What size screw

[ekah]

What size screw do you guys use to screw the subwoofer to the enclsure I used some screws ans the sub fell out of the box..

I used the screws on the left thinking it fell out because it's to short.. And there's a picture of the psi I just bought just to show it off lol

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[giltyler]

T Nuts and bolts work very well of beefy size subs with machine screws

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

usually use 1 5/8's or 2" dry wall screws.. looks like the 1 1/2" u have don't have threads all the way up could be problem.. my sub came with screws

 

[SuperDuty350]

Those look like finer thread machining screws. If you're going to only use screws, I would at least do a coarse threaded Deck screw.

If may be worth considering a bolt and lock washers to help with the shaking.

 

[honkyg 10+ year member]

depends on baffle thickness and material the box is made from. those are the correct screw type (course thread construction wood screws) but the designation by the number next to the '#' carries two factors in most cases, being threads per inch and major diameter.

more material between threads lends to more 'bite', effectively reinforcing the overall strength of the screw's holding power. a screw with a smooth shank at the top is not ideal for maximum bite, it is more for keeping material from blowing out as it's displaced.

you can use finer thread screws for harder material and just the inverse.

using a fine thread screw on soft materials can and will strip the material away if you over-tighten/turn with a drill.

course thread screws used on hard material will be a pain in the butt to drive down as youre trying to cover more depth into the material at a faster rate, which will call for more torque.

it's a game of finding a happy medium depending on what youre using.

i do not recommend using drywall screws to hold drivers, ever... as they are very brittle and shear very easily with too much tensile force or torque applied. subwoofers nowadays are heavy and can cause alot of stress to screws. they are strictly made for holding drywall to wood and steel studs (course for wood, fine for steel) as the drywall has alot of give when driving the head flush, not only that.

to put it another way, 44 screws per 4x8 drywall sheet is standard on 16 inch studs. a half inch thick sheet of drywall is 51-52lbs, so each screw is holding 1.16 to 1.18lbs. quite a bit less than 12 on a standard basket with a 50lb motor attached to it.

length is also something to highly consider when choosing. it has always been my experience in the trade jobs ive had that ive applied to building enclosures, which is to never pick a screw longer than your depth as breaking through the rear of the material can be the start of losing said material if stress is applied by whatever it's holding together.

just a tip, but always pre-drill your holes to combat splitting and material blowout with a drill bit just a tad smaller in diameter than the minor diameter of the screw.

 

[ekah]

The box is made of 3/4 mdf the baffle is only one ply of 3/4 wood. Which screw would you recommend? Iv heard of t nut it's interesting. So don't get screws longer than 3/4? The next box I'm making is birch ans with 2 3/4 baffle. Hoping baffle means like where the sub sits

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[honkyg 10+ year member]

personally, i wouldnt go with anything lower than a 3/4" #5 . but thats alot of driver for a single layer baffle.

t-nuts will work, but in my experience (and i think in long term solutions) you need a bit more surface area on the back side of the baffle required for the t-nut spurs to embed into, in addition to a bit more depth using it on mdf that close to an edge as you need to pre drill for the barrel to fit snug. accomplishing this feat while keeping the integrity of the baffle's cutout edge calls for a slight inward taper on your cutout that mimics the profile of the basket.

i find they excell in this type of application and require less finesse when you mount the driver behind the baffle as your cutout diameter only needs to be that of the outside of the surround, not to mention sandwiching a capped t-nut between layers and using a screw short enough not to bottom out.

ive used insert nuts with good results for this type of application when surface area and width are limited. kinda like a heli-coil.

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

This is what my 15's are being held down with. Because the top of my enclosure is double baffle, I got a little longer bolts with matching spiked t-nuts. I've used these before with no problems, as long as you don't strong arm them, you can screw and unscrew them all day and night and even on holidays if you like //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

This is what my 15's are being held down with. Because the top of my enclosure is double baffle, I got a little longer bolts with matching spiked t-nuts. I've used these before with no problems, as long as you don't strong arm them, you can screw and unscrew them all day and night and even on holidays if you like //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

good job. just get some lock washers on that ****.

 

---------- Post added at 02:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:46 PM ----------

 

also if you don't predrill your asking for trouble..

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

Dafuq do I need lock washers for???

I've used said sets several times now.....no need for some stupid lock washers.