Help with vinyl finish

[santafe]

I have been going around the internet for quite some time now looking for a guide or examples of how to give the vinyl cover for a subwoofer enclosure some cool finish. My search has so far been in vain, so I hope some of you guys can help me.

What I want is to find out about techniques, tricks, or whatever, to give the vinyl texture, sort of an emboss, to display a name, logo, or simply patterns. How should I approach embossing the vinyl? What do I use under the final vinyl layer to give it texture? Other layers of vinyl?

Also, I'm interested in cool additions you can give to an enclosure, generally speaking, to make it personalized, rather than it being a simple box. I know that fiberglass is a way to do this, but right now I am not considering making a fiberglass enclosure. What I am looking for is for simple to do ideas that make a regular wooden enclosure, covered with vinyl, look cooler.

I've been thinking about embossing the vinyl, placing LEDs, and making a cover that goes over the subwoofer enclosure like this:

Any ideas?

Click to read more...

 

[santafe]

Anyone? Any pics of cool stuff you've done with your subwoofer box designs?

 

[theCybe 5,000+ posts]

contact cement

 

[santafe]

contact cement

that's what you use to glue the vinyl....no?

 

[Symon_say 10+ year member]

yeap. and a lot of patients

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

yeap. and a lot of patients

patience //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[maldecido33 10+ year member]

round over all your edges for one

 

[W8 a minute 10+ year member]

You can use closed cell foam or masonite to create raised patterns. Simply cut the design you want, glue it to the box, then lay the vinyl over it. Use a heat gun to form the vinyl to the design. Try to keep the foam thickness at .25" or less. For embossed patterns you can cut them into the wood with a router or use a thin sheet of masonite with the logo cut out laid over the box . Again, .25" or less otherwise you're gonna have headaches. Trial and lots of error will eventually net you good results.

When laying vinyl over a raised logo that has a letter like "O" or something with a closed center ( P,R,D,B,Q,0,9,8,6)it's best to lay the vinyl over it first, use heat to form the vinyl into the depression and work outward from there. You don't want an air bubble in the middle because you'll never get the vinyl to stick down into the depression.

 

[Symon_say 10+ year member]

patience //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

sorry for that english is not my native language

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

sorry for that english is not my native language

I know //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Thats why I put a happy smiley face haha. Just tryin to help you out.

 

[speedracerx 10+ year member]

I always try to do something different each time I build for someone. Key chain neon lit skulls, photograph flushed into surface under Plexiglas, ohm option wiring diagrams routed into side plates, checkerboard vinyl floor with image cut and replaced with opposite colors ( do it carefully and you end up with 2 sets). I posted all these ideas at http://www.gospeedracerx.spaces.live.com.

 

[santafe]

You can use closed cell foam or masonite to create raised patterns. Simply cut the design you want, glue it to the box, then lay the vinyl over it. Use a heat gun to form the vinyl to the design. Try to keep the foam thickness at .25" or less. For embossed patterns you can cut them into the wood with a router or use a thin sheet of masonite with the logo cut out laid over the box . Again, .25" or less otherwise you're gonna have headaches. Trial and lots of error will eventually net you good results.
When laying vinyl over a raised logo that has a letter like "O" or something with a closed center ( P,R,D,B,Q,0,9,8,6)it's best to lay the vinyl over it first, use heat to form the vinyl into the depression and work outward from there. You don't want an air bubble in the middle because you'll never get the vinyl to stick down into the depression.

Very nice.. thanks. I will certainly give that a try soon. I'm probably adding another subwoofer to my audio system this week, and I am looking for cool ideas to add into the new enclosure.

That other idea from speedracer on the skulls looks interesting, I'm considering it.

 

[Radioflyer97 10+ year member]

a simple way to do raised letters would be to use a hot glue gun to create the raised areas. us emore glue then you need and cut away the excess. use a stretchable vinyl and good glue then hold the vinyl against the raied letters with a layer of low to medium density foam and a large weight until it dries.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

use a Heat gun //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif to streach it on, and around corners..

 

[Symon_say 10+ year member]

I know //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Thats why I put a happy smiley face haha. Just tryin to help you out.

Thanks a lot men, i'll try to check my spelling before post