Just remember. PL premium will fill in a lot of gaps. My 1st cab was a 12/6 I made almost a decade ago. So many mistakes that were covered up by PL expanding to fill a gap, or wood filler to fill a hole. Still sounds great though....
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fEarful 12/6 kit : a total noob build diary
- Thread starter mambo4
- Start date
????? The box fit together nicely minus braces then the braces pushed apart? Check the braces are the same length as the panel is across. Seems like they are indeed too long, like someone made a batch from a board that hadn't been correctly sized in the first place. If the biscuits weren't fitting the braces would slop!
Btw, Duratex doesn't stick to PL. People have different strategies for dealing with the ooze on the paint side of joints.
Smart hockey. You're doing a great job. Don't let the lack of clamps deter you. They're expensive, and you'll probably not use them more than a couple of times so that's a cost/benefit calculation that you have to make.
Once you're ready, you can use drywall screws with a little bitty washer for assembly. The drywall screws should be 1 1/4" coarse thread. They're very strong. 4 of them will hold an 8 foot sheet of 5/8" drywall (76lbs) to the ceiling joists no problem. (of course not permanently) They're also very brittle, so be careful. The washer will spread the load and save you a bunch of filling and sanding.
Same as you're doing now, just take careful measurements and predrill the holes. Use a punch and get your drill dead straight and plumb.
Again, good job. Have fun!
Once you're ready, you can use drywall screws with a little bitty washer for assembly. The drywall screws should be 1 1/4" coarse thread. They're very strong. 4 of them will hold an 8 foot sheet of 5/8" drywall (76lbs) to the ceiling joists no problem. (of course not permanently) They're also very brittle, so be careful. The washer will spread the load and save you a bunch of filling and sanding.
Same as you're doing now, just take careful measurements and predrill the holes. Use a punch and get your drill dead straight and plumb.
Again, good job. Have fun!
You can sand it off, or at least scuff it up enough to get the Duratex to stick. My problem with PL is I'm hypersensitive to the smell, probably from years of spraying chemicals on concrete. I use Lepage's pro carpenter's glue for pretty much every project. It's high tack though so you don't have much time to work with it. If you goof up and have to move a piece, you're likely to damage both pieces.
Just got the PDF instruction from Leland in my inbox. Time to double check everything. I'm still waiting on the deluxe kit to arrive. Without any PL there's not much to do but wait, I guess? what sort of work can I do before the actual fastening begins?
Not much you can do without glue. Any hardware store should have it, so for under $10 you can get started. Building these cabs is addicting so you can save the incoming PL for your next cab.
You are on the right track, making sure everything fits perfectly and rehearsing the assembly before the glue up. Not having glue might be a blessing in disguise.
Make liberal use of a pencil and mark all the parts for which end goes where. I number things, so the numbers all match up on adjacent pieces.
Especially if you are short on tools, and a quick trim would be a hassle when there’s wet glue.
Check out Harbor freight for clamps, that cost a third of the big box stores. You can and maybe should pre-drill and screw the carcass together to make sure everything fits tight. It’ll make glue up go more smoothly.
I assemble the baffle and mid chamber into one unit first. There’s plenty of ways to skin this cat. Take your time and enjoy the process.
These are awesome sounding cabs!
Make liberal use of a pencil and mark all the parts for which end goes where. I number things, so the numbers all match up on adjacent pieces.
Especially if you are short on tools, and a quick trim would be a hassle when there’s wet glue.
Check out Harbor freight for clamps, that cost a third of the big box stores. You can and maybe should pre-drill and screw the carcass together to make sure everything fits tight. It’ll make glue up go more smoothly.
I assemble the baffle and mid chamber into one unit first. There’s plenty of ways to skin this cat. Take your time and enjoy the process.
These are awesome sounding cabs!
I built a 12/6 from a flat pack from Leland a few years ago. My advice is to pay as much attention to the crossover wiring as you do the cab assembly. It's a little easier now with printed circuit boards (PCBs) being available, and there are some good how-to videos out there. Try to keep the wiring secured tightly, and avoid having unsupported wiring flopping around. Hot glue and tie strap the snot out of the wiring and electrical components as you install them. What I am saying will be more obvious as you start that part of the assembly. Good luck, I'll be interested in following your progress!
Looks great. I had fun building a Simplexx 212 from a Leland flat pack for my first build.
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
update Sunday 5/17/2020
I think you're absolutely right on that point! Today I did just that. With the glue and other hardware still pending -and the pop-out of the back panel still bothering me - I dismantled the dry fit completely, grabbed a ruler ,pencil, and green boy's diagrams, and meticulously measured , labeled and laid out every part. I started with the back:
next I laid out the top , but something looked off:
the biscuit routs for the baffle looked off center. I double and triple checked my measurements ,and checked the other baffle biscuits...
I think you're absolutely right on that point! Today I did just that. With the glue and other hardware still pending -and the pop-out of the back panel still bothering me - I dismantled the dry fit completely, grabbed a ruler ,pencil, and green boy's diagrams, and meticulously measured , labeled and laid out every part. I started with the back:
next I laid out the top , but something looked off:
the biscuit routs for the baffle looked off center. I double and triple checked my measurements ,and checked the other baffle biscuits...
lo and behold, the baffle biscuit route were universally 1/8" further back than Greenboy's plans indicate. The graphite pencil marks are the measure positions based on the plans, the blue lines are traced from the inserted baffle.
I checked the sides as well:
So everything lines up consistently, but 1/8" behind the designed position. The braces are to spec, so the baffle pushes them back 1/8", which is what pops the back piece off.
Any advice on how to proceed? do I obey the biscuits and lop 1/8" off those side braces? or skip the baffle biscuits an line up according to Green boy's schematic ? Shall I raise this with Leland?
I checked the sides as well:
So everything lines up consistently, but 1/8" behind the designed position. The braces are to spec, so the baffle pushes them back 1/8", which is what pops the back piece off.
Any advice on how to proceed? do I obey the biscuits and lop 1/8" off those side braces? or skip the baffle biscuits an line up according to Green boy's schematic ? Shall I raise this with Leland?
I vote skip the baffle biscuits. I see the main utility as helping non 3D thinkers to put it together without making booboos left and right. You just need to take a bit more care with your workaround. It's not like 99% of home made ones have access to a biscuit jointer. I am sure you always wanted to own an electric drill!
