Can someone give some steps in making kickpanels from the factory kicks...I'm too cheap to buy them and I wanna make my own. Any comments or suggestions from anybody who has made these before would be greatly appreciated.

 

it's difficult to make them as part of the stock kick. My first batch was like this, but there is a chance of the fiberglass not adhearing to the kickpanel. I used 60 grit sandpaper, and score the panel with a razor to help the resin stick, but a real good yank, and it will come off.

Still, if you want to use the stock kick as a base, just use wood to make the circles for your speakers to mount to, aim how you want them, attach them to the plastic, then stretch fleece over the whole thing. then saturate the fleece with resin. once cured, cut the back of the plastic kickpanel out so you can put some fiberglass on the inside, fleece is not very strong. Once finally done, use body filler to smooth the front of the fleece, cut holes and cover with carpet.

On a side note, I do offer "bare" versions of my kickpanels. I think I said i will price them at $115 next week. You then just need to cut holes and carpet them. Plus, you get to keep your stock plastic panels.

mike

 

Heres what I have done so far. I got some extra kicks from junk yard for a few bucks. Then I cleaned it really well and used it to create my mold. I use some thin flexable bosa wood to create a small frame of the shape, then stretched my resin cloth over it and layed fiber glass all over it. let it hardern and cut the back, I cover the inside many a time and the whole darn thing in fiber glass.

I've been sanding it really good and its looking very clean, I'll have pictures soon. Next I'll use this to create a plastic mold. And take it to where i work and make a few dozen sets.

PS, the inside of my kicks are ribbed which gives them extra strength and can take a beating.

Then I'll use some sound deadner on the inside and dye it the correct color to match.

 

Once I just duct taped the speakers in place. It works alright, but how it looks, errrr and sounds, well.......