The good thing about making a sub enclosure yourself is its really cheap, I used one sheet of 2'x4' mdf that cost like $8 from Homedepot. I listened to it, made some modifications by putting egg crate foam on the inside walls of it, and then was happy with it so I threw carpet on it. You can always make an enclosure, not like the sound, then just make another one adjusting to what you need.
Matt, did you get the PartsExpress "Holiday Savings" catalog in the mail? There's alot of stuff in there i'd love to try out, I like how the Dayton ND's or whatever they are have a nice big surround. And the Peerless SDS 6 1/2 seems to be a nice woofer for under 20 bucks. I wish I knew about PartsExpress before I did my system.
The good thing about making a sub enclosure yourself is its really cheap, I used one sheet of 2'x4' mdf that cost like $8 from Homedepot. I listened to it, made some modifications by putting egg crate foam on the inside walls of it, and then was happy with it so I threw carpet on it. You can always make an enclosure, not like the sound, then just make another one adjusting to what you need.
Matt, did you get the PartsExpress "Holiday Savings" catalog in the mail? There's alot of stuff in there i'd love to try out, I like how the Dayton ND's or whatever they are have a nice big surround. And the Peerless SDS 6 1/2 seems to be a nice woofer for under 20 bucks. I wish I knew about PartsExpress before I did my system.
Yeah I got it the other day. The Daytons look pretty slick! I'm planning on trying out some new wide-band's - probably at least 3 more sets. These may go on that list.
The SDS's look nice as well. The 830657 looks pretty suitable for door applications. The other SDS 6.5 835004 looks like a great kick panel driver. I love my SLS's! I can't wait to try out sealed enclosures for them!
Tim, doesn't adding dampening inside the box cut down the airspace that JL recommended? Your saying that you made the box have less airspace then recommended and it sounded better to you?
I was looking at part's express last night and they have so much stuff! I am going to be ordering a few things from there this week. I saw they have tons of speaker connection panels for the sub boxes, what kind did you guys end up going with?
I saw some spring ones like you usually see on the back of house speakers with the spring clips you insert the wire into, and i saw some that looked like plugs?
Tim, doesn't adding dampening inside the box cut down the airspace that JL recommended? Your saying that you made the box have less airspace then recommended and it sounded better to you?
It does, but using closed cell foam or polyester fiberfill helps dissipate the rear sound wave, therefor "tricking" the sub woofer into thinking it's in a larger enclosure than it's really in. So, no harm done.
I was looking at part's express last night and they have so much stuff! I am going to be ordering a few things from there this week. I saw they have tons of speaker connection panels for the sub boxes, what kind did you guys end up going with?
I saw some spring ones like you usually see on the back of house speakers with the spring clips you insert the wire into, and i saw some that looked like plugs?
I prefer using a binding post and banana plug. I don't like the cheap look the plastic cups have to them. I have some pretty heavy duty ones, I like them a lot. Makes it nice and easy to remove quickly.
I see your connectors now, can you link me to those so I can check em out and the prices Matt? I assume they are pretty easy to terminate with the speaker wire itself?
All my old setups have had the cups and the spring clips that the bare wire goes into and it is always a PITA to remove and set back up! lol
Walmart sells it in the bedding section, and maybe even the camping section with the sleeping bags and air mattresses. A Joan Fabrics would have it also im thinking. Its cheap. I actually got the stuff I used for free, Scott sent me a set of struts and he packed it with the egg crate foam. Lol.
Sub enclosures are simple to make. Just need mdf, wood glue, a circular saw, jig saw or router, and screws or nails to temp hold it together while the glue sets. Add lots of bracing along the inside corners, I just cut 1"x1" strips of mdf and glued them along every inside corner. Its strong as hell, and actually removed the screws so I could sand it down good before I carpeted it.
So when it's built, I have heard to rub wood glue along the inside creases kinda like a caulking.. and your sayin to add 1x1 strips along those inside creases as well? That's a great idea, and in between those strips I will add that foam!
You just use regular drywall type screws? 1 1/4'' screws, pre drill holes and all right? Did you fill the holes back in with glue or anything or you just leave them alone since the carpet is gonna cover it anyway?
Use wood glue as a sealant. You shouldn't need it if all of your cuts are good, but that's hard to do with a circular saw. Silicone is pretty intense and apparently has been known to eat away at the surround of a sub woofer. Just what I've read.
If you can manage it, add 45 degree strips in the corners. The more spherical you can make the enclosure the better. Always add bracing on large faces, and remember to account for the displacement of them when calculating net internal airspace.
You just use regular drywall type screws? 1 1/4'' screws, pre drill holes and all right? Did you fill the holes back in with glue or anything or you just leave them alone since the carpet is gonna cover it anyway?
Yep. 1 1/4" drywall screws are fine. Pre-drill, of course. If you want you can countersink them and leave them in, then add wood filler. Once the glue has dried the screws provide zero help in keeping the enclosure together. Wood glue is stronger than screws. I always remove mine and fill the holes.
So if you add more and more stuff inside the box (bracing and whatnot) then you should make the box a little larger.. I get that. Will it damage the woofer if the box is a little too large / small for it, or will that just make it sound different from "factory spec"?
It will just sound different. Power handling goes up in a smaller than ideal enclosure, and goes down in a larger than ideal enclosure. Larger usually plays lower (lower F3), and smaller usually cuts of higher (higher F3).
Just plan shit out and triple check all calculations and make it right. Overdoing an enclosure is a good thing. The PERFECT enclosure is one that is acoustically dead - zero resonance. You won't get that, but the closer you get to it the better. So brace away, make sure all sides match up well, etc, etc. If you're going with a square baffle, I'd recommend using a double baffle.
I actually got straighter cuts using my circular saw than using my table saw. What I did was use a straight piece of pine board and clamped it down along the sheet of mdf I was cutting, using that as a guide to run the circular saw against. The guide piece of wood has to be offset from the line you want to cut to compensate for the width of the circular saw blade from its bottom plates edge. Just measure ur mdf and make a nice thin line in pencil you want to cut, then make sure the blade is right on the line before cutting. The edges dont need to be perfect if you have a sander, I have a nice heavey duty belt sander I used to even up all the edges.
I used wood glue along all inside corners instead of a sealant. I put the 1"x1" strips of bracing in after I put glue all along the interior. JL has a good amount of info. http://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=141 The box I built is simple, almost square, and small so I didnt need that much bracing. I didnt even compensate for the added bracing since I just threw it in for fun after it was built, but it sounds great and I dont feel I added that much extra wood inside that i would need to enlarge the enclosure, but if I built another box I would probably add like 3/8"s- 1/2" to one of the dimensions. As matt said wood glue is stronger than the wood when cured so the screws dont really do much but get in the way of the sander, a few screw heads I completely ground away with my belt sander getting my box nice n even. Can even use small nails with clamps to temp hold it together, but you need the clamps to hold it tight while the glue sets. On this box i didnt double up on the baffle because I would of had to buy another sheet of mdf, but with the sub I have the sides of the box are very close to the surround of the sub I dont feel its needed or would benifit from it, with larger boxes I would though.
When I installed the carpet I was stumped because I meant the box i built to be temporary so I made it square. When i did the carpet I used some 1/2" mdf i had laying around and cut two pieces the same size as the sides, I wrapped the top, bottom, front and back with one piece of carpet with the edges lapped over the sides then installed carpet on one face of the 1/2" mdf pieces and folded the edges over all the way to the other side, then clamped the sides on using alot of wood glue between the box and two pieces. I copied the idea from this web site, using the "simplist method' but used wood glue and clamps while the glue set. http://www.bcae1.com/carpetenclosure.htm
Also Chris, if you are going to purchase tools, purchase one, and get a router (plunge/fixed base combo). You can do straight cuts, circle cuts, and of course all the different odd things that bits allow. Most routers will come with a straight cut guide, so that will make cutting straight lines a breeze. I'd also grab a 4' level (should be pretty cheap) and use that as a fence (guide) if need be (you'll also need a couple small C-clamps... cheap).
I just picked up the Craftsman 17543 plunge/fixed combo for quite a bit less than what they retailed for (got it for $65 after discounts). "WOOD magazine" did a HUGE router comparison (last year I believe) and selected the 17543 as the dollar for dollar best router (they were $150ish around then). I also picked up a Craftsman Professional Grade 1/2" shank, 1/4" straight cut bit ($20) and a Jasper Jig Model 200 from partsexpress.com ($40)- it's an EXCELLENT circle cutting guide.
Matt how did you manage to get the router so cheap??? I would love to invest in one, but need the cost to be low since I won't be using it a whole lot. I have a Circular Saw already and was going to do exactly what Timmy suggested by using another straight piece as a guide (saw a guy making shelves once the same way). Thanks again for the info guys!
MSRP was $120. It was marked down to $80. Since I was already buying so much Craftsman shit, the clerk suggested I sign up for their free membership and that took off another $15 from the router!
I also have a somewhat cheap circular saw, but I just don't like using the cheap factory blade. Cuts are always rougher than I'd prefer. so instead of investing in a new blade I figured I may as well get probably the most versatile tool ever!
Also, I absolutely needed the ability to cut perfect circles. I am damn good with a jigsaw (maybe a deviation of 1/8" at most at any point around), but for this fiberglass enclosure that I'm going to be making (more so the grill assembly), I'll need perfect circles.
Honestly I have had the same cheap ass Crastman circular saw i first bought like over 10 years ago, the key thing is the blade. The blade that usually comes with it is a multi-use blade with a smaller number of teeth. Get a decent blade thats made for fine to medium cuts, and when cutting dont push the saw too hard into the wood, let the blade pull the saw almost and it will last you along time.
And having a router, I have just a basic Ryobi from Homedepot and it works fine. I have alot of bits for it and have made many things around my apartment with it, but i didnt even use it on my sub enclosure. To make a perfect circle of that size another attachment is needed that they sell for routers but its like 50 bucks so I said screw it.
For my circular cuts on my enclosure I used my basic jig saw with a fine tooth blade, actually went thru about 3 blades because they seemed to break so easy but a 3 pack is under 3 bucks. I first made a pilot hole with a 1/2" drill bit to fit the jig saw blade in than followed a pencil mark I made using the card board circle that came with my sub as a template.
took me a while to read all the nice and informative posts but amazing freaking thread ... when I do my stereo build one of these days will most definitely consult with you Matt and all the others who have posted on here ... thanks for such a great write up
p.s. Matt can't give u more +rep says I gotta distribute the wealth around
took me a while to read all the nice and informative posts but amazing freaking thread ... when I do my stereo build one of these days will most definitely consult with you Matt and all the others who have posted on here ... thanks for such a great write up
I wont be trying fiberglass for awhile now with all I have going on with work and moving, so its put off till spring. Now that its dark out around here at 4:30pm and the temps are dropping outside work isnt that fun anymore. I wish I had a garage to work in. But I can say after I do make my first fiberglass "stealth box" for my WK I will be selling them on this site. If I have enough people interested in it now I would even get my ass in gear and do one now. For what JL Audio sells them for I think I can crank them out in my spare time for 2/3rds to 1/2 the price.
If done right, the materials are going to run $150 minimum. Probably closer to $175 though. Then you gotta factor in around 10-12 working hours, not to mention the curing time for the resin. (Also an overnight of the initial mold in your trunk - each time you make a new one). Then you gotta factor in shipping. I've gotta think $50 minimum for CONUS.
Unless you are making a mold (that totally changes things), then I'd rethink the production and selling of enclosures.
For me most of those items above are available free to me like brushes, rollers, rope, dowels, Liquid Nails, drop cloth, painters and duct tape, mixing tubs, wood. And I already have a nice double canister respirator. I'd only need to stock up on the resin and fiberglass mat, fleece and carpet.
Was just thinking if i do end up making a fiberglass enclosure that came out good enough I could make more in my spare time if people ever wanted. Have to see how things go.
For me most of those items above are available free to me like brushes, rollers, rope, dowels, Liquid Nails, drop cloth, painters and duct tape, mixing tubs, wood. And I already have a nice double canister respirator. I'd only need to stock up on the resin and fiberglass mat, fleece and carpet.
That's good 'cause all of those little things really add up. And I'm sure you could save a good deal on shipping if you order a decent amount. (for the resin and mat/cloth)
What kind of respirator do you have? I was looking at a 3M for ~$30, but there's a Binks that US Composites carries for $40 and it would be shipped with the rest of my order. I'm guessing most half-masks are pretty much the same.
Was just thinking if i do end up making a fiberglass enclosure that came out good enough I could make more in my spare time if people ever wanted. Have to see how things go.
The respirator I have my work got me and I had to get trained on it for a project my company was working on. I had to have a physical and a mask fitting at a medical center to get approved. The project was dealing with waterproofing of concrete walls underground in a confined space, which I wasnt working on but they wanted me certified in case I needed to ever fill in there.
The respirator is an MSA that fits over the mouth and nose. The canisters have the numbers GME-P100 on them. I know its a heavey duty type since all this work I had to go thru to get certified on it. My office has an account with Grainger, not sure if theres ones near you but its basically a store that sells anything construction related like safety gear to power tools to hardware. Its a Homedepot with alot more products minus the wood and lighting section. Lol
Yeah, I've got a Grainger somewhat near me. Looks like their website carries a TON of respirators. Maybe I'll take a drive out there and check them out. Thanks!
The rest of my materials should be here this week.
Looking at my schedule, it looks like I won't be able to get started on this until at least the 14th. Probably closer to the week of Christmas though. I'll have that week off.
I'll be sure to take plenty of pics and thoroughly explain each and every step so those that want to try this in the future will have a pretty good guide to go from.
matt.. i got a quick question..
my dad and i r planning to build a sub box.. and i was thinking of getting 2 10" /12" alpine type R subs.. wat size box is it going to be? i want to build something like u have.. so the back of the sub is all the way by the back seats