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Design
Bamboo Radio
Bamboo Radio, 2007
Bamboo plywood + Blackened walnut veneer + Brass
This radio was inspired by the Gramophone from the late 1800’s. I used this form factor as a way for a small radio to project sound 360 degrees. Inside its guts, a wireless card will allow the user to stream music directly from their computer, as well as listen to normal radio stations (for the purposes of the working mockup, I used an Apple Airport Express to demonstrate the principle). By allowing the the sound to echo in the lower sealed chamber, I was able to maintain the good bass response for which the Tivoli is known.
The mockup radio was a challenge to build. Part of my own criteria for the project was to create a design that I could convincingly build in the shop. I wanted to try bamboo as a base material because (at least from my estimation) in plywood form, it would have similar properties to MDF, at least compared to regular wood. The plywood parts were incorporated for the bass to have something to vibrate. Plywood is often used in speaker design for this reason.
I blackened the walnut veneer using iron oxide. You put iron bits ina jar with vinegar and water, which will rust them in a few weeks. The rust essentially reacts with the wood to darken it. However, this process also dulls the color, so I used danish oil to bring the color back out of the wood.
Radio in context
Detail of the horn. I used brass and hand-brushed the swirls.