Thanks a TON (actually, about one-half ton of bass) for all the kind, patient advice on the build and the setup. Kevin Pippen, especially. We launched them two days ago and the results were exactly what I was hoping for.
Drum N Bass is awesome with these, but will be better once we get the super mid-bass that we'll get from the X-TROs that I'm about to build. I will need help understanding how they are wired and amped. After seeing the build pics with 4+4 speakon plugs on the back, my head started to spin. (I have just learned how to calculate impedance and wire accordingly for the LABs, this is a bit more complicated and dependant on a few variables.)
We're powering them with one QSC PL380, but I realized that I can run each pair of off one of these, so we're planning to buy one more to get the full effect.
I think if I had it to do again, I would use a black veneer instead of liquid finishes, at least for the inside of the mouth, where it's likely to gather dust and start looking rough. I used Duratex speaker coating on the outside, and it is really nice. I was able to extend it by first priming with flat black latex and letting it dry for 12 hours. On a test sample, dry-to-touch (1 hour) latex caused crackling and lift-away when coated with duratex, but fully cured latex (12 hours) worked as a primer and extender without reducing adhesion of the duratex. (Duratex isn't cheap.)
Heavy duty handles, two on the top and two on the bottom, along with four heavy-duty casters on the back is a GREAT combination. You can pull on the handle with your foot at the fulcrum point and all 250 lbs goes right onto two of the wheels. (This can be made easier with 3/4" rubber feet on the bottom, which I thought of beforehand.) It's easy to maneuver without any help at all. You can lower it onto all four caster to move it longer distances. Tha handles help for loading or stacking them on their sides.
Notes on mounting the wheels:
1. Inset them enough so that the wheels will never pass the edge of the box at any position. I made a template for consistency.
2. I used 4" caster (swivel and/or fixed) with 1/4-20 deluxe T-nuts from parts express.
3. Before you assemble the outer box, (but you've got the pieces routed and ready to go) mount the T-nuts on the back panel with some epoxy where the teeth go in. Then bolt the wheels on and torque them down. You can avoid a few problems this way, and it's nice to have the wheels so early on.
Thanks again!