Rebates for speakers in speaker boxes

[Mark Karacsonyi]

Hi all,

Hoping for some guidance here. I have been asked to recess some speakers into a soon to be built speaker boxes. My challenges are:

The material in question is face veneered MDF. The veneer is beech. I don’t yet know the veneer thickness or the MDF thickness, suspecting 18mm.

My real question is how to avoid tearout, of the veneer. I will be using a Makita trim router. The bits I have are quality. Do I consider a bottom bearing bit, with a reduced sized bearing. Or a custom jig, with a top bearing bit.

I have always traditionally used solid woods, as the work pieces are sourced, I recalled don’t want to muck it up.

 

[Droogs]

Use a bearing guided bit that will draw the cut into the board, ideally a compression bit. Also cover the circumference with masking tape to minimize the risk of tear out or score the rim with a sharp knife.

 

[dzj]

Or, perhaps make a "false face" with identical openings out of 6 mm MDf. When pressed between 2 solid surfaces, veneer usually behaves better.

 

[Peri]

If you're recessing speakers, aren't you making 'circular rebates' ?

 

[Mark Karacsonyi]

If you're recessing speakers, aren't you making 'circular rebates' ?
View attachment 123523

Correct, just like in your piccy.