is this strong enough?

a friend is building an enclosure for me and after seeing the finished product i am a little sceptical of its strength. basically the back, sides, top, and bottom are all 3/4 mdf but the face is all fiberglass with a mdf ring "floating" in the center of the glass to mount the sub. the sub is pretty heavy, an eclipse titanium 12", and i was wondering if this is a good way to build a box - just doesn't seem like fiberglass should be used where you would usually find mdf. 2005 Nissan Frontier - stock

comming soon...

Eclipse CD8443 deck

Eclipse PA5422 4-channel

Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 front

MBquart DKE116 rear

Eclipse SW9122 the 12's

Eclipse DA7232 bass amp

Haha, don't be sceptical of fiberglass. If it passed the thumb test it should hold the driver just fine. What I don't understand is why he used fiberglass on the front only? Usually I prefer an all or nothing approach. Meaning either all MDF, or all fiberglass

well that's good to here, didn't realize that fiberglass could be so strong. thanks for the reply, i swear i learn something here on a daily basis2005 Nissan Frontier - stock

comming soon...

Eclipse CD8443 deck

Eclipse PA5422 4-channel

Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 front

MBquart DKE116 rear

Eclipse SW9122 the 12's

Eclipse DA7232 bass amp

Poormanq45 wrote: What I don't understand is why he used fiberglass on the front only? Usually I prefer an all or nothing approach. Meaning either all MDF, or all fiberglass

You would. Note the bold! You don't understand Fiberglass is stronger then MDF, therefore 1/4" of fiberglass is stronger then 3/4" of mdf. The only difference in strength is when fiberglass is in long flat areas. Fiberglass is strongest in curves.Certified Security Specialist

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Yes, glass IS stronger than MDF... for FAR less volume occupied, but the strength is not what you should be worried about here... What you SHOULD be worried about is RIGIDITY, something that this thin a layer of glass is NOT going to have. ESPECIALLY if it is a flat surface (I am assuming - sounds that way, as you described it). The rigidity of fiberglass comes from, as auex said, curved surfaces. If that front panel is not curved, it's gonna breathe like a drumskin... VERY MUCH NOT a desired characteristic in a subwoofer enclosure... If it is flat, I can tell you without even looking at it, you need more mass in the panel! BTW, I am using that SAME woofer, (with the same amplifier) and no matter HOW thick the front panel might be, I would NEVER trust it to hold that driver without some kind of support or MAJOR reinforcement...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."

damn...i knew something didn't look right. the front of box is curved though, the mounting ring that the sub screws to sits about 1.5" farther out than the sides of the box. so the fiberglass kinda rolls up from the sides to meet the "ring". what's the best/easiest way of reinforcing a box like that? one that's already built that is and the only access inside is through the opening where the sub goes. or is it time to start over...2005 Nissan Frontier - stock

comming soon...

Eclipse CD8443 deck

Eclipse PA5422 4-channel

Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 front

MBquart DKE116 rear

Eclipse SW9122 the 12's

Eclipse DA7232 bass amp

So what you're saying is the front face has a curve to it now. YOu can reinforce it one of two ways; 1: Form the inside, 2: from the outside. Add more 'glass to increase the strength

Have you tried using the enclosure yet?-Don't buy it, Build it-

no, hasn't been used yet2005 Nissan Frontier - stock

comming soon...

Eclipse CD8443 deck

Eclipse PA5422 4-channel

Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 front

MBquart DKE116 rear

Eclipse SW9122 the 12's

Eclipse DA7232 bass amp

still have to complete wiring and amp rack 2005 Nissan Frontier - stock

comming soon...

Eclipse CD8443 deck

Eclipse PA5422 4-channel

Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 front

MBquart DKE116 rear

Eclipse SW9122 the 12's

Eclipse DA7232 bass amp