B380 restoration

[mech986]

Grille frame looks very nice. Will you be rounding over the outside facing edges?

[Mike F]

Grille frame looks very nice. Will you be rounding over the outside facing edges?

You mean like this ?

[Joseph Smith Jr]

While I don't disagree with all of the other methods mentioned here, and most are ingenious, the price of the Grabits is fairly small, and you can buy them individually if needed. Also, the use of the Grabit is quite quick, drill a pilot with one side of the tool, turn the tool over, and then reverse drill till it bites, and then the plug pulls out. I pulled 8 broken plugs in a pair of L300's in less than 5 minutes.

Besides that, the first time you run into a stripped headed fastener (and a few JBL screws and bolts have done that to me) you'll be happy to have that tool in your box. I'm as much of a DIY guy and improviser as the next guy, but I learned a long time ago that the right tool for the right job pays dividends in time and frustration.

Now keeping tools organized so that they are findable and at hand, that is still a work in progress.

I've invested heavily in just about every swanky incarnation of easy outs there is and they all have left me wanting
The biggest problem with all of them is getting a clean straight pilot hole without the tool walking on you and marring the surrounding surface, including the sets that come with their own drill guides and bits
They all will work reasonably well, sometimes, on softer materials, but so will a sharp drill bit and self tapping screw, so, in my mind, why waste the money when all you need is a sharp drill bit, a center punch of sorts, a steady hand and a self tapping screw, that or a tap and a small machine screw
You don't need to spend 20 bucks to pull out broken plastic bits, that is all I am saying

[Mike F]

Everything came together in the past week, sanded the cabinet down with a palm sander using progressively finer grits followed by a generous application of Watco Oil finished off with some Feed n Wax.
In the mean time, I managed to source a freshly reconed 2231a motor assembly with a C8R2235H kit at a very reasonable price, I believe that would please the JBL Gods as an acceptable substitute for a 2235. I did however polish up the outer rim a little which gave the driver a newer look.
I`m particularly pleased at how the grille turned out. Using a single panel frame wasn't the compromise I initially thought it would be at all, it gave it a 434x type look .

The subwoofer is currently handling LFE duty in a HT system. Bear in mind that I live in a small condominium with neighbors all around me so the 2235s lack of ultimate XMAX wont ever be a factor. I have yet to run it through it`s paces but the few times that I did turn it on, it pressurized my 18`x 10`room quite effortlessly (compared to the little 10" Peerless sub before) even while driven by a lowly Peavey CS-800. I`ll throw a BGW 750B on it just as soon as I finish restoring it or maybe the monster White Oak modified Phase Linear 700B

A DBX DriveRack will be simulating a BX-63 just as soon as I track down a response curve, if someone can point me in the direction of one, I`d be obliged.
Here some pictures, I`ll put up some more later.

[grumpy]

BX63 info

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=54216&stc=1&d=13249026 41

[JeffW]

Nice job, great save!

I was just in your fair city last weekend, at least the parts from the Fairmont QE Hotel to the Ile Notre-Dame. Had a good time, needed more clothes

[mech986]

Very nice work, looks factory fresh!

[Mike F]

BX63 info

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=54216&stc=1&d=13249026 41

Thanks for that Grumpy. Looks like an 18db HPF at 20hz followed by a +6db bump at 25hz. It appears that the subsonic filter is altering the 25 hz boost but I`m not sure if the non linear slope above that point is an error in the drawing or an intentional filter. I highly doubt the effect would be audible were it the case of the latter but it most likely can be simulated with the addition of another filter.
The 25hz boost bandwidth ought to be easily duplicated using my 1/6 octave RTA.

[grumpy]

There's some useful information in this thread as well (no need to over complicate things)

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...63-replacement

[Mike F]

There's some useful information in this thread as well (no need to over complicate things)

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...63-replacement

You're absolutely right Grumpy, OCD is a bitch I tell you

I came across this graph which is more detailed: