Eager to start building boxes

[type[s5] 10+ year member]

Alright so I got about $200-$300 to spend on some tools to start making some boxes. I have screwdrivers of whatever size/type but I don't have a router, jigsaw, clamps, wood glue, or any other saws of any sort. I'm thinking I don't need a table saw yet as I'll just have Home Depot do my initial box cuts, but that's just me. Anyway, can anyone give me some pointers as to what I should buy with my money right now to get started? I'm thinking of buying clamps, wood glue, MDF cuts for a sealed box, and whatevers leftover on a router + router table to start off my weekend. What do you guys think?

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[spoonraker 10+ year member]

Don't buy your wood at Home Depot, their MDF is horrible, it looks like PlyWood. Also they don't do "precision cuts" as they told me, meaning they won't do a half inch or quarter inch cut, only round numbers. After seeing their wood and having them tell me they don't do cuts I just went to Lowes which was a block down the street where their MDF actually doesn't look like plywood and they were happy to do my precision cuts.

Anyway...For a simple sealed box, supply-wise, you'll need wood, a small bottle of wood glue, a box of screws around 2'' long, a tube of caulk, can of spraypaint, spray on glue, and carpet. That is assuming you're painting your port and carpeting your box.

For tools you'll need a good electrical screwdriver with at least two bits, one that matches your screw's head, and one hole drilling bit that is slightly smaller than the diameter of your screws for pre-drilling the screw holes. You'll need two clamps that can match the length of the longest piece of wood you have, I picked up a 36'' capacity clamp at lowes for $15. You'll need a caulking gun. Either a router with a spiral upcut bit, or a jigsaw, depending on how much money you want to spend, for cutting the holes for the subwoofer.

Other things you might find handy are a marker, tape measure, and a friend to help you. Also you'll need a subwoofer and a terminal cup //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Rawr-DQ 10+ year member]

Electrical screwdriver, wow. A drill, its called a drill.

And the difference in MDF, between lowes and homedepot, is the MDF not MDF'y enough, and how can it look like plywood? MDF has no grain?

As for getting the wood cut, I wouldn't use any store, get an inexpensive saw, and then get a nice blade to cut with. A straight edge and some strong clamps (not the spring loaded, they slip) to use as a rip/guide.

A Router is very nice when cutting circles, you'll need a jig which you can order or make yourself. I recommend a 200 jasper jig if you do get a router. I used a jigsaw for the first time I cut the sub hole on my first box, it wasn't too bad.

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

haha I don't know why, but I couldn't come up with the word drill when I was making that post

As for getting cuts done at lowes they did an absolutely flawless job on the cuts I had them do for me. I made a box for my friend and me and both of them came together and lined up perfectly. They have a huge tablesaw mounted on the wall with like a scope that they look into to line up the measurements exactly, I really don't see how you can get better cuts with your own saw unless they employee at lowe's just doesn't give a crap and purposely rushes everything. It's really not worth the money to buy a saw and all the stuff necessary to make your own cuts if you don't build a ton of boxes.

Oh and I know it doesn't make any sense, but the MDF at home depot looks like plywood. I'll take pictures when I get home, I have a scrap of home depot MDF that I can show you side by side with lowes MDF. There is a clear difference.

 

[tyler_fitz 10+ year member]

Anyway...For a simple sealed box, supply-wise, you'll need wood, a small bottle of wood glue, a box of screws around 2'' long, a tube of caulk, can of spraypaint, spray on glue, and carpet. That is assuming you're painting your port and carpeting your box.

wait... what?

 

[Rawr-DQ 10+ year member]

Lol, I'd like to see that, maybe I'll look at some at a local homedepot when I need something. The last mdf I got there was fine, but that was a while ago.

My saw cost me 40 bucks, not bad, and I dont have to run to a store to get any wood cut right. To me, it'd be a huge pain. I also got a sheet of mdf for free at home depot, bought two, charged for one.

 

[type[s5] 10+ year member]

wait... what?

lol x2.

But hey thanks to everyone who gave their input/humor! I took a nice nap when i got home from Home Depot and I need to get ready for a camping trip with a girl friend of mine. I'll check out Lowe's tomorrow and see how their prices are. I really think that who does better cuts depends on the workers there. Anyway, once I get what I need to actually building something, maybe I'll start a noobie build log and see how everything goes.

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

Rawr-DQ, So you just bought a cheapo table saw, a new blade, and made your own straight edge/guide thing?

How exactly did you accomplish this, I'm not sure I'm entirely following your brief description. Pictures help also.

 

[type[s5] 10+ year member]

As for getting the wood cut, I wouldn't use any store, get an inexpensive saw, and then get a nice blade to cut with. A straight edge and some strong clamps (not the spring loaded, they slip) to use as a rip/guide.
A Router is very nice when cutting circles, you'll need a jig which you can order or make yourself. I recommend a 200 jasper jig if you do get a router. I used a jigsaw for the first time I cut the sub hole on my first box, it wasn't too bad.

Yea I'd really like to buy and work with MDF sheets but I don't have a big work area to play around with.

What's a jig?

 

[type[s5] 10+ year member]

They have a huge tablesaw mounted on the wall with like a scope that they look into to line up the measurements exactly, I really don't see how you can get better cuts with your own saw unless they employee at lowe's just doesn't give a crap and purposely rushes everything. It's really not worth the money to buy a saw and all the stuff necessary to make your own cuts if you don't build a ton of boxes.

x2. Unless I start getting better at it and let some friends know //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/yumyum.gif.0556df42231b304b9c995aefd13928a8.gif

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

wait... what?

What are you confused about?

The wood is for...wood

The wood glue and screws are for attaching the wood panels together

caulk is used to seal the inside of the box

spraypaint to paint the inside of your port, unless you want a nice carpeted box with a wood colored port

spray on glue is used to attach the carpet....

 

[Dtrickz 10+ year member]

What are you confused about?
The wood is for...wood

The wood glue and screws are for attaching the wood panels together

caulk is used to seal the inside of the box

spraypaint to paint the inside of your port, unless you want a nice carpeted box with a wood colored port

spray on glue is used to attach the carpet....

well you said for a sealed box you need spray paint to paint the port. Where I come from sealed boxs don't have ports

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

wow yeah you're right lol, I'm off my game tonight

 

[type[s5] 10+ year member]

What's used to make sure the wood screws go in flush with the MDF?

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

a steady hand