DIY: Building and installing speaker pods (for EK Civic)
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 speaker pods to fit aftermarket speakers which may be too big for the stock location. Also improves speaker aiming and can look awesome if done well.
Required:
This was my first DIY Audio project, so i basically used wot was lying around my house. This guide is based on my project, so if you have better tools that do the same job better, use them!
Materials for pods:
- MDF (i used 3mm and 6mm)
- Stretchy fabric (cotton/polyester/etc)
- Fibreglass resin & catalyst
- Fibreglass matting (optional)
Tools:
- Jigsaw
- Screwdrivers
- Hot glue gun
- Sandpaper
- Dremmel/chisel & hammer (something to cut/trim fibreglass)
Other:
- Paper/cardboard to use to make templates
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Electrical tape
- Mask
- Safety goggles
- Gloves
- Paint brushes (cheap ones u can throw away)
- Old bucket/platic icecream bowl (u will throw away)
- Mixing stick (or sumthing similar)
Steps:
NOTE: This guide is based on my EK Civic. The pics are specific to my car model. However you can use this guide as a base to build pods for any other car.
1. Remove your existing speakers and then door trim. Basically i did this in order to make a template/base shape for the pods and also find the best mounting location.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3084s.jpg
2. Plan where and how you want your speaker pods to sit, then using paper/cardboard design a template for the base of the pods.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3120s.jpg
3. Mark out the base on your MDF then using a jigsaw, carefully cut out the shape. To cut out the centre hole in the MDF, drill a hole first and use it as a starting point for cutting the centre. Once done, sand down the edges then test fit it if needed.
SAFTEY WARNING: Remember to always use safety gear when working!!! Always wear a dust mask, goggles and gloves.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3134s.jpg
4. Next you will have to make a ring for your speaker to sit on. You can use the speaker grille from your speaker as a template or use the manufacturerss one sometimes provided with the speakers. I used 6mm MDF and just made a basic ring. You may also create an additional ring and mount that ontop or use a router to cut out the mdf so your speaker mounts flush . However you do it, it's all up to your design and how you want the pods to look in the end.
Once you have made the speaker ring, you will need to mount it. I did this using dowl pieces cut to my desired height. You can also use bits of mdf off cuts too, what ever is available i guess. Then make/cut out any other additional pieces you need to create the basic frame for your pods.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3144s.jpg
5. Now that you have all the pieces to construct the frame, using pva/wood glue and/or a hot glue gun, glue all the pieces together to make the frame. I found that the pva glue worked best on the flat surfaces u needed to glue, and the hot glue gun was the best way to mount the ring on the dowl pieces.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3151s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3153s.jpg
Test fit to see if your speaker sits properly in the frame.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3160s.jpg
6. If all is well with the first pod, do exactly the same for the second pod. Of course, you can do both at the same time, however i only put together the second one once i knew the first one had come out as i wished.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3183s.jpg
Here is the second pod test fitted in the door frame.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3177s.jpg
7. Next, get your stretchy fabric and using the hot glue gun, stretch the fabric over the frame and glue it in place. This will become the shape of your pod! Remember, try to do this step well and not try to leave any ripples or it will be visible once you apply the fibreglass. Trim off the access and this is wot you should have at this stage.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3195s.jpg
Again, i test fitted it. You should do this after every step to make sure your pods are coming out as planned and fit nice and well.
8. Ok, here comes the fibreglassing bit.
SAFTEY WARNING: Again, always remember to use safety gear when working!!! Wear a dust mask or even one of them gas masks at this step, goggles and some disposable gloves. The fibreglass resin fumes can be very strong, so remember to work in a well ventilated area.
Just some minor info at this stage before we move on. There are many methods to fibreglassing, however the method i used here is based on another tutorial i found online which seemed the easiest to me. Once i go thru the steps i took, i will breifly outline the optional steps and also a brief alternative methods.
Ok, in my project here i did not use the fibreglass matting, but i will outline the basics later. Now get your can of fibreglass resin and pour 1/2 to 3/4 of it into an old bucket/ice cream carton (or as i did used a cutout 2L plastic milk bottle). I didn't used all of it cos my pods are small, so use more if your pods are bigger. Next, follow the instructions on the bottle of catalyst and add the specified amount to the resin, it should be only be a few mLs. Stir the mixture up and it should start to change colour from a blueish to a greeny lightish brown after a few mins.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3209s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3219s.jpg
Let the resin sit for a while, but keep an eye on it... Because i made the mistake of leaving it for too long and it hardened like a rock instantly. Anyways...
9. Remember to sit the pods off the ground and have the area well covered cos once the fibreglass resin dries, it will be very very hard to pry the pods and the fibreglass off the ground.
Start applying the resin onto the pods. Only put the resin on parts of the pods where you wanna get it hard, and not on the inside of the rings. Remember to soak up the fabric good, apply on and around the speaker ring and everywhere else. It will be very messy, but get a nice thick layer on and all around the pod. This is how it should look.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3221s.jpg
OPTIONAL STEP: Using fibreglass resin only to make speaker pods are fine and very easy. However, you can add and apply fibreglass matting which will make the pods very very strong. Resin alone is not as strong and can be brittle and may crack if reasonable force is applied. To use fibreglass matting, there will be more steps in the application process, hence y i did not use it and found resin to be one easy step. If you are looking to use the fibreglass matting as well, pm me and i'll let you know how to do it.
10. Leave the pods to dry over night, and this is how it should turn out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3233s.jpg
Now using a dremel (cutting tool, like a hand held drill with very nice cutting bits) or a chisel and hammer like i did, start to trim off all the bits of fabric/fibreglass you don't need. Here's one done...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3240s.jpg
11. The dried up fibreglass will not be smooth but pimply. Hence start the sanding! A power sander will be very helpful here, but use wot you have. It will probably be impossible to sand down the fibreglass to an extremely smooth finish. So if you desire a smoother surface for painting, use some bondo/putty to fill in the gaps and sand it again. This will give a nicer and smoother finish. Of course this is optional, and if your planning to cover ur pods in vinyl/fabric, then this isn't necessary either. Here it is again test fitted...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3245s.jpg
12. NOW FINISHED! Just replace your door trim, mount your pod (as you planned) and install your speakers! Here's a picture of the pod in the door. Of course, this isn't finished... you will need to do your finishing touch, i.e. paint, vinyl, carpet, etc...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../IMGP3254s.jpg
Soon, i'll post up my next step... PAINTING! That's all for now, stay tuned for an update.
