I will begin building my box real soon. Im using 3/4" MDF. What kind of blade/s do u guys use when cutting your wood? Thank you for ur answers.
Replies (14)
ttocs on 09/28/2003 16:06:53
any wood blade will do. What kind of saw are you using?
ryan on 09/28/2003 16:09:12
I'll be using a skill saw and a table saw.
joel5150 on 09/30/2003 10:35:29
Make sure you use a finish blade in both. Usually a carbide tipped blade with many teeth. Also, use a method my grandfather taught me; Measure twice and cut once. it will save you time and money if you make sure you have everything drawn out first to cut. When making the cuts with either saw, cut slow, this will ensure a nice, even, straight cut. I would try to use the table saw as much as possible for cutting out the pannels. I have made many a speakerbox and you want to make sure everything is on the mark so you don't have any spaces.
Good luck,
Joel5150
ttocs on 09/30/2003 16:16:49
I would not necessarily get as many teeth as possible, they are generally for metal or plexi.
DINGALING on 09/30/2003 17:04:18
i'd have to say "just take your time." if you rush it, you can tell, and you WILL make mistakes, thereby taking up time that you could have saved by thinking out all your cuts and such. anyways, good luck on the box!
-DINGALING
Swez on 10/1/2003 09:24:47
Yes, by all means, use a carbide blade on both saws. The non-carbine blades can dull quickly and cause smoking and burning of the wood.
As for feed speed, go at a feed speed that does not bog down or bind the blade, but not so slow that you smoke the wood you are cutting. A moderately coarse blade is fine for rip cuts and you can sand out the rough spots as the box is being assembled.
A Belt sander is best for lots of clean up to square up the edges, but a router is better still with a carbide bit (flush cut with roller bearing). A palm sander is fine for minor touch ups and gaps can be filled with drywall patching material... then sanded to a perfect fit... Then seal the inside seams with latex caulking. Very easy to clean and get a nice air tight seal. Allow the latex to cure over night ond maybe use a light bulb for extra heat to speed up curing.
Swez
ryan on 10/31/2003 22:24:50
Well my box is finally built. 2cuft tuned at 30hz(hopefully lol). My front baffle is 1.5" thick and i have everything screwed in tight and sealed good. My ? is will it be able to support my brahma mark II? I kno it will support the 39lb sub but i have no bracing in the box so do u think it will be fine or should i add sum blocks in the corners of the box for support? Thanks
Swez on 11/1/2003 07:31:12
As long as you used a good carpentry glue & 1.5" screws (spaced every 6" or so, should be good to go. The screws give mechanical strength, but the glue is what makes the wood hold tight when joined.
As for bracing, if you have some panel resonance noise, (buzzes or rattles) then some internal bracing would help quiet that down. Can use 1"x3" firring strips on the larger panels and maybe a few braces from front to back to help support this massive woofer.
What are the outer dimensions of your box?
Swez
ryan on 11/2/2003 00:55:42
Height:16.5"
Width:19.25"
Depth:20.45"
I used liquid nails for my glue the heavy duty type.
Swez on 11/2/2003 09:57:17
Heavy duty adhesive there Ryan... that stuff can hold an airplane together... hehe
Once you get your sub installed, start listening and feeling the panels for excess vibrations. At resonances, some panels may have noticable vibration to the point they make their own noise. If you find any, these panels will need some form of bracing. (or sound dampening)
Since this is a tuned port enclosure, most of the air pressure the sub creates, will be vented out the port. This will help de-pressurize the box. Any noise you may hear, will be panel resonances or port noises.
Hopefully, you have not carpeted the box just yet... so you can make some tweaks is needed w/o messing up a nice carpet job.
Finally, since you are using a larger ported box... you will not need much more than 500 watts RMS to reach maximum SPL and X-max. If you hear cone slap or other mechanical noises from the sub at high power... back it down as this can damage the sub fast.
Comments?
Swez
PS When you install this sub, use Tee nuts/bolts instead of wood screws to hold the woofer in place on the baffle panel. Easy to install and they make woofer removal a snap. Much stronger than a wood screw too for this massive sub. Can help you, if not familiar with tee nuts/bolts usage.
ryan on 11/4/2003 22:22:58
Yea i was smart and didnt carpet it yet(thanks to my step-dads advice lol). I havent found any air leaks and with the little power to it so far it sounds awesome, now i cant wait to get it broken in so i can pound it.
ttocs on 11/5/2003 10:46:13
don't go to walmart for carpet. Check out the local finishing(I can't spell, apolstry?) shops. Go in with a piece of whatever you are trying to match and they should have a couple of options for you. The 3m spray glue works pretty well.
Swez on 11/5/2003 10:51:19
Home Depot carries carpet that is common to sub enclosure and pretty cheap too. Not sure what colors are offered as I have only used black so far.
As ttocks said... use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive for this attachment process. Spray a modest amount on the box and a little heavier coat on the fabric. Allow to set up for ~10 mins., then put the carpet on and roll it firmly onto the box.
Do 1 panel at a time and pre fit (dry cut) the carpet a bit over sized and trim as needed for a nice, professional look. If you make a mistake and wood is showing, can insert a patch on larger open spaces or use spray paint (color matched) to hide very small gaps.
Good luck,
Swez
cplkittle on 11/6/2003 11:53:58
New here.. wish I could have caught this one earlier.
Just a few tips for the next box builder.
MDF cuts easily with almost any type of blade, for an extra sharp edge, run a razor knife along the cut line on the top of the board that you are cutting. This will prevent "feathering" the MDF or splintering on other types of wood.
3M super 77 is an outstanding adhesive, but there is one better and about $3-5 cheaper. It is a high temp auto adhesive sold at many upholstery shops, can't remember the name, but they will know what you are looking for. I did my dual bandpass box in crushed velvet, and on some of the inside corners where I had to stretch it a little, the 3M didn't hold, so I used the high temp stuff..
damn I wish I could remember the name of that stuff.. will post it later if I remember.
Replies (14)
ttocs on 09/28/2003 16:06:53
any wood blade will do. What kind of saw are you using?
ryan on 09/28/2003 16:09:12
I'll be using a skill saw and a table saw.
joel5150 on 09/30/2003 10:35:29
Make sure you use a finish blade in both. Usually a carbide tipped blade with many teeth. Also, use a method my grandfather taught me; Measure twice and cut once. it will save you time and money if you make sure you have everything drawn out first to cut. When making the cuts with either saw, cut slow, this will ensure a nice, even, straight cut. I would try to use the table saw as much as possible for cutting out the pannels. I have made many a speakerbox and you want to make sure everything is on the mark so you don't have any spaces.
Good luck,
Joel5150
ttocs on 09/30/2003 16:16:49
I would not necessarily get as many teeth as possible, they are generally for metal or plexi.
DINGALING on 09/30/2003 17:04:18
i'd have to say "just take your time." if you rush it, you can tell, and you WILL make mistakes, thereby taking up time that you could have saved by thinking out all your cuts and such. anyways, good luck on the box!
-DINGALING
Swez on 10/1/2003 09:24:47
Yes, by all means, use a carbide blade on both saws. The non-carbine blades can dull quickly and cause smoking and burning of the wood.
As for feed speed, go at a feed speed that does not bog down or bind the blade, but not so slow that you smoke the wood you are cutting. A moderately coarse blade is fine for rip cuts and you can sand out the rough spots as the box is being assembled.
A Belt sander is best for lots of clean up to square up the edges, but a router is better still with a carbide bit (flush cut with roller bearing). A palm sander is fine for minor touch ups and gaps can be filled with drywall patching material... then sanded to a perfect fit... Then seal the inside seams with latex caulking. Very easy to clean and get a nice air tight seal. Allow the latex to cure over night ond maybe use a light bulb for extra heat to speed up curing.
Swez
ryan on 10/31/2003 22:24:50
Well my box is finally built. 2cuft tuned at 30hz(hopefully lol). My front baffle is 1.5" thick and i have everything screwed in tight and sealed good. My ? is will it be able to support my brahma mark II? I kno it will support the 39lb sub but i have no bracing in the box so do u think it will be fine or should i add sum blocks in the corners of the box for support? Thanks
Swez on 11/1/2003 07:31:12
As long as you used a good carpentry glue & 1.5" screws (spaced every 6" or so, should be good to go. The screws give mechanical strength, but the glue is what makes the wood hold tight when joined.
As for bracing, if you have some panel resonance noise, (buzzes or rattles) then some internal bracing would help quiet that down. Can use 1"x3" firring strips on the larger panels and maybe a few braces from front to back to help support this massive woofer.
What are the outer dimensions of your box?
Swez
ryan on 11/2/2003 00:55:42
Height:16.5"
Width:19.25"
Depth:20.45"
I used liquid nails for my glue the heavy duty type.
Swez on 11/2/2003 09:57:17
Heavy duty adhesive there Ryan... that stuff can hold an airplane together... hehe
Once you get your sub installed, start listening and feeling the panels for excess vibrations. At resonances, some panels may have noticable vibration to the point they make their own noise. If you find any, these panels will need some form of bracing. (or sound dampening)
Since this is a tuned port enclosure, most of the air pressure the sub creates, will be vented out the port. This will help de-pressurize the box. Any noise you may hear, will be panel resonances or port noises.
Hopefully, you have not carpeted the box just yet... so you can make some tweaks is needed w/o messing up a nice carpet job.
Finally, since you are using a larger ported box... you will not need much more than 500 watts RMS to reach maximum SPL and X-max. If you hear cone slap or other mechanical noises from the sub at high power... back it down as this can damage the sub fast.
Comments?
Swez
PS When you install this sub, use Tee nuts/bolts instead of wood screws to hold the woofer in place on the baffle panel. Easy to install and they make woofer removal a snap. Much stronger than a wood screw too for this massive sub. Can help you, if not familiar with tee nuts/bolts usage.
ryan on 11/4/2003 22:22:58
Yea i was smart and didnt carpet it yet(thanks to my step-dads advice lol). I havent found any air leaks and with the little power to it so far it sounds awesome, now i cant wait to get it broken in so i can pound it.
ttocs on 11/5/2003 10:46:13
don't go to walmart for carpet. Check out the local finishing(I can't spell, apolstry?) shops. Go in with a piece of whatever you are trying to match and they should have a couple of options for you. The 3m spray glue works pretty well.
Swez on 11/5/2003 10:51:19
Home Depot carries carpet that is common to sub enclosure and pretty cheap too. Not sure what colors are offered as I have only used black so far.
As ttocks said... use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive for this attachment process. Spray a modest amount on the box and a little heavier coat on the fabric. Allow to set up for ~10 mins., then put the carpet on and roll it firmly onto the box.
Do 1 panel at a time and pre fit (dry cut) the carpet a bit over sized and trim as needed for a nice, professional look. If you make a mistake and wood is showing, can insert a patch on larger open spaces or use spray paint (color matched) to hide very small gaps.
Good luck,
Swez
cplkittle on 11/6/2003 11:53:58
New here.. wish I could have caught this one earlier.
Just a few tips for the next box builder.
MDF cuts easily with almost any type of blade, for an extra sharp edge, run a razor knife along the cut line on the top of the board that you are cutting. This will prevent "feathering" the MDF or splintering on other types of wood.
3M super 77 is an outstanding adhesive, but there is one better and about $3-5 cheaper. It is a high temp auto adhesive sold at many upholstery shops, can't remember the name, but they will know what you are looking for. I did my dual bandpass box in crushed velvet, and on some of the inside corners where I had to stretch it a little, the 3M didn't hold, so I used the high temp stuff..
damn I wish I could remember the name of that stuff.. will post it later if I remember.
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