DIY My Fibreglass Subwoofer Box [DC2(R)/4] 56K warning [M's Garage]
Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!
Aim: Build a custom moulded sealed subwoofer enclosure for the boot
Required:
- Lots of fibreglass resin (bunnings)
- Lots of fibreglass matting (bunnings)
- Lots of Fibreglass resin Cataylst (bunnings)
- Lots of cheap paint brushes (hardware store)
- Mdf Wood (bunnings)
- Fleece or big cloth (home or Craft stores)
- Small pin screws (bunnings)
- Orbital sander (whoeva has one, I borrowed mine)
- Blade (or a knife...)
- Mini saw (like a blade but with teeth to cut through hard stuff)
- Jigsaw (whoeva has one, i own one)
- A box of plastic gloves (painting resin and handling Fibreglass)
- Bodyfiller (flexible one if you can)
Alternatively, you can buy alot of fibreglass kits. or buy in bulk.. i went the Kit way and used around 4...
Steps:
ok, I should really use about 5-6+ layers of fibreglass, but since i did mine the cheap way, so as long as it works, i managed to keep my cost to less than $350.. Its really up to u how many layers u use, i used 1/2/3 at some places, depending where was weak and where was strong.
1. I chose to mount my subs at the rear 2 corners of my boot, as i needed some boot space. and my current box was a heavy one which used up alot of space..
2. Clear out ur working area and start taping it up, I used Duct tape as masking tape wouldnt stick to my trim. then i stuck masking tape over that. Try to make it as neat as you can. and u can skip part/bumps/holes by laying the tape over it in the desired shape.
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/TapeIt.JPG
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/CompleteTape.JPG
And because I'm doing both corners for 2 12's i did the other side too.
3. I used the Fibreglass Kit 3 from bunnings, which is enough for 1 square metre.. Take out the Fibreglass matt whilst wearing gloves and tear small 15cmx15cm squares out of it. till the whole thing is teared up. The jagged edges will allow you to go around edges and stick easier. Now mix up some resin and put A LITTLE BIT of catalyst. If you use too much, You wont have enough time to work on it. THE MORE YOU USE, THE FASTER IT GOES HARD!.
Place a fibreglass square at a position and using ur brush DAB the resing onto the masking tape. Dab until it is soaked. but not too soaked(otherwise it'll be a waste of resin)
just keep doing this till the whole area which u plan to fibreglass is fibreglassed.
You can overlap the fibreglass while it is still wet. If you can, try to apply minimum 3 layers around the whole thing and apply extra layers on flat areas as fibreglass is extremely strong around bends but not flat areas.
When your done it should look like this.
Give it 24-48 hours to cure/dry before doing anymore work to it.
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/FGit.JPG
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/2ndFG.JPG
4. While the fibreglass is drying, you can cut out your sub rings. as so..
I cut my rings out by detroying my old box..:D:D
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Rings.JPG
5. Ok, so now it should be dry after 24-48hrs.(i left mine overnight:D)
go to your boot and give little pull and tugs and eventualy big pull and tugs so that the shell pops out.. You should be wearing gloves at all times as it is sharp. It mite seem impossible to take it out as it is stuck tot eh tape. and ur tape is stuck to your trim. so keep trying and eventually it'll be out..
When you do finally get it out, flip it over and let the backside of the shell dry and cure in the sun.
Then start to scrape off and rip off the masking tape nd stuff..
after that it should look like this.
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Popedshell.JPG
test fit it..
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Testfit.JPG
6. trin around the edges to the place you want the fibreglass to cover to by using a saw. Then using cardboard, make a base for the enclosure..
and then cut it out on MDF board.. the MDF is more stronge than fibreglass to me..lol
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Installtehbottom.JPG
I used screws the secure the bottom on.
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/screwit.JPG
7. Go around the inside and outside of the box where the wood and shell meets and firbreglass over the gaps. and also while ur at it, fibreglass the bits where yoru missing fibreglass or is weak on teh structure.
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/FGtheinside.JPG
8. Using bits of wood and some hot glue, apply excessive amounts of glue and glue where u want to mount your ring, like this.
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Mountthering.JPG
9. Now, stretch the cloth over your structure and ring and hot glue it to shell and then I screwed it in alternatively you could use a staple gun and staple it in. try not to over stretch it too much. as it mite start to also bend the fibreglass. and it wont fit your trim anymore.. and u'l have to use gap filler to fill the gaps..
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Clothit.JPG
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Niceeee.JPG
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Secureit.JPG
10. Same as step 3, fibreglass the outside of the box. over the screws and onto the fibreglass. apply roughly 3-6 layers on the front as it will be supporting the weight of your sub. so it has to be strong and thick enough. try to make it as smooth as possible without any major wrinkles..
it should look sorta liek this when your done..
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/FGtheoutside.JPG
11. ok, now it has harden trim around the speaker ring so it is smooth and so that you have a cirle. WEARING LONG CLOTHES (cos the dust can make you itch allllllll night if it gets onto/into your skin) use the orbital grinder and sand down the fibreglass, all which is exposed so that it is fairly smooth and you cant cut yourself.
Then bodyfill the surface that will be on display. apply a pretty thick layer and try to make the bodyfiller as close as you can to the actual shape of the box, so less sanding down..
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Bodyfillit.JPG
12. Now, the lots of labour part begins.. Start sanding with 120grit paper and make the shape of the box you deisre over the body filler.
Use bodyfiller and apply it over holes and imperfections that you see. and sand it down with the 120.
then sand the whole thing down with 180grit paper to get rid of scratch marks.
then sand it down with 270 to make it fairly smooth..
in the end it should be looking like this.
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Sandit.JPG
13. After sanding it down, it can be ready for painting by using primer and paint and clear coat.(which im still waiting to do)
To install it to your boot, place it where your gonna install it. For me I used 2 big screws and screwed it through the MDF and into the chassy where there is some solid piece of metal welded to teh chassy.
Drill a extra hole just big eough for the speaker cables to get through and pull it through and hook them to your sub. Then install and screw in your subs.
I took a picture of my install from the rear seats looking into the boot.
Disregard the bat and the jacket. ;);)
http://h1.ripway.com/GIPONU/Install.JPG
Extra Comments:
This took me about 3 weeks to do with things to do in teh time period.
I'm still waiting to get this painted. and I learnt how to do this by using www.the12volt.com If you put enough DIY's together you will just get how to do it. simple.lols..
I'll add another picture after i spray it, just to give you integra owners some ideas on your next sub box install
Hope you people like it :D:D
