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Thread: Alive And Well In My JBL Shop

  1. #1
    Senior Member saeman's Avatar
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    Alive And Well In My JBL Shop

    A few members that I've recently talked with had the impression that I am on vacation from projects and from the forum and JBL, but those who I talk with frequently know that this is not true. I haven't had anything significant to post, and I'm not one to spend time internet chatting when I could be working on my projects.

    I tend to slow down in the winter as the garage it too damn cold to relax. Maybe I'll quit procrastinating and install a gas furnace before this next winter hits. Small electric heaters barely take the edge off the cold midwest winter days. Come spring I'm in full gear and I'll stay that way all the way thru fall.

    I completed the restoration of the 4350's for Neandethal a couple months ago and since then I've restored 4343B's and 4344's that I found while in Japan, put my early 4350's back into service after some fine tuning and am soon to complete the restoration of a pair of 4350B's and 4315B's that have been sitting unattended for nearly a year. This will end my restorations for a while and I hope to get back to some new construction project.

    The charge coupled network project is ongoing. Over the past few months I have received several pairs of 3107's and 3155's and have forwarded them on to their owners. Others are still on the bench and I'll hopefully see more coming soon. Giskard/4313B is putting time in on the project as he can and all in waiting (including me and I've been in since the beginning some 2 1/2 years ago) are anxious to see final results, but need to remember that it's a part time job for those involved getting a lower priority than job and family. It looks now that promises were made that were not possible to keep. This summer we should see a large number of networks completed so hang in there please. 3144/3145 networks are currently being built (6 pairs) and we will then go back and do the second batch of 3107's and 3155's.

    My communications on this project have not been the best but as I said before, If I don't have anything to say, you won't see me chatting on the forum. For those who have been waiting impatiently, you know I've kept in touch - from here in the U.S. to Europe and I have a rather hefty ongoing phone bill to show for it. The first pair of 3144/3145 networks should be done early next week and we're hoping for good reviews.

    I know a little but I don't know too many!!!!

    Rick

  2. #2
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    Rick, it's good to hear from you. Just today, I was reading (and re-living!) the old posts from ~2004, the 4344 project, etc. Ah, the good old days, when I was a JBL newbie...

    I, for one, look forward to future reports (and pics) - maybe later in the summer.

  3. #3
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    Rick,

    Some pics would be nice (of your wife)

    iMac

  4. #4
    Senior Member saeman's Avatar
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    Ole Sway Back

    Thanx Chas and Ian. I tried to post a few pics in the thread but the option to manage pics was not working so I'll try again here at home.

    I wanted to share the restoration of this pair of 4350B's as they were an interesting find. They came to me in a trade deal and have been sitting in the garage for months until I recently got caught up enough to start their restoration.

    The pair had seemingly seen little use and their last owner I was told used them for Karaoke in their home. Grilles were in decent shape but no badges. Bases were missing but no problem there. All drivers inside are DEAD MINT - no oxidation anywhere so they have for sure spent their life in someones living room.

    The veneer was beautiful with only scratches on one side of each cabinet due to being placed on their side. Many don't have the floor space for them to sit horizontally. Problem is that there were some edge gouges and a couple of corner hits. I looked and looked and looked, and tried to just hit them with sandpaper. I finally took the router to them and cut off the face trim and cut out all edges. There's just no other way to make these problems go away. A few days later I was laying new veneer and one cab in now ready to bring in the house.

    After I went thru all the work I was looking down the top rear edge of the cabinet and there is a sag in the center at the rear edge. When laying a steel 4' straight edge across the top I found a 1/8 inch sag to center. The top at the front is perfect.

    This is total crap and a complete breech of faith. I cannot believe that JBL would sell a cabinet like this out the door. For all who know how these cabinets were made, you will know that this is not a sag with age or any thing similar. This is plain poor workmanship and there's really no way to fix it without near ripping the cabinet apart.

    It's not noticable unless you're looking but it's there for sure. I'll take a pic with the straight edge in place.

    I also had a new surprise when router cutting off the bevel face trim - NAILS and big nails to boot. These babies didn't phase the 3 1/2 hp router I use but they trashed a new flush trim bit leaving a nice gouge in each flute. Most of there face trim is simply glued on and I have seen some small brad nails used. The router always slices thru the small nails but these were over 1/16" dia. They aparantly nailed the trim in place until the glue dried, then set the nails and likely installed a tapered walnut plug in the hole. 1/2" shank, 3/4" dia. flush trim bits aren't cheap but I haven't figured out yet how to avoid this problem in the future.

    Ian you ole dog - I will send you a PM as there's a lot of catching up I'd like to do with you. Many questions related to your thread on the factory 3145 that you wrote after reviewing Clark's networks. I'm restoring 3 pairs of these networks and having fun along the way. Back to you soon.

    Rick
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    Senior Member Audiobeer's Avatar
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    Rick, it's always fantastic to see and hear about your projects! Just absolutely beautiful stuff. That being said I want you to know I am more than happy to store and/or monitor any of your projects. It's the least I can do!

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    Rick,

    It's always a pleasure to see how you transform/resurrect these big monitors. There's just something visceral about the large format cabinets in all their veneered glory. Thanks for the great documentary pics and great work. I wish I'd have the time and skill (and tools) to do the kind of work you do.

    Regards,

    Bart
    Last edited by mech986; 06-27-2008 at 08:09 AM. Reason: grammar and spelling
    When faced with another JBL find, Good mech986 says , JBL Fan mech986 says

  7. #7
    Senior Member saeman's Avatar
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    Hi Beer:

    Nice to hear from you and thanx for the offer. If you were closer I would take you up on the offer of storage - seriously. I have been building/buying/restoring for over a year with no sales. This creates two problems - storage overload and cash drain. I have a storage shop where my big tools reside but no climate control, so I can't store excess there. The house if full of completed cabinets and soon when recones arrive I will complete some of these and start finding new homes for them.

    Speaking of storage - 3 months ago I had to move out of my old shop after 19 years of accumulation. The property was sold and I had to clear out. I knew this was coming for some time but figured I could pull it off in a week or two - wrong!!! All said and done I was down to the wire after 30 days. I filled a 30 yard dumpster in two days with enough wood to build a small house, 2 big screen tv's and a butt load of speaker cabinets that I knew I would never find time to restore. There was just no time to move it all and no where to store it. In the land fill went a pair of single woof scoops, a pair of 4315 cabs, a pair of DIY L200's that I built for my brother 30 years ago and a pair of L45 Flairs. I did take along a restorable pair of Olympus cabs and a pair of Sovereigh cabs - cheap to a good home. My JBL roots are with the Sovereign and there's just no way I could have thrown them in the dumpster.

    We made it out on time and I'll likely never miss all that I threw away.

  8. #8
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    Wow. Always great to see the pics Rick. That's some very handsome veneer on the B's. Maybe someday the Mad Max's (Copa's) will look half as nice in gray.

    Chuck

  9. #9
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by saeman View Post
    Speaking of storage - 3 months ago I had to move out of my old shop after 19 years of accumulation. ...I knew this was coming for some time but figured I could pull it off in a week or two - wrong!!! All said and done I was down to the wire after 30 days. I filled a 30 yard dumpster in two days...

    We made it out on time and I'll likely never miss all that I threw away.
    You too?

    I went through that last summer. I had been there 15 years. I hauled off 5,600 lbs. of treasures. I don't miss most of it, but occasionally I curse as I head off to the hardware store to buy a bit of angle iron or whatever that got tossed.

    Are you already back up and running? I'm not. The main machines are operational, but the spray booth is still in the drawing board stage and much of the wiring, dust collection and air plumbing etc. still needs to be done.


    Widget

  10. #10
    Senior Seņor boputnam's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by saeman View Post
    AI haven't had anything significant to post, and I'm not one to spend time internet chatting when I could be working on my projects.
    Boy-howdy, Rick - me too, and me neither.

    Quote Originally Posted by saeman View Post
    The charge coupled network project is ongoing.
    (need smilie for "Music to My Ears!")

    Quote Originally Posted by saeman View Post
    Over the past few months I have received several pairs of 3107's and 3155's and have forwarded them on to their owners. Others are still on the bench and I'll hopefully see more coming soon. Giskard/4313B is putting time in on the project as he can and all in waiting (including me and I've been in since the beginning some 2 1/2 years ago) are anxious to see final results...
    Me too, me too!

    Quote Originally Posted by saeman View Post
    My communications on this project have not been the best but as I said before, If I don't have anything to say, you won't see me chatting on the forum.
    Yea, Rick and many/most are similarly affected. Having said that, the forum has (finally...) taken a place of proper perspective in most's lives, making it a more sane and less volatile place. All good...

    btw, as others have said, your work is remarkable, be it refurbishing or new builds. Simply amazing.
    bo

    "Indeed, not!!"

  11. #11
    RE: Member when? subwoof's Avatar
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    bit part

    I find that using a 1/4" thick Nd magnet is a good way to find those hidden nails - it's powerful enough to find even the deep ones.

    Almost any magnet salvaged from a dead hard drive will work.

    BTW - are you going to use all of the old bullet mounting brackets you got on ebay? I missed those by 1 minute..

    sub

  12. #12
    Senior Member saeman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ian Mackenzie View Post
    Rick,

    Some pics would be nice (of your wife)

    iMac
    Hi Ian: Always aim to pleeze!! How's the weather down-under?
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  13. #13
    Senior Member saeman's Avatar
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    A couple more pics. Veneering the second cabinet now and hope to have them both done mid next week. You can see the dip in the top edge under the straight edge. I thought this was quite amazing since JBL typically built a great cabinet when compared to their competetors.

    The veneer pics are just for reference. I ALWAYS use paperback veneer with PCV glue and heat bond it to the substrate. Cabinets veneered using contact cement are time bombs waiting to go off. Call me arrogant if you like but in near 30 years I have not had a time bomb go off with this method. I have had no end of problems with 3M self adhesive backed veneers and also with contact cement use (usually at corners and along exposed edges.

    I bond in about 2 square feet sections using heat and a roller. I place a cotton tee shirt cloth over the veneer. This keeps the glue from getting too hot and melting and also protects the veneer. This crumby old iron used to belong to my wife but she finally gave up and bought herself a new one. This $20 master piece has likely layed down 50 plus sheets of veneer.

    I trim all exposed overlapped edges using a laminate trimmer. Small planes and rasps are too risky in my opinion. Using a straight edge I scribe a cut line at cross grain sections to prevent chipping. The results are always perfect, less occasions when I fail to pay attention to what I'm doing. I can work and drink and listen to music with no problems. but if there's someone else in the shop to distract me, I can usually count on mistakes.

    Under the foil cal of one cabinet I found written in pencil "HENRY" Could this guy be responsible for the sag in the cabinet top? I looked close for any other KILROY WAS HERE type artwork but found nothing.
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  14. #14
    Senior Member saeman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by subwoof View Post
    BTW - are you going to use all of the old bullet mounting brackets you got on ebay? I missed those by 1 minute..

    sub
    What ALL ?? I bought one pair.

  15. #15
    Senior Member saeman's Avatar
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    4315B restoration

    Here's a couple pics of replacing the front edge of the 4315 cabinets. The cabinet edge is 5/8" wide and extends beyond the baffle by 3/8". This is a very delicate piece and is very often damaged, and even broken. The cabinets walls are 3/4" P.B. and the edge is cutdown to 5/8" in front and veneered over the face.

    To fix problems with the front edge I have found it easier to cut out the entire face - 5/8" in and 1/4" down. I then install a solid piece of walnut trim, mitred at the corners. The piece is oversize at 11/16" x 11/16". After installation I then trim it flush to the cabinet sides and face trim it so that it protrudes 3/8" beyond the baffle. At this point I veneer all surfaces.
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