It all started with a desire to build an inexpensive set of home speakers, inexpensive means a simple design. I decided on a single full range driver (speaker), in an enclosure that also functioned as the stand (floorstanding tower speakers). My conclusion was that the optimal configuration was a tube enclosure, some 6 inch schedule 80 pvc would do nicely. Then one evening @ work, whilst cutting some fabric used in the construction of the pivot shaft we're building, it hit me. The stuff comes on a roll, and when the roll is empty, all you've got left is a 6 inch diameter by 48 inch long heavy cardboard tube... hmm...why didn't I notice this a little sooner. I'll take a few home and see what can be done with em' ( I better grab "several" because I'll want to experiment a bit ).
This is the beginning of things getting out of hand, throw in a broken ankle (oops), and several weeks of "home alone" with nothing much to do and "Presto", an obsession is born... A couple of the guys saving the empties and sending them home with "the wife", awfully nice of them. As most simple designs go, they tend to "unsimplify" themselves as things progress. Working in the composites program, one begins to notice that virtually all the material used .... comes on a cardboard roll ....and I mean a lot of them. There must be all kinds of stuff you could build with these things, right?And there we have it...
The "2bz" Omnidirectional Speakers...currently in the Peabody office, connected to the "2bsub" subwoofer/ amplifier unit...
The "2bsub"
Subwoofer amplifier unit...
The "Peabody Projector Platform"...currently functioning as the Audio/Video/Internet console (the reliable old Dell still getting the job done...), awaiting the purchase of a short throw digital projector...The concept here is to be able to play games (wii bowling anyone?) on a very large (huge preferably) screen, without blocking the projector beam, hence the "short throw" requirement... The BenQ MP515ST is capable of projecting an 83 in. diagonal image @ 5 feet from the screen/wall, Dell also just recently came out with a short throw unit (the S300) with a higher resolution and price than the BenQ...
The 2bz computer workstation, designed to allow wiring to be internalized in the tubes, as I dislike wires hanging out all over the place ...
The unit in service with the upgraded HP Quad core mainframe installed...
The "2bfeeder" large volume bird feeder (holds about four 1lb. coffee cans full) ... the current version (not shown) is now sporting the " if you can't beat em, join em', squirrel feeding panels... larger bottom openings that allow the little fuzzbutts to feed without chewing the crap out of the cardboard to get @ the seed... Version 3.1 is now awaiting it's waterproof coating in the lab... Although the photo doesn't show it, within about 15 minutes of putting this thing up we had a bird on almost every perch, it does quite a business on an average day and has even been known to draw the occasional hawk in...
I needed a stand for the really spiffy bench top drill press that Capt. ''Smilin Jack" Montgomery gave me...
Architect Shigeru Ban's tube structure school houses made from what else but discarded paper tubes...He's done some rather large structures with cardboard tube skeletons and treated paper walls...
Ban's cardboard tube pavillion with treated paper skin...
Interesting stuff...
