Well it's a work in progress, but quite pleasing it went together and just worked! I can do better though. I suspect (and have some evidence) that DIY soundboxes were made in the past due to cost constraints. Now though soundboxes are fairly easy to get hold of and relatively cheap. They are fun to make though, and I suppose there is a novelty aspect to owning a bright blue one, though probably not much market for them!Thanks 👍😀
Seems to work well. One thing I wondered is if the wire for the needle arm (from the centre of the diaphragm to the needle) is stiff enough? Most soundboxes seem to have this cut from a flat piece rather than wire, wider at the needle end and tapering towards the diaphragm end. Thus being very rigid in the direction of movement of the vibration, but not too much mass near the diaphragm centre.
Yes, you are correct. The wire I am using is a compromise. It probably should be stiffer, and it should taper. The HMV/Victor No.4 is a tapering wire, but yes, most soundboxes use a flat needle bar which will be easier to manufacture. It's on my list as an improvement for a future design. Thanks 👍😀
A Better triangular section needle bar Will give you less elastic distortion during powerfull transients. If the force point and the diaphgram are not centered you lose a lot of sound. Your test are beatifull please continue. I Will follow tour improvement
I am impressed! I thought the Sound box sounded really great. Everything made from scratch and the diaphragm as well really impressed. I couldn't hear any buzzing or blasting of any kind! (That is a pet peeve of mine I'm always listening out for anything like that) but flawless this to me!
Thanks 👍😀. I was a bit concerned about the diaphragm, and did wonder if it was blasting a little on the loud notes, but great to know it sounds good to you. I will do some more tests with it, but off camera I tried a medium tone needle on another record with the volume doors open, and it sounded just like a commercial sound box to me. 😊
If by blasting you mean something kind of akin to clipping (breaking up on the loudest notes), I did hear of that. But otherwise I thought it sounded great.
@@christo930 I'm not 100% sure what gramophone/phonograph users mean by 'blasting' 😉 but it seems to get used to describe a harsh unnatural sound during playback. I'm not entirely sure if the break up on loud volume counts, but its certainly something I could improve upon in the future. Thanks 👍😀
Thanks 👍😀. I have built a turntable as part of this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zAaVMfL_puk.html There is a different one in this playlist too: ru-vid.com/group/PLsCYUbO6xxnS62ktH0BS54tu94CK3_HJ3
you don't happen to own a stringed instrument of any sort? I'd love to know if a wire looped onto one of the strings right beside the bridge would agitate a pleasant tone out of a soundbox.
I don't think I have anything suitable. There are devices for agitating a soundbox without the use of a needle, and I would like to try building one of those. Thanks 👍😀
Very good work, you should be pleased with how this came out. With regards to the diaphragm, would it be easier to form if you made some kind of jig to go on your lathe and then offer up the tool as it spins? Cheers, D.
Thanks 👍😀. Yes I was thinking only this morning that I should be able to form the diaphragm on the lathe by rotating the die. At the minute though I am experimenting with making flat diaphragms on the lathe which will appear in an upcoming video 😀
Have you tried in previous attempts to use the bottom of a can of soup or something for the diaphragm? It seems to me those foil pans are just not thick or stiff enough.
Yes, I have tried a variety of materials. This video is a comparison of different (flat) metal ones: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aMrX8tn-tYI.html The flat aluminium performs poorly, but is significantly better with the indented rings (corrugations) as they stiffen up the middle, but leave the edge more flexible. This video shows this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mK1bGhanqf4.html I have also tried various plastic diaphragms: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XqAlJVpN3ZM.html One of the best simple diaphragms is the metal base of a Pringles tube. Thanks 👍😀
@@mrrgstuff The corrugation rings is why I asked you about the bottom of a soup can or maybe tunafish cans, as these can bottoms usually have these rings for extra strength and rigidity. It is surprising at just what a difference little things like that make on the strength and rigidity of steel or aluminum. It is the reason why you pretty much cannot find a single flat piece of metal in a car. Completely flat metal is surprisingly plastic. Thanks for the links, I'll check them out.
@@christo930 Yes, its a fair point, those corrugations in a soup can will act just like on a diaphragm. I am sure it would work (and am sure I have seen such a can used as a diaphragm). I think the metal though would be too rigid and might wear the record unnecessarily. Thanks 👍😀
@@mrrgstuff So if the diaphragm has too much resistance to moving in and out, that will cause excess wear on the record? I did not know that. Is there any reason you cannot use mica? I think that is what many of them were made of originally with cork gaskets. I wonder if there is a softer material you can put behind the diaphragm The O rings are fairly soft, but perhaps cork of some other soft material would work?
Sorry, only just seen this comment. Mica would work fine, but I don't have a suitable one on hand for this size of soundbox. The size was based around the O rings, and yes they are not as soft as they could be so I could make another version with softer gaskets and mica. Corrugated aluminium sheet works pretty much as well, if not better than mica as it is stiff in the middle and flexible at the edges. Thanks 👍😀
Thanks 👍😀. I certainly would be happy to make a few or one to order. If you (or anyone else) is interested then please email me (email is listed in my RU-vid about) and we can agree on something
