woodsey Messages: 24 Registered: October 2011 Location: Earth
Junior Member
Ok, I may be going out on the moron limb here. But I can't figure out why piece of wood in the back of the kustom cabinets does not go all the way to the other side? (It's the internal piece by the back access cover)
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Early cabinets from what we call the Frank era did not have a middle brace, or atleast my horizontal 2-15" cab does not, and the wood they use for that brace in the later cabs like yours is a scrap section which is why it does not span the full width.
My best guess is that instead of having more production garbage to pay someone to throw away , and then haul away they figured installing it in the center even the way they did was better for the cabinet a bit and in the end cost the same man power wise.
I thought the short brace gave them room to slip the baffle board sideways into the finished cabinet.
That way, the cabinet could be manufactured and upholstered and the baffle would be covered with grille cloth in two manufacturing lines and the unit assembled as required.
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
It is purposely cut short on one end to allow the baffle board to be installed. The center brace was glued and screwed to the baffle board before the baffle board with brace was installed into the cabinet.
Anyone who has removed a baffle board to re grill or clean the grill cloth will understand that the side cleats are glued and stapled.
Only the top and bottom cleats are removable, which allow for the baffle board to swing into the cabinet on an angle and the short side of the brace allows the clearance needed to clear the side cleat to allow the baffle board to swing into place to push the baffle board onto to the bolts that hold the baffle board to the front of the cabinet. The cleats are the 1x2" boards that the back of the cabinet screws into.
Pleat is exactly right. I have found everything he stated here to be a fact. I build furniture and can see exactly how they were made. Also following Pleats instructions on how to clean the grill cloth is a must for Kustom collectors that want the cloth to look as new again as it possibly can. It is a pain to do, but well worth the effort.
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
I've posted in the past that I take the baffle board out of the cabinet, and head to the car wash. Power wash and rinse, vacuum off the excess water and let it sit in the sun for an hour or so. It brings the grill back to new and any dust that has settled in the speaker openings are blasted away. It also gives me a chance to make sure the nuts that hold the baffle board to the cabinet are tight and re installing the speakers, the nuts are tight. You just never know for sure what you might find in a cabinet once the back is taken off. Toys, golf balls, tools, french fries, etc.
I found that that brace really didn't serve a useful purpose since it didn't tie the cabinet side together for better support. I removed that "scrap" board and installed a 2 X 2 that supports both sides and makes the cabinet more stable. I used L brackets to attach the board to the sides. That way all I have to do is unscrew it and remove the board to get the baffle board out. Also helps to keep the back panel from warping in time since it now has a firm support to connect to.
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
The sides are tied together when the back is screwed in place. The center brace actually ties the front baffle board to the back panel giving strength to the baffle board. I know that the 3x15 bass or guitar cabs used two center braces between each speaker. The siren 3x15 cabs, Kustom didn't use a center brace between the siren horn and the middle speaker. I'm sure that if it served no real purpose, Kustom would have save the production costs to install the braces.
pleat
I see your point of view. Good point about supporting the baffle board as well. Guess I'll add an additional 2 X 2 from the back brace to the baffle board also now. Thanks for bring things to light Pleat. Your the man.
I just checked one of the cabinets that I have open, and I must have realized that that scrap also supported the baffle board. I already had put an additional 2 X 2 from the brace to the baffle board. The light bulb must have been on that day I guess. lol