Mark W.
03-11-2009, 05:37 PM
Well I've been planning on doing this for almost 2 years. And I finally got around to doing it.
I made a drop in binding post block to replace the stock speaker terminal clamps on two of my SA-9100's.
The block is made from 4 pieces of canvas based Micarta a Phenolic Resin material made by Westinghouse and used as everything from pool balls to the outboard bushings on ocean going ships. The stuff used to be used to make PCB and the pure resin version is what plastic switch plate covers are made of. The canvas based version (there is also a paper and a linen base) is what I used here.
The binding posts I chose were bought from AK sponsor Parts Express (and through the button on the bottom of the page so AK gets their support)
I went with the Dayton sold under the Parts Express name
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=091-1150
Since I was doing two amps with 3) speakers choices I needed 12 pair so I got the price break and they only cost $4.95 a pair.
The blocks were made in 4 pieces rather then just milling the thing out of one block which was my original intention but it turned out easier to achieve the accuracy I wanted making the bind post "pillows" one at a time and super gluing them to the backing plate. This allowed me to set up a jig on my drill press to drill the holes for the binding posts very quickly and dead accurate from pillow block to pillow block. The holes were drilled for the 5mm .8p metric threads used on the binding posts (PE has a technical drawing of the posts which made designing this very easy). Then after the pillows were glued to the backing plate I came back with a drill just barely large enough for the binding post stems to pass though.
This did two things one it allowed me to use the threads on the binding posts to actually hold the pillow to the backing plate. It also gave me a guide hole to perfectly line up the tap while treading the backing plate. So the binding posts are threaded in place and then the little locking nut is tighten in the back making sure nothing can move.
In the photo's I don't have the 4) mounting screw holes drilled and threaded yet. I have that done now and I went with a 6-32 thread rather then try to match the metric thread Pioneer used as I already had that tap and drill bit. And the local Ace was very limited on black screws so I went with a Black oxide button head using a 5/64" allen.
I haven't wiggled one of them into an amp yet but I test fit it as I was building them to my parts SA-9100 and the install should be very simple once I loosen the rear panel and tip it out a bit. Then a little soldering and I'm golden.
This is all part of a completely new speaker cable and connector upgrade to my system. I've changed the way my power meter is connected into the speaker cable circuit and will be changing my cables to some nice DIY's I'm working on using Canare 4S8 star quad speaker cable with 2 pairs of 16ga conductors. I'll be using a silver tinned bare wire at both ends. At this time I'm not changing the binding posts on my HPM-100's since this summer I will be working on a custom cabinet using HPM-900 Mids, tweeters and crossovers with HPM-100 woofers so that upgrade will include real binding posts.
OK OK OK Photo's
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/UJ78/SA-9100%20binding%20posts/SA-9100bindingpoststopview.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/UJ78/SA-9100%20binding%20posts/SA-9100bindingpostssideview.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/UJ78/SA-9100%20binding%20posts/SA-9100bindingpostsbottomview.jpg
Shown in the photo's is the speaker clamp block from a SA-8100 I had to part out. Since the spacing is exactly the same as the 3) blocks used in the SA-9100 it was nice to have it to measure with my calipers.
Anyway. Thought you all might enjoy.
I made a drop in binding post block to replace the stock speaker terminal clamps on two of my SA-9100's.
The block is made from 4 pieces of canvas based Micarta a Phenolic Resin material made by Westinghouse and used as everything from pool balls to the outboard bushings on ocean going ships. The stuff used to be used to make PCB and the pure resin version is what plastic switch plate covers are made of. The canvas based version (there is also a paper and a linen base) is what I used here.
The binding posts I chose were bought from AK sponsor Parts Express (and through the button on the bottom of the page so AK gets their support)
I went with the Dayton sold under the Parts Express name
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=091-1150
Since I was doing two amps with 3) speakers choices I needed 12 pair so I got the price break and they only cost $4.95 a pair.
The blocks were made in 4 pieces rather then just milling the thing out of one block which was my original intention but it turned out easier to achieve the accuracy I wanted making the bind post "pillows" one at a time and super gluing them to the backing plate. This allowed me to set up a jig on my drill press to drill the holes for the binding posts very quickly and dead accurate from pillow block to pillow block. The holes were drilled for the 5mm .8p metric threads used on the binding posts (PE has a technical drawing of the posts which made designing this very easy). Then after the pillows were glued to the backing plate I came back with a drill just barely large enough for the binding post stems to pass though.
This did two things one it allowed me to use the threads on the binding posts to actually hold the pillow to the backing plate. It also gave me a guide hole to perfectly line up the tap while treading the backing plate. So the binding posts are threaded in place and then the little locking nut is tighten in the back making sure nothing can move.
In the photo's I don't have the 4) mounting screw holes drilled and threaded yet. I have that done now and I went with a 6-32 thread rather then try to match the metric thread Pioneer used as I already had that tap and drill bit. And the local Ace was very limited on black screws so I went with a Black oxide button head using a 5/64" allen.
I haven't wiggled one of them into an amp yet but I test fit it as I was building them to my parts SA-9100 and the install should be very simple once I loosen the rear panel and tip it out a bit. Then a little soldering and I'm golden.
This is all part of a completely new speaker cable and connector upgrade to my system. I've changed the way my power meter is connected into the speaker cable circuit and will be changing my cables to some nice DIY's I'm working on using Canare 4S8 star quad speaker cable with 2 pairs of 16ga conductors. I'll be using a silver tinned bare wire at both ends. At this time I'm not changing the binding posts on my HPM-100's since this summer I will be working on a custom cabinet using HPM-900 Mids, tweeters and crossovers with HPM-100 woofers so that upgrade will include real binding posts.
OK OK OK Photo's
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/UJ78/SA-9100%20binding%20posts/SA-9100bindingpoststopview.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/UJ78/SA-9100%20binding%20posts/SA-9100bindingpostssideview.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/UJ78/SA-9100%20binding%20posts/SA-9100bindingpostsbottomview.jpg
Shown in the photo's is the speaker clamp block from a SA-8100 I had to part out. Since the spacing is exactly the same as the 3) blocks used in the SA-9100 it was nice to have it to measure with my calipers.
Anyway. Thought you all might enjoy.