In my previous post on building an amp from a tin, I illustrated how to use wire mesh as a speaker grille. That mesh was a guard on rotating equipment in a prior life. Here are two more ideas for obtaining material to use as a grille in that previous project.

Step 1: Find a Mesh Pattern!

Both of these ideas came from a microwave I deconstructed today. The first one was actually the bottom of the machine where the air vents were located. The second was obtained from the deconstructed filters. The important thing is to keep an open mind when looking to repurpose old stuff. Sometimes we toss stuff in the trash too quickly because we fail to see the value that remains!!

Step 2: Get the First Pattern Loose

The pattern of the air vent is a sweet potential grille, the pattern is reminiscent of subway tile which is very popular. I simply used cross cut pliers to extract the desired material. The pattern could now be cleaned and reused exactly as described in my previous post.

Step 3: Get the Second Pattern Loose

The air filter used under the vent hood of this microwave has a sweet pattern that begs for a new life in a speaker enclosure!! Simply use pliers to remove the frame and any staples as needed. The resulting wire mesh will need cleaned prior to use, but can be installed by the same method described in my previous post.