What kind of wood for a subwoofer box?

[gplanet]

My computer speaker subwoofer is in a box that is shaped like a computer tower and it's like 24" tall...so I opened it up and took out the parts, just the amplifier section and the woofer itself. I want to build a smaller square box for it.

The woofer is a 8" DVC. Could I build a 12x12x12" box for it? If this would be OK what kind of wood should I use and what thickness?

Thanks

 

[glen]

MDF

 

[Spoooon]

Use .5 MDF

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: glen
MDF

Yep.

 

[gplanet]

what is MDF? i want to use a wood finish over the box so it's gotta have a nice grain

 

[Spoooon]

medium density fiber board

 

[EvilYoda]

Check out any DIY on HTF, they'll use .75" MDF (medium density fiberboard?)........I would suggest something thicker than .5" due to the amount of vibrations in a sub.

 

[Doodoo]

Yep..mdf....its more dense than most woods so u get less vibration and flex. You can pick up a sheet at home depot for a few bucks.

 

[gogeeta13]

I use 5/8th MDF, as long as the sub/subs arent getting more than 800RMS, from then up use at least 3/4MDF.

lowes, homedepot, and your local lumber yard will have it.

 

[Mday]

use .75" or 1", .5" is a bit too thin.

um, unless you are experienced, um, i would recommend against it. you may get some negative effects.

 

[Evadman]

Go with 3/4 MDF. Remember the sizes are not 4 x 8, they are usually 1" over for some stupid reason.

Glue all the seems together, MDF and screws in the endgrain = not good.

Use #6 screws about 1 1/4 long for holding power while the glue dries. I recomend urethane glue ( gorrila glue or such ) Then caulk the seams for a good seal.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: gplanet
what is MDF? i want to use a wood finish over the box so it's gotta have a nice grain

MDF is made jsomewhat like particle board. But instead of being glued together, MDF is acutally wood broken down to the fibers then mechanicly pressed together with some huge pressures. They usually do not use glue.

There is no grain whatsoever. It has a slightly darker color brown than cardboard. If you are going to stain it you will have to veneer it.

 

[gplanet]

how much should it cost to make a simple 12x12x12 box? for the mdf, glue, veneer?, stain...

 

[pay]

Definitely 3/4" MDF for the best sound!! Dont be fooled by cheap particle board

I have a store you might want to check out... http://www.subenclosureoutlet.com

 

[yakko]

Originally posted by: Mday
use .75" or 1", .5" is a bit too thin.

.5" is not too thin for what he is building. It is just an 8" sub and I doubt that amp that came with it is pushing more than 100 watts peak power.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: Evadman
Go with 3/4 MDF. Remember the sizes are not 4 x 8, they are usually 1" over for some stupid reason.

Glue all the seems together, MDF and screws in the endgrain = not good.

Use #6 screws about 1 1/4 long for holding power while the glue dries. I recomend urethane glue ( gorrila glue or such ) Then caulk the seams for a good seal.

Most oversized sheet goods are sold that way so you can always get 2 24" cabinet bulkheads out of one sheet. A straight 48" piece will get you 2 slightly under 24" pieces due to saw kerf.

Like Pay said. MDF and particle board are not the same product, dont buy particle board.

 

[Spac3d]

Defintely .75 inch MDF board. Use wood glue to to hold it together, make pilot holes, then insert the screws. Seal with silicon on the inside and let it cure for 24hours.

Sounddomain.com has excellent forums where you can ask for more advice. EliteCarAudio.com has a great forum as well.

Spac3d

 

[bleeb]

You realize that you should probably keep the subwoofer as far away from any computer components, monitors, and floppy disks, zip disks as the magnetic field generated by the woofer can damage those components. Good Luck. MDF

 

[MichaelD]

Great advice so far. 3/4" MDF. Elmer's wood glue and coarse-thread screws to hold it together.

What HAS NOT been mentioned and is MORE imporant than the construction of the box, is PROPER AIRSPACE. Every speaker has parameters concerning it electrical resistance, free-air resonance, etc. The box that the speaker was mounted in was a specific size for a reason.

You CANNOT just take the woofer and say "the old box was 24 x 24 x 12 and that's too big...I'm gonna put it in a 12 x 12 x 12 box, yeah, much smaller!" and expect it to work, b/c it won't.

You need to measure the airspace that the speaker was in and have that same airspace in your new design. The speaker doesn't care what SHAPE the box it's in, is, it only sees airspace.

Your speaker will require x-number of cubic feet of airspace. You get that using the formula Length x Width x Height/1728 You measure the INTERNAL dimensions of the box. Good luck.

 

[Harvey]

If the amp puts out any real power, use 3/4" particle board.

You'll also want to design your box to work with the speaker. You'll need some info on the specs for the woofer. Assuming you can determine the make, which you can probably get from their site. If this link works, I found a lot of links searching Google for "speaker design software" (in quotes). Using quotes tells the system to search for the entire word string. If the link doesnt' work, you know what to look for.

 

[olds]

I used 3/4 MDF

 

[Ameesh]

i used 1" thick petrified wood

 

[sohcrates]

3/4 MDF

No diggity, No doubt

(and very little vibration)

 

[RayH]

If you want to try something different, get some 10" or 12" sonotube (used for making concrete columns), cap the ends with 3/4" MDF and router or jigsaw one of the ends for the speaker.