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I am working on the design for a very large speaker chassis (approx. 9' H x 6' W x 2' D). Based on this very large size I'd like this to be able to disassemblable into panels for storage. The chassis design will be pretty standard, 4 walls with inlaid front and back panels:

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What is a good design for the corner joints I could use to allow this to disassemble? I need it to both be strong enough to hold the large cabinet together and look reasonably polished. Would something where I cover the 4 corner seems with L shaped angle irons potentially work?

My current plan for finishing is to use something like this Granotone speaker paint: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z5SNJ1F/?coliid=I276S8TRG9J0S1&colid=1227IC8E2NVMS&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

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    Hi, welcome to Woodworking! Have you considered and discarded simply using screws or bolts? These are an option pretty much regardless of the material you're building from, even chipboard/particleboard if you had to.
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 9 at 7:36
  • @Graphus The disassemblable solution will almost certainly involve bolts, I think my main question here is what kind of joint to use that will work with the bolting setup and also look smooth cosmetically. I think the cosmetic question in particular is import, since I don't want to have an uneven seam at all the corner which draws a bunch of attention
    – Emmett Palaima
    Commented Jan 9 at 17:47
  • Black-oxide finished cap-head bolts (Allen head, Pozi or Robertson) seem to me a good fixing solution for this functionally, on multiple levels, and they have a suitable aesthetic. If preferred stainless could be used for a pop of silver. Increase the number or go longer for increased strength.
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 10 at 8:48
  • How much these speakers are intended to be hauled around when fully assembled will dictate how much (even whether) you want/need to reinforce the corners and arrises externally with steel, just as it does with commercial speakers — just like amps, speaker enclosures are only built like armoured boxes when they need to be, yes? As for structural reinforcement just to ensure strength and longevity you could reinforce all the joints internally, obviating the need for external solutions that need to be removed and reinstalled each time, and have the potential to be mislaid or damaged.
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 10 at 8:50
  • As other comments are suggesting, this question is a bit too broad to be answered. You appear to be asking for designs without offering adequate information on how it will be used including issues of durability and aesthetics. I am closing this question, but you may get useful help by asking more detailed questions about specific issues you are addressing as you refine your design.
    – Ashlar ♦
    Commented Jan 10 at 21:49

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How would you attach those angle irons, with nuts & bolts? Then why not do as suggested in a comment and just screw/bolt the thing together in the first place.

To be honest, though, at 9 feet (3 meters) tall and 6 feet (2 meters) wide, I'd think some extra strength from some angle iron at the corners wouldn't hurt.

Are you expecting to put the angle iron on the inside with threaded holes that the bolts run into, or on the outside with clearance holes through the iron and threaded inserts in the wood to accept the bolts? I'd think bolting the iron to the inside "permanently" to the sides, then removable bolts into threaded iron for the front/back may be your best bet.

Since you've now indicated (in a comment) that you're interested in the type of corner joint that will look good, I think that's entirely up to you.

  • A simple butt joint, when covered in paint will be just fine. (I didn't click the link, but in my mind, "speaker paint" has a texture to it that will hide the edge laminations.)

  • A miter joint will work nicely, but leaves thin edges that could be dinged up during storage & handling and may not last long.

  • A lock miter would be very strong but could be difficult to disassemble.

The options are unlimited, and it really comes down to how much effort you want to put into it, and how concerned you are with damaging the look during disassembly and storage and what the potential for damage is with the specific design you choose.

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  • I think the main part of my question is how to design the joint to work well with joining via nuts and bolts, and how to get the seam to look nice given my finishing process
    – Emmett Palaima
    Commented Jan 9 at 23:04
  • Thanks for updating, the advice on the joints is very helpful. In order for the part to disassemble properly I can't use paint to cover any seams, since that coverage would have to get ripped open when the piece is deconstructed. That's why I though of covering the seem with an angle iron. Does that make sense? Does that seem like a good approach?
    – Emmett Palaima
    Commented Jan 10 at 5:01
  • @EmmettPalaima, what you're asking here isn't a good fit for the SE format. StackExchange is intended to provide concrete Answers to discrete queries (as much as possible) so this kind of thing is very much better suited to a standard forum where you can ask open-ended theoretical questions, get feedback and go back and forth a couple of times with multiple respondents and work incrementally towards a solution.
    – Graphus
    Commented Jan 10 at 8:36
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    The aesthetics of the design, @EmmettPalaima, are purely subjective and that doesn't sit well with any of the SE sites. As I noted in my answer, fine edges (as you might find on a mitered joint) are more likely to be damaged in handling that a 90° edge. If you're worried that a bit of a ding might show up, then paint some of the inside edge, too. If you'd prefer, simply put the angle iron on the outside, with attendant fixed fasteners on the inside. It's entirely up to you. (If you paint each piece individually, there won't be any paint to be "ripped open when deconstructed".)
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 10 at 12:37

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