my 1st prototype box

[nda0602v6]

For the last few days I've been spending some time building a prototype box to fit in the drivers side hatch area. I mostly wanted to see how big I could build one using all 3/4" MDF. I must say, I've built many boxes before for car and home audio but this one was tough. From all the crazy angles its hard to determine the exact airspace but I'm thinking it's around .55 from some quick guess-measurments lol.

I'm sure I have enough internal air space for a 8" sub but I'm not so sure about a 10". To gain more airspace do you guys think I should build the box using 1/2" MDF instead ?(but still keeping the baffle 3/4" thick of course.) Just trying to think of a way to squeeze more air space out of it. Or I was thinking of using the box as a mold for fiberglass but I've never worked with fiberglass before. Also worried the fiberglass would vibrate from the bass. I give anyone credit who builds these things all the time. [img]smile.gif[/img] Just thought I'd try it since I'm a DIY person.

[MrCoffee]

www.fbodyaudio.com has some nice tutorials and one on how to build a driver side stealth box with fiberglass. And for the in dept 'glass questions there's a few experts over there that are quick to answer. Also there's some killer photo galleries of some nice comp setups

[nda0602v6]

Nice...thanks for the link

[96firebird311]

Not too bad at all. Believe it or not .55 would be enough for some 10"s. Even after sub displacement. Some have fit 12"s in the fiberglass version. Yes, you could easily get away with using 1/2" MDF. It's a small low power design. Depending on the weight of the sub, you could use 1/2" for the baffle even. Although I wouldn't hesitate to glass my own stealth box. It's not nearly as hard as you may think. You could even re-use that front baffle if you really wanted. Just screw it. Cut out the 10" hole. Make the fiberglass mold of the driver's side section being sure to glass over your old screw holes. Glass the mold and that baffle together. Blamo! If you're re-using the baffle, I bet you could buy all the glass supplies for around $30 and finish in a single day.

[nda0602v6]

Yeah I'm half tempted to give the fiberglass thing a try and see how it turns out. That beefy 3/4" mdf seems to be taking up some useable air space. How thick do you think I should make the fiber glass 96firebird311? Maybe 1/2" thick worth of glass then maybe add some foam/stuffing inside? I'm not really worried if the fiberglass ends up in disaster cause the box was built out of scrap anyway.

[megabass]

Originally posted by nda0602v6:
I must say, I've built many boxes before for car and home audio but this one was tough. From all the crazy angles its hard to determine the exact airspace but I'm thinking it's around .55 from some quick guess-measurments lol.

Fiberglass would be killer if you knew how. Making a wood stealth for that spot just isn't as easy as it looks. You probably cussed a few times huh? To give you an idea of what I go thru: You were able to get a 8 incher in there--maybe a 10 if tweak the sides a little. I wish I had a buck for every time somebody asked me if my 10" box could be made to fit a 12 or a 10W7 [img]graemlins/twak.gif[/img]
Do you feel my pain?

But to answer your question, you can use 1/2" for the shell part. But you will need pneumatic fasteners like brads or crown staples, because if you try to screw into the edge of 1/2", it will spit. Even if you could get a 10 in there, 1/2" will still be fine. ;)

[96firebird311]

Originally posted by nda0602v6:
How thick do you think I should make the fiber glass 96firebird311? Maybe 1/2" thick worth of glass then maybe add some foam/stuffing inside?

1/2"?!?!?! Holy crap man! You gonna use them for jack stands? [img]graemlins/naughty.gif[/img] :D ;) [img]tongue.gif[/img] That's too thick buddy. I'd say a layer of cloth, layer of mat and finish with another layer of cloth. (depending on fiber weight) That's probably less then an 1/8". It's a small low power sealed box with many curves and a wood baffle. This project requires the least amount of strength out of any fiberglass project....(outside of cosmetic). Lemme know if you need any more help. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[nda0602v6]

Originally posted by megabass:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by nda0602v6:
I must say, I've built many boxes before for car and home audio but this one was tough. From all the crazy angles its hard to determine the exact airspace but I'm thinking it's around .55 from some quick guess-measurments lol.

Fiberglass would be killer if you knew how. Making a wood stealth for that spot just isn't as easy as it looks. You probably cussed a few times huh? To give you an idea of what I go thru: You were able to get a 8 incher in there--maybe a 10 if tweak the sides a little. I wish I had a buck for every time somebody asked me if my 10" box could be made to fit a 12 or a 10W7 [img]graemlins/twak.gif[/img]
Do you feel my pain?
</font>[/QUOTE]Thanks for the tips. Yeah trust me, I do feel your pain. To be honest with ya, I figured building this box was going to be a piece of cake since its so small. I guess the Geometry class I took in HS years ago really did come in handy for once with all the crazy compound miters I had to cut. About half way through building it I said something like "this is f@$$ng ridiculous" and almost tossed it in the trash. And you're right, fitting a 12 in this box just isn't going to happen. The only way I see that ever happening is if you permanently fiberglass every inch of that cubby hole section (even where it drops down deep into the fender). But not something I would do plus I'm thinking it still wouldn't be enough room.

[nda0602v6]

Originally posted by 96firebird311:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by nda0602v6:
How thick do you think I should make the fiber glass 96firebird311? Maybe 1/2" thick worth of glass then maybe add some foam/stuffing inside?

1/2"?!?!?! Holy crap man! You gonna use them for jack stands? [img]graemlins/naughty.gif[/img] :D ;) [img]tongue.gif[/img] That's too thick buddy. </font>[/QUOTE]So 1/2" fiberglass is a little over kill then eh? :D Oh come on, what every happened to building things heavy duty, not howdy duty. [img]graemlins/naughty.gif[/img] But seriously though, I've never used fiberglass before so I was just curious. Thanks again for the info. I'll give it a shot.

[megabass]

Most of the 12" fiberglass stealths I've seen are about 3/8" thick--including the ones I carried there for awhile.