Building into trunk...

[Diplexers 10+ year member]

Ive build alot of boxes inside my trunk, and have never really had that many problems..Just build as much outside as possible and plan before hand. Make sure you wont have anything that is hard to get to..

The problem is I don't have anywhere near the room you did. 6 cu ft in a Mirage.

By the way that is a lot better than some of the "built in" boxes I've seen. Good job //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

The problem is I don't have anywhere near the room you did. 6 cu ft in a Mirage.
By the way that is a lot better than some of the "built in" boxes I've seen. Good job //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

It looks like I have alot of room, but I really dont. The rear most of it (by the backseat) is only 13"s tall and then angles up to the 16.5"s you can see in that pic. Not just that but it is only 24"s wide in the rear and again angles to 36.5"s...

The problem with mine is that getting a box into the trunk opening is near impossible. Try completely assembling the box outside the trunk, making sure you'll be able to access the screws from outside..Then take it apart till it fits and assemble it again inside the trunk...

Thanks for the compliment //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

for those who are concerned with sealing when building inside the car, i'm almost positve there's no problem with sealing for the outside.

 

[joeldirt 10+ year member]

sounds good. There is another way that may even be quicker and or easier. You can make it completely flush and solid as hell as they make for a very solid joint. I use this tool with kitchen cabinet face frames. Awsome tool. It's called a pocket hole jig.

check it out:

http://www.kregtool.com/

you put pocket holes on the edges of the panels for the box assembly. Essentially building the box inside the trunk starting from the bottom up leaving the front off and securing it as normal from the front with dry wall screws. If oyu want to make it even stronger you can put a rabit or dado grooves for more of a glueing area it also helps reduce flexing in your panel robbing you of quality sound.(in an enclosure that is built into the trunk, you should use silicone sealant instead of glue however you will want to be able to take it apart when you remove it with out destrying a perfectly good box and all your hard work.) then screw the panels together with the pocket holes. glueing the joints as you lay them down to secure in place with the screws. I did this a few times with extreamly quick and beutiful results. Sound quality kicks ***. (works best for 3/4 inch MDF)

 

[Diplexers 10+ year member]

It would be perfect if I wasn't worried about dismantling the box at a later date. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

My design is essentially a removable, 100% sealed (except port), very ridged enclosure. Just like a computer desk is able to be dismantled and reassembled.

 

[joeldirt 10+ year member]

Well I guess the preferable way you should seal any "into trunk' enclosure is to seal it using silicone instead of glue. (I edited my previous message to include it I forgot to mention it) the pocket holes allow an extreamly tight grip. One screw every 2 to three inches is sufficient. The pocket hole jig comes in handy for a million construction uses. you can get extreamly creative using it. People ought to check out the site to see what they can all be used for. I just find it handy to build "into trunk" enclosures using this tool. Quick, strong, airtight seal. what else could you ask for?

p.s. n ot busting your balls, your idea may be just fine. I am just offering more ideas to expand the possibilities.

 

[joeldirt 10+ year member]

http://www.kregtool.com/pocket_hole_applications.asp

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

Well I guess the preferable way you should seal any "into trunk' enclosure is to seal it using silicone instead of glue.

When building boxes, you should always use both silicone and glue. Silicone is not a bonder, and shouldn't be used as one. when you seal, you use silicon in the coreners of the box, not on the edge of the MDF that bonds to the other piece. Glue also isn't a good sealer, thats why you use both. If you have to disassemble the box, i would suggest not using glue at all, but use silicone still to seal. Silicone can be pealed off the MDF.

 

[joeldirt 10+ year member]

In reply to ^. Mayb e you ahve always been told this..... I have done it this way as experimentation. people often use silicone to bond the front surface of a band pass enclosure so that incase they need to remove the sub they do not have to bust apart the box. I use this method only for building boxes into the trunk so that you can take them apart if you need to to get tehm out for what ever reason. And silicone is the least prefered method of securing the boxes panels together for assembly. actually hardly ever. but in this case. it is not to secure the box together. that is why I suggested to use the screws every two to three inches rather then four to six inches apart to increas strength, limit flexing in the panels, and to ensure that the panel fits tightly all along the seam so that there is a good air tight seal. silicone in the corners, normally isnt even necesary for my methods of buidling boxes utilizing rabit and dado joints and the type of glue I use. I use either gorilla glue, or a glue that comes in a caulking type tube that is called "tougher then nails. The gorilla glue actually sets up expanding slowly as it cures kind of leaving a hardened foam around the edges, there is no way there could ever be an air leak with that. same with the hard as nails glue it is very durable and extreamly strong that makes a bond tougher then the mdf its self. the joints I normally use also add the reinforcement to the box kind of like if you cut a hole in sheet metal and flange it makes it stronger. its kind of like adding a flange at the joint to produce a much stronger joint and all together panel for reducing flexing while music play. Silicone in this aplication is a suitible material to use in your joints just for sealing purposes. I do not suggest it for construction strrength. you are going to have ot make up for that with the screws. (Trust me...... sound quality remains and overall strengtrh and cuontstruction is five star with this method) and if you build boxes on a regular basis..... try this out for oyur self and you will definately agree. (think outside the box)

 

[Diplexers 10+ year member]

Both are great ideas. Most of us know that "wood glue" bonds the wood and is actually stronger than the wood. I have built many many boxes over my 14 year obsession and would normally use wood glue for the bonded joints. As well I would also use the silicone for the seams. However it has taken years of trial and error to come up with this simple user friendly design. I work at Ace part time (engineering student) and can get some really good rubber weather stripping. I can get it in a thickness that once compressed it will be 100% sealed except for the port of course.

I do like the idea of your tool for kitchen cabinets. If I ever get my degree I will look into it more seriously.

Thank you guys for all the useful input.

 

[joeldirt 10+ year member]

Yeah I use 1/8" thick, by 3/4" wide weather strip like you are talking about for the seal around the sub.

 

[Diplexers 10+ year member]

Yeah I use 1/8" thick, by 3/4" wide weather strip like you are talking about for the seal around the sub.

except the stuff I am using is 1/2" thick. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/up2something.gif.dd110ecf3ae4b76050d87598f2f8de7c.gif

 

[skeptikal Premium Member]

i gotta built in box (see signature)... basically my box just sits behind a wood baffle that is carpeted with two side boxes (just for looks, my distro block sits under one of them).

i'd say build your box outside of your car, and then make it fit and look good in your car. i am way to lazy to read all of your first post but hopefully this might of helped.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

skep, he wasnt trying to make it look good, he was trying to make a box FIT because the trunk is too small of an opening to get the box in.

so a 'build in' is when the box is assembled INSIDE the trunk, rather than outside - then placed in the trunk.

great to stop thieves. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

i got a see a pic of this. Sounds very interesting