chipwelder
AVForums Grandmaster
This would have been a brief, hopefully funny essay that highlights the fun and tribulations of building a speaker for your 3 yo, with his help? I left it too long, so here are guidelines, most of which will probably serve you well if you decide to do such a thing. Promise it is well researched, if only anectdotally. It will probably apply up to about 6 or 7 years of age, in some form or another? I follow a positive parenting style; it is definitely NOT a no-discipline parenting style.
I found the following state of mind changes useful? I refer to him, because mine is a he, not as a preclusion to her?s?
1. Well this process might start out as an easy to build speaker to plonk in the child?s room that will provide stories and children?s music, maybe reduce the attention your personal hi-fi is getting? Well scrap that, if you want to zen, that is not the goal, it is a by-product.
2. There are two concurrent processes running here, don?t confuse the two, they often cannot be done at the same time, especially when large fast cutting power tools are needed:
a. Progressing with the speaker (stuff you mostly do while he is playing in the garage/on your own)
b. Building speakers with your 3 yo (stuff he mostly does while you watch or hold stuff for him to do?)
3. Forget elaborate / expensive speakers? 2way bookshelf sealed box first / second order xo cheap easy drivers MAX!!! or a kit with everything just plug and play? If you want to build stands, do it, but really just build ones that can go close to the wall? on a desk or bookshelf
4. This is not something you will do with a 3 yo on his playing time. It is something you will do on YOUR garage time, accept it and move on. It will be fun, mostly. (at some point, if you do it right he will volunteer his playing time for the project, this is very satisfactory, and you would probably spend more time bonding than building speakers, but some progress will be made)
It would be beneficial to keep these things in mind, to preserve your zen?
1. You are the adult; it is your job to create a safe environment.
2. Your 3 yo is probably only interested in using the tools that he may use on his own, with VERY MINOR interference? so you should have stuff to saw and hammer, sandpaper, paint brushes? in the garage, with carefully selected tools that will cause only minor pain (some learning is good ? if you are OK with stopping the progress and listening to the 3yo about the eina!) and no lasting damage to the child, tools, or other projects in the garage?
3. First thing in the garage is chat to him about which tools he wants to use and what he wants to saw sand hammer etc? once he is busy and involved?proceed to progress on the speaker, with one eye open. Soft, scrap wood that visible progress can be made on is a good idea? for these activities.
4. Stop frequently and chat to him about what he is doing, and look at how well he is doing?
5. If your child is done ?working on the speakers? ? in other words the first utterance of daddy lets go play ? negotiate a time to stop the work (in the next few minutes!) finish that one thing, stop and play, he has energy to burn and you probably don?t want to do that in your workshop while you are concentrating on something else?
6. Think of all the small time consuming jobs one can do with one eye on something else and line them up for more difficult days, they add up to good time saved at the end. Inductor winding, cross-over board drilling with a dremel, the 3yo can saw it out of 3mm mdf?
7. Re-design some aspects of the speaker so that the 3yo can actually DO more of the speaker? These shouldn?t be low progress rate jobs, there is only so much attention in a 3 yo?
8. You?ll get in a rhythm soon; nothing is fun if it ends in a screaming match. Short bursts of progress are best?
9. The intricacies of a great sanding and painting job is beyond your 3yo? so do it by yourself or preferably just universal undercoat (mostly the 3yo with a brush is useful) and spray-can it in whatever colour the 3yo chooses. Ours are signal red, goes well with black drivers actually?
10. Test the speaker frequently with the child? start with just a protective cap on the tweet, if you are doing the xo yourself? more stuffing less stuffing, long port short port, you know exaggerate things a little, draw it out a bit? Listen to some of his music while doing it? say encouraging things about the speaker and then propose some improvements?
11. Mount XO OUTSIDE at first speed of changes is of the essence.
12. If your child says something, listen? if it is a feeling; acknowledge that feeling, you will be surprised how much more zen you will get from that simple process?
13. Take more photos of the 3yo?s activity than I did?
14. Spending 30min on progress in a 2 hour stretch is good going? It gets better with time if the fundamentals are right?
Remember, raising children is part loving devotion and part guerilla warfare...
I found the following state of mind changes useful? I refer to him, because mine is a he, not as a preclusion to her?s?
1. Well this process might start out as an easy to build speaker to plonk in the child?s room that will provide stories and children?s music, maybe reduce the attention your personal hi-fi is getting? Well scrap that, if you want to zen, that is not the goal, it is a by-product.
2. There are two concurrent processes running here, don?t confuse the two, they often cannot be done at the same time, especially when large fast cutting power tools are needed:
a. Progressing with the speaker (stuff you mostly do while he is playing in the garage/on your own)
b. Building speakers with your 3 yo (stuff he mostly does while you watch or hold stuff for him to do?)
3. Forget elaborate / expensive speakers? 2way bookshelf sealed box first / second order xo cheap easy drivers MAX!!! or a kit with everything just plug and play? If you want to build stands, do it, but really just build ones that can go close to the wall? on a desk or bookshelf
4. This is not something you will do with a 3 yo on his playing time. It is something you will do on YOUR garage time, accept it and move on. It will be fun, mostly. (at some point, if you do it right he will volunteer his playing time for the project, this is very satisfactory, and you would probably spend more time bonding than building speakers, but some progress will be made)
It would be beneficial to keep these things in mind, to preserve your zen?
1. You are the adult; it is your job to create a safe environment.
2. Your 3 yo is probably only interested in using the tools that he may use on his own, with VERY MINOR interference? so you should have stuff to saw and hammer, sandpaper, paint brushes? in the garage, with carefully selected tools that will cause only minor pain (some learning is good ? if you are OK with stopping the progress and listening to the 3yo about the eina!) and no lasting damage to the child, tools, or other projects in the garage?
3. First thing in the garage is chat to him about which tools he wants to use and what he wants to saw sand hammer etc? once he is busy and involved?proceed to progress on the speaker, with one eye open. Soft, scrap wood that visible progress can be made on is a good idea? for these activities.
4. Stop frequently and chat to him about what he is doing, and look at how well he is doing?
5. If your child is done ?working on the speakers? ? in other words the first utterance of daddy lets go play ? negotiate a time to stop the work (in the next few minutes!) finish that one thing, stop and play, he has energy to burn and you probably don?t want to do that in your workshop while you are concentrating on something else?
6. Think of all the small time consuming jobs one can do with one eye on something else and line them up for more difficult days, they add up to good time saved at the end. Inductor winding, cross-over board drilling with a dremel, the 3yo can saw it out of 3mm mdf?
7. Re-design some aspects of the speaker so that the 3yo can actually DO more of the speaker? These shouldn?t be low progress rate jobs, there is only so much attention in a 3 yo?
8. You?ll get in a rhythm soon; nothing is fun if it ends in a screaming match. Short bursts of progress are best?
9. The intricacies of a great sanding and painting job is beyond your 3yo? so do it by yourself or preferably just universal undercoat (mostly the 3yo with a brush is useful) and spray-can it in whatever colour the 3yo chooses. Ours are signal red, goes well with black drivers actually?
10. Test the speaker frequently with the child? start with just a protective cap on the tweet, if you are doing the xo yourself? more stuffing less stuffing, long port short port, you know exaggerate things a little, draw it out a bit? Listen to some of his music while doing it? say encouraging things about the speaker and then propose some improvements?
11. Mount XO OUTSIDE at first speed of changes is of the essence.
12. If your child says something, listen? if it is a feeling; acknowledge that feeling, you will be surprised how much more zen you will get from that simple process?
13. Take more photos of the 3yo?s activity than I did?
14. Spending 30min on progress in a 2 hour stretch is good going? It gets better with time if the fundamentals are right?
Remember, raising children is part loving devotion and part guerilla warfare...
