As a relative newbie to DiY speakers i would like to know what is the preferred way to mount speakers in a wood cabinet. There is ,of course, wood screws and versions of sheet metal screws. These fasteners tend to lose there grip if they are played in and out a few times.
I wonder if it is common to use machine screw treaded anchors mounted and maybe glued into the cabinet and then mount the speaker with a hex head machine screw. Would this method be less prone the loosening up with repeated mounting? Just look for some advise. Thanks
hlf
I wonder if it is common to use machine screw treaded anchors mounted and maybe glued into the cabinet and then mount the speaker with a hex head machine screw. Would this method be less prone the loosening up with repeated mounting? Just look for some advise. Thanks
hlf
Right, T-nuts and earlier variants have been being used since at least the 1930s back when all cabs were wood, but historically, many DIYers have avoided them for the various particle board products and where there's little room for the prongs to grip well [small drivers and/or narrow flanges], instead preferring threaded inserts: threaded inserts for wood, mdf - Google Search
I've never had good luck with T-nuts. I find pan head wood screws more than reliable enough if correctly installed (right sized pilot hole, etc.).
I use T nuts and bolts these days.
Ordinary bolts and nuts with washers are OK but wit ha lock washer.
Speakers have a lot of vibration so need lock washers or T nuts.
I use metal grills although speaker grill cloth works too.
Ordinary bolts and nuts with washers are OK but wit ha lock washer.
Speakers have a lot of vibration so need lock washers or T nuts.
I use metal grills although speaker grill cloth works too.
Guess I've been lucky, I've used them since their beginning [1969 according to Wikipedia] regardless of wood product material, but they do require a proper [snug] drill size hole and properly pressed in with some adhesive to ensure they stay put and don't bind up the component's mounting.
That said, early on I used the proper wood screws, etc., + wood glue to seal the threads when I knew I would need to remove them on a ~regular basis.
The biggest problem though isn't what hardware is used as using the correct amount of torque required to get the proper clamping pressure. In general, IME folks way over tighten everything with the worst offenders often being someone that believes they have a 'calibrated' wrist/whatever.
That said, early on I used the proper wood screws, etc., + wood glue to seal the threads when I knew I would need to remove them on a ~regular basis.
The biggest problem though isn't what hardware is used as using the correct amount of torque required to get the proper clamping pressure. In general, IME folks way over tighten everything with the worst offenders often being someone that believes they have a 'calibrated' wrist/whatever.
I recommend to have a small list of pine or something to attached the nuts instead in the baffle itself. This way when it goes bad you can saw it off from inside.
Yes, +1... or maybe even +10
Screws are fine in plywood (no experience with MDF).
Drill the proper pilot hole, a hole that is at least as large as the minor thread diameter. Lubricate the screw - I use wax. I prefer to drive the screw by hand, but if you use an electric screw gun, the clutch should be set just high enough to drive the screw in. The final turn should be done by hand, a little at a time, working diagonally across the frame of the driver. Anyone who has torqued down the head on an engine knows what I mean. Even working by hand, it is possible to overstress the wood fibers, so go easy.
Based on my boat building experience, A screw installed as I described should be able to be removed and reinstalled at least 10 times before the wood fibers are worn out. If you anticipate more installs than this, go for a threaded insert.
"A screw installed as I described should be able to be removed and reinstalled at least 10 times"
Ditto. Normal screws work fine for me.
I've pulled apart a couple of touring band JBL cabs built with T-nuts, and half of them had failed (the spiky thingo had simply fallen out).
I've not had a normal screw just randomly fall out.
I have had rough test rigs where I removed and secured the driver multiple times without issue - and I wasn't waxing the screw or doing anything fancy.
Anyway, if you ever really mess up a screw hole, you can just repack it (e.g. fill it in with toothpicks and glue) and start over.
Ditto. Normal screws work fine for me.
I've pulled apart a couple of touring band JBL cabs built with T-nuts, and half of them had failed (the spiky thingo had simply fallen out).
I've not had a normal screw just randomly fall out.
I have had rough test rigs where I removed and secured the driver multiple times without issue - and I wasn't waxing the screw or doing anything fancy.
Anyway, if you ever really mess up a screw hole, you can just repack it (e.g. fill it in with toothpicks and glue) and start over.
Yes, "repacking" an over-worked hole is a useful technique. I use epoxy, although the toothpick/glue technique has been successfully used for years by many people.
On a boat application where the screw hole is likely to get wet, the proper technique is to drill the pilot hole, fill with thinned (penetrating) epoxy, let cure, fill with thickened epoxy, let cure, re-drill the pilot hole, then install the screw wet with caulk. This is why anything done on a boat is 10X more expensive than anything done on a house or car (!)
On a speaker cabinet, a good pilot hole and a good screw is all that are required.
With T-nuts, I found the only way to really install them correctly is to press them in (or squeeze them in) using a strong vise or large clamp. I never had success by hammering them into place.
On a boat application where the screw hole is likely to get wet, the proper technique is to drill the pilot hole, fill with thinned (penetrating) epoxy, let cure, fill with thickened epoxy, let cure, re-drill the pilot hole, then install the screw wet with caulk. This is why anything done on a boat is 10X more expensive than anything done on a house or car (!)
On a speaker cabinet, a good pilot hole and a good screw is all that are required.
With T-nuts, I found the only way to really install them correctly is to press them in (or squeeze them in) using a strong vise or large clamp. I never had success by hammering them into place.