GD70 Posted March 6, 2020 Report Share Posted March 6, 2020 Hey Kent! Pics are in my thread here on CSP. I used 1 inch square pine, cut the 45 degree bevel cut, leaving a 1/4 inch top and side surfaces remaining. Fabric from PE. Cheers, Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted March 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2020 Thanks Glenn Beautiful, meticulous work on those 12s. I'll have to rethink the frames. A friend cut some poplar for me, .75" x 1.5". That may not work. Back to the drawing board. Kent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted March 6, 2020 Report Share Posted March 6, 2020 I think .75" square poplar cut with the bevel might look better being less bulky looking than Glen's. But of course measure first to be sure that everything fits and clears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted March 6, 2020 Report Share Posted March 6, 2020 I'd want to use a softwood. Easier to drive staples into without splitting the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD70 Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 19 hours ago, Pete B said: I think .75" square poplar cut with the bevel might look better being less bulky looking than Glen's. But of course measure first to be sure that everything fits and clears. I was after the original look. What ever style, and cut that's decided on, leave at least 1/8th clearance all sides to account for the grill cloth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD70 Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 18 hours ago, genek said: I'd want to use a softwood. Easier to drive staples into without splitting the wood. Yup, that's why I went with pine. Easy to cut, easy to staple into, and still plenty strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD70 Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 19 hours ago, JKent said: Thanks Glenn Beautiful, meticulous work on those 12s. I'll have to rethink the frames. A friend cut some poplar for me, .75" x 1.5". That may not work. Back to the drawing board. Kent Thanks Kent, and I'm sure yours will look great when you're finished. Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 Is Poplar a Hardwood? Written by Chris Deziel; Updated October 16, 2019 Poplar is a hardwood, but it isn’t a hard wood. The most common species in the United States, yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), is found throughout the Northeast as well as in Canada, and it’s deciduous. The question may arise in your mind: “But is poplar wood strong?” and the answer is yes, but it isn’t as hard as most hardwoods, with a hardness rating less than that of some species of cedar, which is a softwood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 Poplar scores 2400 on the Janka scale. White pine is 1900. Basswood and balsa are in the 400s; cherry and walnut are in the 4000s, teak, birch and oak 5000-6000. The whole scale is here: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-hardness-d_559.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 Poplar should be far easier than stapling into masonite or mdf, it should work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 The original grille frames on my old AR-6s were pine but were only 1/4-3/8" square and wood split where the staples went in. OTOH, most art canvas is framed on 1/2-3/4" pine and the staples hold ok and don't split the wood, so as long as the stock is thick enough pine or poplar should be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR55 Posted March 14, 2020 Report Share Posted March 14, 2020 You may have already decided how to make your frame and attach your grill cloth. If you haven't, I would suggest making your frames out of dense hardwood and gluing the stretch cloth. I glued stretch grill cloth when I restored my AR-98Ls' and was very pleased with the results. See attachments. I used Amazing Goop Craft glue and paper clamps. I glued the sides first and then the top, bottom & corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted March 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2020 Thanks. All input welcome. I will be using poplar because of its stability. Will have to rethink the dimensions when I get home later this month. Still undecided about glue, staples or both but leaning toward both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR55 Posted March 14, 2020 Report Share Posted March 14, 2020 Gluing & stapling is probably not a bad idea. In my case I also reattached (glued) the red plastic trim ring the was originally stapled to the grill frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arken Posted March 26, 2020 Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 They turned out great! I love those speaker stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR55 Posted April 1, 2020 Report Share Posted April 1, 2020 I assume that you are well on your way to making your cloth/wood frame grilles, but I thought you might find it interesting that someone is selling AR-11 reproduction grilles on eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/ACOUSTIC-RESEARCH-AR-11-10PI-ETC-NEW-FOAM-GRILLES-PAIR I can't tell from the photos if they are any good. The foam itself looks similar to porous foam that http://foamspeakergrilles.com/ uses to make their grilles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted April 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2020 39 minutes ago, AR55 said: I assume that you are well on your way to making your cloth/wood frame grilles, but I thought you might find it interesting that someone is selling AR-11 reproduction grilles on eBay Thanks. Actually my frames are stalled. A friend who works in a wood shop was cutting pieces of poplar but he's been out of work and even if he had them we're staying isolated so when the weather warms up I'll take my table saw outside and cut some pine myself. Those look nice but I'm doing these for a friend and I don't think he wants to spend $120 for the grilles. But I appreciate the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted April 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2020 Finished! lARrybody to the rescue. Larry had provided the missing logo and he kindly sent me a pair of custom-made wood frames! All I had to do was polish & paint the badge, apply stretchy grille cloth to the frames. I used PE's grille cloth applied with Fabri-Tac glue and 1/4" staples. Larry mentioned Mellotone grille fabric, also available from PE and said it's much nicer but I'd already bought the cloth ? Larry said his are friction-fit but I installed some Velcro and a fishing line pull. Gotta love the CSP community. Kent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted May 4, 2020 Report Share Posted May 4, 2020 Those look great, I was thinking of trying a roundover but that looks nicer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted May 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2020 Yeah, that’s Larry’s work. Looks good. btw, I now have reproduction brass AR-11 logos available. I’ll put them in the For Sale section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted May 5, 2020 Report Share Posted May 5, 2020 23 hours ago, JKent said: Yeah, that’s Larry’s work. Looks good. btw, I now have reproduction brass AR-11 logos available. I’ll put them in the For Sale section. Wow! Kudos to Larry! Helluva nice gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerglide Posted May 8, 2020 Report Share Posted May 8, 2020 Nice work Kent, bet they sound great, hope your friend enjoys them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arken Posted May 25, 2020 Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 Wow, I can't believe how nice these turned out when you first posted the pictures, I didn't think they would look that good but they look terrific !! Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD70 Posted July 18, 2020 Report Share Posted July 18, 2020 Beautiful work on those Kent! I’m sure your client was thrilled when they saw them for the first time! Kudos to Larry for making the grill frames for you! Cheers, Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briodo Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 This is an excellent thread I only found after I finished the AR58S. Obvious oversight on my part, and can only roll my eyes at this point for not paying better attention. Truly impressed with the overall process as there is so much to be learned from the phased approach you took, materials researched and applied, all the way to finish of the cabinets and grills. Good on you, Kent, fantastic effort and collaborative discussion, Finding out the smartest person is usually a community effort supporting their passion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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