Thread: Flush mounting

Start by cutting a circle for the speaker. Then with it sitting on the board wrong way around (ie with rear sticking out) I would suggest you drill your mounting holes and temporarily secure the speaker. Now carefully go around the outside with a sharp cutting tool. Remove the speaker and now you can use your choice of tools to rebate the area for your speaker to the required depth. Suggested tools include chisels and routers. You should now be able to mount your speaker. You may find that you need to enlarge the opening for things like wiring connections.

If I use a router to follow the line I cut, do I have to 'free-hand' it?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Start by cutting a circle for the speaker. Then with it sitting on the board wrong way around (ie with rear sticking out) I would suggest you drill your mounting holes and temporarily secure the speaker. Now carefully go around the outside with a sharp cutting tool. Remove the speaker and now you can use your choice of tools to rebate the area for your speaker to the required depth. Suggested tools include chisels and routers. You should now be able to mount your speaker. You may find that you need to enlarge the opening for things like wiring connections.

Originally Posted by icor1031

If I use a router to follow the line I cut, do I have to 'free-hand' it?

Thanks.

Yes.
Using a router you will get your depth very easily, but depending on your control you might go outside your desired area. I would try and remove the bulk with a router, then unless you a fairly confident, do the final couple of millimetres with a sharp chisel. You will have more control taking small bites (smaller bit, depth in a couple of passes). I would suggest using a 6mm straight bit.

Other people may have a different idea.
I have not used it but a pantograph arm can transfer the shape. What you use will depend on what is available to you, how much if anything you want to invest in additional tooling, and how often you are likely to use it.

Alright, thanks friend.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Yes.
Using a router you will get your depth very easily, but depending on your control you might go outside your desired area. I would try and remove the bulk with a router, then unless you a fairly confident, do the final couple of millimetres with a sharp chisel. You will have more control taking small bites (smaller bit, depth in a couple of passes). I would suggest using a 6mm straight bit.

Other people may have a different idea.
I have not used it but a pantograph arm can transfer the shape. What you use will depend on what is available to you, how much if anything you want to invest in additional tooling, and how often you are likely to use it.

If you need to do a lot, make a template from MDF etc and route it that way. You either need a thick template and a pattern (top bearing) bit or a thinner template and template guide. The thin template and guide method introduces an offset due to difference between bit diameter and guide diameter and this needs to be taken into account.

If you were doing it as a production run, the options in terms of efficiency would be;

Model the opening in CAD and cut the whole thing on a CNC router.

Make a set of templates for drill locations, rebate, through cut for speaker, all referenced to outside of face, and cut with a single bit/template guide combination with a plunge router, using the depth stop turret to set rebate depth relative to the the drill hole and through hole depth.

Or, for a simple pair, you could just cut the opening for the speakers and surface mount them with minimal effect on the sound quality since the front support is ahead of the mounting flange.

Is it possible to mount them from the back,then you will only need to make a round hole for the speaker itself??