Building my first box

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

Well Im about to build my first box. The bottom will be fiberglass and the sides and top will be MDF, unless I manage to find a way to cut angles and stuff... But eitherway, I have a couple of questions.

Its gonna be alot like jellyfish420's box because my truck has the same shape as that. So what Im curious about is what do I need to buy...

A gallon of resin Im guessing... I know I can get it at home depot but its like 39 bucks which seems a little over priced...

Ill need wood glue but I dont know whats the best kind...

Essentially what do I need? I should just use wood glue and no screws right? Or should I?

EDIT: I already got a full sheet of 3/4" MDF

Click to read more...

 

[dvrmstrng 5,000+ posts]

first box...get screws just to be safe

 

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

Do I need to buy that cloth stuff? If so how much?

 

[bloodhound50 10+ year member]

I used construction adhesive and sunken screws and it is solid. its going to break on the back wall before the seams.

 

[Rawr-DQ 10+ year member]

Lol...

Yes fiberglass matt would probably be a lil better...you live in TX, so I dunno if U.S. Composites is the place for you to go, but you can try! (Florida FG company)

goto:

http://uscomposites.com/

Then goto:

http://uscomposites.com/mat.html

Get like, FG-10538 and 5 yards of it....its the 1 1/2 ounce per foot glass.

You'll need polyester resin...

Get a gallon of either 435 Standard Polyester Layup Resin, or B-440 Premium

Comes with mekp

http://uscomposites.com/polyesters.html

You'll want some popsicle sticks, and lots of cups, preferable something 8-16 ounces and can be used to measure...somethin cheap cuz you'll toss em out when done.

also get like 100 nitrile or latex gloves.

As for wood glue, get elmers/or tightbond. Get screws and a a drill bit slightly smaller than the screws, you have to drill a hole before you screw the screws in because mdf will split.

 

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

Lol I kinda want to get it by tomorrow... that place takes 5 days to ship here lol... Anyone know of good places in texas or just general...

I dunno if yall give me a list Im sure I can find a boat repair shop or something.

 

[Rawr-DQ 10+ year member]

5 days from florida to tex? I get my stuff from cali to florida faster than that...

You'll get crap and spend a lot more money buying from like homedepot...maybe a boat shop can help you out...good luck.

 

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

Rawr is that all I need? Also what wood glue should I use?

 

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

If I used the bondo brand fiber glass resin would that be bad or ok?

 

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

I bought the bondo fiber glass resin... and 2 different packages of mat one looks like a place mat kind of with a pattern to it that looks like checkers kinda and the other seems thicker and is stringy, string like fibers runnin around with no pattern. Which should I use?

 

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

Ok so I started building the box today. Cut out all the pieces of MDF, essentially the top, front, back, sides, and chamber walls... I ended up having to lift my rear seat a little bit under an inch, but nothing crazy. I still have to cutout the circles for my subs and then glue the sides together so I can start fiber glassing. My question is, I see alot of people doing what looks like 2 seperate rings of MDF glued together so it looks like the Sub is set into the box. How do I do that? Or should I even bother? Also what kind of screws/bolts whatever do I use to put the sub in? And the screw will go down into the wood not wood to the sub right?

Sorry its alot I just want to clarify before I continue tomorrow. Also, my box is alot of angles so the box has alot of places where the wood doesnt conjoin smoothly theres cracks and stuff. I imagine the sides and bottom wont be a big deal because Im gonna fiberglass it anyways and that will seal up those leaks, but on the top if it doesn't lay fully smooth is loading it up with a bunch of wood glue gonna do the trick or is there something else I have to do?

Oh yah if I want to bolt my box to something will it mess up the sound of the subs if theres a bolt going through it?

Any help is appreciated thanks. Ill try and get pics later I dunno where a camera is...

 

[Rawr-DQ 10+ year member]

Rawr is that all I need? Also what wood glue should I use?

Tightbond/Elmers, basically anything that is WOODglue

If I used the bondo brand fiber glass resin would that be bad or ok?

Not sure, never tried it. There are several types of resin for different purposes strength/looks/workability/ect

I bought the bondo fiber glass resin... and 2 different packages of mat one looks like a place mat kind of with a pattern to it that looks like checkers kinda and the other seems thicker and is stringy, string like fibers runnin around with no pattern. Which should I use?

Checkers? I'd use the one that has lots of strands in a random pattern.

Ok so I started building the box today. Cut out all the pieces of MDF, essentially the top, front, back, sides, and chamber walls... I ended up having to lift my rear seat a little bit under an inch, but nothing crazy. I still have to cutout the circles for my subs and then glue the sides together so I can start fiber glassing. My question is, I see alot of people doing what looks like 2 seperate rings of MDF glued together so it looks like the Sub is set into the box. How do I do that? Or should I even bother? Also what kind of screws/bolts whatever do I use to put the sub in? And the screw will go down into the wood not wood to the sub right?

Unless you have a router, I wouldn't bother. It's called a Flush mount

Sorry its alot I just want to clarify before I continue tomorrow. Also, my box is alot of angles so the box has alot of places where the wood doesnt conjoin smoothly theres cracks and stuff. I imagine the sides and bottom wont be a big deal because Im gonna fiberglass it anyways and that will seal up those leaks, but on the top if it doesn't lay fully smooth is loading it up with a bunch of wood glue gonna do the trick or is there something else I have to do?

If it's a big crack, try using wood filler, Wood glue wont work.

Oh yah if I want to bolt my box to something will it mess up the sound of the subs if theres a bolt going through it?

No, it wont.

Any help is appreciated thanks. Ill try and get pics later I dunno where a camera is...

pics, mmm. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/yumyum.gif.0556df42231b304b9c995aefd13928a8.gif

 

[jellyfish420 10+ year member]

if its gonna be just like my box (i'm flattered) y not just use mine as a referance as to the steps?

as for the flush mount rings, i wouldn't do it any other way. i use a jigsaw, and round the edge by hand w/ a dremel. cut one ring the outer dim of the sub(inside), and i go 1/4-1/2" bigger(outside). then a ring the cut out dim of the sub(inside), and the same size of the first ring(outer) glue them together, set something heavy on them for an hour or so, then round the outer edge. 1/2" mdf for the flush ring for comps, and 3/4" mdf for flush rings for subs.

since your glassing, ditch the wood filler and glass the corners. to get the mat to fit in the corners tear it into shreads. and def go w/ the stringy stuff. i don't like the cloth(checkered stuff)

 

[BoondockSaints 10+ year member]

Alright guys that helps alot... Jelly mine is gonna be alot like yours except mine are forward firing and im doing wood then fiberglass but either way close enough lol. The chambers idea I definately will give credit to you though. Um as far as flush mount goes, if I wanna do that should I cut the first part out of the front of my box, the bigger hole. I figured I would have to do that, thats why I didn't start gluing tonight.

Also when yall are gluing yalls stuff together what clamps do yall use? I figure I can buy some tomorrow when I return the cloth for the mats. Im gonna glue it then Im gonna fiberglass it so everything is strong.

Oh and when I fiberglass tomorrow I need a alluminum foil and painters tape? Jusy lay out all the alluminum foil then tape it down? Sorry this is also my first time fiberglassing as well... But eh learning experience. I see alot of people with plastic sheets under their projects or around it should I get that just to protect my carpet?

Also the mat each time I do a layer I put resin on each side, just enough where the mat absorbs it right? If anyone has a good tutorial with lots of pics that would help, the ones on the official how to fiberglass are good but more always help.

 

[Rawr-DQ 10+ year member]

try searchin.