18mm ply: What's it good for?

[Marvin]

I have 4 pieces of 450mm x 1225mm  18mm ply. It's ok ply. I suspect it's not totally void free, but it's decent enough. Having read quite a few cab building threads over the years on here over the years, 12mm is the usual favourite. However, I got this 18mm free. It was supposed to be for something else but isn't suitable.

To the speaker cab/audio boffins. Is it enough to make a speaker cab? If so, what speaker could I chuck in it?

Cheers ta and etc.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

You may use 18mm in just about any cabinet. The reason most well designed cabs don't use it is that with adequate bracing 12mm is sufficient with less weight.

[Phil Starr]

yep 18mm is good for a cab, better if you don't mind the weight, you have more than enough for one of these 

 

[Balcro]

19 hours ago, Marvin said:

To the speaker cab/audio boffins. Is it enough to make a speaker cab? If so, what speaker could I chuck in it?

Cheers ta and etc.

There's enough there for 120+ litres of cabinet. Enough for a 2x12 or a 1x15 and stil have some spare bits over - you'll always need spare bits for handle re-inforcement and big castors etc,. Heavy yes, but imagine Phil's project with another 12" Beyma!

[Phil Starr]

22 hours ago, Balcro said:

There's enough there for 120+ litres of cabinet. Enough for a 2x12 or a 1x15 and stil have some spare bits over - you'll always need spare bits for handle re-inforcement and big castors etc,. Heavy yes, but imagine Phil's project with another 12" Beyma!

There's also almost enough for a couple of 1x12's. Easily enough to build one of Stevie's Basschat mk 3 super FRFR speaker. A 2x10 would be good too.

@Marvin Given the lock down the gang here would be happy to design you something and talk you through the build, so long as you did a build diary we could all share.

How much do you want to spend on drivers? Do you have a budget in mind? What sort of sound do you go for/ music do you play?

[Stub Mandrel]

To answer the question in the title, it's great for topping workbenches.

[BassmanPaul]

Every time I read the title my mind says:

Absolutely nothing. Say it again UH!  

for some reason.

Edited April 26, 2020 by BassmanPaul

[franzbassist]

1 minute ago, BassmanPaul said:

Every time I read the title my mind says:

Absolutely nothing. Say ut again UH!  

for some reason.

Me too!

[Lozz196]

30 minutes ago, BassmanPaul said:

Every time I read the title my mind says:

Absolutely nothing. Say ut again UH!  

for some reason.

 

28 minutes ago, franzbassist said:

Me too!

I’m slightly different, I think of it along Monty Python lines, so my answer is “building bridges”.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

On 10/04/2020 at 12:20, Stub Mandrel said:

To answer the question in the title, it's great for topping workbenches.

Or building commercial cabs. Most use 18mm, because it's less expensive to build a minimally braced, or even unbraced, cab from 18mm than it is to build a well braced cab from 12mm due to the higher labor cost of bracing.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

Or building commercial cabs. Most use 18mm, because it's less expensive to build a minimally braced, or even unbraced, cab from 18mm than it is to build a well braced cab from 12mm due to the higher labor cost of bracing.

Stiffness of board is proportional to tht cube of thickness so 18mm will be (best Hugh Cornwell voice - let me pause for reflection) over 3 times as stiff as 12mm board for 1 1/2 time the weight.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Yes, but when you have just one brace connect the middle of two opposing panels their stiffness becomes the same as if you'd doubled their thickness. With more braces one can make a cab out of 12mm that's stiffer than one made of even 24mm plywood that's not braced.

[stevie]

In fact, if you use enough braces, you could build a cab from paper. 🥴

[Dan Dare]

4 hours ago, stevie said:

In fact, if you use enough braces, you could build a cab from paper. 🥴

Would these be any good?

 

[BassmanPaul]

They not braces they suspenders!  

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[stevie]

Is that the best you could do, @Jus Lukin?😀

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

7 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

In the States, sure.
Unfortunately, over here suspenders are what hold Benny Hill's stockings up!

Garter belt. They look much better on these lassies:

https://www.fredericks.com/lingerie/sexy-gartered-lingerie?offset=0&limit=56

[Dan Dare]

All right. These then:

 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

That we can agree on. Now, about a car trunk. It got that name because they originally looked like this:

How do you get 'boot' from that? 🙄

 

Edited April 19, 2020 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[BassmanPaul]

I remember garter belts well - from my teenage years!! LOL

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

That we can agree on. Now, about a car trunk. It got that name because they originally looked like this:

How do you get 'boot' from that? 🙄

 

A boot was originally a storage box on a horse-drawn carriagem, in contrast to a suitcase strapped on as an afterthought. 🙂

Just as a bonnet is more up-market headgear than a hood 🙂

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

If you're walking through the 'hood you'd best be wearing a hood. Wear a bonnet and you'll get rolled, and not the way a car rolls.

[fleabag]

Dont go walking round New Hampshire in one of these