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How to Recess a Squircle

4343

4343

Super Member
I've seen several posts about recessing a driver or horn flange to sit flush with the baffle. This is how I did it.

Step one is to cut the proper size hole in some thin (1/4") material. I used Masonite since I had a scrap piece. I've seen others that used Plexiglas, that is probably a better choice if you need to make a lot of the same recesses, but the masonite will last long enough for most hobby use.

I used my router, fitted with a Jasper Jig, set to the size for the JBL 2123/LE-10A I needed to recess. You can see it on the labeling of the jig, mine even has an arrow pointing out 8 15/16".
 

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Round hole cut

The result of the Jasper cut:

You can also cut whatever size hole you need to mount a square horn or any odd shape.

One important step that I missed here is to mark the center of the round hole, drawing lines out past the edge of the speaker. You'll see those later, once I remembered to put them on.
 

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Flush Screws!

Next mount the speaker into the hole using screws that will be flush below the top edge of the frame.
 

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Router with Follower

To cut the pattern out, I used a 3/8" router sleeve and a 1/8" bit. This is from a set I got at Sears. Both of the sizes I chose were too long and had to be shortened to project a little less than the thickness of the speaker flange.
 

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The pattern emeges.

Here's what it looks like with the speaker removed.
 

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Finished Pattern (For LE-5-XX)

Here's where I show the centering lines drawn out from the center. These are used to center the pattern on the location of the speaker on the baffle, before cutting the round hole. (Sorry, no pic of that.) Once it's screwed on, you can remove it and cut the round hole, then put it back on using the same screw holes. Plan these holes carefully, they will be on your finished baffle, and may need to be filled and sanded to hide them. I put only two screws on when cutting the LE-10A recesses, and put them on the part of the baffle that was cut out for the tweeter horn. With a midrange like the LE-5, you can use both the tweeter and woofer locations for screws.
 

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Round Hole

The result of using the jasper again, then centering the pattern on the resultant hole.

I should mention that the round piece left over from cutting a woofer opening makes a great practice piece for this. What else can you do with it?
 

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Cutting the Recess

The result of following the pattern with this bit (3/4" follower centered on a 1/4" Bit, I'm sure there are other combinations that work, this is just what worked for me.)
 

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Side view

The shortened follower with the bit projecting. Depth of the bit is set by stacking the pattern and the speaker frame together and setting the bit to project that amount. A little more if you will put a flat gasket on the rear of the flange, or the same, in the case of the round o-ring found on JBL's.
 

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Just an addition to your great router bushing write-up!!

Make your jig big enough so that you can just clamp it to the work surface.

Also if you cut your speaker cutouts in this manner you will not have your center hole move as you finish your cutout.:thmbsp:

Remember to mark your jig for what speaker it is for.:yes:
 
juniorJBL said:
Just an addition to your great router bushing write-up!!

Make your jig big enough so that you can just clamp it to the work surface.

Also if you cut your speaker cutouts in this manner you will not have your center hole move as you finish your cutout.:thmbsp:

Remember to mark your jig for what speaker it is for.:yes:
Click to expand...

Thanks.

All good points. Especially marking the pattern!

So you're saying that making round patterns for the speaker cutout works too, right?

I'm kinda set on the Jasper for round holes, especially when it's got a recess for the frame on the outside. I just start shallow, at the outside diameter and work across the recess 'til I get to the mounting diameter, where I change the depth to cut through. I could use a router bit that would follow the inside diameter and just cut a recess around the outside, for existing cabinets that I want to recess. (Like my L110T cabs.)

Oh, and bushing, that's the right word for what I was calling a follower, if you need to buy them, ask for bushings.

As to the center moving when the cut is finished:

The instructions that came with the Jasper said to stick the work down to a scrap piece with double sided tape, both center and outside piece. I tried that, but eventually got tired of looking for scraps to destroy, and started just cutting most of the way through from the front, then flipping the piece over and reset for a shallow cut so that no matter what happened when the center let loose it was not visible from the front. It helps if your pilot hole is straight! (Learned that when I tried cutting just to the middle of the thickness, and flipping. An angled hole will give you a step in the middle of the hole.)

I just today realized that the recess could be cut before cutting the opening, which would leave the center to be used to align the pattern, rather than the way I did, which was to use the edges of the hole...

Running out to mark the patterns right now...
 
4343 all good points!!

Yes if you cut with your Jasper the proper size hole for using whatever size bushing you are using then you can re-use your jig anytime. I like to make mine out of 3/4 MDF then they last a long time. The bonus to the bushings is they stay at the level of your router base so when you plunge you still have the same setback!:thmbsp:

No trying to keep bearings lined up on your work and more expensive router bits.
 
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