1/2'' MDF to make small sub enclosures?

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thapimpfromchi

Silver - Posts: 616

Joined: July 30, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 16, 2003 at 9:33 PM / IP Logged

Cool thanks for all the advice. For the guy who asked, I am running 3 MA audio 100D6 dubs.

1990 Honda Civic HB:

Clarion DXZ545MP H.U.

2- 6.5" Power Acoustik interiors

Diamond Audio 600.1 amp

Diamond Audio 15" M6MKII

Pyramid PB881X 4 CH. Amp

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tuneman

Member - Posts: 43

Joined: November 23, 2003

Location: Washington, United States

Posted: December 17, 2003 at 2:25 AM / IP Logged

Heres another option. Build your box out of your free 1/2" and brace it really well with good wood everywhere you can get it, silicon all of the seams inside, then use resin in the box ( make sure you use rubber gloves). A few coats of resin will strengthen the box, help on dampening, and give you a lighter box than using 2 1/2"sheets glued together.

With all of the bracing and resin and woofer displacement, calculate your air space with an extra .1 or .2 cf or so.

Good Luck

tuneman

Member - Posts: 43

Joined: November 23, 2003

Location: Washington, United States

Posted: December 17, 2003 at 2:25 AM / IP Logged

Heres another option. Build your box out of your free 1/2" and brace it really well with good wood glue everywhere you can get it, silicon all of the seams inside, then use resin in the box ( make sure you use rubber gloves). A few coats of resin will strengthen the box, help on dampening, and give you a lighter box than using 2 1/2"sheets glued together.

With all of the bracing and resin and woofer displacement, calculate your air space with an extra .1 or .2 cf or so.

Good Luck

thapimpfromchi

Silver - Posts: 616

Joined: July 30, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 17, 2003 at 2:57 AM / IP Logged

Sounds like a good idea. Where do I get this resin you speak of? Also, could I use the resin and a polyfill at the same time? I read a post earlier, where the guy made it sound like it was one or the other. Is the resin, the same as the fiberglass stuff? I dont know where to get either, just wondering.

1990 Honda Civic HB:

Clarion DXZ545MP H.U.

2- 6.5" Power Acoustik interiors

Diamond Audio 600.1 amp

Diamond Audio 15" M6MKII

Pyramid PB881X 4 CH. Amp

NaughtyLMnky

Copper - Posts: 57

Joined: December 01, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 17, 2003 at 8:28 AM / IP Logged

I'm pretty sure what he is talking about is fiberglass resin. It's the same thing just the name is split up. You can easily find it at just about any store that sells automotive. I know that walmart and fleetfarm also have it. It's usually about 25 a gallon but you can buy it in smaller quantities. They carry stuff made by bondo.

I don't know why I didn't think of that. I've done that to wimpy boxes before to. It can work out pretty slick but the resin can be a real mess if you are not careful. Do like tuneman said and use rubber gloves and also use dropcloth to cover your working area and anything else you don't want to have permanet drops of resin.

pureRF

Silver - Posts: 619

Joined: July 22, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 17, 2003 at 11:34 AM / IP Logged

Homedepot is where i get the resin. Its 23 a gallon. You could also pick up 9 cu ft of fiberglass mat while ur at it and use that with the resin to get extra strength.

dream it, build it, fiberglass it

Geeque

Silver - Posts: 310

Joined: October 07, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 17, 2003 at 11:44 AM / IP Logged

Consider putting a layer of dynamat in the middle to create a sheet of dynaply. Cut out any possibility of resonance.

Gary Kline

MECP Master Technician

thapimpfromchi

Silver - Posts: 616

Joined: July 30, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 19, 2003 at 4:48 AM / IP Logged

ok, whats the name of the fiberglass stuff? or do i just look for fiberglass resin? also.. whats dynaply?

1990 Honda Civic HB:

Clarion DXZ545MP H.U.

2- 6.5" Power Acoustik interiors

Diamond Audio 600.1 amp

Diamond Audio 15" M6MKII

Pyramid PB881X 4 CH. Amp

pureRF

Silver - Posts: 619

Joined: July 22, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 19, 2003 at 12:56 PM / IP Logged

Fiberglass resin. It will be in a blue and tan metal thing with a plastic top. The mat comes in 9 sq ft packs for about 4.90. If you do stack the wood to make it 1 inch first sand the 2 sides going together with a VERY low grit paper, then pour on a ton of wood glue, paint it all around. Then i would stack them and drive one of ur car tires onto it and let it sit all night. Ive done it and it seems to work the best!:) hope that helps

dream it, build it, fiberglass it

Durwood

Copper - Posts: 126

Joined: November 30, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: December 21, 2003 at 5:38 AM / IP Logged

NaughtyLMnky wrote:

I'd just do like Maxst said and stack the two 1/2 inch sheets for a 1 inch thickness. I've committed some overkill before and stacked 3/4 inch mdf for some fifteens before. It turned out really tight. Otherwise if you don't want to go that route just use lots of bracing and glue. Either way it will be a little bit more work, but for the free mdf its worth it. Free usually sounds pretty good either way you do it.

This reminds me of something funny I saw the other day. A friend's teenaged son was showing me his first stereo install. It all looked pretty good until he got to the trunk. He had used 1/2" *particleboard* for the sub enclosure. Now I know that even MDF is technically "particleboard", since it's extremely small pieces of wood held together with glue, but this stuff was honest-to-god particleboard, the kind with the big splintery chunks all pressed together with a little bit of glue.

I didn't want to give him a hard time, since it was his first-ever effort, and he was very proud of it, but I think if he still has that box the next time I see him, I may build a proper box with him as a project.

Scott Gardner

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