Recycling cabinets. A good idea? |
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jbl_man
Moderator Group Joined: 12 January 2005 Location: London. Status: Offline Points: 11154 |
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Posted: 11 May 2019 at 8:51am |
Just a thought... with the ever increasing enviromental issues, just wondered if it's really a good idea to be building new cabinets, (new plywood = more trees felled) surely the way forward would be to recycle/refurbish older stuff?
I have allways made the effort to source off-cuts of ply from builders skips,which of course, would otherwise have ended up in landfill, have managed to build 16 hf horn cabinets over the years from old offcuts. Wondered if anyone else has similar thoughts? Let us know if you have managed to re-cycle older cabs,or source waste ply and turn it into a speaker. The less new sheets of 8x4 we use the better really. |
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Be seeing you.
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djeddie
Old Croc Joined: 26 April 2004 Location: Bristol Status: Offline Points: 4125 |
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Well Mucker uses 802's as plant-pot and wine bottle holders. Does that count? |
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Chas n Dave : it's like Drum and Bass but with beards. E=mc² ±3dB
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SamV
Old Croc Joined: 21 October 2008 Location: London Status: Offline Points: 8707 |
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I often chop up old cabinets to use as shelving or planters. And when it comes to building new cabs I'm try to use scraps from others for bracing, smaller panels, grills etc.
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valve head777
Old Croc Joined: 27 July 2012 Location: East Sussex Status: Offline Points: 1780 |
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My old wardrobe scoops were built from shutter wood panels used to board up shops after the Leicester riots. That's pretty good recycling! Thanks Leicester council...
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Freedom of choice, choice of freedom.
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Bams
Young Croc Joined: 08 April 2009 Status: Offline Points: 622 |
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Our local DIY-shop saws to order and sells the remaining wood at 40% discount. I think 90% of the wood i use comes from that stash. It’s even nicely sorted by measurement: smallest size they keep is 20x20cm so almost nothing gets thrown away. They also stash plexi, trespa and so on. Recycling avant la lettre; they started it in the 80’s
Edited by Bams - 11 May 2019 at 9:17pm |
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IainB
Registered User Joined: 25 November 2016 Location: Rushden Status: Offline Points: 422 |
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Ive got a facebook 'friend' who at the end of his theatre tour, puts his old props up as FOC so he doesnt have to store them
Ive had a load of decent ply and castors from him in the past thats made it into my cabinets
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madboffin
Old Croc Joined: 03 July 2009 Location: Milton Keynes Status: Offline Points: 1537 |
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Highfields, 1981? |
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madboffin
Old Croc Joined: 03 July 2009 Location: Milton Keynes Status: Offline Points: 1537 |
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One way to do it is to rescue classic vintage cabinets and rebuild them to original (or upgrade to better than original) working order. There have been some really good examples reported on SP over the years.
A lot of this stuff is only sold off by hire companies because the marketeers have done their best to make it "unfashionable" and therefore no longer rider-friendly. Or replaced in installations because somebody has demonstrated a new system which sounded better than the old one that's had most of the drivers thrashed to death and never been maintained. It's easier than building from scratch, and if the box hasn't fallen to bits after 25 years' touring, it's probably going to be good for another 25! Edited by madboffin - 11 May 2019 at 10:36pm |
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Mikkel
Young Croc Joined: 17 May 2013 Location: Huddersfield Status: Offline Points: 549 |
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Madboffin - what brands would you recommend for this type of thing? I was think along similar lines not long back but have no idea what makes/models were decent 20/30 years ago. Crap wood and glue is still crap wood and glue no matter when and where its from. |
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Elliot Thompson
Old Croc Joined: 02 April 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5172 |
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In the States, powered speakers are now the standard. It is rare to find a manufacture that is not producing some means of a powered speaker to the consumer market. This leads to thousands of stand alone amplifiers in addition to, passive speakers being sold on eBay. For those who choose to build passive full range and/or top cabinets based on budget constraints, it really does not make logical sense any more.
QSC is known today as a powered loudspeaker company with their standalone non-dsp amplifiers looked upon as a novelty item. Even Peavey has discontinued their whole slew of power amplifiers with the exception of the IPR2 Series years ago. As for Crown, they incorporate their amplifiers in JBL and, focus on the install market with their drive core topology.
There are lots of sound companies that are literally willing to accept very low prices just to get their old passive boxes out of their warehouse. Some are loaded with functional speakers whereas others are partially loaded or with blown components. Many just gut out the components, destroy the boxes and, sell the loudspeakers/crossovers on eBay.
I have always upgraded drivers in my sub cabinets throughout the decades to more capable components to achieve what I was seeking in terms of performance. However, toting old sub cabinets are more acceptable in the eye of the beholder (clients) than old full-range/top boxes. Once you leave a particular market, you will have to the leeway to do as you please. For those who are not planning to leave, you either adapt or die.
Best Regards,
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Elliot Thompson
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mobiele eenheid
Old Croc Joined: 15 August 2004 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 1568 |
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I used to recycle my prototypes where possible, i.e. carving out a larger horn throat to measure it's influence. My column drill stand is an old prototype cabinet, as is my table saw stand.
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jbl_man
Moderator Group Joined: 12 January 2005 Location: London. Status: Offline Points: 11154 |
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The quality ones...vintage Martin Audio, ASS, Mega, Tasco-Harwell are a few of the names, also vintage Turbosound can be bought for sensible prices nowdays. Just assume you are buying an empty cabinet, as any 30-year old drivers inside will be either dead or dying,and repair, sand and re-finish the cabs,and load with new or reconed drivers to suit. Wherever possible i would replace any old woodscrews/fittings with new ones too. The result will be a cabinet that is every bit as good and as solid as a new one. |
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Be seeing you.
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