Mounting ring

Almost finished making my new speaker box. It will house an 8" sub. Had just enough MDF to build the box. Now I need to make a ring to recess the sub into the box. Can I get away with using something other than MDF for the ring? I don't want to have to buy another 2'x4' sheet just to get a 9"x9" square.

You probably could get away with it, but since you are mounting the speaker to this part, it is most important part of the box. Why do you want to recess the speaker anyway? do you want to put the original cover over all of it? the worst that could happen is that you try it and it doesn't work, but that's the fun in making boxes for me.

I originally had the useless pocket in the back. I'm going to stretch black speaker fabric over the trim ring and reinstall it. Haven't gotten the speaker yet but the specs show that it has almost 1/2" top mount height. The front of the box is so close to the panel that this will cause it to press against the fabric and look like sheeit.

Why not just mount the speaker flush with the box and make a ring that is bigger then speaker basket diameter, and cover that? I am sort of having a hard time thinking about what you are talking about, can you post some pictures of where the speaker will be mounted so I can help you better? I am all for the box looking legit, it is actually my specialty, lol.

Here's a pic of the box installed but before the hole was cut.



There is a trim ring that goes back around the opening. On the back of the trim ring, I plan to attach black speaker mesh/fabric so it will just be a black covering and you won't see inside the opening. Because the face of the box is right against the opening, the front of the speaker will be pressing against the fabric. So, I have to recess the speaker into the box by cutting a hole in the the front face of the box large enough for the entire ring of the speaker to fit through. Then, there will be a step down, or inward, with a second surface, that will have a smaller hole that the speaker will actually mount to.

Have you taken in account the speaker's excursion might contact the fabric?