Here's a little project I'm working on for my personal boat. I have four Alpine 12's now, but since I'm a JL dealer I thought I better put some bad ass JL speakers in.
The 13w7's are kind of a special breed. They need 1" mdf, supports, and specific size and port size and you need to break up the standing waves in the box to make them sound right.
You'll probably have to go to a wood workers supply place for the 1" board. I make plans so that I can maximize my cuts out of a sheet of wood. It's also easier to make as many pieces have at least one measurement the same, and draw out how your going to rip the board on your table saw. On the 1" stuff you can usually get one or two cuts for free when you purchase your wood and unless you have a huge table like they do it's easier if they make one or two cuts for you. For instance if you have two 12x12x24" boxes. you will need........
4 sides at 12 x 24
4 front and back at 10 x 24
4 top top and bottom at 10 x 12
Now when you figure out you cuts you can rip a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood at 24 inches and 12 inches.
The piece that you had them rip at 24 inches will make all your sides plus the front and back pieces in an 8' sheet.
The piece that you ripped at 12 inches will make all your tops and bottom.
This way you don't have to make the long difficult cuts by yourself. Now you set up your saw for 12" inches, cut your sides, then set up your saw for 10 inches and cut your front and back, top and bottoms and you have all the pieces ready to assemble.
I glue and clamp using lots of glue and I'll sink some screws in just so it doesn't slide around while the glue is drying. If glued and clamped properly the joints will be as strong as the rest of the wood.
Back to my project, I glued these together and filled all the screw holes with wood putty. I also made supports to break up the standing waves and strengthen the box.
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attach...9&d=1176347102
The boxes are together, the holes are cut, and the supports are inside. The supports are important in big power speaker boxes. Not only do they keep the sides from flexing and robbing you of power but they break up the standing waves speakers create inside enclosures. The will give you a cleaner and truer sound.
The next step was router the box and sand it as smooth as possible, it's easier to get it smooth now than after you resin coat it. If your just carpeting it you obviously don't have to make as much effort getting it perfect. I put two coats of resin over the entire box inside and out, I also used fiberglass mat on all the seams inside and reinforced the bottom where my lag bolts would be. The resin at home improvement stores is hard to work with, it either kicks to fast or never gets completely hard. If you have a marine shop in your area get something professional. I use Sticky Stuff in Glendale for my supplies. Take your time, it will take a couple of days to get them done. You will have to wait for them to kick before you can rotate them and do all the surfaces.
Next you'll have to start sanding again. I used 100 grit followed by 300 with a d/a sander until it was pretty smooth so that I could shoot it with primer. Once again, rattle can primer sucks, an automotive paint store will sell you some verithane(spelling?) primer that will fill all your sand marks and inconsistancies.
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attach...4&d=1176472738
Thats exactly where they were sitting when I saw them friday! See ya with the boat Wednesday Paul. And the boxes looked good enough to get my stereo business.
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attach...4&d=1176472738
I dont know if i would be posting pics of my handy work with that rust bucket of a trailer for a background. Some folks might get the wrong impression
I dont know if i would be posting pics of my handy work with that rust bucket of a trailer for a background. Some folks might get the wrong impression
I was thinking of having BadKachina install some JL subs on my trailer but he's just blown that business.
Nice work, BK. http://www.***boat.com/ubb/icons/icon6.gif
You bunch of bastards...........I'll be here till midnight every night next weekend getting ready for Desert Storm. Jim's boat is getting a makeover too, not to mention I'm slammed with work. I guess it could be worse.
Here's the painted version of those boxes. Two stage paint after lots of primer, spot putty and sanding...........Hopefully next week I'll post some installed pics.
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attach...3&d=1177036326
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attach...4&d=1177036363
Looking good Paul, alot of work sanding those boxes down for paint i bet, definitely post some installed pics. I'm getting close to finishing my install I'll put some pics up when its done.
Now when you say "fill the holes with putty" do you mean the set of holes you will put in the bottom of the boat if I have you install it? or a diffrent set of holes?
Also you say you need to reinforce the bottom of the speaker box for the lag screws your going to use it install it, Now is that because when you attach the box though the bottom of the boat to the trailer you dont want to hurt the bottom of the box? or am I just confused about something?
Now because this is on your boat does that mean you wont have to poorly disguise all you mishaps and just not talk about it?
Is makeover a performance term Im unaware of for "finding new and creative ways to sink a boat in a timely matter?" Have I been in the dark about that?....maybe not...
well let me know how getting your boat off the trailer goes, if at all.
OH! I almost forgot to remind you; dont forget to take the screw off from on top of your battery before you clamp that top on; dont want to almost destroy another perfectly good battery overthere.
[QUOTE=BadKachina;2512065]You bunch of bastards...........I'll be here till midnight every night next weekend getting ready for Desert Storm. Jim's boat is getting a makeover too, not to mention I'm slammed with work. I guess it could be worse.
QUOTE]
I could come by and help out next weekend.You can even watch me drink your beer. I might even return the 2 pairs of chanel locks that made the trek to my house by hitching a ride on the swim step.
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