Building Sub Boxes...?
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Normal Egg
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 12:17 a.m. - Subject: Building Sub Boxes...? |
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Anybody know anything about building sub boxes? I know to use 3/8" MDf and to glue, nail and seal all the joints. But like how big should the box be for like a 12" woofer?, and should I port them or not? Anybody who knows anything on the subject, please comment, thanx.
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Power Egg
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 12:54 a.m. - Subject: |
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dude you better look that shit up on a reliable sound equipment website. 95% of the people here don’t even have a learners permit or a car.
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Master Egg
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 12:58 a.m. - Subject: |
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when i get my car i have a sum great plans for a custom sound system..
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'www.youn00b.com'
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 1:19 a.m. - Subject: |
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Go with 1/2" to 5/8" Medium Density Fiberboard (5/8 if it is a big sub) Mind you this shit isnt cheap. The dimensions that filthysanchez09 gave you are close, but it depends on the vehicle (std. cab pickup vs 89 lincoln towncar for example)
Quote: dude you better look that shit up on a reliable sound equipment website. 95% of the people here don’t even have a learners permit or a car.
He has a good point. Im 21 and have been driving over 5 years, so that worry isnt valid in my case.
I wonder if you will ever see this since you logged off and most lvl2 don’t know how to get back to the fourm they posted in.
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'www.youn00b.com'
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 2:09 a.m. - Subject: |
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So you posted...why?
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Master Egg
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 2:20 a.m. - Subject: |
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Quote: but it depends on the vehicle
Wrong...
It only depends on the space when you don’t care about the sound. If you bought the sub new it should have come with what volume the enclosure needs and a heap of other information (such as a template which could be handy).
The smaller the box, the higher the frequency will be. But it won’t make that much difference, and you’re obviously not going for a good quality system.
Ported boxes give lower frequencies still, but they also require more volume. Sealed boxes are your best bet.
Don’t use nails. Especially with MDF. If you do use nails, pre-drill the holes so you don’t split the wood. Screws are a much better alternative because they hold on to the MDF and don’t slip out like nails can.
Use good glue and let it dry completely. If there are any leaks in the box the sub won’t perform nearly as good as it can. The solution to this is silicone. You’ll obviously have trouble getting the gun into a small box, so construct the box except for the back panel. This leaves room for you to access the inside joins with silicone, then when you attach the back panel you’ll have the sub hole to get to the rest of the joins.
Make sure the template is the right size by cutting it out in a scrap piece of wood. This also gives you some practice using the jigsaw with precision (which is good). It’s best to cut the hole before the box is put together so you don’t get saw dust in the sub. The sub’s magnet might not fit in the box (check before you cut the hole), if this is the case you’ll have to move the hole up on the face (if the box is angled).
Get some terminals for a few cents at an electronic shop, put it in the back or side of the box (make sure you seal around this too) and wire the sub. Make sure you get the polarity right. If you don’t know, get a AA battery and test it on the sub. If the sub pumps out then the polarity is right, if it pulls in you’ll have to switch it. Red is positive and black is negative.
For covering in carpet you’ll need some contact adhesive. You can get a tin of it at the hardware shop for a few bucks. The thinner the carpet the better. You should be able to find the right kind of carpet at a fabric shop or foam and rubber type shop that has car carpet and accessories.
Use big screws (should have come with some) to secure the sub in the box. Tighten the screws and push the sub in your your hand with a fair bit of force (around the rim is best, don’t want to crush anything). If it springs straight out the box is sealed well. If it takes a while to come out there’s a slight leak somewhere. If you can push it in easily and hear hissing, there’s a pretty bad leak somewhere. You can find it for yourself.
The shape of the box will depend on the vehicle. Get some measurements and if you can’t figure out how to build the box ask someone for help. The internet isn’t much help when it comes to practical stuff.
Here’s my best advice: Buy a box. They’re only about $30 from the shop and they’re usually okay quality. It’ll probably be a lot cheaper than building one yourself and be a hell of a lot less work.
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'www.youn00b.com'
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 2:37 a.m. - Subject: |
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Quote:
but it depends on the vehicle
Wrong...
Quote: The shape of the box will depend on the vehicle.
Po, why are you being mean to me? I thought you were my aussie butt buddy?
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'www.youn00b.com'
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 2:43 a.m. - Subject: |
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Either way, later...I got work in 4.5 hours. Living in the US sucks at this time.
I shave my ass.
Bye now.
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Master Egg
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2006 2:51 a.m. - Subject: |
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Here are a couple of boxes I made for my sister’s car.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v109/kakkak/enclosures.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v109/kakkak/enclosures2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v109/kakkak/enclosures3.jpg
I haven’t put carpet on the subs yet. The 6x9’s are just cheap Panasonic ones and the subs are the new and old model of Pioneer 12" subs. The one on the right is the old one, and one on the left is new. I like the look of the old one. Pretty sure it sounds better too.
I did have two other subs but I burnt one out and the other one hasn’t got a box. Plus they’re fairlybad quality. I paid $38 each for them. They were just shitty little 500w max subs.
I’ve got two 2000w four channel amps that put out 280w rms per channel. I bridge for the subs and run two speakers per channel. Two 3 way 6", two 3 way 6x9", two 2 way 4" and I did have some tweeters hooked up too but I took them out because the crossover boxes were annoying.
If I ever get a job or come across a large sum of money I’m going to build a good quality sound system. I’ll probably go with all Kenwood for it.
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Normal Egg
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| Posted: Jul 22, 2006 12:22 a.m. - Subject: |
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Don’t worry I found my topic just fine. I may be level 2, but that doesn’t mean I’m retarded, it just means I don’t spend my life on the computer. But ya thanx fo rthe advice. I would by a box except I wanna make one the fits into a certain area. I got 4 or 5 sheets of different sized MDF so I’m good there, and I got wood glue, silicone, and nails or screws, depending on what I’ll use. I was thinking of using an air nailer, and use brad nails if any of you know what those are, they’re like really small nails that dont even have a head. I thought that they might work well. But ya I’ll see, thanx for the advice everybody.
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