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PGPandy

Rip out, rethink, reduce weight/size. Rebuild..

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My latest project. It's actually a very big one, but it's extremely unusual.

Alot of these posts are cross posted from my 'other' sound forum, but they should make sense :)

My new install comprises of the following..

Sony HU (high end one, tho I dont like it very much)

NESA DVD player, 10" overhead screen

Fusion FX 45 multi function unit, parametric EQ, 8v line driver and active XO.

Phoenix Gold MPS2220 to run entire stage

Phoenix Gold ZX200 bridged into 2ohm mono into sub.

Front stage.

pair of 3.5" 2 way Clif designs.

Pair of 6.5" 2 way clif designs.

Pair of alpine tweeters.

Rear stage.

Fujitsu Ten Eclipse 6x9 point reference series component mid/tweets.

Subwoofer.

JBL GTO10 (the new dual VC one..)

Build proceeds below :) Check out the way this is designed, and the enclosure it uses.. Very unusual.

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*NB* there is some colorful language in here. The forum I frequent is very mature and pretty small, so we're all friends. However, this forum I believe should blank it out :)

Hey chaps (and their better halves)

This will be the thread where I finally get to demonstrate why it was I used to be employed building installs back in the 90's.

I accept that my last 'install' which is what it was in the barest forms (for sound only not aesthetics) wasn't very tidy. However, mitigating factors were at play.

The install never began like that, it began something like this -

IMAG0029.jpg

Which was plain, basic yet clean.

Sadly I then realised I did not like Kicker products at all so the sub and amp had to go.

I bought the prebuilt kicker box in the pic up there for a few of reasons.

#1 I was still with my wife, so time was important.

#2 I lived in an apartment that I actually cared about.

#3 I was working 50 hours a week at the busiest time of year.

So I wasnt bothered about having a totally custom install, I just wanted a system in my car (and pucking hell I have seen ALOT worse than the above).

Sadly when I started swapping chit out nothing fit anymore. So I had to make it fit. In a perfect world I would own a 4-5 bedroom house and have a woodshop with every tool I needed in it (like back @ the store in the 90's) but sadly I didnt, so I just added gear not really giving a fudge about what it looked like.

Now, however, I do have the chance to display what I can do, and how complex I can make installs given the time, money and location to do so.

So, starting afresh I am going to start posting pics of my trunk build as I go, explaining what I have been up to.

Stage one was building the sealed internal chamber for the 10 to reside in. This needed to be completely sealed (hence the masking tape covering over the oodles of liquid nails around the weakest joins) and a really oddball shape.

Pic here :)

It also needed the 4 port 'plane' thing constructed too, thats also in the picture (tho it isnt all one piece..yet :) )

DCP_0054-2.jpg

That alone took me about two days of on and off. I like to take my time when I can, so this time around (as I am putting my balls on the chopping block with the critics) I am not going to rush.

All of the internal structure needs to be done first, so obviously my two days of work didn't look like much up there. However this is a very complex design and it can't be hurried. Cuts need to be 100% accurate and I dont have a circular saw. All I have is a 'bag' of tools that cost me $42 from Lowes for a Jigsaw, drill and sander I don't even need. Tho I will use that at the end to make everything bum smooth :)

So today I got up and started on the external structure of the build. Where the amps go, how they mount and all other kinds of things are my secret for the minute, my game plan is set but I do want to have an element of suprise for you guys, so Im remaining tight lipped. One piece of the next step is going to take me at least a day or two for one panel of wood however :)

In this pic you can see the bottom of the build, bottom of the reflex and the cross chamber.

DCP_0056-2.jpg

And a different angle on that.

DCP_0057-2.jpg

Here is the internal sealed unit in place. It's not fixed there yet because I need to cut the woofer out before it goes in, or I wont be able to because the sides will stop me getting the saw in there :)

DCP_0058-2.jpg

This pic gives a good idea how the folded horn design manages to work, it's basically like a large tuba that throws out the bass once it's been pressured inside.

DCP_0059-1.jpg

Most of the day was cutting, very little (sadly) is actual assembly ATM, because this thing has to be done in stages so that I can get it all together in the right order. Fitting the wrong piece in now would stop me getting one in later. So alot of brain hurting thought needs to go into this.

Here is a test fit pic, with the chamber in, top of the install on, and a 1.5" trim piece on the left side to cover what will need to be liquid nails to seal the front of the reflex (the part where there is the most pressure buildup)

You can also see now where the amps will reside, but Im not telling how theyll reside there or any of my theme plans :)

DCP_0061-1.jpg

And here is the test fitted end. This will need to be removable so I can change the woofer or get to it for any reason :) Thats why there is a small gap, to allow for carpet. It'll sit on a 1x1" birch baton that's sealed all the way round with draught excluder. Obviously the pressure wont be as great as the sealed part, but still I dont want any board rattles.

Please also be advised I have used 1/2" and 3/4" birch here to seriously reduce overall install weight. BUT any structural parts of the box are all 3/4 (sealed unit, back, top and bottom) and the only parts that are 1/2 are the top and bottom of the whole install, but one part is double walled (Against the sealed 3/4 thick sealed enclosure side) and the other is only where the air comes out, there wont be any pressure there really)

DCP_0062-2.jpg

I have some more fab work to do today, but nothing worth showing. So, I'll be back (no doubt) at some point tomorrow with more pics of the install

:)

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O.K...

Last night I knew where my amps and stuff were going to go and how much room I had to work in. I could have just screwed them in there but I wanted to do something different.

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Rob Zombie, and I remember reading that as a child he was part of a travelling freak show (owned by his parents) hence in the movie of Living Dead Girl it's a freak show with his wife (drool) dressed as a Zombie and he is putting on a show.

So, I figured I would do the amps real differently in a 'magic box' kind of configuration and set about coming up with some ideas last night on how to achieve this. And I nailed it :)

First I had to do alot of marking, this was done last night with my ass firmly planted in front of the AC nursing the 38 mosquito bites I got last night working out there (the puckers !)

Markout began like this -

DCP_0065-1.jpg

But the amps were'nt gonna be flat, theyre gonna tilt up at the back in toward one another. So for that I needed platforms.

DCP_0064-1.jpg

So, in went the first set.

DCP_0068-1.jpg

Test fit the amp (and this is what kills the most ruddy time)

DCP_0067-1.jpg

And then the second set :)

DCP_0069-3.jpg

Test fit the ZX

DCP_0071-4.jpg

And then put them in together so I can do stage 3.

DCP_0072-2.jpg

Stage 3 was making a rack mount thing for the cap, which 'floats' in between both amps.

So measuring the space I had between the amps, the distance it would need to come out of the magic box and so on took more time and alot of bloody measuring. I then designed the holders like thus -

DCP_0073-2.jpg

Cut one out and alot of belt sanding later had this -

DCP_0074.jpg

Then I cut the other one, belt sanded it to chit and fitted them to the cap

DCP_0075.jpg

Side on

DCP_0076-2.jpg

And fitted the support bar

DCP_0078-2.jpg

Then I dropped it in place to mark it

DCP_0077.jpg

Removed the ZX

DCP_0079-2.jpg

And then glued, predrillled, countersunk and screwed it into place. Removing the cap for fitting later.

DCP_0080-2.jpg

Then tidied up, brought the box back in the house and slotted everything back together loosely so I dont lose anything, and so the kids dont play with any bits :)

DCP_0081-1.jpg

More coming tomorrow !

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Right. Glued the split amp stand and got to painting.

I still have to do bondo work, but I figured this was the chittest, suckiest part of the build and so whilst Im waiting for matierials (lexan, lighting, woofer, wiring, and all the other nice toys I have ordered) to arrive I would get on with what I could.

Course Im going to need to do some touch ups after the bondo work, but at least Ive got it all covered.. I chose flat in the end, the hammered was alot more money and I didnt want it shiny when I thought about it.. Would rather it be flat :)

Alot of it is still wet, it's 3:40 AM and it took me 3 and a half hours to paint. The amp area was a complete bastard. Getting the paint in all those nooks and crannys was completely pucking horrible and my hands are totally smothered in paint and I have wrecked a good pair of cargos lol

paintinside.jpg

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Right so yesterday most of the day was spent running around cutting the noose from my fat lesbo ex.

So all I managed to get done was the paint up there ^ and 2 shattered (literally) attempts at scroll cutting the amp display cover.

I wanted to do it out of 1/4" wood with 1/4" lexan sandwiched behind it but I have accepted that it's impossible w/o a rotozip and I dont have *another* $60 to dump into something Ill never use again, it's just not worth it..

So, I went back to the drawing board and decided to do it with 1/2"

Still lots of sanding and shaping to do, and of course cut the mouth and bits, but it's getting there. This will be the singlemost time consuming and artistic piece of the build.

DCP_0087-1.jpg

Slowly. One wrong move and you snap out an eye. I already have a couple of tiny areas to repair with bondo, but It's really starting to shape up now :)

Oh, here's where it came from :)

JAIME.jpg

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O.K. That was going to be all for the day because my mate had his bird over and they (between them) have 4 kids. So I couldnt do much more cos I couldnt concentrate and I was rather merry.

Anyhoo, they left earlier than I thought they would so I had a few coffees to wake me up a bit and then got to work :)

Now the pic you see up there is just a scrolled living dead girl minus the mouth and a couple of other tiny detail bits thatll take me about 20 mins to cut out and shape.

Now it's time to explain what it does, how Im working it in and where it'll go. This is going to be one of the main focal points of the entire installation and so will probably get as much time and effort as the rest of the install combined.

I didnt want it as just a scrolled cut out with plex behind it, I wanted it to be different, sculptured even. So to do that I had to cut out a 1/4" piece of birch that I bought, then get a piece of 1/4" lexan (freebie from mate's work) and together they will be 1/2", perfect :)

But. Once I added the 1/2" piece onto the top of the 1/4" the lexan would then be 1/4" back. No good. I want it to support the scrolled parts of the cut out. So, in order to make the sculpture, and make it strong I had to then cut a hole out of the plex with it over the wood, remove the hole piece and then slot it into the 1/4", snug up behind the 1/2" living dead girl area. Yeah, it's pretty confusing, so here is a pic that might explain it.

(rear view, here you can see the plex circle inserted into the 1/4" snug up against the backside of the 1/2" girl part.

DCP_0091-2.jpg

And from the front. Note the fact that it sticks out? keep watching, I have a few tricks up my sleeve ;)

DCP_0089-3.jpg

Right. Now it was time to knock up some bondo and first do some repairs where I got a bit zealous with the saw.

DCP_0093-1.jpg

Lovely jubbly. And then it was time to start bevelling the edges of the girl part with bondo, to blend it into the front part.

DCP_0096-2.jpg

^ 3 lots of bondo and carving with a sharp knife. I reakon one more and I can sand it.. Once sanded it'll be sprayed black (flat) and then carpetted. At that point I can cut out the carpet from all the openings in the girl, put in the plex circle with epoxy and then add the mouth and other small features onto that. And then, add the 1/4" plex panel that is the same overall size that will sandwich it all together and make it strong as fudge.

Oh, I have 2 green neons on order (coming within a couple of days) one will go @ the top inside the amp box @ the front, and the other @ the bottom. I then have another green neon that will be fitted behind the port duct area of the opening for the sub :)

Got 4 80mm green LED fans coming too with grilles to vent the amp box.

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Nearly there with that thing, just two small pieces to cut paint and glue in..

DCP_0098-2.jpg

There is another window there now, my kameleon Tiburon logo will be going in there :)

The woofer arrived today and its seriously meaty and really gorgeously built :)

So I cut the woofer hole into the sealed chamber, carpetted it around and fitted it.

DCP_0100-4.jpg

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Not happy with that at all..

I wanted some time to mull it over and the more I thought about it the more I dont like it.. Was a good idea in theory but looks like ass. Im going for something alot more OEM or stock looking.

So into the trash it goes, plan B into operation...

Better :)

DCP_0011-6.jpg

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DCP_0014-3.jpg

Definitely VERY happy with that. And very happy I took a couple of days to think it over.

Looks much better, cleaner and more professional.

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Very different indeed.

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I am now in the process of trying to locate parts for the MPS amp. Its not easy but I got a lead today that is looking very hopeful so I might get the original ends for it and all the bits to restore it (looks wise) back to brand new :)

So 'cos I cant fit the amps yet I decided to start on the wiring, which I knew wasnt going to be easy 'in there'. It's very crampt, but, offers the best opportunity to do a install where you wont even see one stray wire.. Like the rest it has to be done in a special order so it doesn't get muddled.

The purple and black wires you see hanging are going into the amps, and they'll be @ the back of the amps completely hidden from view along with all the other wires.

(as I mentioned before I scraped off some paint when trimming the edges of the carpet.. I knew this was going to happen and don't want to fix it now incase I scratch it again. I'll do it right before the install goes in the motor :) )

Oh, and the paint needs to be done again (not inside the amp part 'cos you dont see that) but under flash it looks pretty patchy, so I will fix that. And I decided to go back to the idea of hammered rustoleum for the bits you see. Its also alot harder to mark than flat.

DCP_0029-5.jpg

And the back. It all routes out of 2 1" holes.

Check this for tidy tho. That's the side you don't even see.

DCP_0030-6.jpg

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