Subwoofer enclosures

[RDellert11]

Does anybody have any type of drawings for some subwoofer enclosures, or maybe a good website with some drawings up on there? I'm looking to make a new box in my woodshop class this year, and i'm wanting this new box to fit 4 12's in there to fit my 02 Xlt. And also, I was wanting a fiberglass box..since i'm brand new to this fiberglass stuff, would it just be safe to fiberglass over the MDF enclosure after I make one?

 

[CdnCory]

Check out my box for 4 12's. (Just ignore the massive holes I used as ports). I FG'ed the whole inside and went around all the ouside edges.

 

[expo5.0]

there is no reason or purpose to fiberglassing over a wood box

fiberglass should be used to make shapes and curves you cannot make with wood

there are many, many easier and more importantly cheaper ways to insure that your box is sealed.

 

[CdnCory]

ummmm, yes there is a reason and purpose. MDF = porous.

And its not expensive to just buy some resin and coat your box...

Edit: I noticed I said I FG'ed my box, all I did was coat it with resin

 

[expo5.0]

resin expensive and a pain to use

lacquer cheap and easy to use

same result?

 

[briwayjones]

Some people were also coating there boxes with spray on bed liner.

 

[expo5.0]

also probably a bit of a waste of $, but i've actually heard it works really well.


to be completely honest i often do coat the inside of my boxes with resin. however, i have fiberglass resin by the 5 gallon pails laying around all the time and most of the boxes i do have some fiberglass work on the so its real quick and easy to do one coat over the mdf part. i just don't think its a good idea to recommend that someone making a mdf box goes out and buys resin and coats it becuase it just isn't worth the $ and effort.

 

[TeamPwnageBrad]

From testing on the termlab and doing SPL competition, ive noticed that painting the inside with resin changes the tuning frequency. It will almost always raise it a bit. Painting the inside with a latex paint will give the same effect yet it wont change your tuning. MDF is nowhere near porous enough to make some sort of difference in your box. Particle board however IS. Sealing the seams with silicone sealant is good enough for your standard daily driver box.

 

[RDellert11]

I only wanted to coat the box, for looks, so I could go throw a coat of paint on it and have it look nice..I'm sick of that old boring look with the carpet like every other box.

 

[Mcane6]

im doing my box with the bedliner but im doing for the look so itll blend with the rest of the cargo area that ill soon be doing as well

 

[CdnCory]

You guys must buy expensive resin for cost to even be an issue....

 

[Wagonized]

resin expensive and a pain to use

lacquer cheap and easy to use

same result?

many people get very good results with resin on the inside of the box...makes it easier for air to travel through and also doubles to make the material much more rigid





you'll get your best results in 99% of cases with a crx style box....sub facing up..ports facing back at the very bottom of the panel

 

[TeamPwnageBrad]

resin doesnt add any real strength... when you paint it on its what, maybe 1/32"
thick? resin alone that thin isnt strong at all.

 

[expo5.0]

resin is flexible when it dries...

its not the cost of the application per se, rather its the initial investment into resin that someone who was building a wood box wouldn't need to make and will see no real benefit from making.

 

[Wagonized]

resin is flexible when it dries...

its not the cost of the application per se, rather its the initial investment into resin that someone who was building a wood box wouldn't need to make and will see no real benefit from making.

on a street setup id say its not really worth it..

but for an SPL setup its one of those things that can give you the edge over the competition. Worst case scenario is that it makes no difference in SPL might aswell give it a shot, ive never heard of resin making a box less loud

 

[TTG]

I coated the inside of my box with some of that undercoating stuff. Seals and deadens, the box hardly shakes at all.

 

[TeamPwnageBrad]

on a street setup id say its not really worth it..

but for an SPL setup its one of those things that can give you the edge over the competition. Worst case scenario is that it makes no difference in SPL might aswell give it a shot, ive never heard of resin making a box less loud

resin has lost us dbs... raised the freq and we were peaking a few hz too high after resin. it lost us a few 10ths.

 

[Good Times]

I only wanted to coat the box, for looks, so I could go throw a coat of paint on it and have it look nice..I'm sick of that old boring look with the carpet like every other box.

You don't have to use fiberglass to do this. I painted a few boxes. All you do is use wood puddy or body filler to fill your screw holes or an edges that are scewed, sand it down to make it flat. I would round the edges of the box as well to get a better look. Then spray about 2-3 really heavy coats of automotive primer (1 at a time and let them dry to allow the MDF to soak up the primer), then sand the primer apply another 2-3 coats to get a smoot finish (sanding in between each coat). Then paint away.

 

[expo5.0]

not only is "good times" right but it will save you about 100 hours if its your first fiberglass project to do it that way.


however, personally i think that you can learn to fiberglass and that anyone can do it with even crappy directions. If i were you i'd just go for it and do a box with at least 2 or 3 sides fiberglass. its actually very very easy.