[basmatirice]

the wood need not be anything special. a softer, heavier (heavier being most important) wood would be best. a low price would be good as well.

and by high quality i mean free of imperfections. no cracks, knots... anything like that.

what type of non powered tools are used to shape wood? where is a cheap place to get them?

i have some wood working tools available to me.... mostly saws, a drill press, and some dremel tools. what attachments are usefull for wood shaping?

also, what is the type of foam used in ear muff type hearing protectors? where can i get it?


i want to mod my ultrasones. i will not be taking the current ear peices apart. i was planning on making some cups to go around them. i would add another backing onto the current one so that i may add more passive ambient noise reduction and so that i may make the housing less likely to vibrant causing coloration of sound. then i was going to add a ring onto that that would allow me to use leather beyedynamic pads in place of the current pads. this would make the can more comfortable. then i would take the rs-1 headband, remove the c-clamp portion and fix a new one of my own making in it's place. the grado on would probably not be able to fit on the new cups.

any tips?

 

[kramer5150]

Just how soft do you need them to be?... Basswood and poplar are very soft and super easy to work on but IMHO dont have the strength for headphone mods. Unless your designs use adequately thick walls and surfaces.

Acoustically however poplar and basswood have a warm "CLONK" kind of sound when knocked on. So if those are the acoustics your'e after it might be ideal.

Alder is somewhat harder than the first two, and therefore a little more difficult to work with. it has a sharper ring to it when knocked on, but is sitll a warm sounding resonant wood. Like the first 2, thick walls should be used for your design.

mahogany is harder and tougher yet to work with. working against the grain can be super difficult. Different types of mahogany sound different, depending on the density of the wood. Some of the more dense timber can have a very sharp resonant ring to it, without much sustain. The more porous cuts of timber can be both warm and sharp sounding.... good for acoustic applications.

Maple is one of the heaviest and most dense timbers, yet still remaining fairly easy on tooling. IMHO it has a very pronounced ring and sharpness to its tone.

Bloodwood and rosewood IMHO are sonically very similar and equally hard on tooling.

Ive never worked with Ebony, purpleheart or Zebrawood... or some of the more exotic woods.

My favorite timber shop is Southern Lumber in San Jose. I dont think they do www sales though. They have dozens of "end cut" pieces in well organized bins. Perfect for headphone DIY projects.

I was able to do all my Grado mods with a drill-press and various hole cuters, rasp bits and drum sanding bits. I would like to have a scroll-saw too.

 

[basmatirice]

can you give me the number or e-mail of the shop? maple sounds perfect.

and do you have any tips for make oval shaped holes? would 1/8 inch thick be too thin?

 

[Jokieman]

You can probably find a lumber yard in your neck of the woods, Something like that, I would not order sight unseen.

As far as tools, Sanders, Chisels, Clamps, Carvers, etc. really depends on what you want to do.

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/default.php

 

[Bob_McBob]

I get wood (har har) from A&M Wood in Cambridge, ON. Luckily, it's only a 20 minute drive

 

[Uncle Erik]

Here's the place I like for wood:

http://www.houseofhardwood.com/

I don't know where you are, but if you're near LA, they can help you out.

For an affordable, dense wood, try Purpleheart. Prices are reasonable and it's incredibly tough. I've worked it (my ribbons have Purpleheart frames) and it's not so easy on tools. Neither are the others, like Maple, Ebony or the toughest of all woods, Lignum Vitae.

If you're looking for hand tools, this place has (arguably) the best:

http://www.lie.nielsen.com

I have several and they're impressive. Not cheap, though. However, I would recommend taking a look and seeing if they have what you need. Then, head over to eBay and pick up an older version. Those usually need sharpening, cleaning, etc., but they're cheap. Recently, I got a #7 plane for $20, while a new Lie-Nielsen is closer to $400. If you're interested in some books, check out the Taunton Press and Fine Woodworking magazine. I especially love Garrett Hack's hand tool books.

As for making oval holes, it is not that simple. Drill as many round ones as possible, then finish them out with files.

 

[Bob_McBob]

Whoops: http://www.amwoodinc.com/

 

[basmatirice]

should two 6" cubes of maple cost $55?

 

[vai-777]

IN TERMS OF TONE HERE IT IS

MAPLE - BRIGHT
ROSEWOOD WARM WITH SOME HIGHS
MAHOGANY - WARM FORCEFULL MIDS
BASSWOOD - SOMEWHAT NEUTRAL
SWAMP ASH - BRIGHT SCOOPED SOUND
ALDER - FULL LOW MID RANGE WITH SOME UPPER MIDS AS WELL
EBONY -SUPER BRIGHT
THIS ALL RELATING TO GUITARS BUT SHOULD TRANSLATE SOMEWHAT

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by basmatirice /img/forum/go_quote.gif should two 6" cubes of maple cost $55?

Seems a little steep to me, although if they are particularly clean pieces or with high grade flame/quilt accents I could see how they might fetch a premium price.