Custom mesh panels

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

Anybody here comfortable and used to shaping mesh panels to make custom grills like this video?



Thinking I'm gonna need a piece or 2 molded for some 6.5 inch sub grills

I'm tempted to just square bend the sheet mesh but also fairly worried about panel resonance if I do that.

These would only need to be 3/4 tall and 8hx20w

Considering an oval shape. I'm gonna countersink the subs into the box a bit but want to make sure I cave clearance for the savard hi-q 6.5s the fully excurt without hitting.

I'm tempted to try and do it myself but would also be interested in paying for a few to be made.

This is the oval shape I was talking about. Wouldn't be for this box but it's the same elongated oval shape

Click to read more...

 

[SlugButter]

I did this on a few of my builds. Done mesh screen and aluminum bars as the protection with a wood panel frame. I just did my 8 inch countersunk similar to yours a few weeks ago.

 

[Dafaseles]

I watched that video and shaped my screens like he did.... except I don't have access to a press.... so I used my truck. I just braced the wood really well, making sure it was flat, put the mold inside that was ½" smaller, and drove over it. Turned out really well though. They're not as deep as your needing though, but I don't see why it wouldn't work

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

I watched that video and shaped my screens like he did.... except I don't have access to a press.... so I used my truck. I just braced the wood really well, making sure it was flat, put the mold inside that was ½" smaller, and drove over it. Turned out really well though. They're not as deep as your needing though, but I don't see why it wouldn't workView attachment 43464View attachment 43465

Yea I think I can do it, I'm gonna have the subs counter sunk 1.5 inch from the front trim plate anyway so I don't have to stretch the material much more than you did only 3/4 thickness.

I'm gonna try his method using my RV jacks as press. My middle jacks put down like 4klbs each and have ample 4x6 and 6x6 to brace off of.

Gotta order some new router bits to do this though. I'm thinking black vinyl with contrasting stainless mesh would look fairly good. I can wrap a few of my interior prices in stainless vinyl to help it fit into my interior

 

[Dafaseles]

Where are you getting your mesh from?
I got mine from here https://www.mcmaster.com/perforated-sheets/high-flow-steel-perforated-sheets/
This is just one kind, they have all different thicknesses, screen shapes, sizes, and the prices aren't bad.
Yep, I love that I finally got a router and some good bits! I don't know how I ever got by without them!

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

Where are you getting your mesh from?
I got mine from here https://www.mcmaster.com/perforated-sheets/high-flow-steel-perforated-sheets/
This is just one kind, they have all different thicknesses, screen shapes, sizes, and the prices aren't bad.
Yep, I love that I finally got a router and some good bits! I don't know how I ever got by without them!

I'll probably try some Amazon available stuff I found some honeycome grill material that is typically advertised for car grills. Its aluminum so it should stretch nicely. I think I might be smaller holes than yours idk we'll see when I order it.

Over 750 in misc parts and tools for this build plus another 3400 in audio equipment and 1500 for the headunit.

And that not even adding in the box cost itself

Gonna need to pick up a new laptop to run my rta as well. Might be time to load up a few thumb drives as well. Haven't don't that in a long time.

Wife wants me to do her Cruze to buy I hate doing audio on the Cruze probably just gonna do very simple subs and maybe a new front component set. Probably a sealed box stereo integrity sql 12 on 1000w should be easy enough

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

I watched that video and shaped my screens like he did.... except I don't have access to a press.... so I used my truck. I just braced the wood really well, making sure it was flat, put the mold inside that was ½" smaller, and drove over it. Turned out really well though. They're not as deep as your needing though, but I don't see why it wouldn't workView attachment 43464View attachment 43465

Man.. Thats some fantastic custom work!! Very Nice!

 

[Dafaseles]

I'll probably try some Amazon available stuff I found some honeycome grill material that is typically advertised for car grills. Its aluminum so it should stretch nicely. I think I might be smaller holes than yours idk we'll see when I order it.

Over 750 in misc parts and tools for this build plus another 3400 in audio equipment and 1500 for the headunit.

And that not even adding in the box cost itself

Gonna need to pick up a new laptop to run my rta as well. Might be time to load up a few thumb drives as well. Haven't don't that in a long time.

Wife wants me to do her Cruze to buy I hate doing audio on the Cruze probably just gonna do very simple subs and maybe a new front component set. Probably a sealed box stereo integrity sql 12 on 1000w should be easy enough

The spending never ends, does it? I think, so far in my build, I'm at like $10-12k. I've bought all the big, expensive sh*t already, but I have a couple small things to buy still.
My wife is the opposite. Wake doesn't want me to touch her explorer.... though after I'm done with my truck, I am lol. I'm thinking full SQ build, all Stereo Integrity, 3 ways up front, DSP.... all in stock locations (except the sub). That'll be a challenge

 

[Dafaseles]

Man.. Thats some fantastic custom work!! Very Nice!

Thank you! Let's hope it looks as good done never done door panels before, so I'm just trying to figure it out as I go

 

[SlugButter]

I watched that video and shaped my screens like he did.... except I don't have access to a press.... so I used my truck. I just braced the wood really well, making sure it was flat, put the mold inside that was ½" smaller, and drove over it. Turned out really well though. They're not as deep as your needing though, but I don't see why it wouldn't workView attachment 43464View attachment 43465

That came out really good. I'm really going to have to try this myself. Back when I did building maintenance I used to fill pot holes in the lot and back my truck over it 30 times to pack it down.

 

[Dafaseles]

That came out really good. I'm really going to have to try this myself. Back when I did building maintenance I used to fill pot holes in the lot and back my truck over it 30 times to pack it down.

I've done the same thing a million times with the temporary asphalt we use at work when backfilling holes, that's kind of where I got the idea lol. I have a video of me doing it, but it's too large to upload. If I remember correctly, the mesh I used was 22 gauge, so it bent and stretched pretty easily. I also did some bigger screens with more bends in them that came out just as good. I don't have pictures of them in place yet, but check it out

I used a hand grinder with a cutting wheel to cut them to size after I bent them so they'd fit in the channel I routered for them

 

[Coolmeadow Kid]

I've done the same thing a million times with the temporary asphalt we use at work when backfilling holes, that's kind of where I got the idea lol. I have a video of me doing it, but it's too large to upload. If I remember correctly, the mesh I used was 22 gauge, so it bent and stretched pretty easily. I also did some bigger screens with more bends in them that came out just as good. I don't have pictures of them in place yet, but check it outView attachment 43493
I used a hand grinder with a cutting wheel to cut them to size after I bent them so they'd fit in the channel I routered for them

Hi. Great job! Do you by chance have a picture of the forms you made to do these? I've decided I'll have to build grills for my Stereo Integrity TM8's as nothing commercial looks like they will fit. Thanks! Jim.

 

[Dafaseles]

Hi. Great job! Do you by chance have a picture of the forms you made to do these? I've decided I'll have to build grills for my Stereo Integrity TM8's as nothing commercial looks like they will fit. Thanks! Jim.

I don't have a picture of the forms, sorry. They've been long gone. I literally just used scrap wood to glue together template, I used double sided tape to secure it to some MDF. Used a 1/2" flush trim bit on my router to cut the design out. Then I took the the piece of wood out of the center of the cut, rounded the edges, (here's were I hope I can explain this well enough) then I took the wood with the design cut out, placed it on a nice, flat board, put the flat screen over the top, and placed the cutout piece with the rounded corners on top. Then ran it over, slowly. Then I took my rabbiting bit, and cut a nice little channel on the backside of the piece to except the speaker grill.

So yeah, I basically just designed my own cutout, then used the actual piece I cut out as the form for the grill indentation. I hope that helps. Feel free to ask any questions. I'll help as much as I can!

 

[Coolmeadow Kid]

I don't have a picture of the forms, sorry. They've been long gone. I literally just used scrap wood to glue together template, I used double sided tape to secure it to some MDF. Used a 1/2" flush trim bit on my router to cut the design out. Then I took the the piece of wood out of the center of the cut, rounded the edges, (here's were I hope I can explain this well enough) then I took the wood with the design cut out, placed it on a nice, flat board, put the flat screen over the top, and placed the cutout piece with the rounded corners on top. Then ran it over, slowly. Then I took my rabbiting bit, and cut a nice little channel on the backside of the piece to except the speaker grill.

So yeah, I basically just designed my own cutout, then used the actual piece I cut out as the form for the grill indentation. I hope that helps. Feel free to ask any questions. I'll help as much as I can!

If I understand correctly, you basically made a positive and negative mold and as they pressed down on the mesh 'sandwiched' between the two molds it formed the grill. The vehicle was just your 'press'. I'll give that a try. THANKS!! Jim.

 

[Dafaseles]

If I understand correctly, you basically made a positive and negative mold and as they pressed down on the mesh 'sandwiched' between the two molds it formed the grill. The vehicle was just your 'press'. I'll give that a try. THANKS!! Jim.

Yep. That's exactly what I did.

I tried it with my 1/4" flush trim bit, but it didn't leave enough space for the mesh to press the way I wanted it. So I used the 1/2" for more spacing. If that makes sense.