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My project in the works, opinions please

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Fiberglass, Fabrication, and Interiors
Forum Discription: Fiberglass Kick Panels, Subwoofer Enclosures, Plexiglas, Fabrics, Materials, Finishes, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=46653
Printed Date: March 28, 2024 at 4:59 PM


Topic: My project in the works, opinions please

Posted By: chris_h
Subject: My project in the works, opinions please
Date Posted: January 02, 2005 at 11:43 AM

I decided it was time to do away with my huge ported box for my sub, and make myself a custom sealed box that will let me have some trunk space back. I bought a digital camera when I was in the middle of this project, so unfortunately these pics start after I already made half of the enclosure. The fiberglass part you can see already constructed below was made by taping off the corner of my trunk, foiling it, then laying a layer of FG to get the exact shape of the trunk.

I'll be the first to say that my work isn't perfect, but I'm sort of new at this fiberglass thing. Let me know what you guys/girls think. Some of the pics don't look great because I had to resize them a lot.

posted_image

This is the sub going into the FG enclosure. I decided to make a ring that would mount the sub flush.

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Here I've hot glued my ring into the half enclosure.

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Here it is wrapped with fleece, before trimming the excess.

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After applying a coat of resin.

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Here I am laying the first coat of FG. As you can see, I have the pleasure of fiberglassing in the great white North. I don't have a garage, and if I did this in my basement I'd drive my family out with the fumes.

posted_image

This is a pic of the front of the box after 1 layer of FG. There's a patch (white) at the bottom of the ring that didn't turn transparent for some reason. I can tell you that it's not a bubble, and it did adhere to the fleece, but I don't know why it stayed white and it looks like hell.

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This is it again, still one layer of FG. I'm going to add a few more layers and get pics up when I'm done.

Any questions/comments appreciated, or tips for next time.



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When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands



Replies:

Posted By: satfrk32
Date Posted: January 02, 2005 at 4:21 PM

well...im not much of an expert either at fiberglassing...but could that white spot be from the temperature you are working with? I thought temperatures had to be right for fiberglassing.

Great looking box so far keep the updates coming!

cheers! posted_image





Posted By: auex
Date Posted: January 02, 2005 at 7:25 PM
The white spot could just be a patch of loose fibers that dried up with some air in it.

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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.




Posted By: bluetruck
Date Posted: January 03, 2005 at 6:13 AM
looks great. are you carpeting it? very nice whatever you do.




Posted By: bluetruck
Date Posted: January 03, 2005 at 6:28 AM
sorry to repost but is that an MTX 6000? i used to have 2 10" 6k's in the back of my old car. they sound great. l have always been happy with my mtx equipment.




Posted By: realitycheck
Date Posted: January 03, 2005 at 8:35 AM
Looks really good man!

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Learning the trade one fiberglass creation at a time!




Posted By: chris_h
Date Posted: January 03, 2005 at 10:15 AM

bluetruck: thanks for the comment, and yes it's a 6000. I think they're great too.

I plan on painting it assuming I can get it smooth enough. Do you guys know if I need to use a gelcoat? Or primer and paint? How was yours done realitycheck?

Thanks for the responses.



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When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands




Posted By: realitycheck
Date Posted: January 03, 2005 at 1:36 PM
I had mine painted if you,  my buddys dad painted it for me.  Yeah you lay down a primer, sand, primer and then paint. If you go here chris this is the pics of my box, https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=42407&KW=pics+of+progress+on+first

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Learning the trade one fiberglass creation at a time!




Posted By: Carbonb
Date Posted: January 03, 2005 at 10:50 PM
How do you secure the flush subs like that to the floor? I am thinking about using a false floor and screwing it into it.

This seems to me, to be the only way tto secure it.




Posted By: realitycheck
Date Posted: January 04, 2005 at 8:12 AM
Well CarbonB are you asking me that question?

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Learning the trade one fiberglass creation at a time!




Posted By: Carbonb
Date Posted: January 05, 2005 at 2:11 AM
Lol, I am asking anyone who wants to answer.

I am going to make the exact type of enclosure for 2 of my 12" subs for my trunk, and I think that putting in a wood floor and then screwing them into it is the only way to secure it so it doesn't fly around.

My amp rack is close to being finished and looking INSANE! I like it, and I wired some blue neons to my trunk light :P




Posted By: realitycheck
Date Posted: January 05, 2005 at 9:07 AM

Awesome man, hey get us some pics if you can.  Yeah I think that a wood floor would be a really good idea.  Also give you some extra support instead of that cardboard material that usually in there. You could screw it in or you could even drill holes run bolts through them and then bolt it to it. Make sure you just seal with silicone though.



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Learning the trade one fiberglass creation at a time!




Posted By: ~AFAccord~
Date Posted: January 05, 2005 at 11:41 AM
Hey Chris, that box is looking awesome!  Can't wait to see it finished.  I had a question about this false floor you guys are talkin about.  Say  I cut some MDF to fit my trunk floor, I'm worried about it rattling over some rough bumps, are you suggesting that I should silicone it to the floor? like permanently? lol.   Thanks for all this info you guys are posting.  Later

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Black Cherry
"Experience is something you never get until just after you need it."




Posted By: Carbonb
Date Posted: January 05, 2005 at 11:45 AM
For the wood floor I had the same idea. I wasn't sure if it would be bouncing up and down when I drove.

I am thinking about putting a couple of screws maybe to keep it connected to the frame of the car.

Not sure if I should do it though. I doubt it will even move that much if you cut it so it has a tight fit.

I was just going to rely on everything being on top of it so it doesn't move. I have seen people build false floors before and nothing bad came of it. Meaning they never said that it rattled.

Just test it out and if it rattles, put some silicone, some weak stuff so you can pull it up easy.




Posted By: ~AFAccord~
Date Posted: January 05, 2005 at 11:51 AM
Hey, thanks.  I'm not even all that worried about the bumps, as much as the vibration from the sub itself if it's mounted to this floor.   I've learned that when dealing with subs, things have a way of making themselves become "un-stuck."  I am not too keen on using screws because a hole in my gas tank for fuel line just doesn't sound good. posted_image lol   I am curious if I might just get some thick coats of under-car rubber sound deadener painted or sprayed on where the floor would rest.... don't know if that rubber would do the trick, but i have a feeling I'm about to find out...

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Black Cherry
"Experience is something you never get until just after you need it."




Posted By: realitycheck
Date Posted: January 05, 2005 at 3:18 PM
Yeah with your massive gargantuan sub of death it might rattle, but I would think you could just take like some rubber bump stops and glue them to the bottom just thick enough to keep it off the trunk would do.

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Learning the trade one fiberglass creation at a time!




Posted By: ~AFAccord~
Date Posted: January 05, 2005 at 3:35 PM

realitycheck wrote:

...your massive gargantuan sub of death it might rattle...

    LOL  I've never heard it called that before!  I like to think of it as "the great deal I got an a kick a**  SQL sub."  It truly does feel like I'm hauling cinder blocks in the trunk.  This car is built to be well rounded, including performance, so being able to drop close to 200 pounds from the trunk for track night is a big deal!  That's the one reason I haven't considered a custom setup until now.  But I do appreciate the wonderful adjectives you've used. posted_image  I kinda hoped it would hold down the floor, but I'm pretty sure that won't be the case.  Plus I drive like I stole my own car, so yeah...

    If you're interested in seeing some more pics, or seeing the interior that got me the quasi-sponsorship, here's my cardomain link:

https://www.cardomain.com/id/workofhart

Be sure to leave a post a let me know you dropped by.

Later man.



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Black Cherry
"Experience is something you never get until just after you need it."




Posted By: chris_h
Date Posted: January 06, 2005 at 6:39 PM
Just checked out your link, AFAccord, nice car! Did you do the fiberglass work for those gauges?

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When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands




Posted By: Carbonb
Date Posted: January 06, 2005 at 10:02 PM
Well the way my car is I doubt I will hit a gas line. I don't think that any run right near the wheel well.

Anyways, I don't plan on pushing the bit an inch in and I am probably going to use a screw because that sounds like the only option.

Since if you are going to glue it down I have a huge carpet that lays down in my trunk and I want it to sit on top, so I am going to lay the carpet and then tap the hole, then screw through the hole :P

I started it today for one of the subs. I used so much freaking resin making the mold. I mean good lord I didn't think I should of used as much as I did. It was around 40 oz.

I just had 1 layer of fiberglass cloth on there, when I realized it was a huge amount of resin I decided to basically finish it off and put 2 layers of fiberglass cloth and around 2 1/2 layers of fiberglass mating.

It should be done with maybe 1 more layer and then I can pull the fleece over it.




Posted By: ~AFAccord~
Date Posted: January 07, 2005 at 4:23 AM
Nah, I wish I did.  That is a mold of ABS Plastic I had done.  In one of the pics you can see it doesn't quite reach all the way up the pillar.  If I can find  a way to get the same ABS (stock plastic) texture on the fiberglass, I might try extending that top piece to fit nicely.  Thanks for checkin it out though. Later

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Black Cherry
"Experience is something you never get until just after you need it."





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