Handmade Anubis Art Speaker

Anubis Artspeaker is an art project I did during my 1st year graduate study in San Francisco Art Institute.

The concept is to create a product like sculpture that can be functional and aesthetic innovated. I was drawn by boombox and hip hop culture since I was a teenager, so i decide to make a unique speaker sculpture. At the flick of a switch My sculptures can summon up musical and audio experiences. Technological and aesthetic innovation have profoundly altered our sense of how music can be performed, distributed, heard, and visualized. the inspirational exchange between music and design flows in both directions. My speaker sculpture has empowered me to create and explore unprecedented range of music and sound. simultaneously, sound has been a model for many of my conceptual sculpture development.

The Speaker is made of composite polymer materials that content paper, resin, fiber glass, etc. I use most of the materials from the sculpture store Doulgas&Sturgess in San Francisco and Smooth-on brand which you can purchase online.

The electric components are all from parts express.

http://www.artstuf.com/ for sculpture materials

http://www.parts-express.com/ for speaker components

I have include the STL file for the speaker at the end of the post !

P.s. this is my first instructables post. I try my best at explaining things clear and simple. however some of the steps won't have photos.

I use Autodesk 3DS Max for modeling. the program might take a few days to get familiar with the interface and hotkeys. overall is a very powerful 3d software. I didnt need to learn that much in depth because all i need is to have the form build in polygon. the polygon count should be fairly low to achieve this geometric aesthetic.

there are few tips when making the model.

1. always try to make polygon that have 4 to 6 sides. it will be easier to cut once is printed on paper. avoid acute angles when separate the polygon mesh.

2. make sure no over lapping vertices

3. the model has to be one whole shell in order to have a good import in pepakura. make sure there is no parts that intersect

4. check the scale and volume after the model is done. make a close estimate to the speaker's Optimum Cabinet Size that is stated on parts-express . so pick a woofer, and write down the volume it needs. then scale the model to a size that has such volume.

Save the file to obj or STL

import to pepakura. then start separate the model into paper patterns

I use 110lb/298gm letter size cardstock to print the patterns. pick a cardstock that is very stiff but not too thick is very important.

make sure the paper doesnt have any coating on it. on the plane surface where the speaker is held print out the pattern and glue it to a big sheet. then trace it onto plywood or MDF sheet. it can be 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

once the pattern is traced on wood board. I precisely cut the pattern with a jigsaw. then sand the edges smooth. The size for cutout baffle for speaker is also stated on parts-express.com.I used 1/2 '' ply wood to attach the speaker . 1'' at the base. the structure should be vertical to the ground

Once the paper shell is cut ,score on the fold lines and glue them together. with the heavy card stock the shell can hold its shape without any resin reinforcement. brush on composite polymer material mixture. on the inside of the the shell. and glue the shell to the wood base.

for the composite polymer mixture. i use epoximite fast from smooth-on, mix with calcium carbonate, poly fill micro filber, silica fume, 1/4 chopped fiber and 1/2 chopped fiber. the result is a cream cheese consistency opaque paste that cures to a hardness of 84D shoreA and also light weight.

sand any overlap paper edge that is not soaked with the composite polymer. filling any dent and blemish with automotive filler. I recommend EASY SAND from EVERCOAT. to avoid buildup. apply small batch at one time. then sand with 80 grit sand block. finishes with 220 grit sand block.

Use 3 coats of High build 2k primer. then 3 coats of base coat. finishes with 3 coats of clear.

wire the crossover board with the speakers. make sure the ohm matches the crossover board. polish with spray wax.

the mold making process is very difficult since it is my first ever mold. and the speaker is considered large with complex shape. it took me 3 tries to make a usable mold. the process was stressful but at the end I succeeded.

so first i did spray a generous amount of release agent on the surface. Once it is dried build the seam line with clay where the silicone mold separates. I used plastalina clay contents no sulfur.

the silicone mold is made of mold star 30 from Smooth-on. Brush on at least 6 thin layers on one side. the silicone mold should be at least 1/2 inch thick.

the mother shell is made of 5 pieces. I used Plasti Paste from Smooth-on.

once the mold is made. it's ready for casting. I use white polyurethane that has a 10minutes demold time. for each piece, the first pour only contents polyurethane resin to capture the maximum detail. the 2-4 time i poured a mixture of polyurethane resin with chopped fiber and poly fill micro fiber. then Sand any blemish and seams. whip clean with alcohol. it's ready to paint!

the last image you can see I made 3 molds, the two on the left were not successful. so be patient and very careful when make the mold. once a quality production mold is made, you can cast any many speakers as you would like.

repeat the paint process

3 coats of high build 2 k primer.

3 coats of base coat

3 coats of clear

These speakers really sound amazing. although, I m not a sound expert and these speakers are not intended to be hi-fi sound systems, they are just as good as any home stereo. the key is to have the shell sealed to create an sealed volume so no air can escape from the inside. I used hot glue gun to seal the bottom with a 3/4 wooden base that is painted to the same color. I was very fortunate to show them at the De Young museum in San Francisco with my mentor Rigo 23 and DJ Dino. These speakers were also shown in Swell Gallery in San Francisco this year.

once again. this is my very first instructable post and I have learned most of the knowledge through instructables.com, youtube tutorials and forums online. I hope to share my learning and my experience with the online viewers as well.

let me know there is anything you would like to know more.

The STL file of this speaker model is available on thingiverse.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:435960

I am a MFA student in San Francisco Art Institute. if you like my work, there are more speaker sculptures on my website. www.yuesart.com

Practice and Enjoy