Are screws really necessary when building a sub box?

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

if you get 90 degree clamps, ($6 a piece at lowes and sears, $9 at home depot) if you get enough of them, you can clamp all 4 sides of the enclosure together, and have them drying overnight, and then the following day, all you need to do is the top and bottom pieces, and you're set.

You still need clamps for inbetween the corners, normally when I'm making a box I end up putting camps about every 6-8 inches.

*edit* Also, if you do use the method of doing all 4 sides at once, it can sometimes be a ***** to get square.

Remember kids, always check for square, if you don't you'll be cussin yourself later.

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

Makes sense that screws are just used as mini clamps.
What type and how many clamps would be needed for a typical ported enclosure?

Get about a dozen shorter bar clamps, another dozen of longer ones, then a half dozen of big *** ones.

You'll thank me later.

 

[SQBubble 10+ year member]

Makes sense that screws are just used as mini clamps.
What type and how many clamps would be needed for a typical ported enclosure?

i used 4clamps, but id say the more the better...6 is the least u have to have IMO. with 4 clamps, i had to screw the last huge piece...

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

If glue isn't being squeezed out at the joint, you need a clamp there.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

30 minutes, getting a little speedy there aren't ya?

Titebond I cures basically completely in 30 minutes. II takes about an hour +. III? Forget finishing in under two days.

 

[ruger 10+ year member]

just built one this week without screws, seems like a pretty tough box.http://forum.realmofexcursion.com/showthread.php?t=11436

 

[HincklNutt 10+ year member]

i just use my wood glue/liquid nails and pop a few nails in via my nail gun. ive never had a box fall apart/explode/become unsturdy in any way, and ive went throug quite a few boxes....

no screw's arent neccisary, but if it makes you feel better than use them. i dont, and probably never will, nail gun/woodglue for me

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

Titebond I cures basically completely in 30 minutes. II takes about an hour +. III? Forget finishing in under two days.

Ahh ok I get ya, I wait at least an hour before I move any glue joint, I don't want to stress the joint when its vunerable. But once again, thats my personal preference.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

clamps, glue, and brad nails = box done in less than an hour.

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

Hey Ruger, you don't sand glue off after it dries, you scrape it.

 

[ruger 10+ year member]

yea im still learning, it was a first attempt.

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

yea im still learning, it was a first attempt.

Ahh ok, if you scrape it comes off a HELL of alot easier, plus when you sand glue it clogs up the sandpaper. It's really a pain in the arse when an a-hole puts a board through a drum sander and dosen't scrape the glue off, completely ruins the paper in it, and it realllly pisses people off who need to use the machine (aka, me).

*edit* after clamping it, wait a little bit longer than you can scrape the glue off pretty easy and get most of it before it dries, speeds up the process. Just use a papertowel to get the glue off the scraping tool while using it, and when done wash off the scraper using normal water, the glue is water soluble. If you don't remember to wash it off and it dries and becomes nasty, just buff it using a wire wheel (the scraper) and it comes right off.

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

**** 16 people viewing, this is a hot topic.

 

[Big Dee 10+ year member]

Just to drive the point home (no pun intended).

Screws and nails are completely unnecessary, although they are useful if you don't have enough clamps.

 

[Lurius 10+ year member]

I have plenty of clamps, from 1 1/2" to 36", and regardless of how strong the glues bond is, I still am using screws on my box build. If I can let the clamps hold it for 10 minutes, then screw it together and work on another side i'll do it. I dont think a screw every 3 inches is nessicary though, lol.

-Lurius