stuck on my box...

[Saleen_SR71]

I think I remember hearing the same thing, but I want something different, I've only had sealed boxes for every sub I had. Yeah I heard ported has its downfalls (noticed in my brothers setup) but I'm going to try to make the best of it. If it turns out crappy I could always plug the hole some how.... or should I say "try" to plug the hole.

 

[BBQ_HotDogs]

Looks a lot like mine. 7cft tuned @ 32hz w/ 2 RE SE 15's.

Looks sort of familiar with that red paint.

Mine.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

after seeing those, i kinda want to see what a MDF ring is supposed to look like with a sub sitting in it...

 

[expo5.0]

ported done right is clean

mine is ported, still flexes that much

 

[Saleen_SR71]

ok got the fleece on thus far.(no picture of it though)

picture of the box rescrewed and liquid nailed edges

with the sub rings and 2 supports (i think the wood i used were 2x6's)

had to redo the bottom port support/stand because it broke on me... so thats not what it looks like

im thinking i should of added another 2 supports against the bottom bend, but right now im not too worried, i should of checked its flexability before putting the fleece on, i noticed a little flex when i put it in the back of my truck for storage

 

[Saleen_SR71]

well after i started glassing the first layer of fleece then decided to put a layer of mat on...

this stuff isnt easy.... well it is, but to a point its not.

i have a feeling im going to have air leeks around the subs, and around the port, not to mention i dont think im doing this right, should of went to a couple of examples of people doing it before i started, but right now im not sure if i should start over or just keep going.

fleece was too thick and i guess the resin didnt seep through it to touch the mdf wood. im thinking ill let it dry, add some screws then go at it again, either that or rip off the front (after it dries) and do it all over again.

it would be nice to get a couple of suggestions on what i should do before i do one of the above actions, maybe theres a way to fix it and i just dont know it

 

[boominXplorer]

my opinion its always better to start with streched fleece to keep it smooth. Then go with the mat on top

 

[Saleen_SR71]

thats the way i did it, right now its a little over 1/4" thick with 1 layer fleece and 1 layer mat, and its pretty sturdy (no i havent stood on it though)

 

[Saleen_SR71]

ok... seeing as how the glass mat im using is 2 times thicker than the woven mat, im only going to do 6 or 7 layers.

1 layer + fleece was strong enough to hold my weight

so tomorrow im taking another trip to well.... home depot and getting 2 gallons of resin, 1 gallon was enough for 3 layers and then some, so 2 gallons should be enough for me to do the last 3-4 layers and also the 2-3 layers on the top.

and well, patience is key. If i wasnt scared that it would take hella long to finish like i was when i first started glassing, i could of done a lot better.
also if i had a better staple gun (i have a staple hammer), or even a air powered staple gun, i would of started off better too

takes one time for trial and error, but after that youll know your mistakes and wont make them the second time, too bad my last sub box for my truck had to be my first experiment with fiberglassing.

i feel a lot better now knowing that i can do it, and know how to do it... but probably wotn do it again

*edit*
more pics coming soon

 

[temposs]

very difficult to apply all matting at once, in one big piece like you did. i like to take some scissors and cut them into 3", 4", 6" squares. Mat has a tendancy to "pull up" while jabbing if you use too much at once. One good trick for putting mat down is to paint resin on first, then lay mat, then jab more resin onto the mat. Oh, and the best way to avoid leaks is at the very beginning, before stretching the fleece, paint the edges and speaker rings with resin, then stretch it over. will allow it to soak into the critical areas.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

i found an easier way... after the first layer of matting, i decided that the second one i will pre cut to the length of the top and staple it on the sides of the box and it made the glassing a whole lot easier.

i did something similar to putting resin in the edges... but my MDF rings were boarder line for the subs fitting, so i dont think they will fit unless i dremel out what i did.

i still have some liquid nails so i could do the edges of the ring in that.

well time to get dremel this layer of mat and see where im standing and see if the sub will fit inverted (putting it in regular would be a hassle to get out)

 

[TeamPwnageBrad]

you are supposed to chop the mat up and use it in small pieces, not one huge thing.

 

[expo5.0]

use it in as large of pieces as you can

do not do the stapling thing, the mat stretches as you soak it and this will lead to air bubbles if it is restrained on the sides

for where your fleece did not stick, take a grinder and grind down all the way so that you can see the mdf underneath and then add some small strips of mat.

no one else is using the woven mat, so when you say your going to do fewer layers because your not using it- your incorrect. All of my layers are with matting that is thicker than you can buy at home depot or auto parts stores.

 

[expo5.0]

to clarify- use the largest pieces that you can without having air bubbles. you want the largest pieces that will lay perfectly flat.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

the mat i purchased was thicker than home depot and auto supply stores also.

i wish i would of known the thing about grinding when i was on my first layer of mat, would of saved me lots of time and trouble.

 

[expo5.0]

good deal

sorry, i didn't realize you'd had that problem before. i actually plan on doing what i told you to do before i even start. If you use the right resin its not absolutely necessary, but its still somethingn i like to do to be sure.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

seeing as how i dont have a grinder (thought i did), i wont be doing that, i just liquid nailsed the whole ring, ill add a layer of resin on top of that, hopefully it wont thicken too much to the point where the sub doesnt fit.
well i lost track of layers doing it with smaller pieces instead of one whole... this last layer i did (think it might be the 4th layer of glass) went on hella thick.

ill do 2 more layers tomorrow, then bondo it.

after that ill start the top.

6 layers i think is enough for me.

now what would really suck is if my MDF rings broke... im really considering screwing the MDF ring on from the top.... but even that might not hold it.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

holy crap, i think i built my port the wrong size... when measuring, i "wanted" to do a port that was 4x15 (i think), but now after thinking about it (dont have the box because its being preped for paint) i think i did it 4X13.5.

hopefully it still sounds good or ill be P.O.ed for messing up like that... cant be too bad, it would just mean its tuned lower than expected, but what frequency i dont know (probably high 20's)

oh yeah, theres no concealed wiring. So all the amp wiring will be exposed but nicely mounted (too many distro blocks, and i didnt want to deal with consealing all 4 of them)

 

[DJALLOID]

it depends!!

how many subs you plan on using and are the subs single or dual voice coil.. and are you using a mono amp or 2 channel amp? if your using a mono amp dont split the box.. the subs are more efficient running in a shared enclosure.. if you plan on using a 2 channel amp then you must split the box cuz its gonna be running in stereo mode.. think about it you have left and right channels going at once.. you dont want them interfering...and what brand of subs you wanna use.. .. the bottom, sides and top need to be at least 3/4 or more mdf... with the front (made of fiberglass) at least 3/4 as well.. ive made boxes for years.. ive seen friends make boxes where the fiberglass is too think and the box breathes.. meaning it will start expanding everytime the bass kicks.. u should also lay at least two coats on the entire interior of box so the corners dont leak.. wood glue dont help! becareful with the fiberglass mix FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! too much hardner... your box will shatter from the power.. just crack all over... too little hardner it wont dry at all.. if your applyin it put ur hand over it after a couple of minutes it should start to feel warm.. if its too hot or gets hotter.. you put too much... and u should seal it if you listen to rap, club, or house music.. suonds nicer and kicks harder port if if you like rock music.. thats an easy way to put it.. good luck with it.. oh by the way one more thing the box will weigh at least 75 lbs when done.. thats normal.. the heavier the box..the denser it is.. and deeper the bass.. u can hit lower frequencies.. and i recommend 2 Cerwin Vega Strokers Pro Series... 12" with a Soundstream x.. amp (6500 watts).. plenty of power!!!! thats my set up..... goodluck let me know if you need anything else

http://cerwinvega.com/products/mobileaudio/index.html
http://www.soundstream.com/sub/products_amps_xxx.html

 

[Saleen_SR71]

well thanks for the info, its a little late now. the box is built and being preped for paint.

everything involving the box is in this thread.

ive built a few sealed boxes myself an never had any problems with it being air tight.

there shouldnt be any problems, and if there are ill find a way of recovering from the mistake (in which i hope there isnt)