K this post spawed from another over there. But now I'm getting real interested in making a fiberglass box. Looks real easy to do and also I need something to do. This combined with anothers Idea would make a great box. Fiberglass bottom and a Plexi Glass top. Check out these links on making a fiberglass box.


http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/7165/how_to_1.htm

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This one here is a good Idea!

I think I'll Try that!


https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/subwoofer.html

More pix here
http://www.users.bigpond.com/adsy01/sub.htm


Kick pannels
http://www.wes.nissanpower.com/photo.html

A little motivation
<img src=http://www.the12volt.com/images2/ram4th.jpg>

 

http://www.ofsoundmind.com/osm/install/glassbox.html
http://www.ritop.com/explorer/sld013.htm
http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/fibrglas.htm
http://www.resnet.wm.edu/~bplesn/fiberglass.html
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/7165/box1.htm

Thats my personal stash... Its not as easy as it sounds to make one but its definately worth it. Im trying a fibreglass top first. If that goes well I will sell my mdf/fg box for 2 15s and make a complete fibreglass one to save on weight. I think the car is parked for the winter on oct 30th so I will probly start shortly after. I will let you know how it goes...
greg

 

Should I make a wooden frame first. Alot of people that use fleece seem to do this.

check out this weird stuff
http://www.carsound.com/columns/fishman/fsh000c.shtml


This is about the ugliest speaker That I have EVER seen.

http://www.surfnetusa.com/sho/webtext5.html

 

Look how close those speakers would be to the left ear of the person in that seat! Thats quite the box though.

That is one ugly speaker... I only read a few paragraphs, but man does that guy know how to waste time or what?

If you make a wooden bottom theres no point in covering it in fibreglass. Just make a fibreglass top cause thats all you see anyway. If/when I make a full fibreglass box I will be doing it for weight savings more than anything. My box is 3/4 and hella big. probly weighs over 100 with the 15s installed.
If you mean frame like to hold the sub its a good idea. What kind of frame are you thinking about?
greg

 

with our well area, you have to be careful how well you fit the fiberglass. i have also though of doing the wood frame. that way you can have a nice skeleton, stretch some fleece/t-shirt/etc over it, and it'll be a nice shape. when i attempted my first fiberglass sub box, i fit it too well down there. if i had ever finshed the box, i would never have been able to take it out or put it in. be really careful of the indent on the back plastic piece, thats what got me. also, fishman is regarded as one of the most original car audio installers and it quite highly praised. great stuff

 

Well just a frame that you could streach the fleece over and staple it down. I'm thinking this way I could just Build the frame around the hatch area to make sure it will fit and to give it the shape it needs. Then when I staple the Fleace around it I can just take the frame out and coat the inside with fiber glass. This would guarantee me that it will fit. + It should make the box stronger. I'm not sure how strong fiber glass is and I wouldnt want it warping while its drying. Cool they didnt take M-paint from this pc @ work. I'll paint you a pic of what I'm thinking of.

 

If you mean just a skeletal frame its not a bad idea but it still doesnt solve alot of the problems. The glass wont shrink when it dries any noticeable amount. The biggest problem in my opinion of doing a full fibreglass box in our well is that its deeeeep. So when you build a frame, or you lay out the fibreglass on plastic/tin foil/vaselined metal/etc. you need to put all the next layers on the inside. It would will be a huge bitsch to put the layers at the bottom of the well without getting bubbles cause its such a reach. Thats why I kind of like the cardboard idea cause you can put a few layers on the outside and still have room for it to fit. But it has other problems as well. I think I know how I will do mine but by the time I do it I will probly have revised it to a better method.
The frame could help, it just depends how you are tackling it.
greg

 

Yeah I might try that. Just Make the frame, staple the fleece to it, lay it on some foil and put some resin on it. This way it doesnt even have to be in my car to dry. I dont think I want that smell in my car. + If I dont finish I still have to go to work Monday.

 

No more replies.... I feel so alone out here ............LOL just ing Hey check it out I decided to do it. Man I was @ home depot yestereday and by the time I got everything they had for my project it added up to 80 bucks! I told the dude at the register that it better be worth it cause I can get a bandpass with a cheap jensen that sounds ok for that price. I said if it works out I'll probably put it on ebay and come back for more suppies to make more. He said he would buy one off of me if it works out. It still seems odd that can can of krank can make a box. I got the WTF Feeling. But if it can make a fender then it can make a box. I guess......

Anywayz here is the frame that I lost sleep on. Stayed up till 1:00am building this in the parking lot of my apartments. Man the weird people do only come out at night. They are cool though. I met a ***** I mean a whole lot of drunks coming home on a late sat. night.

 

In car pic

 

Not bad at all. Are you glassing on the inside or out?
greg

 

I think I'll staple up the fleece then start fiberglassing the inside. This should prevent a big mess. Man that **** smells! I knew it would but DAMN! I'll take pix of the ***** I mean whole process. *****..hehe...I'm not typing that on purpose it just comes out for some reason. Guess I'm more use to typing ***** that whole. Man that no sleep thing is really getting me here @ work.

 

BTW what kinda spray adhesive should I be using? and why?

 

Spray adhesive for what?
Make sure you do it in a well ventilated place or somewhere with a sh!tload of fans! Keep them braincells workin or you wont even be able to type *****
greg

 

I'm not sure what it does but they say to spray it on the foil. I'll search google.com and find out though.

Man that sucked. I had to go to "Joans" fabric store to get the fleece. I think I was the only guy in there....and the only guy that has EVER BEEN IN THERE! I hate going into those woman stores. I feel so out of place there.

<i>Hurry up with the fleece lady, I cant be seen in here. You didnt see me here either!</i>

Man.....now I have that damn old navy fleece song stuck in my head. This is the worst part of the project.

 

Ok well it could be
1. glue the foil to the fleece to hold it up
2. glue the fibreglass to the foil to hold it up.

#1 would make sense if you throw the frame out when you have the fibreglass layers down.
#2 would make no sense cause the whole point of the foil is to make it not bond with the fibreglass... Although you will need to hold up the strips while you do it.
greg

 

Well I think in here it says to lay the foil then the fiberglass. Maybe the adhesive will stick to foil just enough to bond the fiberglass sheets to it but not enough to stick permanently.

I'll spray some adhesive on some foil and see if it sticks.
Man I wish I wernt here @ work. I have stuff to do. Work gets in the way of everthing.

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/subwoofer.html


Hmm... did a search on adhesive and found this.
http://www.adhesivepunks.com/

 

Well let me know how it turns out. The only thing I dont get is If you build a frame you are either missing out on all the space the frame takes up or if you take the frame off then you have a little bit of a wiggle in the fit and the box will move around on hard turns. goodluck on the glassing
greg

 

There's no wiggle.

RRRRRRRAAAWWWWWW!!!!!! My Frames are strong!!!!!


LOL!!!!! K there is a little wiggle.

 

Next step........

 

Hmm....something seems strange in that pic! Hey I know whats wrong! Your missing the white bed sheets with eye holes cut out!

Actually I'm really posting because a while ago I actually had to buy some dynamat for my computer!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES, my computer has dynamat material on the side panels, top, bottom, front and back! I had to do this because at one point I was running 9 system fans! All totaled I racked up an impressive 800cfm+ of clean airflow through the case!

In any case it wasn't economical for me, but I found a place that sells a spray on sound dampener. It was expensive, but nowhere near the price of the same amount of dynamat. I'm running a search for it right now, but I can't remember the original terms I used to look it up. I'll up date the post when I do find it. I just wanted to let you guys know that there are cheaper alternatives to Dynamat that work just as well.

 

Im really getting interested now
hey what about the indent for the latch area in the back middle? Or does it not go that high?
And ya there are spray on alternatives to dynamat. In my opinion not as good but damn dynamat packs on the pounds if you do the whole car...
greg

 

Oh you mean this?

 

Now lets wrap that batch in foil.

 

Hmm... There is still a load of tape left. *** it lets waste some.

 

here I cut a load of little squares and tucked them under the edges of the wooden frame. Cool

 

K I'll save this for tomorrow... I mean today cause its midnight. So I hope I can get off work eairly. cuz I have shat to do. like this waste. Ninety1tagta You should get some supplies and build one.

 

I figure this whole box is going to weigh less than 10lbs. One speaker should weigh more! I'll lay the resin in today. Forgot to get the gloves. Also I have a big old can of bondo that should smoth out everthing.

>when I get the the appearance of the box what should I do?
1.good old carpet?
2.gloss black paint?
3.any other color paint?
4.Metal sheet? (sounds good but it might heat up. well its getting cooler out)




Oh BTW the carpet was perfect before my brother moved in.

 

The glass.

 

Wow that is really coming along!! good job man I must say you are making decent time with this build. So you are putting the glass just on the inside? none on the outside? I thought you were gonna leave the frame molded with the box...?
I was going to just do a top, but after seeing your build I think I am gonna do a full glass box. I really dont like the extra weight in the back of the car either, I think it may have helped out in burning out my LSD . I will be starting this as soon as the car gets taken off the road for the winter. My box is to heavy and big to be taking out every day and putting it back in...
greg

 

Frame molded with box? Not sure I know what you mean cause the Frame is in there its just Covered in fiberglass. Man that stuff gets hard quick. If you mix about 3 cups and start painting it turns to gel in 10 minutes and hard in 15 the cured in 3hrs. I think I need 1 more layer and the supplies are running low. Damn gallon of this shat cost 22 bucks. Well I think I will do the outside also but I'm going to finish the Whole inside first so I can say its done. Most of the resin soaked through to the fleece. Thats cool cause the foil keeps it from going anywhere else. Like my shoe. Its going along real quick your right. It is real easy to do. Just as long as you have the right tools. I'll post pix of the tools used later but I need a second coat about now.

 

What are you gonna make the top of the box out of?
It would be cool if you made the top out of fiberglass, Then Angled the subs and dipped in the middle for an amp rack.
I'll draw a pic..

You get the idea...

 

I'm not sure what I want the top to look like. That sounds like a good idea. I want to do something different rather than all the other same old shat that you see. I can think of two wayz to make it.

1. huge band pass top. So you could see the speakers inside and there would be just 4 big ports faceing up. Hmm... I would build the amp inside too All under plexi glass. WIth a switch to turn on and off the neon lights! Man this sounds like a good idea.

2. Strange futuristic fiber glass top. This I would make the speaker and about 8 inches of glass around the speaker kinda come off the board and face forward to the front of the car. If you dont catch the drift imagine this. If there was a plexi glass top sitting in there and its about 500Degrees the thing is almost melting. So you grab the sub while its attached to the box and pull it to the front of the car causing the plexi glass to kinda streatch like gum. Well dont know if you got that but I'll see if I can find a pic of something like that.

 

Here is the second layer of glass. I think I buy one more liter of this stuff just to cover the edges and the outside. These two layers take up the whole gallon of resin.

 

Looks good, How much does it weigh?

How easy is it to mold fiberglass, like intor curves and stuff?

 

The curves would be easy. I would get some foil and make a mold then reinforce the back with some masking tape. Then I would paint some of that resin inside of it. In about 30 minutes It would be hard enough to remove. Then on the outside I would smear bondo over it then let it dry. Finally I would sand down the bondo real smoth then paint or carpet it. Easy... YOu should try it.

 

Is that a Weigh scale you hang fish on???
I want to make a amprack, that Has holes to mount 6x9's or 6" speakers in and face them at an angle toward the front.
Hold on I gotta dig up a pic

 

Like this but not as big, and for 6x9's and angle the speakers towards the front instead of the rear.
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/att...?postid=566265

 

here is what I was thinking tell me if I'm wrong. What If I were to build the frame, then insted of covering it with fleece (i dont understnad the role of fleece in this) cover the frame with tin-foil, then spray it with a non-adhesive, then lay the fiberglass strips on, and spread the resin over it, that way the tin-foil covered frame, could be removed, and you could have a completely fiberglass box

 

Ok I got it now red. I wasnt sure if you were using the frame as a mold/template the taking the glass out or doing what your doing. Wasnt sure about the tinfoil, but that is just to stop it from seeping through I take it?
About the angled subs, that was my plan as well. It should work beautifully because right now my subs are bouncing of the freakin hatch, which is like a 1/4 inch sound deadener lol. Some people just put a piece or two of mdf on the top then glass over it for simplicity. Complete waste in my opinion. I am planning a full glass hatch area this winter. Amp rack and side trim piece included. pm me if you want details
Its good that your going extreme! Nice to see original stuff instead of the same ol same ol.
Whoever was talking about using the frame as a mold, thats one thing I was pondering about. It would be tricky though because you would have to much space and the box would slide/bounce. You would have to lay 1 or 2 layers then take it out and add about 3 more to the outside. But to big and it wouldnt fit...
greg

 

Oh and definately bondo/primer/paint it! vinyl and carpet is such a waste of fibreglass potential looks in my opinion.
greg

 

first off, congrats on trying something new, fiberglass scares away alot of people.

But, it looks like you only have a couple layers of chop mat. Especially if you are only at 13 lbs so far. At this point (with no more reinforcement), the box will flex and resonate.

Wise man once told me, fiberglass box should be able to support the weight of the car it's going in.

If you can stand on any part of the box, and feel any flex what so ever, it's not strong enough.

To get an idea of what different fiberglass materials can work better then chop mat, read this :
http://www.fbodyaudio.com/articlevie...tealthbox.tech

 

I should be done w/ mine by the end of the week. I'm also making a mold so that I can produce them at a cheaper cost to people. what I have done is one layer of chop mat for the "base" then I use several layers of Knytex material to sandwich the chop mat and make it a whole lot stronger. Like I said I should be done with it by the end of the week.

Josh

 

Kool! Got any pix? What is Knytex¿

 

Sanding down the inside and getting rid of all the un poped bubbles.

 

it is a material used in fiberglassing. it is pretty much the strongest "mat" you can use IMO. it soaks up alot more fiberglass resin though too. also I hope your wearing a face mask when your sanding? :-D and I don't have the pictures uploaded to my comp. yet. maybe later tonight or tommorow night.


Josh

 

You know your right the fleece was a bad idea. I just found on some site to use that shat. I should have stapled the fiber mat to the wood then put foil on it. That would have been a good Idea. Well to late now so I'm coating the fleece with another gallon of glass then I'll put some bondo on it. Well its strong and will hold up. Does anyone think I should go through the trouble to make it a band pass box. I'm mean that would rock real LOUD!

 

Here is the mess. Just a little more work and it will be allright.

 

did you by any chance measure all the dowel sizes? So maybe all of us would be able to measure and cut right? because that thing fits damn good.

 

Well half the time I didnt even use a tape measure cause I didnt have one handy. I used the remote wire from an old amp that is still there to make sure each side was equal. A strange technique but it seems to work.