its probably been asked before but is there a difference between using plywood instead of mdf for a sub box? and also where could i get mdf other than a stereo shop where theyd rip me off. thanx

 

They sell MDF here at Home Depot... If you dont have that store near you, its like a Do It Yourself Materials store... Comparable to Chase Pitkin... They have like, household building materials there.

They have MDF at what seems like a good price, 5 bucks gets you a 2 foot by 4 foot piece, or something around there.

 

MDF has more sound deadning quality. If you knock on MDF it sounds "dead". That's what you want. If you knock on plywood it's sound like a front door. Not good. You just have to be more careful when screwing corners together with MDF because it's more brittle. I have done my fair share of driving the screw in too far and crushing the edge of MDF. IMO you get better sound from an MDF enclosure. You can usually get MDF, or they just call it fiber board, at Menards, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Get a good saw blade too. MDF needs a fine blade, with your saw set shallow.

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Rockford 2ch. to 2 MTX 12" subs

 

I made some 6x9 boxes a while ago with MDF... that board was rough on my Jigsaw blade. It took the points right off!


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
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TomP,

I found that a metal blade actually works best in a jigsaw. I can't count on two hands how many boxes I've built ( I can barely count as it is ). It's all trial and error I guess.

 

MDF is also much more pleasant to work with (no splinters ). I got mine at Home Depot, the 2' x 4' x 3/4" sheets. I looked at Lowe's before that and couldn't find any there.

- Mike

 

Mike's right. MDF is such a pleasure to work with. Instead of jagged edges and flying chunks, you just get soft powder. The end doesn't break off as you cut, and the cut is always clean and smooth. I won't use Particle board anymore. I like MDF too much!

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MDF is the way to go because it does a good job of not adding any sound of its own to the way the box sounds. Also, obviously, many people prefer working with it as a building material for this kind of application.

If you already have some plywood laying around it will be quite adaquate for making a sub box. I'd try to avoid anything thinner than 3/4". Also many SPL competitors use plywood for there boxes because its cheaper and they're constantly changing their box design.

The important thing to remember is that the box design and construction is FAR more important than the material used (within reason). Use bracing. I can't emphasize the importance or bracing in a good box. Make sure all the joints are tight and caulk them on the inside. Use glue and screws every 2-3".

Plywood is fine.

 

The only plywood you should use is 3/4 birch ply, here in NY it costs about $45 a sheet. The biggest problem with MDF or particle board, for a sealed box, is the edge strength. When you screw into the edge the material tends to split and has reduced gripping power, even when drilled first. The other problem is that if you do not brace very well, or use dado joints, the edge joints will weaken over time due to the pressures in a sealed box.

 

Make sure you use wood glue. Just using screws makes for a bad joint. The screws are just there for Extra support. I usualy just use a nail gun and then I don't need to worry about smased ends.

 

Heh, I can't believe Jim admitted to using particle board j/k


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Carl
CarAudio Resources

 

I use particle board a lot, despite hating it with a pssion. My local hardware store gets $35 a sheet for MDF and I have to order it, which is a major inconvenience.


------------------
The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah