I want to try and make my own box for my speakers.
The box I have for my subs didnt look that complicated so I would like to attempt this.

I have the tools to cut, drill, ect.
What I want to know is what type of wood? thickness of wood? glue? screws? carpet? How do I get the carpet to look clean with no folds?

I want this to look professional. So any help would be appreciated.




[Modified by Fooser, 7:20 PM 3/8/2002]

 

MDF, particle board
best glue is a polyurathane one that will expand to fill the gaps, or pl will work
screw's-coarse threaded drywall, but must predill/countersink
Carpet-ok?
Have a plan on the carpet. do it like you would a christman present. It will take a little practice to do it right. Have someone help who has done it before.

Brew

 

What about the filling inside the box? Also where can I buy this stuff.

If I were to fold the carpet like a christmas present there would be creases. I dont want creases. I want the box to look like it has carpet on the wood.


[Modified by Fooser, 11:23 PM 3/8/2002]

 

use MDF..like 3/4" or so min.. and use screws..when subs hit they make a lot of vibration.. so i dunno about glue.. make sure you get the spacing correctly too... I havent built my own box so beyond that i cant help you..

 

Know what after looking at my box it looks like the guy made the mid, top, back, bottom and connected them and carpeted. After that he slid the sides in with carpet on them. so the carpet folds around into the box. I'm sure he screwed it as well.

I still need to know where I can purchase all of my supplies. Also what do you mean by right dimension of box? The hole size or the box itself?

 

First things first, you need to get the box the right size. That is fully determined by the specs of the sub/s. Also you must decide on the type of box you want to build. If this is your first, I strongly recommend that you build a sealed box.

After designing the box so that you have the correct internal volume, including bracing, woofer displacement etc, you can start cutting. For material, use 3/4" MDF, not particle board!! Particle board sucks for this application. After cutting all of the panels, you can get started on assembly. Make sure that you cut the woofer openings for the subs on the baffle before you start assembly.

I use wood glue and drywall screws for my boxes. You must predrill and countersink the heads...sounds like a pain in the ***, but is a must for a professional appearance.

Start from the baffle, and attach the other panels to it as you go. Use a framing square to make sure that all of the sides are perpendicular to eachother. When applying the glue, make sure that you spread it evenly on both pieces. Regular wood glue will get very strong. After you have gotten every panel attached but the back, you can caulk the inside edges of the box. This will make the box air tight. Do this before you put the back on. Next, attach the back, and screw it down. Finally, caulk the rear panel on, and you are done.

For carpet, you will need some 3M super 77 spray adhesive, carpet of course, and a few new razor blades...must be very sharp. Lay out your carpet, and start on the front baffle. Apply the glue to both the carpet section that will cover the baffle, and the baffle (follow directions for drying time, etc.) Once you have the front, then move around the box, folding the carpet to the adjacent panels, using the razor blade to trim away excess. You should beable to do the box with one piece of carpet with a minimal number of seams. Be careful around the seams, and you won't see them.

You really won't need any fill if you design the box to the correct size. Just make sure that the box is air tight. Also, get a terminal cup from Radioshack so that you don't have to drill a hole in the box to pass the wires. If you are using 2 or more subs, make sure you have the two chambers separate from eachother.

Check out the tutorial section at http://www.jlaudio.com for some ideas about how to make a good, strong box. IF you box design (size, construction, etc) sucks, then your subs will sound crappy.

 

Oh, I forgot a few things...to purchase materials, you can go to almost any hardware store or home improvement center...Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

Also the box that you have has counter sunk sides. This is actually done to make the box stronger. The sides are bigger than they appear, and are in dados that are in the front, top, etc. of the box. Those 4 sides have a channel that the sides of the box ride in. Makes for a very strong box, but difficult to build and assemble.

If you need help getting your box size correct, email me and I can give you a hand. rcurley55@yahoo.com


[Modified by rcurley55, 12:14 AM 3/9/2002]

 

well the previous poster already explained it.. but yeah i meant make sure you biuld it the correct size for your sub application.. they will tell you how much air space and everything that the sub needs...

 

Hey thanks alot. So on the speaker itself it will tell me how much air space it requires? I am pretty sure how to make everything else I just need to know how to make the size of the box correctly. For my first attempt I'm going to try and make a 6 x 9 box for a speaker. For a total of two which will sit in the back of a car.
Oh ya and for the caulking I can use any type? Or is there a specific type that works best.


[Modified by Fooser, 3:24 PM 3/11/2002]

 

i dont think it will say how much air space is require on the physical speaker itself.. but if you bought it and have the box.. it will probably say in the instruction/specification manual.. if not there is always 1) the manufacturers website 2) the internet... or just ask the shop you bought it from...

 

coo coo I will check it out.
One more thing. Do you build support on the inside of the box? they kind of look like small pieces that run along the inside corners to hold the box in place better. Is this reccommended? Or is it unecessary?

Also if anyone has diagrams on how to make different types of boxes I would appreciate it.

 

The tutorial site at jlaudio.com will tell you everything about how to build braces in your box. Remember to account for them when you are desiging though.

What sub do you have? There is no real set way on how to make boxes, each is custom.

 

Ya I figured that. I'm just working on a basic speaker box. After looking at this site I came to the conclustion that this isnt that hard at all. I have some decent woodworking skills and tools so it will be a piece of cake. I'm kind of worried tho cause my box that was made did not take that long. I was reading up about silicone sealant and it said if its not set all the way the fumes will ruin the subs. Hope the guy didnt use silicone.

A few more specs I want to know about. Whats the spacing on each screw? is it like 3" +- ? Dont want to skimp out on screws but dont want to over due it. I think my plan for the braces will the the rectangle cut out of a piece that touches all corners. I will put the braces on the back piece and sides. Should I build a brace for the front as well? Not that it will matter for the little box I'm going to make first.

From personal experiences do you guys brace all of the sides?

 

One more question. I'm still not sure how the carpeting will go. Do I cut the capreting with extra material hanging off the sides? Someone told me to fold it like a present. Is this the way to do it? I dont want the seams to show. Can I fold the sides into the box? then put carpet on the side and push it in? maybe even recess the side so it has a custom look to it.

After taking a look at these custom boxes it looks like they did the sides seperately. The way I would do it is build the front, top, back, and bottom first. Then after I get all those side on I would reinforce the structure along the sides. Capret the section and fold the ends over the edges. After that I would place the sides is and connect them through the inside of the box. I'm not quite sure how this works tho. I think I have a basic idea of this. Do you guys connect the sides seperately?


[Modified by Fooser, 5:38 PM 3/11/2002]

 

i didnt build my own sub box.. so sorry bro.. i cant comment/give you REAL 1st hand experience/advice.. hopefully someone else will.. but check out that JL site.. and you also might check out a book called "Car Stereo Cookbook" they had it at my local library.. and i checked it out so i didnt have to buy it for like $30 hehe. but i didnt really read into detail how to builld a box since i already have my system set up...

 

Ya I understand. The box itself is not hard to make. The tricky part is getting the carpet in there so it looks perfect. I'm thinking they carpet the box in two sections seperately. I'm not sure tho so if anyone has any suggestions it would be appreciated.

Also are there any books that will help?


[Modified by Fooser, 6:04 PM 3/11/2002]