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hey everyone..
for a little while now ive been thinking about making a custom box for my eclipse, on that looked much like this from JL audio
My goal is to produce a box that is, great sounding, not very complicated to make, total material cost of no more than $50, and "like stock" appearing..
Let me know what you guys think and if you would be interested in something like this.. Im going to make this box for myself regardless, but if there is enough interest I will take the time to document everything on color film and paper.
I am sure there would be interest. I am not a big audio guy myself but even I am interested. Weight should also be a concern to those of us that are trying to sound good while still keeping the car light.
Originally posted by greenstreak I am sure there would be interest. I am not a big audio guy myself but even I am interested. Weight should also be a concern to those of us that are trying to sound good while still keeping the car light.
yes that is one of my prime concerns...I think im going to make two styles of the box. one made out of fiberglass with a MDF front, and the other entirely out of fiberglass and sprayed with sound dentner on the inside to create better acustics and dampen any vibrations caused by the fiberglass construction..
how im going to go about making the templat out of something everyone has access to, will remain secret, for now
I have my own it my car. Wasn't that hard to build at all. Use some card board to make templates to cut up the mdf, fiberglass it all toghter. Took me about 2 weeks to make mine in the winter(had to put it in my family room, turn the gas stove up to 90 open all the windows, and turn on a millon fans) I figure mine ways about 25 to 30 lbs with the sub(11 by its self). I run 1 image dynmics idq 10 ported. Stuffed it full of polly fill and it sounds amazing. Worst part was using bondo to blend the edges. And I fucked up and blended into the panle right where it flexes to most, it cracked once I repaired it, and it cracked again.
Originally posted by ippkiss I have my own it my car. Wasn't that hard to build at all. Use some card board to make templates
how did you find out my secret..lol
yes, I am going to use cardboard to make the template. the back of the box though will be form fitting to the wheel well using a cardboard template as well...my only concern so far is if I can fiberglass the cardboard and have it hard enough (the cardboard) to leave it as part of the box...this would make this project 10X easyier for the novice fiberglass worker.
If there are any fiberglass kings out there, please let me know if this is aceptable or not..
for the back of the box, try this method as it will be much stronger than the cardboard, and form better too.
go to the local car audio shop, and buy some box carpeting (or fabric store and buy thick fleece). line your wheelweel (or whatever your molding the back of the box too) with aluminum foil. after you've lined the aluminum foil, spray it with 3M spray adhesive, and then "carpet" that area, soft side to the adhesive. push the carpet into the wheelwell really nicely until it is the exact shape of the well. then just piant the resin onto it very thick. let it harden overnight, then just pop it out of there. trim where necessary
the aluminum foil will allow the mold to come right out. this will be hard enough to be the back of your enclosure. peel off the aluminum foil, and now when you re-insert it, the soft carpet will keep it from squeeking while your driving.
TIPS: 1. if you feel it needs reinforcment, line the insides with fiberglass matting and resin again for more strength. 2. mix the resin/hardener a little weaker than recommended, it will dry slower, but harder and not as brittle. 3. WalMart always has scrap fabrics on sale for like $1 / yard, look there for fleece.
i hope this may have helped a little, and not confused too much
any questions about my methods, just ask. It may not be the best out there, but worked great for me! (i've tried the cardboard method, works ok, but hard to mold nicely, and not as strong unless you reinforce it)
Traditionaly that is what ive done to make kick panels for speakers and other accessories in and around the car.
So what i was going to do is the same thing you are talking about for the back than use a cardboard box to make the top sides and front. this way all you need to make the sub hole is a pair of house hold sissors, than fiber it around.
the one thing im looking at now is what to use to support the screws that have to go through the fiberglass to hold the sub. should i have a muti layer of FG circles on the inside around the opening (about .5inches thick)? Or should i use something else....
I just want to make sure I keep this simple enough so that a somewhat novice can build this as a one weekend project with materials that can be picked up at any walmart or hobbie shop
what about using some MDF cut into circles, and resining those underneath the cardboard, so when you screw in the subs, the screws go into the MDF. that would be a good way, and you wouldn't even need to cut perfect circles or anything, because you'd never see those rings. probably 3/4" MDF would be best, but you could get by with 1/2" as well. just make sure you predrill the holes for your mounting screws.
Originally posted by devlish what about using some MDF cut into circles, and resining those underneath the cardboard, so when you screw in the subs, the screws go into the MDF. that would be a good way, and you wouldn't even need to cut perfect circles or anything, because you'd never see those rings. probably 3/4" MDF would be best, but you could get by with 1/2" as well. just make sure you predrill the holes for your mounting screws.
cheap, easy, reliable!
id much rather use MDF circles and even mdf for everything other than the back, but I want to keep this as simple as poss. tools wise, and materials...anything else we can do about this or should mounting layers of glass on top of each other on the back suffice?
Screws are bad. Put in T-nuts, end of story. I've striped out so many cheap sub eclosures its not even funny. With my box, it became part of the panel. This way I could make sure it was secured to the car, and I think my box looks more like a part of the car than the Stealth box(or it would if it wasnt finished in do it your self bedliner). With so many curves in that peice I didn't feel I needed to add too much bracing, just two peices joining all four sides togther, and one running down the front of my box(on the inside) so I could give some more strength to the baffle that mounts my sub.
T-Nuts would be a great way to secure the subs. you could reinforce with a layer of fiberglass around the mounting holes, and then drill and resin in your t-nuts, and your set. the only problem with that is, i've seen some subs where the holes are not all aligned in the same spots. so if you ever switched subs, you may run into a problem with those t-nuts. that's why i think the MDF circles (trim rings) would be the way to go. that way if you ever changed subs, you just predrill new holes in any position you'd like, and your set.
Originally posted by devlish T-Nuts would be a great way to secure the subs. you could reinforce with a layer of fiberglass around the mounting holes, and then drill and resin in your t-nuts, and your set. the only problem with that is, i've seen some subs where the holes are not all aligned in the same spots. so if you ever switched subs, you may run into a problem with those t-nuts. that's why i think the MDF circles (trim rings) would be the way to go. that way if you ever changed subs, you just predrill new holes in any position you'd like, and your set.
but if your switching subs, your proably going to need a different sized box to get the sub to sound as good as possable. Maybe its just me, but I feel 90% of how good a sub sounds is beacuse of the box its in.
I started on the box yesterday and its looking great...I have some pics I would like to post so if someone wants to host them let me know.
All that is left to do is find what Im going to scure the sub to..What are t-bolts?
One other thing. Im currently using 1/2" pink foam housing insolation sandwiched in fiberglass to make a strong as hell front.
Humm, they're hard to describe. There little nuts that go on the back of your bolt or screw, that have little cleats sticking out that pull into the wood.
I've also started redoing my box beacuse I think its about time to upgrade to either a JL W7, ID max, or Brahama.
what else might a beable to use that would affix to the outside and only have to be tightned from one end? should i just fiberglassin some bolt and use lockwashers and nuts to scure the sub? there has to be an easyier way....
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