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Garnica Efficiency Poplar

Has anyone tried this? My wife is allergic to birch and I'd like to try something other than MDF. Or, any other recommendations?

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  • Not tried that. Could use the typical big box store fir plywood or particle board.

    Birch wood is pretty low on the allergy index, but I know Birch pollen is a problem for many. For me it's the formaldehyde in the plywood that bothers me the most.

    https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/

     John H, btw forum has decided I don't get emails
  • I've heard about bamboo plywood, but it's terrifically expensive.

    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • I remember seeing guys build cabinets out of cheap bamboo cutting boards. @dcibel was that you?

     John H, btw forum has decided I don't get emails
  • I tried that, holy cow there is a lot of smoke in bamboo.

    I have a signature.
  • edited April 2021

    I used bamboo countertop, 1.5" thick plyboard. Be wary of variance in quality, the inner core may not be as high grade as the exterior and have voids. Otherwise it machines nicely, make sure your tools are sharp to avoid burns, and my baffles haven't had any movement, warping, splitting etc at all in the several years I've had them. If you like the look of bamboo I wouldn't hesitate to build with it. I finished mine in just tung oil for a natural amber colour.

    I'm about to build with an acacia countertop board as well, this stuff is made from smaller boards pieced together so it looks more like a butcher block, but its a stable wood that has a nice look and takes stain well if you want to colour it.

    IIRC the bamboo countertop was 3ftx6ft and cost CAD$175, and the acacia countertop is 25.5"x8ft and cost CAD$200. Both are 1.5" thick. For smaller boards I've found acacia "stair treads" at Rona for about CAD$30ea, but it can be hard to find a good straight one.

    I'm not deaf, I'm just not listening.
  • Good ideas. Thanks. Some of these I hadn't thought of. I'm a few weeks away yet, other items if the works first.

  • The poplar plyboard you suggested would probably be a fine product to use as well, as long as it's mostly void free .

    I'm not deaf, I'm just not listening.
  • I know nothing of this poplar plywood. I asked a friend of mine who owns a cabinet shop for void free options other than birch, he suggested the poplar.
    He has a different mission than we do and knows nothing about what the different woods can do as a speaker enclosure.

    I plan on doing some small boxes, for a tweeter and a 5 inch, so looking at cutting boards could be fun.

    My friend Rick who owns the cabinet shop is also the owner of Wood from the Hood in Mpls and I'll take a look at what else he may have too as a solid wood for front panels.

    All this at the moment is conjecture, I had originally thought of doing a high gloss finish but I've been undecided and I'm not sure what I want to do. So I'm asking a lot of questions....

  • I'm off high gloss for a while. I did two pieces of Sapale one gloss and one satin. I thought the grain on the satin looked better because there were fewer reflections. I also think that gloss wood finishes require the grain pores to be filled, which is another step above a satin or matte finish.

    rjj45
     John H, btw forum has decided I don't get emails
  • Javad Shadzi built the "Pretty Persuasions" a few years ago in poplar, and they turned out great - I think he used oil for a finish.

    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • Javid's builds are very nice.

  • @Kornbread said:
    Javid's builds are very nice.

    Master craftsman for sure!

    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • @rjj45 said:

    @Kornbread said:
    Javid's builds are very nice.

    Master craftsman for sure!

    CNC right?

  • I don't believe that they were cnc'ed, if you look close at the corners, you can see where the kerfs on the backside are ghosting through on the front.

  • One of these days I'd like to be up there with you guys ...

  • Just to be clear, I wasn't putting down his work, just pointing out that it wasn't done on a cnc.

  • @ugly_woofer said:
    Just to be clear, I wasn't putting down his work, just pointing out that it wasn't done on a cnc.

    For sure. I think he did register for this forum at some point, but he never engages. I've seen a few FB videos of his workspace and it looks like a lot of power tools to me. Great guy!

    = Howard Stark: "This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out."
  • No, he doesn't ever use a CNC. Most postings on FB in "DIY Loudspeaker Project Pad"

    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • @jhollander said:
    I remember seeing guys build cabinets out of cheap bamboo cutting boards. @dcibel was that you?

    The sides of my Rhodiums are 3/8" thick bamboo cutting boards. I also did a SB Acoustics coax project that used bamboo cutting boards for the sides, top and bottom. Those were about 3/4" thick. I cut with an x-carve and didn't have any trouble with burning.

    Keep an open mind, but don't let your brain fall out.

    Sehlin Sound Solutions
  • You can find bamboo dimensional lumber on the net. I built a bamboo countertop for a kitchen island out of three 3/4" thick 8 foot planks. It's tough and easy to work with.

    Ron

    ani_101jhollanderThumperTom
  • @Ron_E said:
    You can find bamboo dimensional lumber on the net. I built a bamboo countertop for a kitchen island out of three 3/4" thick 8 foot planks. It's tough and easy to work with.

    Ron

    Hi Ron

    Do you have a link from where you bought? Rockler used to carry 1x8 feet 3/4 inch bamboo ply planks, but this was several years ago.

  • edited April 2021

    The counter top board I purchased came from Lowes. Rona has it as well, at least in Canada they do.

    https://www.rona.ca/en/leadvision-laminated-bamboo-plank-60245025
    https://www.rona.ca/en/laminated-acacia-wood-counter-top-25-1-2-x-72-natural-30685003

    ani_101
    I'm not deaf, I'm just not listening.
  • Lowes has it (probably everywhere) - $159 for 4' x 2' x 1 3/4 - about $20 a square foot. One reviewer said that he cut it, and it was solid all the way through, although I'm a little worried about the "vertical center" section.

    https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sparrow-Peak-4-ft-Unfinished-Natural-Straight-Butcher-Block-Bamboo-Kitchen-Countertop/1001818498

    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • edited April 2021

    @rjj45 said:
    Lowes has it (probably everywhere) - $159 for 4' x 2' x 1 3/4 - about $20 a square foot. One reviewer said that he cut it, and it was solid all the way through, although I'm a little worried about the "vertical center" section.

    https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sparrow-Peak-4-ft-Unfinished-Natural-Straight-Butcher-Block-Bamboo-Kitchen-Countertop/1001818498

    What's the "vertical center" section? the insides will be full of voids?

    might need to make a visit to Lowes, but building has come to a stall for me... so might be sometime in the future

  • The board I bought from Lowe's that I used for a speaker baffle was full of voids, low grade core. I later bought another from Rona that I used for a real countertop and it was perfect. YMMV.

    rjj45
    I'm not deaf, I'm just not listening.
  • @ani_101 said:

    @Ron_E said:
    You can find bamboo dimensional lumber on the net. I built a bamboo countertop for a kitchen island out of three 3/4" thick 8 foot planks. It's tough and easy to work with.

    Ron

    Hi Ron

    Do you have a link from where you bought? Rockler used to carry 1x8 feet 3/4 inch bamboo ply planks, but this was several years ago.

    This might be the place but I'm not sure. It was Cindy's project and she ordered it.

    https://woodworkerssource.com/lumber/bamboo.html

    My only complaint was that they might as well have wrapped it in tissue paper as it had one thin layer of cardboard around 3 heavy 8" planks and I had to work around the dings.

    Rockler has smaller pieces.

    https://rockler.com/bamboo-lumber-by-the-piece

    Ron

  • Quick note guys.
    Pricing on lumber is already going up. Poplar price went up 4 times. There are shortages with plywood too.
    If you thinking of getting wood or panel, get it sooner than later.

  • Already gone way up. Geez, basic plywood has tripled around here. I had to rebuild a large part of my privacy fence earlier this year and treated 2x4x8 were $9 vs the normal price of $2 and some change.

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