Hey guys I'm new to the boards and I've already found a ton of awesome information! I've recently started building my g/f a sub box for 3 8 inch woofers and a plexi glass window piering into it. I've build lots of boxes before but this is my first with a plexi. The front facia of the box is going to be wrapped in vinyl and I've used vinyl before but never around an exposed edge. The speaker holes and edges of the front look great but I am having problems with the cut out for the plexi window. The hole that needs to be wrapped for the plexi window is rectangular in shape and I have used a 1/2in round over router bit along all the edges and the corners of the rectangle are round instead of making 90 degree angles. How can I wrap this and strectch the vinyl over to the back in these "round corners" ? Any ideas?
Hopefully my discription makes sense... Thanks for the help everyone!
Replies (3)
cplkittle on 01/30/2007 17:41:16
This one is tricky.
What I would suggest is to cut the window 1" smaller all around. Then, using a router with a flat bottom bit, inset the area where the plexi goes (from the outside) by 1/2 the thickness of the plexiglass.
Finish the edge of the plexi by sanding with a fine git wet sand paper in steps (500grit, 800, 1200) then buff with a cotton wheel and buffing compound using very light pressure. Drill holes a little larger than the screw, and if you are using tapered head screws, countersink the holes. Now on to the vinyl.
First cut a hole 2-3" smaller than the opening. Take your finger and (with a little heat from a heat gun or hair dryer - not too much, if it is too hot to touch that's too much) push in the corners to get an idea of what will show and what will be wrapped behind. Take a pencil and make a mark on the edge where it folds out of the viewing area. Do this for all 4 corners.
Now, instead of cutting a diagonal line from the mark, make two cuts about 1/2 inch on either side of the mark. This will leave a 1" tab of vinyl in each corner. Take this tab and pull it around the corner and staple it on the inside. Do this for all 4 corners and then the sides should just fold over neatly and staple down. Don't cut too close to the edge, the vinyl may tear a little, and you don't want to see it creeping around the visible edge.
The more heat you use the weaker the vinyl will get. If you can do this in a heated area, somewhere around 75 degrees should keep the vinyl warm enough to work with. If you are using spray adhesive, it is not that important around the edges where it will be pulled tight, or around the glass where the glass will hold it down. And make sure that the surface is completely clean and smooth. Vinyl will show any imperfection and the stray pieces of saw dust will make lumps in it.
Let us know if you have any more questions, and show some pictures when you finish.
truckintitan on 01/31/2007 09:40:03
Thanks cplkittle, so are you saying to inset the peice of plexi from the outside of the box or rather from the inside edge... It seems that you mean from the outside, how will that look? I don't know that it will look as finished as if it was inset from the inside. I think my biggest problem is the cold... I've been trying to work this vinyl over in a garage that's about 45-50 degrees... I HATE the winter!!! =) I will def. post some pictures once I'm done. But how do you post pics on this forum?
cplkittle on 01/31/2007 11:56:52
Yeah, sorry. Inset the plexi from the outside. If you finish the edge, it will look like a polished piece of glass. It will take some time and patience though.
The easiest way to post pictures here is to put them in photobucket and post a link here to them.
Hopefully my discription makes sense... Thanks for the help everyone!
Replies (3)
cplkittle on 01/30/2007 17:41:16
This one is tricky.
What I would suggest is to cut the window 1" smaller all around. Then, using a router with a flat bottom bit, inset the area where the plexi goes (from the outside) by 1/2 the thickness of the plexiglass.
Finish the edge of the plexi by sanding with a fine git wet sand paper in steps (500grit, 800, 1200) then buff with a cotton wheel and buffing compound using very light pressure. Drill holes a little larger than the screw, and if you are using tapered head screws, countersink the holes. Now on to the vinyl.
First cut a hole 2-3" smaller than the opening. Take your finger and (with a little heat from a heat gun or hair dryer - not too much, if it is too hot to touch that's too much) push in the corners to get an idea of what will show and what will be wrapped behind. Take a pencil and make a mark on the edge where it folds out of the viewing area. Do this for all 4 corners.
Now, instead of cutting a diagonal line from the mark, make two cuts about 1/2 inch on either side of the mark. This will leave a 1" tab of vinyl in each corner. Take this tab and pull it around the corner and staple it on the inside. Do this for all 4 corners and then the sides should just fold over neatly and staple down. Don't cut too close to the edge, the vinyl may tear a little, and you don't want to see it creeping around the visible edge.
The more heat you use the weaker the vinyl will get. If you can do this in a heated area, somewhere around 75 degrees should keep the vinyl warm enough to work with. If you are using spray adhesive, it is not that important around the edges where it will be pulled tight, or around the glass where the glass will hold it down. And make sure that the surface is completely clean and smooth. Vinyl will show any imperfection and the stray pieces of saw dust will make lumps in it.
Let us know if you have any more questions, and show some pictures when you finish.
truckintitan on 01/31/2007 09:40:03
Thanks cplkittle, so are you saying to inset the peice of plexi from the outside of the box or rather from the inside edge... It seems that you mean from the outside, how will that look? I don't know that it will look as finished as if it was inset from the inside. I think my biggest problem is the cold... I've been trying to work this vinyl over in a garage that's about 45-50 degrees... I HATE the winter!!! =) I will def. post some pictures once I'm done. But how do you post pics on this forum?
cplkittle on 01/31/2007 11:56:52
Yeah, sorry. Inset the plexi from the outside. If you finish the edge, it will look like a polished piece of glass. It will take some time and patience though.
The easiest way to post pictures here is to put them in photobucket and post a link here to them.
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