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Post by smallangryboy on Aug 18, 2008 11:10:21 GMT
Apologies for those that have seen this thread on other forums, but I'm keen to find individuals with an interest in Hi Fi that compliment my design skills with their technical skills. I've made a few contacts that I'm keen to chase up but I'm also looking for people a lot closer to home [Oxfordshire / Aylesbury} For some time I've been tinkering with loudspeakers and sub-woofers, with mixed success. Recently I've had the fortune to realise some of my designs with the help of several talented people. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond anyones control my colleague who helps with my enclosure designs can no longer provide his support for health reasons. So to cut a long winded story short I'm looking for some one with more than a passing interest in Hi Fi that would be willing to build designs or exchange ideas and my skills for theirs. Someone local would be ideal. Anyone interested can look at my current hi fi projects. I'm particularly focused [at the moment] on designs using veneered plywood and Corian, especially for loudspeaker and sub-woofer enclosures. I'm also really interested in anyone who has a view on turning solid Corian [if it can be done] as an alternative material to my wooden spherical loudspeakers. At the moment this is just a hobby that I would like to share, however if someone is interested in a working business relationship I'm all ears ! Many thanks for your time! |
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Post by Scrit on Aug 18, 2008 21:43:10 GMT
Hello and welcom to WW UK. In answer to one part of your question, yes, Corian can be turned (Google "Corian Pen Blanks" and you'll see what I mean). Solid surface materials like Corian are generally polymers of acrylic and sometheng else, often aluminium bauxite and something like polyethylene or polyurethane, which means they will machine in a similar manner to acrylic plastic (Perspex, Lucite, Plexiglass, etc) and can be polished with the same fine abrasives which are used on acrylic car paints. The main downside to dealing with the stuff is that it produces an extremely fine dust - much finer than MDF - so good extraction becomes a must. du Pont can sometiles be a bit awkward about supplying their materials so as alternatives, should you need them, try Formica (ColorCore), Wilsonart (Gibraltar), Irpen (I'ro), Schock and Staron (made by Samsung) amongst others
Scrit
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Post by smallangryboy on Aug 20, 2008 15:45:02 GMT
Many thanks, appreciate the advice.
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Post by cnc paul on Aug 20, 2008 17:00:42 GMT
?
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Post by wizer on Aug 20, 2008 19:37:45 GMT
I am curious as to why you haven't yet found someone? Perhaps if you let us know why you have rejected other makers, we can work out exactly what you need?
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Post by jfc on Aug 20, 2008 20:32:41 GMT
Wizer , from a makers point of view this is a nightmare situation . With no offence to the OP ( welcome by the way ;D )
1 He doesnt know what he wants made .
2 If you spend all day making it and its not what he was thinking you have to remake it .
3 The materials he is asking to work with can dull cutters in a heart beat .
4 Most of the work will be done by the maker with no real promise of any more orders or profit .
Number 4 is the biggest problem the OP has i think .
Other than the above i would be happy to help ;D
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Post by wizer on Aug 21, 2008 8:32:12 GMT
Yes I suspected that Jason. Which leads me to believe that his best bet is a non-pro. Maybe a hobbiest who is willing to work with him but hasn't got the pressures of the accountant/taxman.
I'd be willing to help, but it'd be on my terms in my time. Oh and a significant deposit for materials and cutters up front.
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Post by Scrit on Aug 21, 2008 18:25:27 GMT
Maybe a hobbiest who is willing to work with him but hasn't got the pressures of the accountant/taxman. It isn't the accountant/taxman who pressure you - it's simply the need to earn a living which means that you have to make every job pay. To the OP. I'd agree with Jason about the difficulty of finding someone who is a hobbyist and can/will worlk either with plywood laminations or solid surface ones. I assumed (probably erroneously) from your post that you wanted to turn small sections of Corian. If you think that you're going to turn large ones then you haven't done your homework on the material - solid surface materials come in sheet form from about 3mm up to 12 or so mm thick. They can be heat/vacuum formed to a curved shape (although this is not really a DIY task as the equipment is a bit technical), but I doubt there are many hobbyists who have the first idea about where to start. As to turning a 12in diameter solid piece the weight alone would require a heavy industrial lathe such as a Wadkin RS or a VB 36 - solid acrylic weights more than most hobby lathes could take in a speaker-sized "box". If you are sincere about getting this idea off the ground, and you can't make it yourself, then I think you should really offer to pay someone for their time/skills/expertise/equipment rather than trying to get a volunteer. I'm afraid I get too good to miss offers like that from time to time, and I've learned to pass, as you must if you want to earn a living Scrit |
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Post by jasonb on Aug 21, 2008 19:04:03 GMT
Household oven & vacuum press works for me  The other problem with laminating up a suitable blank of corian for turning those speakers is that to the trained eye you will see the joints particularly with the ones that have larger "flecs" An engineering lathe may be better suited to turn the larger sizes or at least rough them out. The price you are selling these for will also be affected by using someone to make the cabinets, a day or twos labour and workshop costs will add a substantial amount to the cost particularly if they are one offs, small batches will help offset production costs. Jason |
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Post by Scrit on Aug 21, 2008 19:36:04 GMT
Household oven & vacuum press works for me For a one-off maybe, but vinyl bags don't take too kindly to heat, and even limited production would soon mean that you'd be looking at stuff like silicone rubber membranes, etc. And since when is a vacuum pump a standard piece of DIY woodwork kit (even if you've read Joe Woodworker ;D) Scrit |
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Post by wizer on Aug 21, 2008 19:44:52 GMT
I agree, turning corian for what you want, isn't going to happen. Even if it was possible, no turner is going to blunt his tools for one job. In fact, if you want to play with corian at all then it's going to be expensive, even if you do it yourself. So, unless you are sure you have a solid market, I'd be wary of putting your eggs in a corian basket. Your Highball speaker is very nice indeed and fairly original. I would stick to easier to make designs until you have a well established name and can find someone who can work creatively with a corian type product.
I'd love to work for you because I'd love to make high quality speakers. But I don't turn and I don't work with corian. I have often thought about using black corian type stuff as 'accents' in my work. I may just try it, could you recommend a speaker kit for beginner?
I do wish you luck with your business, you obviously have and eye for design.
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Post by sawdust on Aug 21, 2008 23:05:40 GMT
... I may just try it, could you recommend a speaker kit for beginner? Wizer - a bit off topic but if you want to have a go at making speakers then this guy has some good designs: www.iplacoustics.co.uk/ I made a pair of the M3TLs and I'm very pleased with them  Cheers Mike |
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Post by wizer on Aug 22, 2008 8:29:30 GMT
Thanks for that Mike. I will have a look. It's something that really interests me.
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