Route 'Em Out, Fill 'Em In, Float 'Em, or ???

[toddalin]

I have four Cerwin Vega 10" 3-ways that I use for front and rear surround. Over the last 14 years, one of the backs pulled out of one of these speakers requiring it to be taken down (it almost fell 16').



I was able to repair the damaged CV speaker cabinet and, as the woofer foams needed replacing anyway, decided to replace the components with W10GTIs and 2425Js. I figured out a way to reinforce the cabinets for the added weight so they won't fall in the future.

The cabinets are 3/4" particle board and the woofer hole is routed down about 3/16" so that the woofer sits into the cabinet. Unforetunately, the routed area is about 1/20" too small for the W10GTI's diameter.

My options are:

Use a dremel with a sanding wheel and try to route out the existing recess a hair (no I don't have a real router),

Fill in the routed area with something solid (or glue???) to bring it up level with the face,

Fill in the routed area with something soft (weatherstripping or ?) so the woofer "floats", or

???

Anyone ?

Also, the back of the woofer sits about 1/4" from the back of the cabinet (just clears). It seems to me that this could compromise the rear speaker vent. I'm thinking of drilling a hole though the cabinet (3-1/8" diameter) at the spot of the vent and gluing a piece of wood to the back of the cabinet so the vent has a little more room to "breathe." (More work, but could have sonic benefits.)

Any opinions?

[grumpy]

(sorry... couldn't hold it in)

Hmmm... cut out posterboard to fill "rebate/rabbit" to stand
a bit proud of the surface, as it will squish some
(if you don't have a better way to fabricate a 3/16"+ thick ring).
This will also give the driver vent some more breathing room.

[Hal]

If you had a router, you could use a rabbet bit with a ballbearing guide.

Let me first tell you how I do it and then you may be able to see the picture in my head. I cut the small diameter hole first and smothe out any bumps. The I use a bearing that is smaller that the bit by the size of the lip (rabbet) that I want to make. Wen finished you have an inner diameter and an outer diameter. By exchanging out the ballbearings, you can adjust the size of that rabbet. The converse is also true. If you use a larger guide bearing that rides on the inner circle, you trim the outer to whatever combination of bits and be
First let me say that from reading your post, I am not exactly clear on what part of the circle is too small, but I think you are talking about diameter rather than depth. If depth, you can get a router base for the Dremel.

Without a Router, I have no clue on how to cut the inner diameter at all. Shim as suggested, don’t try glue as a filler. If it’s the smaller diameter, you may be able to shave it with a Dremel and some sort of spacer to hold the bit the exact distance that you nee referencing off of the inner/larger diameter. None of the bearings that I have would fit on a Dremel shaft, but you may be able to make a button out of something that would fit between the cutting bit and the “other” diameter to stabilize the cut. You also may be able to use a Dremel router base and the edge guide that comes with it to ride on the circle allowing you to shave off a small amount. Dremel’s aren’t designed to take too big of a cut. Just be careful with “spinny” things, they can spell trouble.

If you had a router, you could use a rabbet bit with a ball-bearing guide.

Let me first tell you how I do it and then you may be able to see the picture in my head. I cut the small diameter hole first and smooth out any bumps. Then I use a rabbet bit (it has a guide bearing that is smaller than the cutting diameter) matching the bearing and cutter differences to the width of the lip (rabbet) that I want. When finished you have an inner diameter and an outer diameter. By exchanging out the ball bearings, you can adjust the size of that rabbet. The converse is also true. If you use a larger guide bearing that rides on the inner circle, you trim the outer to whatever combination of bits and bearings that you have.

[SMKSoundPro]

Bolt the new JBL drivers to baffle board.
Carefully score around the driver with a very sharp utility knife.
repeat.
repeat.
repeat.
until your 3/8" depth is achieved.

Same concept as mortising a door for hinges, or door lock and striker plate.

Be careful!

Enjoy the sounds of woodworking.

Scott.