Box building material stiffness compared

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

An experiment in box materials - Subwoofers / Enclosures - SMD Forum

Very well done test, worth a quick read.

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[CSCStang]

An experiment in box materials - Subwoofers / Enclosures - SMD Forum
Very well done test, worth a quick read.

Good read, thanks man. Vast majority of my builds have been the 7 layer birch which surprisingly has few voids and is easy to work with. The russian baltic I get here is really quality ply but the 5x5 sheets it comes in can be a drag at times mapping out the design. OSB looks like a route to look into....

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[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Good read, thanks man. Vast majority of my builds have been the 7 layer birch which surprisingly has few voids and is easy to work with. The russian baltic I get here is really quality ply but the 5x5 sheets it comes in can be a drag at times mapping out the design. OSB looks like a route to look into....
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from the test it looks like arauco ply is the best. weighing the least and is still a good bit stronger than mdf very close to Baltic birch.

 

[CSCStang]

from the test it looks like arauco ply is the best weighing the least and is still a good bit stronger than mdf.

Yeah I can get that over at Ganahl where I get the baltic. Anything but mdf......

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[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

While stiffness is important what is 10x more so is bracing and the acoustic design. Oil take a properly braced PDF box over a double layer oak(which is harder than birtch)..

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

so far with every wood we've tried, other than weighing less and being a lot stronger, there was no difference in sound vs using mdf. Heck we even got louder due to how much more we can brace it without turning the box into a brick.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

Eh, I still wouldn't use OSB.

My next build, I'm doing a steel cage with birch ply.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

from the test it looks like arauco ply is the best. weighing the least and is still a good bit stronger than mdf very close to Baltic birch.

OSB was actually more rigid, though I'll admit it's sort of rough to work with. Depending what sort of box and where you put it I still wouldn't rule it out. The price is right and it is strong and weather resistant.

While stiffness is important what is 10x more so is bracing and the acoustic design. Oil take a properly braced PDF box over a double layer oak(which is harder than birtch)..

I don't think "oak" plywood is actual oak, just paper thin oak veneer. Solid 3/4" oak would weigh over 120 pounds for 8X4 X3/4 sheet. I would have high expectations for a true solid oak plywood if such a thing could be had in the fashion that baltic birch ply is actually all birch.

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

Hmm interesting.

I'm with adulbrich. I wouldn't use OSB which is housing material.

I'll stick with birch.

A properly braced enclosure, won't have deflection.

 

[dmuney]

So OSB it is. Anybody own a sandpaper company? Never would have guessed that

05 Ram 5.9 Cummins Sundown Audio Old School PPI

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

OSB was actually more rigid, though I'll admit it's sort of rough to work with. Depending what sort of box and where you put it I still wouldn't rule it out. The price is right and it is strong and weather resistant.


I don't think "oak" plywood is actual oak, just paper thin oak veneer. Solid 3/4" oak would weigh over 120 pounds for 8X4 X3/4 sheet. I would have high expectations for a true solid oak plywood if such a thing could be had in the fashion that baltic birch ply is actually all birch.

Sorry I was lazy and didnt specify my meaning of "best" i classify it as pound for pound overall strength to weight to price ratio. Not really going for the strongest since its already a lot stronger than mdf and a lot cheaper than baltic birch but considerably lighter. Its not even that far behind baltic birch in strength. So yes its the best poorman's wood that can save you from upgrading shocks while giving you solid performance for the price.

I wouldnt factor osb in at all due to its weight, look and how much harder it might be to work with plus the obvious extra thickness advantage it has doesnt really make it the most superior IMO. Baltic birch wins out on strength but still loses out to arauco on two categories which is price and weight.

i love the cheap 11 layered ply we used for my personal box absolutely no box flex, extremely solid, fairly light and was cheap. Not sure what its called but it shows no sign of weakness and is easy to screw subs back one and off continually without stripping. If arauco can do the same but its even lighter, i would go nutz!

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

Most plywood has a hard core but the stuff they have at home depot and lowes generally *****.

If MDF wasn't so heavy I would use it.. A good 13 ply is much stronger and doesn't crack like the 7ply junk.

They do have HDF which is stringer than MDF but its heavy as iron. Lol

Might as well use osd

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Most plywooplywoos with a hard core but the stuff they have at home depot and lowest generally *****.If MDF want so heavy is use it.. A good 13 ply is much stronger and doesn't crack like the 7ply junk.

They do have HDF which is stringer than MDF but its heavy as iron. Lol

Paper bro you either you drunk or your english skill just took a dump there. I honestly couldnt understand any of that lol.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

My pucking phone has a mind of its own tonight.

 

[JohnKuthe]

Good read, thanks man. Vast majority of my builds have been the 7 layer birch which surprisingly has few voids and is easy to work with. The russian baltic I get here is really quality ply but the 5x5 sheets it comes in can be a drag at times mapping out the design. OSB looks like a route to look into....
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7 layer birch is what my installer guy uses, and that's from what he's building my 18" x 18" x 9" sealed subwoofer box out of for my 12" Alpine SWR-t12 subwoofer driver.

John Kuthe...