrift store for $.50. I've seen various kinds of pine(?) boxes at Michael's craft stores.
-A couple small hinges.
-A set of feet (adhesive or screw-in).
Step 2: Cutting Speaker Holes
My tools: hot glue gun; drill for pilot holes; X-acto knife; hack saw; a Leatherman's saw blade; round file for finishing (time to cut: 1-2 hrs)
What you really want: a hole saw. A 2.5" hole saw would have been over $20, but it would be fast! (time to cut: 1 min.)
I first tried doing this from the inside because I wanted to be able to see the box's sides; however, cutting out the holes from the inside risks splitting the face of the box.
So I switched to drawing the speaker outlines on the top of the box. BE SURE THE CIRCUIT BOARD CAN SIT BETWEEN THE SPEAKERS!
Without the hole saw, I tried cutting with just the saw but changed over to sawing radiuses, rough sawing the circumference, and then finishing with the X-acto and round file. It looks awful, was awful to do, and made me wish I had spent $20 on a hole saw.
Not perfectly round, but as good as I could do without the hole saw.
Step 3: Interior, Speakers Hole Covers
After painting outside. I wanted to hide the speakers and grabbed some leftover fabric and a hot glue gun. Cut fabric to fit inside of box. Simple.
Step 4: Glue in Speakers
Applied more hot glue to front edges of speakers and pressed them against the fabric over the holes.
The circuit board will be glued to the opposite side of the box, but DON T GLUE THE CIRCUIT BOARD YET. I drew lines to mark where it would go and where I needed to drill holes for the knobs.
Step 5: More Holes! (button, Knobs, Etc.)
The hardest part: more holes!
This was, ultimately, done thru trial and error. Lots of error! The volume and treble buttons were angled, so I couldn't drill straight holes, and then the LED and headphone jacks were on extended bits of circuit board -- higher than the knobs and power button.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO SPLIT THE WOOD!
I used the round file to smooth out my work.
The circuit board is still loose through all the hole-making.
The power and input cables also need a hole (bottom of box).
Step 6: Gluing Circuit Board and Speaker Cable
Once everything fits in the holes, make sure you can still plug in all the cables. It was a tight fit in this box. With all the cables plugged in, glue down the circuit board.
Since one speaker held the board, it only had the input cable (green, running outside the box) and the power cable (longer, gray, also running outside the box).
The other speaker, then, had a long cable that got sound from the board (gray). Ideally, you might cut and splice a shorter cable, but I had space and plenty of hot glue to spare!
Step 7: Hinges and Feet
Hinges (nonfunctional) on both sides.
Feet screw on.
Step 8: All Done!
The finished product -- just 10 hours later! Seriously, get the hole saw!!!
33 Comments
8 years ago on Introduction
How did the sound quality change?
9 years ago on Step 6
If you can buy a cheap soldering pencil or even gun, you should shorten the wires so that you it doesn't take up a lot of room. You could slide the left over wire into some paracord as well to handle the mess.
9 years ago on Introduction
My instructable was very similiar. I was just wondering what I could add to improve mine.
9 years ago
Can you plug your i pod into it
Reply 9 years ago
Absolutely. Any headphone jack.
11 years ago on Introduction
Thanks so much for the great instructions! I'm working on a speaker of my own right now, thanks to you.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Would you recommend getting a deeper box for a better sound? Your box looks pretty narrow, and mine is definitely almost touching the back of the speakers.
14 years ago on Introduction
A coping saw might work too..hah, I'm amazed how round the holes are given your tools. How does it sound?
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
agree. i wish i had a coping saw..... is there an instructable for that? heh
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
The sound might not please audiophiles, but it's no worse than the plastic boxes they were in. You're right. A coping saw might have worked. But the hole saw would have been a dream.
11 years ago on Introduction
really nice idea :B!!! i'll make one :D
14 years ago on Introduction
Very cool, take it one step further, cut the power cable off and power it by a battery!
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
That would be cool. Though it would take some actual skill to do. Not like this project! ;)
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
it's possible to do it, i've done it before all you need to do is cut the wires going to the speaker, then strip the wires and connect them to a battery, polarity does not matter
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Got it. So you might be able to take the battery compartment from some old device and splice its wires to the speaker's, so you have something for the battery to sit in. Then just mount the compartment. With hot glue, of course! I'd also like to look around for a way to convert it to usb power since it's used with a computer all the time.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
usb it can only put out 2.5W - 5v 500ma i usually use RC car batteries
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
I did this, only if you have better speakers (I think mine were about $30 so still cheap) then polarity does matter, but Yeah you can just depending on the speakers splice the cable with a (in my case 9v battery clip) and it works. The speakers might clip a bit at the highest volume though depending on how much power is left in the battery.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Oh and for better sound you should have made a 3rd much smaller hole in between the two speakers (well anywhere but that would look the best) probably about a centimeter in diameter. Yes thats right more hole cutting :P
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
if the speakers have low Xmax (move in/out only a little) it is better to have a sealed enclosure, and not a ported one
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Yeah I guess these ones probably wouldn't have a whole of of excursion going on... I made a set of ipod speakers using some old cheap computer speakers of mine and converted them to run off 2 9v batteries and they sounded much better with a fairly small hole (bit less than 1.5cm) but they admittedly would have a fair bit more excursion than these ones as these are pretty small even for computer speakers...