I was planning on redoing my whole audio setup because my sub ripped itself out of the cheap eBay box it was in. I was planning on, I guess building a box from an MDF and maybe a little fiberglass but I don't even know where to get them from.
Mdf you can get at Homedepot or Lowes or any other store like it.
Fibergalss you can get just about everywhere. I get mine from West Marine, but its available at just about every auto store.
You also gonna need Sealant, wood glue, nails/screws, Patiance, and good math skills.
^ yup he is correct
Moms & Dads talk to your kids,before its too late,tell them to say no to aluminum wings.
ckeck out www.the12volt.com. They have great subwoofer enclosure calculators.
I get my fiberglass materials from
US Composites. They are reasonably priced, and have great quality materials. Their shipping is top notch. I believe everything I've always ordered was received within 3 days of the order (most of the time my card hadn't even been billed yet).
You'll want a few things if you'll be doing a fiberglass and MDF box. Here's a suggested shopping list:
Home Depot
* 3/4 in. Medium Density Fiberboard. 1 Sheet should be plenty.
* Wood Glue. I'd go with the Urethane glue (the name scapes me at the moment)
* Two 1 lb. boxes of 1 1/4 in. screws. You may not need both, but forking over $3 more initially means you don't have to make a second trip just in case.
* Professional Respirator. It's the 3rd from the bottom in that link. Don't cheap out here. Buy yourself a good respirator, the one with a cartridge on either side of the mask (makes you look like Darth Vader... wait did I just reference Star Wars... I've only seen one movie. God help me!) You're lungs will thank you in the end
* Latex Gloves. Fiberglass resin is a bitch to get off your hands.
* Acetone. If you want to clean your brushes. I prefer to get throwaway brushes and toss them out after I've laid down some resin. It's up to you.
* Tee nuts and screws to go with them (with Allen style heads). This is for security. Most break-ins that result in stolen subs are due to the fact that the person used a regular Phillips head screw. $5 is nothing to protect your $100 subs.
* Drill Bits. Get the size you need for your screws. PREDRILL MDF and your life will be a lot easier. Get at least 2-4 bits that you need in your size. It's too easy to break small bits.
* Counter Sink. This is so your screws will sit flush with your box. It's a wonderful little tool that costs very little, and if you ever do any woodworking at all, you'll be glad you have it in your tool box.
US Composites
* Fiberglass (polyester) resin. I usually get the B-440 , but the 435 would work for stereo enclosures. This stuff has a shelf life, so don't buy the 5 gallon barrel if you only need one for now.
* Fiberglass Cloth or
Fiberglass Mat. Chopped Strand Mat is usually enough for stereo enclosures.
* MKEP. This is what reacts with the resin and causes it to cure. If you don't have much experience with fiberglass, go ahead and pick up some extra MKEP b/c you will likely go through that bottle they supply with your resin.
* Brushes. They have lots of brushes in their supplies section. I'd buy a box or two.
* Fillers. You'll at least want the a good chopped strand filler (Duraglass) as well as a plastic filler (feather-rite). You may also want to consider the glazing putty (Evercoat).
Good luck
I forgot to put any tools in here, but I figured that it was given that you need a Drill, Sander, Circluar or Table Saw, and Jig Saw.
You'll also need sandpaper to sand the fiberglass down, and fleece or other stretchy cloth. For the Fillers, you'll want spreaders to spread the stuff and tounge depressers/popsicle sticks work to mix it.
I'm sure I'll think of more that I left out later.
@!#$er wrote:You'll also need sandpaper to sand the fiberglass down, and fleece or other stretchy cloth. For the Fillers, you'll want spreaders to spread the stuff and tounge depressers/popsicle sticks work to mix it.
I'm sure I'll think of more that I left out later.
Speaking of fleece/cloth... how does that work? I've seen people put fiberglass resin right on it once it's over the basic structure, but then what? Do you add fiberglass mat on top or keep doing resin or what? I've NEVER worked with fiberglass before, though I've built a few bidhouses from wood before.
JuggaloZeke wrote:@!#$er wrote:You'll also need sandpaper to sand the fiberglass down, and fleece or other stretchy cloth. For the Fillers, you'll want spreaders to spread the stuff and tounge depressers/popsicle sticks work to mix it.
I'm sure I'll think of more that I left out later.
Speaking of fleece/cloth... how does that work? I've seen people put fiberglass resin right on it once it's over the basic structure, but then what? Do you add fiberglass mat on top or keep doing resin or what? I've NEVER worked with fiberglass before, though I've built a few bidhouses from wood before.
yea, most people just do several layers. mat/resin/mat/resin until it's thick.
personally, i prefer to stiffen them from the inside using a resin expander. no mat
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Also you go to your local walmart or craft store and buy one pound of poly-fil per cubic foot of your enclosure. These stuff realy works. Its called polly-fill or polyester fiber and is only like 2$ a pound. Also check out www.partsexpress.com and click cabent building, There are alot of good building supplies cheap. Also check out www.caraudiohelp.com there is also a lot of good info there and some programs you can download for free to help calculate every thing you need to know to build you box. I hope i was able to help.
