Couple of fiberglass door pod q's - small ones

[way2sl0 10+ year member]

1) Is it worth me doing pods so I can make my mids on-axis? I run my tweets on axis as it is now, whereas the mids fire at my feet straight across.

2) Body filler - is it purely cosmetic? I could use thin then a thicker fabric layer that would hide most moderate imperfections - I am more after function than anything.

3) Do I need to countersink my driver? I don't have access to a router, and am wondering if I can just mount my driver on top of my mdf baffle.

4) Cloth vs Mat, whats the diff?

5) Can I use a cotton shirt instead of fleece for the initial stretch over the baffle?

Thanks for your help everyone.

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[nateberrier 10+ year member]

Im no expert but ill try to give you some answers

1. Pods are a great way to get some extra midbass and better imaging for your mids. Its worth it if you want to put in the work.

2. Body filler is cosmetic. Its difficult to get the exact shape and look with glass unless you intend on making a mold.

3. You do not need to countersink it, thats just cosmetic, My pods are not countersunk, though you could free hand it with a jig and a sander if youre decent with that sort of thing.

4. Mat is stronger than the cloth, if you hold a single piece of it you can tell its more rigid, its a little messier though.

5. You can use whatever you want really. Its just there to give you a base to start with. Fleece is used a lot because it will hold more resin. More resin makes for a stronger base and will dry faster.

 

[galacticmonkey 5,000+ posts]

1) Is it worth me doing pods so I can make my mids on-axis? I run my tweets on axis as it is now, whereas the mids fire at my feet straight across. Idk about that SQ bullshit.

2) Body filler - is it purely cosmetic? I could use thin then a thicker fabric layer that would hide most moderate imperfections - I am more after function than anything.

Use body filler to hide anything that will be shown after its wrapped. If you want, you can wrap in a thin foam or carpet, then in vinyl or whatever else. But to paint, they need to be flawless.

3) Do I need to countersink my driver? I don't have access to a router, and am wondering if I can just mount my driver on top of my mdf baffle.

Yeah, thats fine.

4) Cloth vs Mat, whats the diff?

Cloth is very thick and doesnt conform to bends. Just go with a 1.5oz mat for some pods. Just stretch the fabric, and resin that. When it hardens, then go ahead and do maybe 2 layers tops of chop mat. A tip to save body work is to do the glassing on the inside of the pod. That way you have the almost smooth resin on the outside. Just a light sand and youre good to go for carpeting. A bit more of a sand and you can vinyl.

5) Can I use a cotton shirt instead of fleece for the initial stretch over the baffle?

I have used both and fleece was much better. If you staple it, the shirt comes loose from the staples. It stretches the staple holes and sags. I did my last ones with fleece and held them with hot glue.

Thanks for your help everyone.

Just make sure you use a HIGH QUALITY resin. Not that Bondo crap from HD/Lowes/Walmart.

 

[skittlesRgood 10+ year member]

1) Is it worth me doing pods so I can make my mids on-axis? I run my tweets on axis as it is now, whereas the mids fire at my feet straight across. it will raise the sound stage and get more sound to you ears. it can sound good both ways. mine are off axis and sound fine but i may redo them to fire on axis. all the big SQ guys are onaxis si there must be a good reason.2) Body filler - is it purely cosmetic? I could use thin then a thicker fabric layer that would hide most moderate imperfections - I am more after function than anything. it is cosmetic. i used a 1/4" of foam before i added the vynal. gives it a soft feel and covers up the small bumps and pits.

3) Do I need to countersink my driver? I don't have access to a router, and am wondering if I can just mount my driver on top of my mdf baffle. dont need to sink them. mounting them to fabric will help make an air tight seal.

4) Cloth vs Mat, whats the diff? cloth has strands going in 2 directions and mat has strands going every direction. this makes mat a good deal stronger. you can also tear mat and you cant tear cloth. makes it easy to work with if you need a smaller piece in the middle of glassing.

5) Can I use a cotton shirt instead of fleece for the initial stretch over the baffle? you can use anything that will take the sape you want.

Thanks for your help everyone.

hope that helps

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

Pods are good. it is simple. but dont forget to do the inner door prep. Deadner, Eggfoam

 

[kmanian 5,000+ posts]

1) Is it worth me doing pods so I can make my mids on-axis? I run my tweets on axis as it is now, whereas the mids fire at my feet straight across.absolutely2) Body filler - is it purely cosmetic? I could use thin then a thicker fabric layer that would hide most moderate imperfections - I am more after function than anything.in most cases it is 99% cosmetic

3) Do I need to countersink my driver? I don't have access to a router, and am wondering if I can just mount my driver on top of my mdf baffle.No althoug countersinking them give you a cleaner look and adds protection if they are in a area of risk

4) Cloth vs Mat, whats the diff? mat conforms well and is available in different weights, the higher the weight the thicker the mat, cloth can be many different patterns and weights depending on strenght requirements, and cloth is not as easy to conform, especially if it is structural cloth. I somtimes use finishing cloth over the mat layers co consolidate and make finishing easier. But that is only when the shape allows

5) Can I use a cotton shirt instead of fleece for the initial stretch over the baffle? You could, but the T-shirt will stretch even further when you add resin, distorting your work and making it more work to finish. It will also take much longer to cure as the resin is very thin and the heat from the reaction will be minimal. If you do the T-shirt, go a little heavy with the hardner. Also if you use the t-shirt, I would add a step and take CA glue and run some stripes from top to bottom then around 90 degrees to the other lines of CA to make a 1" x1" grid the spray accelerator on it lightly. this will help maintain the form when resin is applied. Honestly the fleece is a million times better.

Thanks for your help everyone.

GL

Post pics

 

[way2sl0 10+ year member]

GL
Post pics

Thanks everyone, I will post pics. I am just about to leave to buy supplies but the post a few up has me worried. I have an HD gift card, and all the tutorials I see use the bondo/no name resin, and they seem to turn out fine. What is wrong with me using this? I have a budget, and am not going for show quality, I just want function!

And if this enclosure is going to be uber small, since it is mainly just to position my stuff on axis, should I be venting them through the door, with an opening on the back of the pod?

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

1) Is it worth me doing pods so I can make my mids on-axis? I run my tweets on axis as it is now, whereas the mids fire at my feet straight across.2) Body filler - is it purely cosmetic? Body filler is for painted finishes. because you can sand down and contour them to match as close as possible. I could use thin then a thicker fabric layer that would hide most moderate imperfections - I am more after function than anything.

3) Do I need to countersink my driver? I don't have access to a router, and am wondering if I can just mount my driver on top of my mdf baffle.

4) Cloth vs Mat, whats the diff? Cloth is cloth... Duh Cotton shirts are used . You build your pod fram out of wood rings and pegs and a backing board. Then you stretch "cloth" over it and form your shape. Then you apply resin. Mat is the actual fiberglass strands. You add that for more structual stability. I only used one layer of mat on my pods.

5) Can I use a cotton shirt instead of fleece for the initial stretch over the baffle? both work as mentioned above in line 4.

 

Thanks for your help everyone.

yo, check it out.... IMO/.

 

[way2sl0 10+ year member]

Said I would post pics, here.

First pic - mistake, didnt tape wide enough and got some on my panels

Second pic - first time ever glassing anything. Resin'd the inside ring first, thats not a good idea. Doesnt bend well to the outside ring which is a complex curve. Did much better on the second. May have to redo the first - also maybe should have used the cloth glass i bought instead of mat for the base.

This is the second one.