Cutting a sound port in my Enya X3 Pro Mini?

[Per Burström]

Hi,
I have had an Enya Nova Go SP1 for several months, and I really appreciate its sound port that face you as a player. Now I also have an Enya X3 Pro Mini, and I kind of miss the sound port. So I have had thoughts about maybe cutting a sound port in it as well.

Any thoughts on this? Bad idea? The sides and bottom of the X3 feels really robust, so my guess that it wouldn't loose any stability. But maybe I would screw up its sound?!

Easiest would probably be to use a hole saw to get a circular sound port. And it could probably get a standard rubber plug to cover it if not needed.

Hole saw example: https://www.amazon.com/wolfcraft-Bi-...dp/B001W7D2A0/

Let me know what you think!

/Per

[Aspiring]

I did this with a Klos hybrid travel. I used a hole saw and then sealed the edges with a little clear epoxy.

Mine turned out great and I really liked the changes for my hearing of the guitar and the sound out front. I used a 1.5" hole saw in the upper bout.

If the x3 is built with a construction similar to my x4 I doubt there would be any issues as long as you have the confidence in putting the hole in cleanly. I center punched the location and went very slowly. I also applied masking tape over the area before cutting to help reduce tearing.

[LFL Steve]

https://www.amazon.com/Yonico-43049C..._dp&th=1&psc=1

Cleaner cut, less likely to grab, less likely to tear.

[OnTheFidele]

Don't know about how the X3 is constructed, so take the following with a grain of salt.

I asked Dave about sound ports and he inquired with the builders about the best potential method. They said that with Rainsongs, they cut holes right after molding using hole saws. The edges end up extremely sharp, but they don't sand them. The finish coating smoothes the edges.

Regarding making a sound port after the finishing process, the builders recommended to use a hole saw, then use a brush to paint cyanoacrylate (super glue) to integrate the hole's edge with the rest of the finish.

[Earl49]

I second LFLSteve's suggestion of a Forstner bit. If you use a hole saw, make sure it is a brand new one, and it's not a bad idea to get it sharpened first. Technically you could build fine cabinets with a Home Depot crosscut hand saw, but......

[Per Burström]

Thanks for your advices, now I feel convinced that I'll cut a sound port in my X3 Pro Mini! I play alot sitting in the couch, in a room with a huge amount of textiles, and I do get very little of the sound from the normal sound hole.

Anyway, if I get a drill bit, do you think it's better to get one with "deeper outer edges", like this Makita on the Swedish Amazon site: https://www.amazon.se/Makita-Forstne.../dp/B01EBNME1Y ? I'm in Sweden, so the available brands is a bit different from US, and most are in mm. I will probably go for 35 mm, possibly 40.

Thanks for your help!
/Per

[casualmusic]

Enya sides are 60% polycarbonate and 40% short carbon fibres.

I’d do the work outdoors where the carbon fibre dust will disperse safely.

My choice would be a tubular hole saw for easy control at breakthrough and to minimize carbon dust. Finish with sandpaper or dremel. Coat raw edges with epoxy, nail polish or varnish.

According to other AGF threads a 2-3cm tweeter hole is sufficient but a bit bigger may look prettier.

https://www.homedepot.com/s/hole%20saw%20kit?NCNI-5

Cheers.

[Per Burström]

Originally Posted by casualmusic

Enya sides are 60% polycarbonate and 40% short carbon fibres.

I’d do the work outdoors where the carbon fibre dust will disperse safely.

My choice would be a tubular hole saw for easy control at breakthrough and to minimize carbon dust. Finish with sandpaper or dremel. Coat raw edges with epoxy, nail polish or varnish.

According to other AGF threads a 2-3cm tweeter hole is sufficient but a bit bigger may look prettier.

https://www.homedepot.com/s/hole%20saw%20kit?NCNI-5

Cheers.

Many thanks for the advice(s)!

My Nova Go has an oval sound port about 29x46 mm in size. I think I will go for 35 mm on the X3 Pro Mini.

Per

[mbroz]

I would be cautious with forstner bits in this application. They tend to have a lot of tear-out and try to bind when they exit the backside of the material. The also can jump out of the hole on you if they bind because the center punch part is pretty short.
Perhaps practice on a piece of plexiglass or plywood or something before cutting the hole?
If it was me, I am pretty sure I would go with a very sharp hole saw and follow up with a hole sanding bit to smooth it out afterward. But everybody has their own experience to draw on and others might disagree with me.

[OnTheFidele]

Originally Posted by mbroz

I would be cautious with forstner bits in this application. They tend to have a lot of tear-out and try to bind when they exit the backside of the material. The also can jump out of the hole on you if they bind because the center punch part is pretty short.
Perhaps practice on a piece of plexiglass or plywood or something before cutting the hole?
If it was me, I am pretty sure I would go with a very sharp hole saw and follow up with a hole sanding bit to smooth it out afterward. But everybody has their own experience to draw on and others might disagree with me.

I agree with @mbroz on this one.

I've used both hole saws and Forstner bits mostly on wood and solid surface material. For something less porous/soft than wood like a carbon fiber, especially on a curved surface, I would feel much more comfortable using a new hole saw. I was tought to use hole saws for drilling steel plating, but not sure I'd be comfortable doing the same with a Forstner. Likewise, I've been taught to drill through solid surface material (like Corian and Staron) with hole saws, not Forstner bits. Solid surface is much tougher than wood but less than steel. Overall, my "gut" tells me that the hole saw would be safer overall, though I don't know which would be smoother.

[Aspiring]

That and I think a hole saw will create less carbon dust. Fyi for the op if you have not picked up that advice yet wear a mast while doing this. Carbon dust is not great in the lungs.

[Steve Christens]

I'm going to disagree with all of you and suggest a Dremel tool with a routing bit, following up with sanding to get the perfect contour. That way you'll be able to do an oval, and not just a circle.

[Earl49]

Good idea Steve. I have a Dremel tool and a router jig for it from StewMac. With a template to cut the hole it would work well. And ditto on the face mask. Some fibers just don't belong in our lungs. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...n-router-base/

[mbroz]

I also agree Steve has a good idea. I've not used a router bit with a dremel, let alone one from StewMac, so perhaps that would be an excellent way to go. All my experience with routers have been with larger models...that said, routers (even small ones) do like to grab if you get out of alignment or away from your jig, so I would think practicing on something first would be a good idea.