Introduction: Exotic-Wood Acoustic Marvel

By
About: Jack of all trades, master of some. Engineer by day, inventor by night.

Hello Dear Friends of the Instructable World!!!!

Today I have set out to create something beautiful both visually and acoustically. I assure you if you follow the steps below you will create an amazing piece that will last you for years to come. As makers I feel we have a certain duty to uphold to bring our passions into reality through the manipulation of tools and ideas.

Without any further ado, I give you the Acoustic Marvel:

Step 1: Tools Needed:

Woodworking Machines:

  • Band Saw
  • Scroll Saw
  • Belt Sander
  • Orbital Drum Sander
  • Drill Press and Bits

Hand Tools;

  • File/Rasp
  • 60 grit sandpaper-400 grit
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Exacto Knife
  • Markers
  • Tape

Step 2: Materials

Wood:

http://ocoochhardwoods.com/

Buy eight total pieces of any type of hardwood you like in the dimensions 8" wide x 24" long and 3/4" thick and you will have enough to complete this project- be creative here with many varieties, or go all one single wood.

  • Walnut- $14.00
  • Mahogany- $14.20
  • Lacewood- $26.25
  • Curly Maple- $15.25
  • Maple Burl Blank- $21.00 (eBay)

Glue:

Other:

Shipping-$20.00

Total Cost (with Shipping): $136.72

Step 3: Begin by Designing Your Chamber (or Use Attached DXF's)

I began by sort of a trial and error in SolidWorks until I had a design I liked with multiple layers reflected in the various exotic woods used. My design was to fit an iPhone 6 with a case and that is what the hollow audio channel lines up for, however it does also fit an iPhone 7 engaging one onboard speaker.

The way that this project is designed, you will be able to swap out the phone holder piece for any make or model phone that you have, just take your measurements and apply the concepts show here.

All of the DXF's are actual size to create a 6" x 6" x6" Acoustic phone Speaker.

Attachments

Step 4: Source Your Material

After you have a design that you like you can source the woods that you want to use. Take your time and find hardwoods that you are partial to. I found I liked product from:

http://ocoochhardwoods.com

I went with Mahogany, lacewood, Curly Maple, and Walnut.

All 8" wide, 24" long and 3/4" thick.

It is also a good time to test out the final finish you want to use on your speaker so you can choose what order to glue your wood in later.

Step 5: Print the DXF's and Prepare Templates

This step takes a little bit of time, I had best luck using an exacto knife to get close to the edges and a scissors on the large runs. This will be your first chance to truly see how the entire speaker will go together when finished.

Step 6: Transfer Templates to Wood

Tape your now perfect templates for each of the sections to the parts of your wood that you would like to see on your speaker as show. Proceed to trace out the designs and remove the templates.

Be sure to mark which side of each piece you want to the front and which end is the top, some pieces look close to symmetrical, but are not necessarily.

Step 7: Saw, Cut, Grind

All blanks can now be cut out.

I used a large bandsaw to do my rough cuts, belt sanded the rough edges down, and finished the centers of each section with a scroll saw. Take your time here and get the circles cut just right.

An orbital drum sander works wonders on the interior of each piece.

Step 8: Test Fit/Admire

Layout all of your freshly created pieces in their rough cut form.

This is the best time for test fitting and making adjustments to various pieces.

Step 9: Dry-fit Your Speaker

I had drilled two holes along the length of the interior of this project to install alignment dowel. This was perfect for helping me to line up and ensure my pieces would go together well.

Step 10: Create Phone Disconnect Piece

Transfer your phone template to the section that will house your phone.

Using clear packing tape and hairspray is a great way to attach a template with leaving residue.

First bandsaw/scroll saw the piece out. Then, using a guide, cut the two smaller side pieces away from the main body and cut out the area the phone will go.

There are many ways to do this step, use the pictures and your best judgment to create this piece.

Step 11: Clamp and Glue

This is a fairly straight forward woodworking step. Glue and clamp each layer together, alignment dowels holding everything in place. Glue the phone disconnect piece separately as you want this piece to be removable when everything is done.

Step 12: Sand It Down

After the glue had dried down, you can begin sanding. I started with 60 grit and went through all the appropriate steps up to 400 grit.

This step is based solely off how smooth you want the final product- remember that this is completely based off your own character and design choices! Make it rough if you want a rugged final product.

Step 13: Finish the Outside

I applied Watco Danish Oil- Natural to the outside of my piece. I like it because it dries fast and makes the natural grains present in the pop out.

Step 14: Turn the Center Baffle

Setup a lathe with a nice centerpiece type of wood you would like to use. Here I have used a nice Maple Burl. Turn the piece into whatever desired shape you like, as long as it fits in the opening of your speaker.

Step 15: Test Fit and Finish Baffle

Here you can see the test fitting and what the maple burl looked like after it was finished with Watco Danish Oil.

Step 16: Install Rare Earth Magnets

Mark and drill holes the same size as the rare earth magnets you plan to use in your phone disconnect. Using a two-part epoxy install the magnets in the top and bottom of this piece so that you can snap it in place or remove it at will when it dries.

Being able to upgrade your speaker in the future when you get a different phone is a huge benefit of this design, take your time ensure it is done right!

Step 17: Finish Pictures

A few closeups of the Final Result.

Step 18: A Brief Video of Form and Function

See the video for an idea how this works and how much louder it can make your phone by redirecting music.

I apologize for this recording not being high quality.

Attachments

Step 19: Finito!

You have now completed your Exotic Wood Acoustic Marvel! Cherish it all the days of your life or give it to someone as a gift for them to love and enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Audio Contest 2017

Runner Up in the
Audio Contest 2017