plexi glass on box

[pboulos 10+ year member]

The next sub im going to buy is going to have a very sexy motor so i wanted to make an enclosure with a plexi glass or acrylic back with some led's inside so i can see the motor from the trunk but can still see the dustcap when the back seat is folded down (it will be faced to the front of the car so dont want to invert the sub). How would i attach the plexi glass or acrylic to the rest of the box made of mdf? im pretty sure wood glue wouldnt work, right? whats the difference between plexi and acryclic and where would you buy these? basically, how would some of you more experienced box builders go about completing this project?

Click to read more...

 

[pboulos 10+ year member]

oh yea, i was going to paint the entire inside of the box either black or white and carpet/vinyl the rest so you cant see bare wood anywhere on the box, even through the plexi. leaning more towards white because it would look nice with the led's

 

[j3bus2k3 5,000+ posts]

when you cut your "window" for the plexi, just router down the INSIDE surrounding area to the thickness of the plexi to allow it to sit flush on the inside. Then use some small length screws to secure it....

 

[pboulos 10+ year member]

never routered before but i have been looking at routers lately so im gonna buy a router pretty soon. what kind of bit would i need to do that?

 

[j3bus2k3 5,000+ posts]

A simple straight cut would do but you would need an edge guide to keep it uniform all the way around. Also, make sure you get a plunge router...

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Get a rabbeting bit. Has a roller on the shaft to allow you to follow and edge and is basically impossible to f-up. Use #m foam double stick mounting tape between the MDF and the Plexi to seal it and screws to hold it. I would use sheemetal screws with a flat back on the head rather than bugle head screws and tighten them by hand to keep from cracking the Plexi.

 

[pboulos 10+ year member]

Get a rabbeting bit. Has a roller on the shaft to allow you to follow and edge and is basically impossible to f-up. Use 3m foam double stick mounting tape between the MDF and the Plexi to seal it and screws to hold it. I would use sheemetal screws with a flat back on the head rather than bugle head screws and tighten them by hand to keep from cracking the Plexi.

thanks alot, sounds good and not too tough. i've never seen plexi at any of the stores ive been too though. where do you get it?

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

A glass shop will have it. Depending on how big a piece you need you may be able to get it from them as scrap and save a lot of money. If they will cut it to size for you, that's a bonus as well.