Want to fiberglass just the front of the enclosure

[jtomsic 5,000+ posts]

looks pretty good req

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

i was just going to make a box like normal. then stack and seal mdf rings, so the actual baffle would be mdf.

 

[joeldirt 10+ year member]

i was just going to make a box like normal. then stack and seal mdf rings, so the actual baffle would be mdf.

I did one that way, looks good with the subs flush mount and stuff. but I like to use this stretchy nylon material that I get off ebay. its thick and holds resin really well. I find it easiest to make a smooth outer shell with the material and fiberglass it from the inside you dont have to worry aobut how it looks from the inside, and it leaves the oute side smooth. just a little sanding some body filler for tiny impressions int eh material, if the resin didnt coat it enough, and its strong and sturdy as hell. But the way you are talking about doing it will be alot cheaper because you use less fiberglass material since it isnt requireing strngth. you get the strength from the MDF baffle. THe fiberglass is just for shape. I was talking about the other way because it leaves a better smoother surface for a nice clean paint job. Both ways work fine acomplish the same goal I guess.

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

how many layers would you guys reccomend for what i'm doing?

 

[joeldirt 10+ year member]

if you are doing it with sealed and stacked rings on a flat mdf baffle, you would really only need two layers over your base material... you said you were using that fleece material right? Are you using mat or cloth fiberglass?

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

to be honest, if you are doing a sealed box with it over the front, you shouldnt need any fiberglass dude. there is no stress on the panel, its strictly a beauty panel to make the front look good.

id suggest just soaking the HELL out of the fleece and filling it with some bodyfiller. it will be quite strong enough for a beauty panel. you souldnt need any fiberglass.

 

[jellyfish420 10+ year member]

that looks good req...but i wanna see the pic that he was origanaly talking about.

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

to be honest, if you are doing a sealed box with it over the front, you shouldnt need any fiberglass dude. there is no stress on the panel, its strictly a beauty panel to make the front look good.
id suggest just soaking the HELL out of the fleece and filling it with some bodyfiller. it will be quite strong enough for a beauty panel. you souldnt need any fiberglass.

alright ill take your word for it. so when i soak it, do i need to let it dry, then do another layer, or all at once? and you're sure it'll be strong enough?

oh yea...one more thing, i dont have a dremil, and dont want to buy one. any alternatives? would a jigsaw work?

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

jigsaw works fine. just be careful and wear long sleeves, a mask, and gogles. you DONT want to breath that dust or get it on your skin.

it is NOT plesant.

 

[NeverEnuffBass 10+ year member]

Was it the W7 box that I built? Click the link to my Sounddomain page. Its on there somewhere.

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

yea thats it. thats exactly what i want to build for a single 10". did you just build the box first, and then make a fiberglass "beauty" panel? if so, do you think you could post/pm me the steps? thanks.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

same steps as doing a regular fiberglas box. just make a bunch of 1" thick rings and stack them (nice and strong)

then stretch fleece.

easy as pie //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

i'm worried about the hardener mixture, i'm totally foreign to all this. does it give good directions on the container?

 

[Damaso87 10+ year member]

It should give pretty detailed instructions. Its all just how fast you want it to dry...more htan the recommended amount = faster curing, less = slower curing. You cant overdo the hardener, however too much will cause the mixture to harden before you get to fiberglass with it.

Say i wanted to fiberglass sides for my box, so itll look custom made for my trunk, but still want to keep the original MDF center...would i just:

Create FG molds for each side

(fill them with sand and figure out their volume)

position them in place relative the box

cut the end of the box off

secure the molds with dowels

stretch the felt onto the box from the FG molds

coat the felt with resin, then proceed to fiberglass

let the FG dry, then just cover it all with carpet

Fin.

Correct me if im wrong

 

[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

You can overdo the hardener, if you use too much it will start to smoke and coagulate within minutes, just use the recommended amount. Also check for the recommended temperature, if it's colder than that use a little more hardener, if it's hotter than that use a little less.