Stevie’s 12” FRFR Cab Build Thread (Basschat Cab v3)

[LukeFRC]

“1st I did a coat of black duratex. When dry I put down a coat of Oxblood duratex. Then took a thin plastic drop cloth they sale at hardware stores. After the Oxblood paint goes down you crinkle up the plastic cloth and stick it to the paint. Let it dry a bit then pull it up. I ordered the duratex base from manufacturer and had it tinted at Home Depot.”

 

i take it to be something like this https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Polythene-Dust-Sheet---3-65-x-3-65m/p/154959

Edited September 2, 2019 by LukeFRC

[RichardH]

3 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

“1st I did a coat of black duratex. When dry I put down a coat of Oxblood duratex. Then took a thin plastic drop cloth they sale at hardware stores. After the Oxblood paint goes down you crinkle up the plastic cloth and stick it to the paint. Let it dry a bit then pull it up. I ordered the duratex base from manufacturer and had it tinted at Home Depot.”

 

i take it to be something like this https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Polythene-Dust-Sheet---3-65-x-3-65m/p/154959

I have a load of this sheeting, so if anyone wants any to try this with, PM me your address and I'll post some!

[funkle]

27 minutes ago, RichardH said:

I have a load of this sheeting, so if anyone wants any to try this with, PM me your address and I'll post some!

You are a star. I’ll message you. Happy to pay postage etc

[funkle]

I received my final package of parts from @stevie this morning, so cracked on with some more jobs. 

Used wood filler on some edge voids and made sure that my already insignificant glue edges are not visible. 

Glued in the bottom brace. 

Cut an extra bit of felt for the top panel just above the compression driver, and then glued that in. 

Then glued in the U-shaped piece of felt on the bottom panel (and extending up the sides):

And then, as per Stevie’s thread, glued another piece of felt just on the bottom panel on top of that (not extending up the sides):

Admired the crossover. 

And fitted the compression driver to the horn. 

Painting the outside is the next big job, then I can fit everything. 

I’m still experimenting with the Tuffcab. I’m not quite convinced it’s the same stuff as Duratex (the stuff mentioned on the USA forums). I can indeed get a bit of a tolex effect when I use crinkled up drop sheet plastic to mark it, but the effect was milder when it dried in compared to how it was when wet. 

I suspect the texture layer needs to be at least 2 layers to get a decent effect. I’m working it out more today, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out it should have 2 smooth base layers and 2 texture layers. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by funkle

[funkle]

Ok. I put two coats of Tuffcab on, in the end I used a bog standard fluffy roller for these two base coats. It actually gives a nice little texture, though nothing as stippled as the actual Tuffcab roller, or as textured as what I’m going to do with the faux leather effect, but it’s nice. 

Really hard to photograph, especially at night. 

The seams were visible with first coat (as were the ply layer edges at the front, even though I sanded and filled them). However second coat is an improvement already. I expect 4 coats (perhaps 5) to be very good. 

The Tuffcab is very easy to use/roller on. I like it a lot. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by funkle

[Jimrs2k2]

Well done the cabs really coming on.

Ref tuffcab , it is really good stuff and easy to work with, but if you go for a stippled finish absolutely everything sticks to it and can be a sod to remove and you end up with a fluffy cab. 

If that's what you want then try applying it quite thick with a Brush then just gently roll over the top after a few minutes with a roller, that will leave you a finish I think your looking for.

 

[Phil Starr]

As Jim says it's really easy stuff to work with as it stays workable for quite a decent time. If you don't like the texture you can brush if flat and redo it until you are happy. I use either a light pile roller which gives a kind of linen effect or an ordinary foam roller which gives a light stipple. I ordered the recommended open rollers from Blue Aran and they do give a great texture akin to the commercial cabs finish, which they get by spraying in all probability. I just prefer the 'linen' effect which I build up in layers. One flat coat and then usually four textured layers.

Well done at getting this far, I'd have the speakers in as soon as they arrived  so well done also for showing some restraint

 

[LukeFRC]

it looks friggin amazing. 
 

[funkle]

I’m going to try for the faux leather look tomorrow, all going well. We shall see. 

My main goal for this is for it not to look home grown. 

@Phil Starr I was very tempted to stick all the drivers in...but I’d probably not take them out again. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by funkle

[LukeFRC]

9 hours ago, funkle said:

I’m going to try for the faux leather look tomorrow, all going well. We shall see. 

My main goal for this is for it not to look home grown. 

@Phil Starr I was very tempted to stick all the drivers in...but I’d probably not take them out again. 

I think the guy on talkbass put a base coat down, and then brushed the top coat and then dropped the scrunched plastic down and pushed it in a bit then took it off. I wonder if you roll it on you don’t get enough thickness to make the effect work?

[Phil Starr]

9 hours ago, funkle said:

I’m going to try for the faux leather look tomorrow, all going well. We shall see. 

My main goal for this is for it not to look home grown. 

@Phil Starr I was very tempted to stick all the drivers in...but I’d probably not take them out again. 

Good move, I'm still gigging the original Mk 1's in their half finished state, one day I'll put a proper grille on.

[funkle]

2 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

I think the guy on talkbass put a base coat down, and then brushed the top coat and then dropped the scrunched plastic down and pushed it in a bit then took it off. I wonder if you roll it on you don’t get enough thickness to make the effect work?

Thanks Luke. I should have made it clearer; the base coats I am rollering on; the faux leather one gets brushed on a little bit thicker and then the drop plastic sheeting trick on that layer. 

I will say that the reason I think Duratex and Tuffcab are different is that Duratex is reported to dry the same as it looks wet. This is not my experience with the Tuffcab; whatever effect I’ve put on it wet seems to get more subtle as it dries in. I wonder if it is less viscous than Duratex.

I hope that more layers negates this effect, but we will see. It’s a reason I may do two texture layers. 

Edited September 4, 2019 by funkle

[stewblack]

Any chance of videoing some of the tuff cab process please? Be a huge help. Thank you 

[funkle]

19 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Any chance of videoing some of the tuff cab process please? Be a huge help. Thank you 

I’ll try. Problem is when you’re doing it, you’re kind of messy and can be using both hands...lol. I’ll try

[stewblack]

3 minutes ago, funkle said:

I’ll try. Problem is when you’re doing it, you’re kind of messy and can be using both hands...lol. I’ll try

Even just a phone propped up in the corner. Doesn't need to be amazing quality, I just learn more effectively from watching others do something rather than interpreting written instructions 

[funkle]

Ok, here’s what I mean about the texture wearing off a bit as it dries. I’m about to start third coat of base layer, but you can see if you look close that the ply layers are visible at the front edge, and the patterning I clearly saw last night from the roller is much more subtle. 

I’m going in. We’ll see how it plays. 

[funkle]

@stewblack This site will not let me post video. But I will do as many photos as I can of the process. Which bits are you interested in?

[RichardH]

Did you get the Tuffcab "pro" stuff or the normal stuff, by the way?

[funkle]

7 minutes ago, RichardH said:

Did you get the Tuffcab "pro" stuff or the normal stuff, by the way?

The normal stuff. I ordered it a while back, before I knew about the newer ‘pro’ stuff. I was mildly annoyed, but now it’s going on, I have no quibbles about the level of sheen, and after abusing it with a hammer/scissors/screwdriver, I am satisfied as to its durability. 

[stevie]

I have the new "pro" Tuff Cab. I'll be applying it when I revisit the original thread later this week to carry on from where I left off. It seems that funkle has now overtaken me.....

I've used the original stuff and will compare the ease of use and finish.

Everyone seems to have a different technique for applying this paint. I used a brush to put a couple of coats on the edges and the gaps. Then I applied two coats with the foam roller. That's it really.

 

[stevie]

1 hour ago, funkle said:

Ok, here’s what I mean about the texture wearing off a bit as it dries. I’m about to start third coat of base layer, but you can see if you look close that the ply layers are visible at the front edge, and the patterning I clearly saw last night from the roller is much more subtle. 

 

You can get rid of the visible plywood layers by applying a couple of extra layers of paint with a small brush and sanding them back. Then go over with the roller.

But I see you've progressed past that stage now.....🙂

Edited September 4, 2019 by stevie

[stevie]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

Any chance of videoing some of the tuff cab process please? Be a huge help. Thank you 

Stew, applying the paint is probably the easiest part of building the cab - and probably the most satisfying apart from plugging in and listening to it.

If you're concerned, just practice on a piece of scrap wood. A one-litre pot of Tuff Cab contains enough to paint two cabs - so you'll have enough to practice with until you're ready.

[funkle]

(Mod delete duplicate post)

Edited September 4, 2019 by funkle

[funkle]

7 minutes ago, stevie said:

You can get rid of the visible plywood layers by applying a couple of extra layers of paint with a small brush and sanding them back. Then go over with the roller.

But I see you've progressed past that stage now.....🙂

Eh, it’s easy enough to do that even now. I might trial a thick brush coat over the front edges as a final go, but if that doesn’t work, I will sand down the front edges again. Ah well, such is life. I’m learning a lot doing this project!

[stevie]

The next one will be a doddle!😀