Zigmahornets!!

[hornucopia]

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/zigmahornet/zigmahornet.html

Some Lockdown/Camping reading?
Just after I retired, I decided to build these….but,I have few tools.
I got the wood cut to size BUT…they need corner jointing! Had a quote from woodworker -£120!
You MUST be joking!For a few edges?
So, I stood back a while.
Then I recalled Wharfedale making speakers from Formica clad polystyrene!
Had some 4cm polystyrene cut to size; used PVA to ‘size’ the outside; lined the inside with heavy-duty foil wrapping paper
And glued it all together. A revelation to me, after years of -first Klipsch, then A-garde Duos, -was the sound. Such imagery, plus they had bass!
They sit as desk-side units by the iMac, using a Kingrex usb amp from lossless downloads in the Mac. They were SO impressive, they persuaded me to swap the Duos for the Calliopes (both full-range; Zigs and Ocellias).

Argh! sideways pic! Sorry!
The chair is from Algarve - arab influence? cushion a Camel-bag. Sagrada Familia screensaver.

[fatmarley]

Cool! Surprised they don't fall over, they must be very light. What's driver is it?

My current speakers are made out of foam-core tile backing board. If it wasn't for the very heavy drivers (10" midbass with a huge magnet), you could easily pick up a cabinet with one finger.

[Puffin]

I built a pair of Ziggies out of ply years ago using small Fostex full range units. Amazing sound for such a simple build.

[hornucopia]

Matt; they are Dave Merrill drivers, that I got just before he took ill and then died-as in the article.
i think they are still made, now with a nice cast frame.
I use a pair of terracotta tiles as the base, or they WOULD fall over!
In fact, I made PAWO side-horns from Merrill 4 inchers too, but THEY did fall over.....straight on to the (projecting!!) bullet centre of the unit, which broke the speaker cone!
Anyone need a single 4 inch Merrill unit?

[fatmarley]

Matt; they are Dave Merrill drivers, that I got just before he took ill and then died-as in the article.
i think they are still made, now with a nice cast frame.
I use a pair of terracotta tiles as the base, or they WOULD fall over!
In fact, I made PAWO side-horns from Merrill 4 inchers too, but THEY did fall over.....straight on to the (projecting!!) bullet centre of the unit, which broke the speaker cone!
Anyone need a single 4 inch Merrill unit?

Oh, I didn't read the article - I avoid 6moons stuff because they usually waffle on and my attention span is too short for that - but I just had a quick look and that one looks quite short. Will have a read in a bit...

Sorry to hear about your speaker accident. I was thinking about getting a piece of granite for the base of mine. Just haven't seen anything cheap enough or big enough online, and the virus has put me off even thinking about looking locally.

[Mr. C]

I believe the term you are looking Matt is 6 loons, having met our friend S on a couple of occasions he has some very unique views lol

[fatmarley]

I believe the term you are looking Matt is 6 loons, having met our friend S on a couple of occasions he has some very unique views lol

6 loons lol

[hornucopia]

Should be in inland Spain or Portugal! I got some 'off-cuts' of marble there a couple of times -free! Otherwise, find a stone mason yard?
Terracotta tiles are usually cheap also. Think laterally-off cut of kitchen surface?

[fatmarley]

Should be in inland Spain or Portugal! I got some 'off-cuts' of marble there a couple of times -free! Otherwise, find a stone mason yard?
Terracotta tiles are usually cheap also. Think laterally-off cut of kitchen surface?

Hmm, never thought about tiles. The're quite heavy for their size - especially if you double / triple them up...

[AJSki2fly]

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/zigmahornet/zigmahornet.html

Some Lockdown/Camping reading?
Just after I retired, I decided to build these….but,I have few tools.
I got the wood cut to size BUT…they need corner jointing! Had a quote from woodworker -£120!
You MUST be joking!For a few edges?
So, I stood back a while.
Then I recalled Wharfedale making speakers from Formica clad polystyrene!
Had some 4cm polystyrene cut to size; used PVA to ‘size’ the outside; lined the inside with heavy-duty foil wrapping paper
And glued it all together. A revelation to me, after years of -first Klipsch, then A-garde Duos, -was the sound. Such imagery, plus they had bass!
They sit as desk-side units by the iMac, using a Kingrex usb amp from lossless downloads in the Mac. They were SO impressive, they persuaded me to swap the Duos for the Calliopes (both full-range; Zigs and Ocellias).

Argh! sideways pic! Sorry!
The chair is from Algarve - arab influence? cushion a Camel-bag. Sagrada Familia screensaver.

These are amazing speakers, I heard them when I visited Chris.

[hornucopia]

Let's hope it continues! Am in the process of finally making wood cases for them after 12 years happily listening to them via Polystyrene.
I HOPE I don't lose more than I gain-if anything!
It's amazing how tinny they sound in free air! Never underestimate the effect of the box.
Now.....what colour.....?

[steveinspain]

What was the tin foil for ?
I like the idea of something like this, would celotex or kingspan insulation do much the same - it's the harder stuff usually used for house insulation these days, and come already lined with a type of tin foil..
Might be good for the front panel as it is more rigid ?
Good luck with this, and I'm keen to hear what you think of the difference in cabinets.

[dave2010]

An interesting read. BTW what does PAWO stand for?

Re granite, we have a couple of slabs from a fireplace we removed. Quite useful for keeping tarpaulins from blowing away in the garden!

I suspect it would be a complete b*****r to cut, so probably kitchen suppliers, fireplace suppliers, or stone masons would be the way to go. Ask for off cuts.

[hornucopia]

'Tin foil'? It was actually heavy duty GOLD!! wrapping paper, that consisted of gold foil bonded to paper-I had LOTS of it, once papered a whole wall with it to get a 'golden glow/sun' effect!
I must have thought that the poly needed something inside to retain some frequency.
You're right about rigidity, though using 1+1/2 inch stuff helped-I channeled it out behind the speaker unit, leaving 'piers' to hold the bolts, using big washers to spread the load. Was pretty firm (didn't come apart easily!)
Using PVA helped too, coated it all.
Don't know enough about the varieties of insulation materials, but it's an area to investigate, both in terms of being light; inert, etc.. See Von Schweikert stuff.
I'm just waiting for first coat of stain to dry-Osmo Wood wax finish, Red.
I've used Osmo oil on our pine floor -non toxic/natural oils .Hardwearing.
Might do front in 2 coats, rest in one coat.
Yet to decide what to put on the top (45 degree) slope-something more interesting than wood -tile, maybe or Bamboo iKea tray?
The rather thin unit will be screwed to a small baseplate, glued to a 12" X 12' Terracotta Tile - as before-echoing my love of Iberia
(I could have used Marble that I got from a quarry in Portugal years ago when travelling about there, but....how to cut it (my local Stonemason has retiired)
More when I put it all together!

Oh...PAWO? No idea!
THis doesn't help! http://frugal-phile.com/tom-zHorn.html
I made one from off-cuts from house renovation bits! Until one fell on to its bullet-bit the bullet! Still have the other-centre speaker? A la Klipsch La scala origin?

[steveinspain]

'Tin foil'? It was actually heavy duty GOLD!! wrapping paper, that consisted of gold foil bonded to paper-I had LOTS of it, once papered a whole wall with it to get a 'golden glow/sun' effect!
I must have thought that the poly needed something inside to retain some frequency.
You're right about rigidity, though using 1+1/2 inch stuff helped-I channeled it out behind the speaker unit, leaving 'piers' to hold the bolts, using big washers to spread the load. Was pretty firm (didn't come apart easily!)
Using PVA helped too, coated it all.
Don't know enough about the varieties of insulation materials, but it's an area to investigate, both in terms of being light; inert, etc.. See Von Schweikert stuff.
I'm just waiting for first coat of stain to dry-Osmo Wood wax finish, Red.
I've used Osmo oil on our pine floor -non toxic/natural oils .Hardwearing.
Might do front in 2 coats, rest in one coat.
Yet to decide what to put on the top (45 degree) slope-something more interesting than wood -tile, maybe or Bamboo iKea tray?
The rather thin unit will be screwed to a small baseplate, glued to a 12" X 12' Terracotta Tile - as before-echoing my love of Iberia
(I could have used Marble that I got from a quarry in Portugal years ago when travelling about there, but....how to cut it (my local Stonemason has retiired)
More when I put it all together!

Oh...PAWO? No idea!
THis doesn't help! http://frugal-phile.com/tom-zHorn.html
I made one from off-cuts from house renovation bits! Until one fell on to its bullet-bit the bullet! Still have the other-centre speaker? A la Klipsch La scala origin?

Oops, my mistake calling it tin foil...!!! :doh:
I sort of imagined the inside might benefit from some sort of lining to seal it.
Have you got any pictures you want to share, as I find this fascinating.
Also, why Iberia - I lived in south Spain for a couple of very happy years as a young man, when the coast was for growing tomatoes and a few pesetas seemed to be all that one needed for a happy life. The people were so open, so accepting, and the few that are still there still greet me with a hug. Happy times.

[hornucopia]

First visited Spain, touring around the North for 7 weeks in my 1955 Citroen Traction Avant 'Commerciale'!
Since then I've been several times-about 10 - visiting all over,even living for 6 months near Ronda.
Love the place.
Pics coming- you can have this strange one of the BACK of the poly unit.
I had a thought that it might be possible to mount the driver on a wood panel, inset into the polystyrene.
Would make life easier.

[steveinspain]

A panel of ply behind the polystyrene might be what I try with maybe a very thin piece of hard plastic of some sort directly behind the speaker..
Next time you go to Spain, look for a village called Lubrin near Almeria, inland from Mojacar, which isn't like it was, but still a nice area. Not a million miles from Ronda and still lovely 50-odd years (Lubrin) after I first went. We lived there for a few years, my kids went to school there.

[hornucopia]

Using poly still a good concept. i'm finding the wood version a litttle sharp, less 'air'.*
95% finished, only the top 'slope' to add properly..

*Rembembering a snippet I read somewhere, I've loosened the screws a 1/4 turn to see if it helps.
Certainly clear and defined. Can hear little things I hadn't noticed, for example, though my tinnitus is whistling away!
I think I'm playing it to loud!

Thanks for the Spain memories- I'm guessing Lubrin is pretty dry, being near the semi-desert area?
When I visited Mojacar in the 80s, 'Mojacar Beach' didn't really exist! And the town itself was quiet and low-key.
Ronda had escaped the tourist development-probably because it has no beach?

[steveinspain]

Looking good Chris ! Play it louder, drowns out the tinnitus doesn't it ?
It may be some time before I get started on mine as I'm saving it for those dark winter days, but maybe I'll try a mixture of both wood and polystyrene...
As for Spain, how long were you in Mojacar for ?
I lived in the only house on the crossroads between the beach and the road that ran up to the village - as you say, the beach didn't exist, except to grow a certain type of tomatoes that didn't grow elsewhere, and last I heard were now a mega expensive variety that the wealthy from Madrid pay a fortune for !
Did the 'Time and Place' bar still exist in town - my father used to play there along with Diz Disley and a bunch of others.
Ronda certainly escaped the worst of the tourist invasion - my last visit there was early '80's, hitching around the coast in mid winter, and the one hostal was closed. Despite me asking for help in the one open bar I ended up sleeping out in the rain. I can see why people jump off the bridge. Can't see why anyone goes back.....

[hornucopia]

Well, compared with making Westminsters, these are a doddle! Finally finished re boxing them, topping them with a pair of small Bamboo chopping boards (about 9" X 5.5'!!) for the slope top.
They sound fine, though I 'feel' that the Poly versions were (literally as well as audibly!) more porous to the sound.
At a pinch I could use these as my main speakers, in a normal UK size room. Currently back as desk-side units.
I've still got the polystyrene cases -just chopped a section out of the front of each.
Tempted to follow up my idea of setting a small wood panel into the front with something like a Fostex/Alpair 3 incher; easier to mount on a wood panel but the semi-o/b effect would be retained.
But I should be DOWN-sizing, not UP!
Shuffleplay is playing 'Shenandoah' with Marc Johnson playing it on an upright bass -bass from a 3 inch unit!