Planning to build a box...what materials?

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

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 think you're talking about particle board and not MDF. MDF does not crumble at all.

 

[Thieroff 10+ year member]

MDF splits easily though, be sure to drill out some pilot holes

CT

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

As said, particle board will crumble. Particle board does not = MDF.

Other available wood is Trupan (Light MDF) and Baltic Birch ply. Both are more expensive than MDF, but superior materials

For glue, I use 3M Super 77, great glue. I have a hard time peeling it off, even if I want to. Never used the 90 stuff.

Then just a good wood glue, and sheet rock screws, and your tools. Then your set.

 

[GrnEydDvl 10+ year member]

Other available wood is Trupan (Light MDF) and Baltic Birch ply. Both are more expensive than MDF, but superior materials

Why is Light MDF superior? Just because of the weight? I saw it at the wood store the other day but passed it by thinking it would be less sound than MDF.

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

Yes, basically weight. Personally, I think it cuts easier and routes easier. I have also never had a screw strip out in Trupan.

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

My apologies guys, it is splitting. Not crumbling. I could not think of the right term so I wrote crumble. Trust me, I know what Particle board is; it's the stuff Walmart makes their enclosures out of.

The pic of the items needed.....I think I mentioned every one of them //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I'm hitting up the Depot tomorrow after work, I need to sketch this thing out too.

~Levi

 

[Big Dee 10+ year member]

If your MDF is splitting you aren't doing it right. I've never had MDF split on me at all.

If you want to use something else get some Birch Ply.

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

If it's splitting, don't use so many screws (or don't use them at all) and make sure to pre-drill them. Also, make sure that the screws are at least 5-6" away from the edge of the wood. That will help reduce splitting.

 

[Rawr-DQ 10+ year member]

If it's splitting, don't use so many screws (or don't use them at all) and make sure to pre-drill them. Also, make sure that the screws are at least 5-6" away from the edge of the wood. That will help reduce splitting.

...laugh, just pre-drill the holes, make sure you don't drill a hole too large so that the screws strip out the wood, or too small, to where the wood splits.

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

...laugh, just pre-drill the holes, make sure you don't drill a hole too large so that the screws strip out the wood, or too small, to where the wood splits.

You can laugh all you want but from the testing I have done, MDF will split even with predrilled holes, especially if he is using 1.5" screws. I used 1.25" course threaded drywall screws and a scrap piece of MDF; I wanted to see if it would split with predrilled holes. Sure enough, the wood slightly split when they were placed about 4" away from the edge. I tried going up one size for my drill bit and the screws wouldn't really hold. When I tried them about 5" away, the splitting was very minimal. Was the splitting terrible? No, and with woodglue there, it's really not a problem. Would I recommend putting a ton of screws in 3-4" apart? Hell no.

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

Just properly predrill your holes and you will be fine. I dont have any splits and mine are usually 2-3 inches from the edges of the wood. I use 1 5/8" Drywall screws.

 

[Frankensuby 10+ year member]

Ok I went with MDF 3/4" because the sheets of plywood and other various woods looked like they would splinter too easily.

My next issue is that I cannot for the life of me find a plain answer for how much volume my driver displaces in an enclosure. I need .65 volume in a sealed box including the driver's displacement. On the spec sheets, it has all sorts of infor, Vas, Xmax, Qts, etc.... but I don't know which is the displacement figure //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Any advice?

 

[Mugen 10+ year member]

Ok I went with MDF 3/4" because the sheets of plywood and other various woods looked like they would splinter too easily.
My next issue is that I cannot for the life of me find a plain answer for how much volume my driver displaces in an enclosure. I need .65 volume in a sealed box including the driver's displacement. On the spec sheets, it has all sorts of infor, Vas, Xmax, Qts, etc.... but I don't know which is the displacement figure //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Any advice?

What sub are you using? And if I were you, I'd just shoot for .75ft^3, that'll give you plenty of leeway on your displacement and you likely won't be able to tell any bit of difference in the way it sounds. What sub are you using though?

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

Any advice?

Don't worry about it and shoot for a little bit bigger. You won't be able to tell the difference either way.

 

[thatkidbob 10+ year member]

i can't remember the exact size off hand, but i use a 1/4" or 3/16" bit for my predrilling, a 5/8 for countersinking, and 1 1/2" long #7 deck screws... i get splits once every blue moon...

As far as materials, heres what i use:

-A circular saw (used w/ a saw guide for cutting my pieces)

-A router (used w/ circle jig for cut outs, flush bit for finishing work, and rounder bit for roundovers)

-A drill (duh //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif )

-2 90 degree corner clamps (the cheapies from harbour freight)

-2 36" bar clamps (again, harbour freight)

-2 48" bar clamps (uhh... harbour freight)

-hurricane nuts (for speaker mounting)

-bondo (for filling the countersunk holes)

-primer & paint (for the port)

-weldwood contact cement (slower than spray adhesive, but bonds stronger)

-fiberglass resin (for sealing the box)