*Update 5/7*Project log - Disassembling the Grado RS1 & Modding and Thunderpants Mod(with pics)

[mlantinen]

Don't get me started on Camera equipment...I went gang-busters on Nikon gear in about January and have been learning a great deal about photography and have already spent upwards of a couple grand.  I've had to sell off some expensive lenses to fund my projects and.....pay taxes...ehem.  These were really quick pics I took late last night and I barely tried.  That tells you how amazing camera technology is these days.  In fact I just sold my 85mm prime 1.8 too.  Loved it, but I'll have to re-buy it in the future. 
 
schwally, have you checked out the fredmiranda forums?  Love that photography forum.  My handle is runswithpickle.  You should join if you're not a member. 

 

[mlantinen]

 
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they all look good. Why does the rs1 cups have 2 holes for the wire?

 I missed this question.  When I had my second pair of thicker accent rings attached, they were too thick, so the original cup needed a second hole farther back to accomodate the cabling.
 

 

[mlantinen]

 
I've got a couple neat things still coming up in the next few weeks. 
-Marty
 
EDIT:  I'm not good at keeping surprises...My main project is a 100% fabricated and original Grado housing.  NOTHING will be stock except for the drivers.  So basically custom rods, custom wood OR metal forks/gimbals, custom rod blocks, custom cups and custom headband insert and custom leather headband pad. 
 
The completely custom housing is aimed mostly at the SR models given they have the cruddy plastic forks, etc.  But the higher end, RS1, etc. housing will also be 100% custom including custom metal forks/gimbals, whichever is preferred at the time. 
 
"custom" was aggregiously overused....and for that....I am sorry. 
 

 

[schwallman]

I will check it out tonight when i get home. site is blocked at work.
 
Quote:

Don't get me started on Camera equipment...I went gang-busters on Nikon gear in about January and have been learning a great deal about photography and have already spent upwards of a couple grand.  I've had to sell off some expensive lenses to fund my projects and.....pay taxes...ehem.  These were really quick pics I took late last night and I barely tried.  That tells you how amazing camera technology is these days.  In fact I just sold my 85mm prime 1.8 too.  Loved it, but I'll have to re-buy it in the future. 
 
schwally, have you checked out the fredmiranda forums?  Love that photography forum.  My handle is runswithpickle.  You should join if you're not a member. 

 

 

[LugBug1]

They look brilliant! I bet they are comfortable too with the fabric pads.
 
The leather pads may be more authentic but they make you sweat too much, My old denons had them (pleather) and where not great for long listening sessions.
 
woop! I like surprises! me thinks it may have something to do with RS1's???
 
 

 

[JamesMcProgger]

my face when reading this thread ==>>> 

 
mlantinen is one cool and handy mofo 

 

[JamesMcProgger]

 
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[mlantinen]

Ha...thanks McProgger.  Looks like you're crush'n on my Grados. 
 
Mini-update:  Paduak is freakishly solid wood...yikes.  While drilling with a hole saw to get through only a half-inch or so of thickness, my 3.5" hole saw decided to drop out of the chuck.  Low and behold the chuck wouldn't tighten anymore.  So after this being the second busted part on my crappy little 1/2hp (1st time the chuck dropped right off the spindle, but you can just use a rubber mallet to ram it back on), I decided to buy me an alpha male's drill press.  My new 1HP Porter Cable with laser cross hairs is stupid nice.  The Porter Cable makes Paduak hold on to it's pocket and call it Daddy.   
 
Anyway, Paduak is incredibly tough to work with.  It stalled my 1/2hp lathe a couple times (granted I was using a new all-in-one carbide lathe tool that's known to bite in without notice), but still, I don't recall Mahogany making such a fuss.  I was able to churn out two sets of Paduak accent ring rough blanks that I'll be finishing up, either as the accent rings or as cup gimbals,  and will also be forging two sets of Paduak rod blocks out of the wood that feels like steel. 
 
Anyone interested in one of these sets? 
 

 

[sachu]

NIce work!!..glad you found time to rework the TPs..they needed that.
 
And interesting work on the damping. 
 
That is pretty close to what Smeggy suggested to me too wheni met him last in October, just never got around to trying it on those TPs. 

 

[schwallman]

setup an account @ fredmiranda. Lots of nice shooting goin on over there.

 
Quote:

Don't get me started on Camera equipment...I went gang-busters on Nikon gear in about January and have been learning a great deal about photography and have already spent upwards of a couple grand.  I've had to sell off some expensive lenses to fund my projects and.....pay taxes...ehem.  These were really quick pics I took late last night and I barely tried.  That tells you how amazing camera technology is these days.  In fact I just sold my 85mm prime 1.8 too.  Loved it, but I'll have to re-buy it in the future. 
 
schwally, have you checked out the fredmiranda forums?  Love that photography forum.  My handle is runswithpickle.  You should join if you're not a member. 

 

 

[mlantinen]

 
Quote:

 

NIce work!!..glad you found time to rework the TPs..they needed that.
 
And interesting work on the damping. 
 
That is pretty close to what Smeggy suggested to me too wheni met him last in October, just never got around to trying it on those TPs.

Thank Sach, yeah, they showed some signs of heavy lovin.  I'm still so impressed that Smeggy basically designed a brand new headphone.  Yes, it's similar to what Mark Lawton has done or even all the mods done to Grados but these really feel like a different pair of headphones all-together.  Funny...I don't know how you could listen to these with the old dampening (no offense dbell) but they just sounded so flat....not to mention the O2 pads were always covering up the bass ports.  Gawd the O2 pads look and feel amazing though.  The Beyer pads are a very good fit for the TP's and I love the look, feel and sound they produce on them.  Now that I've basically gone back to Smeggy's original dampening scheme (I didn't really do anything new except insert leather where he had inserted velvet in the cups.  Besides, I'm sure he's tested and done everything anyway), these now sound amazing running out of the Leben headphone jack.  It's brilliant...and if I had time to write a review I would, but I need to sell these to fund the Grado projects. 
 
Public Service Announcement:  Smeggy should always be the first person to contact for a set of HIS TP's, if you want them new and there are none avail on the forum.  He was kind enough to share his original ideas for those who have the capability to make their own.  But if you want a new set then you should contact the Smeggster first.  I think it's the most ethical way...
 
 
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setup an account @ fredmiranda. Lots of nice shooting goin on over there.

 

 
Cool man...yeah, definitley a great photog forum.  Ugh...I might be selling another lens or two to fund more tools for the shop.  My band saw can't cut a straight line to save it's life with hard woods like Paduak. 

 

[schwallman]

 
Quote:

Cool man...yeah, definitley a great photog forum.  Ugh...I might be selling another lens or two to fund more tools for the shop.  My band saw can't cut a straight line to save it's life with hard woods like Paduak. 

 Send me a list of the lens, my boss is a nikon guy and ill let ask him if hes interested. He has a ton of lenses though. Still never hurts.

 

[sachu]

Quote:

 
Thank Sach, yeah, they showed some signs of heavy lovin.  I'm still so impressed that Smeggy basically designed a brand new headphone.  Yes, it's similar to what Mark Lawton has done or even all the mods done to Grados but these really feel like a different pair of headphones all-together.  Funny...I don't know how you could listen to these with the old dampening (no offense dbell) but they just sounded so flat....not to mention the O2 pads were always covering up the bass ports.  Gawd the O2 pads look and feel amazing though.  The Beyer pads are a very good fit for the TP's and I love the look, feel and sound they produce on them.  Now that I've basically gone back to Smeggy's original dampening scheme (I didn't really do anything new except insert leather where he had inserted velvet in the cups.  Besides, I'm sure he's tested and done everything anyway), these now sound amazing running out of the Leben headphone jack.  It's brilliant...and if I had time to write a review I would, but I need to sell these to fund the Grado projects. 
 
Public Service Announcement:  Smeggy should always be the first person to contact for a set of HIS TP's, if you want them new and there are none avail on the forum.  He was kind enough to share his original ideas for those who have the capability to make their own.  But if you want a new set then you should contact the Smeggster first.  I think it's the most ethical way...
 
 
 
Cool man...yeah, definitley a great photog forum.  Ugh...I might be selling another lens or two to fund more tools for the shop.  My band saw can't cut a straight line to save it's life with hard woods like Paduak. 

 
THe damping was actually done by me. I was never satisfied with it. I almost never listened to it for over a year as i had my wharfies and the LCD-2 and they were out on loan for the longest time. The original damping that smeggy ahs definitely opens things up but also introduces some problems that is fixed largely with his new baffle design. The damping scheme you have used is much much better sounding when used with the current baffle design.
 
Thanks for the note on contacting Smegster first for a TP.
 
 

 

[mlantinen]

Here's a few quick pics of stuff.  The first set are the Mahogany accent rings and rod blocks all poly'ed up to a mirror like finish.  Hard to capture decent images of them since they're so shiny.  The longer they cure, the more the wood grain starts to pop.  Waiting on the RS1's which will be here by the end of the week.  The tweenage girl inside me want to scream with glee.  I know that sounds wrong, but it adequately describes my excitement at this moment in time.
 
The last few pics show another prototype of another idea I had for a wood inlay.  This is the aforementioned rock solid yet fragile (oxymoron anyone?) Padauk with a White Curly Oak inlay.  Ya know...I think I just got a bad piece of Padauk that was really dried out....but anyway.  So, I've got it's brother at home and will be touching these up tonight/tomorrow and will also build Padauk rod blocks.  I believe these will be accent rings but may go the gimbal route.  Not sure yet.  The Padauk should shine up to an incredibly beautiful and bright red sheen.  
 
Selling the TP's and going to list them tonight.
-Mar-tay 
 
 
 

 

[schwallman]

looks nice. ONe of these days I want a lathe. I find myself watching youtube videos all the time on how to use one.
 
Quote:

Here's a few quick pics of stuff.  The first set are the Mahogany accent rings and rod blocks all poly'ed up to a mirror like finish.  Hard to capture decent images of them since they're so shiny.  The longer they cure, the more the wood grain starts to pop.  Waiting on the RS1's which will be here by the end of the week.  The tweenage girl inside me want to scream with glee.  I know that sounds wrong, but it adequately describes my excitement at this moment in time.
 
The last few pics show another prototype of another idea I had for a wood inlay.  This is the aforementioned rock solid yet fragile (oxymoron anyone?) Padauk with a White Curly Oak inlay.  Ya know...I think I just got a bad piece of Padauk that was really dried out....but anyway.  So, I've got it's brother at home and will be touching these up tonight/tomorrow and will also build Padauk rod blocks.  I believe these will be accent rings but may go the gimbal route.  Not sure yet.  The Padauk should shine up to an incredibly beautiful and bright red sheen.  
 
Selling the TP's and going to list them tonight.
-Mar-tay