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I went to pick up a speaker and an amp. Look what I got!

totem said:
Nice find on the EQ's I saw those also,



Wondering why a solid material was used versus veneer which would usually be the route to go due to
cost and wood expansion issues?
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Thanks! I realized afterwards I was having a brain fart. No need to buy 2 of them. I only have 2 speakers to run. :crazy:

And since I have two of them and only need one, I will likely be letting one of them go.

This is the first time I've worked with this carpenter. He insisted on solid wood, and his price was comparable to veneered wood. I'm hoping to work with him on the cabinet build, which will definitely not be solid wood.
 
Thank you so much @MCM_Fan, I now have the crossover schematics! For those of you who might be interested, here it is.

Now to order parts and design the cabinet.

A question for anyone who knows. Do I need to adjust the woofer crossover components to accommodate the 15 inch woofer? I'm thinking it doesn't change anything from the crossover PoV, but I'm probably missing something. The EQ is what gives the low boost. Crossover point wouldn't change at 350 Hz. Anything else?

I'm hoping to get the PL400 back this week with the finished box.

Other than that, I've been reading everything I can find on Transmission line design, as well as trying to find some sites I visited and recording them for future reference.
 

Attachments

I just heard from my carpenter. I'll be getting the new PL400 cabinet on Saturday. He sent me a short video going around the finished piece, and it looks stunning. WooHoo!!!
 
I'm trying to get rid of the spots on the meter panel. They look like stain or brown paint, but are very hard. I've tried goo gone. I will continue with a few additional applications in hope it will soften the spots, but this stuff is hard. I have my doubts they will work. I'm consider using very fine sandpaper to refresh the front panel, only I have my doubts that I can apply clear coating well enough to protect the metal from oxidation. Has anyone tried to do this? How did it turn out?

BTW, the lettering is engraved, so I don't need to worry too much about removing it. I was thinking of 2000 or 3000 grit.
 
I'd say no sandpaper!
My guess to the origin of the little brown dots I see in the photo with the new case would be oil based paint possibly ??
My first effort for removal would likely be my fingernail? Next may be Alcohol, mineral spirits, warm vinegar (soak for 15 min.), or non-acetone nail polish remover. If I remember correctly acetone has no effect on oil based paint and may damage the faceplate? Also, a dab of toothpaste on a damp rag should work well, probably my first choice. Try the most mild method first. I hope that helps a bit, and good luck!
 
That is my guess as well. Fingernail has worked well in the past, but not this time. Goo Gone has helped in the past as well, and then my fingernail. I'll try some tooth paste tomorrow. Good point about the sandpaper being a little drastic. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
So I tried the toothpaste thing. It worked better than I thought it would. It also does affect the lettering somewhat, but because it's engraved, I'm not concerned. Goo Gone was not even helpful, although I did get one tiny spot off with my finger nail. That paint is hard. Toothpaste took it off with barely any rubbing. I'll see how it ages, as to whether I will need to clear-coat it. I'm expecting I will.

I'll try mineral oil the next time I run into this. I have quite a bit around as I like using it on teak wood furniture and speakers.
 
I'm glad that it worked our for you. I should have mentioned my technique, although nothing special. I put a moderate amount on a damp rag and go with the direction of the brushed aluminum. After if has dried, I just use a damp rag a couple more times until a light haze remains and just buff it off with a clean soft rag. Nothing special, but the good news is that you will not have to do anything to it in the future other than maybe a light coat in another few years just to brighten things up a bit. :beerchug:
 
For the future, no abrasives whatsoever, ever -- it will ruin your faceplate. Take off the front panel, soak in warm, lightly soapy water -- gently clean with soft cloth. If that doesn't work, I'd move to a soft cloth and 99% alcohol. Next step is soft cloth and acetone. I've never seen a gold PL before, so don't know how the colouration is applied; if it's been anodized, then all three methods can be used without worry. Otherwise, test the acetone in an inconspicuous spot to make sure it won't remove the colouring. Stay away from the lettering and plastic with acetone -- it will fog some plastic and erase some types of lettering.

No sandpaper, nothing even mildly abrasive. If the above three can't remove the discolouration, it's permanent, but that's ok too. I'd rather have the spots than scratched up aluminum. It's a unique amp, enjoy, good luck, cheers.
 
Thanks for the comments. Good advice! As for the gold colour, I think that was more lighting and staining on the aluminum. It appears to me to be simply brushed aluminum. I'm going to have to wait to take it to my tech. It seems he has a bit of a backlog. In the meantime, I'm doing a bit of work on the case I had made. I'm not really liking the finish on it, and so I'm working on getting that to my satisfaction. It is looking better already!
 
To bad that you had to put more effort into the case, since you had it made I would expect it to be completed in a satisfactory manner?

As for your faceplate, I think a picture of your progress would be great!

I have done numerous faceplates using toothpaste, and always had great results with no damage. I am not saying this is the best method or may possibly produce bad results.

Below I posted a couple pictures of a faceplate that is not complete. First picture is a simple cleaning with mild detergent. The second picture shows a definite improvement after one application of TP. I think the pictures tell the story.

20200922_180827.jpg 20201007_172230.jpg
 
doctorolds said:
To bad that you had to put more effort into the case, since you had it made I would expect it to be completed in a satisfactory manner?

As for your faceplate, I think a picture of your progress would be great!

I have done numerous faceplates using toothpaste, and always had great results with no damage. I am not saying this is the best method or may possibly produce bad results.

Below I posted a couple pictures of a faceplate that is not complete. First picture is a simple cleaning with mild detergent. The second picture shows a definite improvement after one application of TP. I think the pictures tell the story.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is unfortunate. We had a failure to communicate. We talked about finishes, and I told him I like oil finishes, and he ended up varnishing it. I didn't like the glossy, shiny finish, so I've been fixing it.

Here is a picture my carpenter sent me that shows the faceplate quite well. I took one on Sunday that I'm not happy with the lighting, but it shows. The only concern I have about toothpaste is that it will remove the clearcoat unevenly. I had that happen once when I used magic eraser on a receiver about 6 years ago. You couldn't tell until a few months later when I had the unit up for sale. It seems that using magic eraser removed the clear coat in spots which then changed colour over time due to oxidation. That is what I'm worried about here. But I did so little, I'm not that worried.

IMG_3528.JPG IMG_3532.jpg
 
I would say that it looks much better! I can also understand your hesitation due to the magic eraser episode. I'm not trying to say my preference is the end game for faceplate cleaning, I was just trying to help. Almost any cleaner(s) used incorrectly may cause damage either sooner or later. Best of luck to you in getting the finish corrected on your cabinet!
 
doctorolds said:
I would say that it looks much better! I can also understand your hesitation due to the magic eraser episode. I'm not trying to say my preference is the end game for faceplate cleaning, I was just trying to help. Almost any cleaner(s) used incorrectly may cause damage either sooner or later. Best of luck to you in getting the finish corrected on your cabinet!
Click to expand...

And I appreciate your help :thumbsup: And I completely agree! It does look better by a magnitude. My wife said so as well. I am going to do some experimenting to bring out that beautiful walnut grain in a more 3D finish. I believe I can do it, but we shall see.
 
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