Planning to build a box...what materials?

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

I've got a Home Depot close by.

Now I know the basics: 1.5 inch screws, a drill, wood glue, possibly some high pressure silicone sealant of some sort, 3M #90 glue, and carpeting. What i want to know is what type of wood to use.

I can get ahold of 3/4" MDF, but not 1". I want to overbuild this box so that I can put something crazy in it later on, plus, it'll fit specifically to my Impreza. I'm putting in a PG Xenon 10" for now, but who knows what I'll put in later //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Is there a better wood than MDF to build a box out of? If so, what would you suggest? The denser the better.

~Levi

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[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

I've got a Home Depot close by.
Now I know the basics: 1.5 inch screws, a drill, wood glue, possibly some high pressure silicone sealant of some sort, 3M #90 glue, and carpeting. What i want to know is what type of wood to use.

I can get ahold of 3/4" MDF, but not 1". I want to overbuild this box so that I can put something crazy in it later on, plus, it'll fit specifically to my Impreza. I'm putting in a PG Xenon 10" for now, but who knows what I'll put in later //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Is there a better wood than MDF to build a box out of? If so, what would you suggest? The denser the better.

~Levi

medium density fiberboard. 5/8 or 3/4. what could be that much better?

 

[GrnEydDvl 10+ year member]

3/4 mdf. It is the best balance of weight, price, structural integrity, and acoustics. There is really no need for anything else in a car.

You can use 5/8 in a pinch.

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

medium density fiberboard. 5/8 or 3/4

I know I can use that, but I do not like the stuff. Working with it in the past, it likes to crumble out when being worked with. I was thinking more along the lines of ply wood of some sort, something stronger with atleast the same density.

Is that feasible?

~Levi

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

I know I can use that, but I do not like the stuff. Working with it in the past, it likes to crumble out when being worked with. I was thinking more along the lines of ply wood of some sort, something stronger with atleast the same density.
Is that feasible?

~Levi

i don't know alot about wood. how about oak? it'd weigh 600 pounds then.

 

[Worlddre 5,000+ posts]

I know I can use that, but I do not like the stuff. Working with it in the past, it likes to crumble out when being worked with. I was thinking more along the lines of ply wood of some sort, something stronger with atleast the same density.
Is that feasible?

~Levi

where did you get it as no mdf ive ever worked with has ever crumbled while i was doing anything to it... if you dont mind spending $60+ a sheet baltic birch ply is the sexiness

 

[seth350 10+ year member]

baltic birch ply ^

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

where did you get it as no mdf ive ever worked with has ever crumbled while i was doing anything to it... if you dont mind spending $60+ a sheet baltic birch ply is the sexiness

Well, trying to jigsaw the stuff, it just crumbles apart at the edges, and I'm a freak about clean edges. Plus, drilling through it, when the bit or screw comes out the other side, it bulges then breaks chunks away...and it is HD stuff.

I vaguely remembering seeing a thick 5 ply sheet of plywood for roughly 25$ Atleast i think it was 5 ply, either way, the stuff was insanely ridgid. I guess I need to figure out density though.

I'm gonna try to find an enclosure designer or something and draw up a picture. Basically, I'm going to build an enclosure that covers the entire back of the rear seat in the trunk, making it look like a wall. This is where I will mount my amps and wiring to as well.

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

Birch ply works well too. Also pick up some 90 degree angle corner clamps...they help a ton.

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

Birch ply works well too. Also pick up some 90 degree angle corner clamps...they help a ton.

As in something akin to C-Clamps? or benchclamps? Or is that some sort of nailing item?

I can get Oak sheets as thick as I want, but they are not pressure treated. My father is a lumberjack with a mobile bandsaw //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif. I'll see if he has anything outback, but like I said, he doesn't have anything pressure treated so it might warp over time.

~Levi

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

3/4 mdf. It is the best balance of weight, price, structural integrity, and acoustics. There is really no need for anything else in a car.
You can use 5/8 in a pinch.

unless you are running a stupid pair of 15"s or something, then 1" for the front baffle.

and dont use super 90 adhesive. get a better quality glue and a gun

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

unless you are running a stupid pair of 15"s or something, then 1" for the front baffle.
and dont use super 90 adhesive. get a better quality glue and a gun

My issue with that is that usually the good glues only come in 5 gallon buckets. Rick over at Raamaudio sells a great adhesive, but I've used the #90 for carpeting and it worked perfectly.

~Levi

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

My issue with that is that usually the good glues only come in 5 gallon buckets. Rick over at Raamaudio sells a great adhesive, but I've used the #90 for carpeting and it worked perfectly.
~Levi

it isnt half as good as other stuff. i have never had carpet peel up at all before, not even at seems on corners.

 

[NightHawkFG 10+ year member]

I have never had MDF cumble on me. are you sure you are not confusing MDF with particle board.

 

[ssj2xxgotenxx 10+ year member]