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steel sub box


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jerryfreeman 
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Joined: September 20, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 20, 2006 at 11:37 AM / IP Logged  

hi,  I have seen sub boxes made out of every thing from wood to plastic except steel. The reason im asking is that I cannot fit my subs behind the seat of my truck-f250 superduty crewcab. I can however fit them if I make the box out of 3/16" steel.  I have not seen steel boxes, is there a reason steel is no good for a sub box? Even if i pad the inside to dampen the sound? Or is this a dumb idea?     Any advice would be appreciated, thank you

DYohn 
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Joined: April 22, 2003
Location: Arizona, United States
Posted: September 20, 2006 at 12:23 PM / IP Logged  
Sure, if you have the capability and welding skills go for it.  I recommend damping the inside with something like truck-bed liner or glued-on foam or rubber.
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haemphyst 
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Joined: January 19, 2003
Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island
Posted: September 20, 2006 at 12:40 PM / IP Logged  
3/16 is not terribly thick, and it WILL ring... even at subwoofer frequencies. Extra heavy damping and bracing will be critical.
Depending on the sub, and the power applied, that box could breathe like your own lungs! Let us know how it goes for you!
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
jerryfreeman 
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Joined: September 20, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: September 20, 2006 at 3:55 PM / IP Logged  

Wow thanks for all the support you gys are great.  To answer a couple of questions...yes, I've been welding for 20 years, i have a shop where I make water tanks out of steel. I do have the means to test for leaks.   I will make the box with braces in the center and thought about useing bedliner, fiberglass resin, foam and such to see which is best. For the last respondant im happy to see that someone else tried, which sheds light on this idea. Thank you for sharing that with me.       3/16" does sound paper thin... steel on cars is generaly 1/32 to 1/16" thick, with support and bends becomes quite strong & ridged. Funny you mentioned the 5gal bucket, we made one for the shop - put a old pillow in it with brand x woofer sounds great  lol. 

Again thank you to all that replied, I will suly let you know how it works.  "Ill either be a candidate for a nobel or the darwin- could go either way" .

Jerry

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Joined: November 01, 2003
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posted: September 20, 2006 at 7:30 PM / IP Logged  

Jerry, I too have tackled this project. I made my box from 1/4" aluminum and it is rhinolined inside and out to keep it quite. That said I still get the odd ring from it so we are going to add another 1/4" of rhinolining to it inside and out. It can be done. Using steel is going to be more than strong enough, just get it deadened before you put the front onto it.

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jerryfreeman 
Member - Posts: 8
Member spacespace
Joined: September 20, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: October 12, 2006 at 7:36 PM / IP Logged  

Hi,  for anyone who posted a reply to this last month I promised a report.  I did successfully make the box out of steel....Having said that it took alot of trial & error. First plain it sounded good but with a noticeable ring like a tuning rod so to speak. Foam inside, had little change as well as bedliner. Dampining pad on the outside did make a big difference (with bedliner inside since it was now permanent) The ring was decided was comming from the outside of the box. Finally cured with laying beads of weld about 2"apart up and down the front and back of the large pieces. For those that dont know welding, its like putting many strips of tape across the face of a piece of paper and then while holding it up flicking it with your finger. The smooth area for vibrations to travel across has been disturbed also renforcing it. The box sounded great. Made a second box with no liner did have a little ring but was not as bad as the bedliner with no extra beads. Though it did finally work and fits very well in a smaller space. Unless you have access to steel&welder cheap it can be much more $$ than wood after all is said and done. I think this would be a good investment for a box exposed to weather like in jeep or something like that,  stronger and more secure than plastic or fiberglass.

Also made was a box out of 1/4" and 3/8" steel. Plain with no beads gets better the thicker but so does the weight and $$ for steel.   I hope this helps anyone that has crazy ideas like me.

mr beta 
Member - Posts: 17
Member spacespace
Joined: October 22, 2006
Posted: October 25, 2006 at 2:51 AM / IP Logged  
Neat idea.
Any pictures of the final product?
cva me 
Member - Posts: 18
Member spacespace
Joined: August 19, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: October 26, 2006 at 10:41 PM / IP Logged  
Mr. beta,
Sorry I do not have pictures nor the means to put them on the internet. Its carpeted now. If you would like indepth specs. and explinations I would be more than happy to share them with you. Just let me know.
Jerry
mr beta 
Member - Posts: 17
Member spacespace
Joined: October 22, 2006
Posted: October 27, 2006 at 12:40 AM / IP Logged  
If you know them off the top of your head, sure I'd like to know more. Don't go out of your way to get them though.
Very interesting install.

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