Seas Idunn DIY Speaker Build Log (FINALLY FINISHED)

[rhyseyness]

So it's finally here!

I've been planning/wanting to do this build for about a year, if not longer.

Finally got my s*** together and started it.

 

Build Rationale

 

So I wanted a really good sounding pair of speakers.

I couldn't afford any thing like the quality of speakers I wanted.

Solution: Build my own!

The theory is that these speakers should sound like they cost about £1000, but only cost around £300 each.

The speakers I'm building are the "Seas Idunn."

The plans can be found here: http://www.seas.no/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=380:idunn&catid=66&Itemid=365

 

Parts

 

I have no wood working ability, so I bought the wood pre-fabricated, only requiring assembly. (From speaker-cabinet-kit.com).

Drivers and crossover components are yet to be aquired (coming from a company called Falcon Acoustics, waiting for my next pay cheque!)

Bass reflex tube and speaker terminals.

Tools, sealer, glue, wiring, stuffing, paint and polish all bought off of Amazon.

Amplifier is a Yamaha A-S501 (pay cheque after next, lol).

 

The Build- Day 1

 

So I've never done this before and I'm just going off what I've read on the internet 

The first day was getting the first speaker glued together, ready to be sealed and painted.

Day 2 will be doing the same on the second speaker.

 

Spoiler

Wood arrived, not glued together here, just pressed together to check they look good.

 

My dad's shed ready for building in... it's a little bit small, but best I can do!

 

Better view of the shed.

 

Speaker terminals and bass reflex tubes.

 

Paint and wood glue.

 

In the shed ready to glue!

 

Masking up the holes before glueing and to stop paint getting in the "unsealed" part of the speaker when I eventually start painting.

 

More masking.

 

Glueing begins!

 

Ta-da!

 

Checking for squareness.

 

First one done! 24 hours to dry and we're good to go on number 2!

Hope you stick around and see whether they are as amazing as I'm planning them to be!

I'm very excited to say the least!

No doubt there'll be a few hickups on the way!

 

EDIT: Finished on page 7 of this thread (Day 46)

[Dackzy]

looks interesting. I wanted to do the same, but I don't have the time so I just bought some bronze 2s  

TBH those measurements don't look like 1k speakers to me.

Good luck with this project, I hope it turns out well.

[rhyseyness]

9 hours ago, Dackzy said:

looks interesting. I wanted to do the same, but I don't have the time so I just bought some bronze 2s  

TBH those measurements don't look like 1k speakers to me.

Good luck with this project, I hope it turns out well.

Meh, who knows.

I'm hoping they're gonna sound at least as good as they cost 

Thanks for the luck, I'm sure I'll need it at some point!

[rhyseyness]

So

Day 2

is here (I posted the day 1 stuff today too I know).

 

Today I glued up speaker number 2 and sanded down speaker 1 ready for sealing.

Not a lot else to say, but here's some photos.

Tomorrow I'll sand number 2 and apply a coat of sealer to both

 

Spoiler

Weather was beautiful today.

 

Sanding with soapy water and wet/dry sandpaper.

 

Drying off with a soft cloth.

 

Bottom face before sanding.

 

Bottom face after sanding!

[Dackzy]

I have a question, what color are you going to paint them?

[rhyseyness]

10 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

I have a question, what color are you going to paint them?

Black. Super glossy mirror finish

[Dackzy]

19 minutes ago, rhyseyness said:

Black. Super glossy mirror finish

better do that really well and clean them often  

[rhyseyness]

1 minute ago, Dackzy said:

better do that really well and clean them often  

That's the plan

Gonna be a long week of sanding and polishing!

[Dackzy]

1 minute ago, rhyseyness said:

That's the plan

Gonna be a long week of sanding and polishing!

 

sounds like a plan! It looks good so far

[rhyseyness]

Day 3

 

So I sanded number 2 and got the first coat of sealer on both speakers today.

Second coat tomorrow, and will get some photos.

Busy afternoon/evening today

[rhyseyness]

Day 4 and 5

 

So yesterday I finished off sealing and today (day 5) I've applied the first coat of primer.

Sanding between each coat of course! 

Very happy with how they're coming along so far! 

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Spoiler

Roller used to apply sealer. 

 

All sealed. 

 

Safety first. 

 

First coat of primer applied.

 

Heater to speed up the drying process.

 

[Kenna]

Nice good work mate, I'm itching to build a pair of speakers myself and sell off my KEF LS50's when the time comes.

Unfortunately the flat I share has piss poor sound isolation as i can literally hear people coughing upstairs. 

I'm thinking about going build a kit from this guy. http://www.selahaudio.com/kits/, his designs look pretty damn nice. 

Anyways good luck with your build, I look forward to your posts. 

 

 

 

[rhyseyness]

20 hours ago, Kenna said:

Nice good work mate, I'm itching to build a pair of speakers myself and sell off my KEF LS50's when the time comes.

Unfortunately the flat I share has piss poor sound isolation as i can literally hear people coughing upstairs. 

I'm thinking about going build a kit from this guy. http://www.selahaudio.com/kits/, his designs look pretty damn nice. 

Anyways good luck with your build, I look forward to your posts. 

Those kits look really nice.

I'm enjoying it so far, but I think at some point I will get bored of sanding 

Hope you manage to get the funds together, and somehow isolate your room!

Thanks for the support

[klh2000]

7 hours ago, rhyseyness said:

Those kits look really nice.

I'm enjoying it so far, but I think at some point I will get bored of sanding 

Hope you manage to get the funds together, and somehow isolate your room!

Thanks for the support

I actually did the same mirror finish on my frugal horn mk3 speakers, it is a LOT of work to get it perfect, just takes a lot of wet sanding and polishing.

 

 

[rhyseyness]

46 minutes ago, klh2000 said:

I actually did the same mirror finish on my frugal horn mk3 speakers, it is a LOT of work to get it perfect, just takes a lot of wet sanding and polishing.

 

 

Good man!

Thanks very much!!

I'll have a good look through when I get home this evening.

Plan is to wet sand between every coat, then wet sand laterally with increasing grits on the final coat of laquer.

Then compound and wax for that mirror shine.

Will definitely take some inspiration/tips from yours.

Much appreciated, thanks

[rhyseyness]

Day 6

 

So you won't believe this, but today I did MORE sanding.

Wet sanded the first coat of primer and applied the second.

 

Little bit worried I'm running out of primer...

May have to buy another couple of cans.

We'll see after today (day 7).

 

Spoiler

Pre sanding.

 

Post Sanding

 

One sanded, one untouched...

Apologies for no photos of the second coat of primer applied.

Currently they look like they need at least one more coat of primer before I apply the paint.

Fingers crossed there's enough left in my 2 cans!!

[rhyseyness]

Day 7

 

So turns out I didn't have enought paint.

I bought another 2 cans, and have now completed the 3rd coat (did that yesterday (day 7)).

Today (Day 8) I'll be putting on a 4th coat of primer and gotta judge whether I think it's going to need a 5th or not.

I still haven't applied any primer to the bottom face so will have to do that before I commence the actual painting, but I don't think I'm going ot be as fussed about the finish on the bottoms as they're never going to be seen.

 

Photo below of coat number 2 on.

All the photos for the latest coat are tending to be a day late as I'm painting in a small space, and as soon as I get that coat on, the last thing on my mind is to take photos... I'm more interested in not getting poisoned by toxic fumes!

 

Spoiler

Second coat applied pre-sanding

 

[rhyseyness]

Day 8

 

Got my 4th coat of primer on today.

Finally looking like it's ready for the real paint!!

Very excited to start on the black tomorrow.

 

EDIT: Forgot I've still gotta prime the bottom face 

 

Spoiler

Coat number 3 pre-sanding

 

Coat number 3 post sanding

 

More of coat 3 sanded

 

Last one of coat 3 sanded

 

Coat 4

 

Coat 4 all finished on both speakers

 

Coat 4 looking gooooooood

 

[rhyseyness]

Day 9

 

Added the first coat of primer to the bottom face yesterday.

Will add another today and probably run out of primer again! Lol.

Not a lot else to say!

Here's a photo:

 

Spoiler

Ta-da!

 

[Dackzy]

so when do you think they are done? Also great job so far

[rhyseyness]

16 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

so when do you think they are done? Also great job so far

Thanks very much

I think I'll have probably finished painting by late next week/early week after.

After that gotta compound/polish which should only take an evening.

I reckon by Tuesday next week the painting part/finishing will definitely be done.

 

The building of the crossover and installing everything shouldn't take long, but I haven't got any of the parts yet.

Going to try and buy all the drivers and crossover components, along with stuffing and wiring on my next pay cheque, but we'll see, lol.

 

Pay day is 24th, so it's POSSIBLE that the speakers will be entirely finished by the end of the month.

 

Sorry for the vagueness, but I really don't know whether I'm going to be able to squeeze £400 out for the project this month, lol.

[rhyseyness]

Sorry for the lack of replies this weekend, had a really busy one.

Only progress since the last update is a second coat of primer on the bottom face.

Going to start with the black today and will add some photos later

[rhyseyness]

Day 10

 

So started on the black today.

This was a lot more complicated than I thought it would be!

First face went on lovely, but it all went downhill from there!

One side started to drip quite a lot, and got a few imperfections showing through on another.

Photos tell the story better than I can!

 

Spoiler

First face done

 

Looks pretty good right?

 

WRONG

 

First one painted.

 

Angles.

 

More angles.

 

Coat one on both speakers.

 

All the angles.

 

Think this is where the sealer hasn't gone on thick enough on the edges and so the paint (inc. primer) is just soaking into it.

Nothing more coats won't eventually fix.

 

Attempted to get a photo of the dripping... think I failed.

Got some sanding and another coat to do tomorrow.

The finish looks glossy black in the photos but that's only because the paint is wet; it's actually a matte finish.

Hoping for better tomorrow

[klh2000]

The runs in the paint are easy to get out with wet sanding, but one one of the images it seems like there is a line wher two panels meet up. I am not sure if more paint will be able to bridge that gap, I had to use body filler on mine.

[rhyseyness]

1 hour ago, klh2000 said:

The runs in the paint are easy to get out with wet sanding, but one one of the images it seems like there is a line wher two panels meet up. I am not sure if more paint will be able to bridge that gap, I had to use body filler on mine.

I think you're probably right.

I've heard that body filler is the product of choice for such a job too.

 

I'll see how it looks after a sand down tomorrow.

This is my first time doing a project like this one, so I'm just seeing how it goes really.

I know with this attitude/level of knowledge, they're unlikely to come out looking 100% perfect, but I want them to look as good as I can get them with the tools/budget I have.

 

Body filler may well be the key, but I think I'll post back here tomorrow after I've wet sanded and get your opinion on whether (and where) you think they need filling.

The finish you got on yours is exactly what I'm going for, so advice like this is massively appreciated.

Thanks again.