Baffle finish ??

Hello,

Is there a preferred finish for the baffle (in a ported enclosure)? I am planning on tinting it black with india ink so it will not be so visible behind the speaker cloth (or maybe it will look so nice that my wife will not require coverage). After that comes the question - should it be left natural wood, or is it better to put on a coat or two of lacquer to make the surface more 'reflective'. Since I am spending a fair amount of time trying to do these right, maybe there is an optimal approach for this fairly large surface (approx 42 x 24 inches). Of maybe it just indicated the operation of an obsessive mind........

regards -- Roger

Roger,

That is a baffling question !!


Jeff

Given all the subtleties of open baffle, I have a feeling that there is an answer out there. It would be nice to squeeze that extra bit of performance out with a minimal amount of effort..... I am already working the baffle a lot to make it just right for the 604 and port, and a little more would not be an issue !!

Not that it is directly relevant, but Karlson cabs supposedly benefit substantially from a front baffle lacquer.

regards -- Roger

Yes, doing a baffle 'right' is one of those 'God in the details' that most folks only address in the form of a well sealed, super slick gloss finish and/or do a proper job of doing the driver/cutout interface. There's no such thing as too rigid and too slick a baffle, especially if it's a horn, just a point of diminishing returns.

Few folks ever stop to visualize just what a WL and any reflections are [basically] doing and how fast it's doing it and that its mass is shrinking exponentially with increasing frequency [1/f] as it decays when determining what's 'best' or at least will yield the most improvement for a given budget.

In short, the better sealed, polished you're willing to invest in it, though far more improvement is to be had maximizing smoothing of driver/baffle interface.

WRT vents, same applies since it's a 1/2 WL TL [pistonic acoustic radiator], so can be visualized as a soap bubble that has 1/4 of its sphere protruding out each end, i.e. if you radius the baffle, then ideally it should be the same at the other end for best linear action, something that virtually no one does unless using a premade flared vent.

Anyway lots more to this overall subject, but out of time for now, though look up Polk's patented 'power port', which delves into how friction can be a plus when the port flares are large enough to be more than cosmetic.

GM

Thanks very much for the reply - I will be putting several coats of lacquer on the baffle once I have finished working it. I got a pair of 6" precision ports that I am going to install recessed into the baffle, such that the face of the port is flush with the baffle (rather than sitting proud of it). I am also planning to back mount the 604s, and put a 45 degree bevel (eased) 'flaring' to the face of the baffle. There are not a lot of elements, but doing them right is going to take good planning and plenty of time to assure precision.

In this case, the journey is as much fun as arriving at the destination.

regards -- Roger

GM
On a cab like the 828, are you saying that the finish should be as smooth as possible in the horn flare area?
How about on the same cab in the baffle area between the woofer motor board and the horn flare? Many times that area is pretty rough since its the edge of plywood or MDF all around the woofer cutout

'Slick' only affects the HF, so mostly cosmetic since it would basically only affect reflections, same as a baffle. Seal, smooth out a 511 though and it's more noticeable, especially if the mouth perimeter is damped too.

GM