One way to start build . . .

[drewh1]

Thanks!

I just clipped my ohm meter on to the taps. Even though the resisters are not matched, the overall resistance averages so each deck had identical readings throughout the range!  Now if I only had the kit to work on. . .

[Jim R.]

Hey Drew, I'd love to know where you got the walnut -- especially if it is somewhat "streaked".  If I may, I would also recommend your buddy finish the box with the tried and true varnish oil finish.  This is incredible stuff, will outlast you and your great grandchilderen, is super easy to touch up, and only gets harder and more durable with heat -- unlike most poly finishes.  It's also a breeze to  apply and work with.  If you don't want thing to be that glossy, there is also the original wood finish, which is an oil/wax formula, and original danish oil, which is a more natural finish.  All of these are food grade, contain no heavy metal driers, etc.  Absolutely the best wood finishes I've ever used, and I've been through an awful lot of them.

It's great to hear your buddy is going to hand cut the dovetails and such -- I'll be rebuilding my workshop this summer and I will have a couple of power tools (drill press, disc sander, router table and possibly a bandsaw), the main focus will be on a top notch woodworker's workbench and hand tools and techniques.  That's how I learned and I want to get back to it.  I do it for fun and as a creative outlet and I'm not in production, so why not?  Aside from that, my shop space is very limited in electrical outlets and available amperage and there's no way to change that.

Now you can think about getting the top plate brass plated -- that will look fantastic against the walnut :-).

Love to see people making real works of art out of their audio kits.

-- Jim

[drewh1]

Hey Jim -  no Buddy involved, I am doing it all myself!  There is another poster here that has a friend do woodworking. As far as the wood goes, there is a nice hardwood store here in Berkeley. They don't always have the figured walnut, but sometimes they have smaller scraps with a bit of "live" edge to them.  I posted a picture of a slab, live edge walnut table I built. It weighs about 150 lbs. I used Behlen's Rockhard on it, something like 8 or 9 coats. Will likely shellac this base. I love the way shellac comes out on the Cherry and it should look nice on the Black Walnut. 

Nice to hear you are setting up your shop. So many fun things to build. 

[Jim R.]

Drew,

Sorry, you're right -- got you confused with somebody else.  Anyway, still sounds like a great piece -- wish I could see the table but I'm totally blind so the pics don't do me much good ;-).

When I build my all-out 2a3 paramounts I'm thinking I'll make them with a very solid base -- like maybe 1.5" thick boards, and either copper or brass top plate.  The rest of my system is either natural bamboo or sapele -- the rack and 4 speaker and sub platforms are allsolid sapele but I'm thinking of the walnut for another unrelated project.

I'm also toying with the idea of a totally different design for the amps -- a blatent copy of the Fi 2a3 monoblocks I used to own but with a wood base and a bit larger and a bit more bling.

-- Jim

[drewh1]

No worries Jim - I wish you could see them too, and I am so impressed with all that you do without your sight.  it is so cool you are into this audio stuff because I bet you really listen well and hear everything. 

I was thinking of doing a solid slab base too, Then I figured out I don't have enough room on my small component shelf to fit something like that.

[Jim R.]

Drew,

Well, my rack is small too -- I'm designing the amps to sit on the floor -- which also makes it a lot easier to move the rack and leave the amps near the speakers, which with 45s and 2a3s and 89 db speakers is a plus.

I too want to make a live edge slab table for our dining room, but I'm not sure that will happen this year or not.

-- Jim

[Paul Joppa]

If you guys are going to talk about walnut ...

My late father grew up on a farm on the Great Plains, and was an airplane nut - the high tech of the Thirties. He became a professor, teaching aeronautical engineering and running the university's wind tunnel - so I grew up visiting the tunnel throughout my childhood. The tunnel was powered by two fans, each of which had nine precision-carved wooden blades, originally of black walnut and a bit over six feet long.

The blades had to be replaced periodically, and somewhere in my late teens walnut of that length became unavailable at any price. Eventually they settled on mahogany - the real stuff, not the Pacific stuff! I have a few scraps scavenged  by my dad, and one blade from the previous set given to him on retirement which ornaments our living room. It's truly a beautiful sculpture, to my eye at least. My original SEX amp converted to 2A3/300B operation has a base of that wood, only 1.5 inches tall.

I'm not any kind of woodworker, but I do admire the good stuff!

[drewh1]

Nothing quite like that black walnut - I would love to see that propeller.  Please post a picture of your walnut base Paul!

 When I built my slab walnut table, I looked everywhere for pieces that I could afford or at least, didn't have to be shipped at great expense. I found a guy in Concord CA who has been collecting walnut slabs and boards for 40 years. His entire back yard is filled with pieces and his house is full of hand made furniture. He sold me the slab for my table for like $350 an amazing deal for a 4 inch thick, 5 ft long piece of walnut.

Cherry is really my favorite wood though, love the way the grain comes out when it is shellaced.  Here is a photo of my DIY subwoofer, the top is black walnut with cherry butterflies . . .

[Jim R.]

Paul, wow, that must be one awesome piece of sculpture, especially with all the history behind it.

Drew, that is an incredible deal you got on that slab -- unheard of actually.  Nice going.  I'm certainly not going to find anything like that in Colorado. Although I just remembered that a couple of audio/woodworking buddies of mine still have most of the walnut log (now cut into well seasoned boards) from a tree that was in my brother's backyard -- I'm going to have to go and see what's available.  BTW, one of these guys was the same one who gave me the spalted birch for my stereomour  base.

-- Jim

[drewh1]

got my kit today!! Wow, my biggest challenge is to not stay up all night working on it. I assembled the circuit boards and started putting things together.

[Grainger49]

I love wood, but I am a butcher!  So I just have to admire other's work.

Beautiful ! ! !

[drewh1]

OMG - It is done, everything tested out and worked the first time!!!

Where voltage was supposed to read 380 - I have 400 volts - that is within the 15% tolerance though so I assume I am OK.

There was NOT enough red wire - I was very careful with it and still ended up short, So I used black and put some red shrink wrap on it.  Looks kind of weird but shouldn't effect the sound.

[drewh1]

Just curious about output levels with my 90dB 4ohm inefficient speakers! - Checked with RS Meter. I don't have white noise so I used Nirvana. 90 - 91 DB at 9 ft in a 16x20 room with volume control on about 3/4 to 7/8ths.  As loud as i could ever want to listen. Now I am listening to Iron and Wine and just keep turning it down. 

I am very pleased with the sound, and amazed I got it to work the first time.  I think I will table the Single Driver speaker project although I got specs for the Metronome with Fostex 208eZ (96 dB).  Right now I just want to listen for a while.