Do It Yourself
Really…. I won’t mind
Ye of Great Fortitude….
If you are interested in doing this yourself that is fine. Simply email me and ask for the model you wish to do. I am happy to hand out the schematics even for models I no longer do. There are two no-no’s however. First, don’t ask me for the 1.7 schematic. I believe the speaker cannot be fixed properly, so I am not going to abet you making another mistake. Sell it and buy a proper model and then contact me.
Second, I am happy to provide this info for free, but for ONE model. Once every couple of years I get people asking for all of them, and if not that, how about these 5 or 6 etc... You get one. It will be hard enough to do that properly, and if you do it properly then you won’t need to be doing others.
Most people tell me it takes them about a month to do it all, that means wooden frames and the crossover. And I assume the success rate is high because I’ve never had anyone tell me they couldn’t do it. But a decent knowledge of woodworking is required and the ability to cleanly solder is a big plus also.
DIY Overview
People write me all the time asking for advice to build their own frames. I have none. That's because it is so complex and involved writing down "instructions" would literally constitute writing a book. I don't have the time for that, and if I did I wouldn't give it away for free anyway, my wife would kill me. And let us not forget, this is DIY - do it yourself. Expect to have to figure out many things on your own.
Therefore my advice is if you have to ask, you're not ready. Go get some books on woodworking from your local library, read them, try simpler woodworking tasks first, and then when you feel up to it try to make a test pair out of free or at least very cheap wood. The quality isn't an issue as you won't keep or use them, they are just to allow you to make your mistakes and improve your chances when you try the real things. And if you can only do a really lousy job, that can still be OK. As long as they are holding the drivers properly, you can always completely recover them in fabric like before.
I can offer some tips however.
Do not use mortise and tennon joints. I believe due to the amount of vibration the frames are subjected to, the joints would become loose in time, and especially in the winter when the wood has naturally contracted. (unless you are willing to commit the “sin” of gluing said joint and draw boring the peg) A modern method like biscuits is advised. (I use a Domino joiner) I advise taking at least one driver "out" of the mdf frames before starting so you can measure it accurately so it fits in the new frames, and you'll understand how you'll need to rout for it etc.. and rout slightly over sized so when the wood moves it does not crush the driver. (IE, if the driver width is 11 inches, make the width for it in the frames about 11 and 1/4)
As for wood, having used countless types I can tell you none of them sound any different. That is because these frames are not resonating bodies, and in fact are the opposite - they are seeking to kill vibration. I don't recommend soft woods because they finish poorly and damage easily, nor do I recommend ultra hard tropicals, as their wood is almost not like wood anymore. Use whatever you can get locally, can afford and can work with the tools you have or have access to.
The size of the frame parts is not critical, but bigger is not better so don't get nuts. Wood thickness should not go under 3/4" and not over 1 and 1/4". Most of mine are around and inch. I don't plane to any dedicated thickness, and as all wood is sawn differently once it's smooth and inside those measurements it's fine and I leave it there. For the width of the side stiles I recommend the following - 3" is good for the MMG. 3.25” for the 12 and 3.5” the 1.6 and all larger models although the largest models can be up to 4" however I would not exceed 4" for any model up to and including the 20 series. For the top rail knock a quarter to a half inch off whatever the width of the stiles was. (if the side is 3.5 make the top 3 to 3.25) This is solely for aesthetics. The bottom rail should be 6" wide on every model. (woodworking note - stiles and rails - Stiles are the parts that run vertical and rails run horizontal)
Parts (struts, bases) are joined to the frame using threaded inserts and I advise that over screws into wood. The vibration will cause the screws to chew at the wood and they will eventually fall out and refuse to thread in again.
The metal braces are simply the original legs cut shorter, rebent to a roughly 2 degree angle and drilled to accept mounting screws. (the only screws I use in assembly) Here is a before and after picture. Note that if you have 1.6's or larger maggies they do not come with legs like this and you will need to go buy iron bar and make them from scratch.
Don’t forget to turn the drivers so the mylar faces rear. And be advised you will need to do something to mount the drivers once turned, because the bracing bars will prevent complete contact. I use 1/8” shims made from masonite. I tried wood at first, and for whatever reason (I think it acts like a 1 way mirror) the masonite works and sounds better in the application than wood does. It appears to let the vibration thru it into the wooden frames, but not back again. And when you drill the mounting holes, be sure to cover the mylar because hot shavings will melt right thru it, and be sure to drill a slightly over sized hole and use pan headed screws to allow for the frame to expand and contract.
As for the fabric….. that’s very complicated. You’ll need to figure that on your own.