This might be a silly ques, but what type screws should I use for mounting a subwoofer to an enclosure? I know to "pre-drill" holes so that the wood doesn't split, but anything "special" to look out for? I just don't want to the screws to rattle loose while pumping out that 1000 RMS!

 

just pre-drill some holes and you should be fine. If you have powerful sub make sure you use a decent amount of screws on the box itself, then just use how ever many you canon the sub and you will be ok.

 

The most secure method of securing a subwoofer to a wooden (especially mdf or particle board) enclosure is T Nuts:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...umber=081-1090

 

Before you screw the box together i would put some caulk between the seam of the piece you are screwing on to ensure an air tight seal. Plus after that stuff settles you will never get the box apart again even with no screws in it.

 

Ok, well I'm not actually building my own box, and assume the guy I'm buying from has already taken care of any structural/air leak issues, etc, etc.. my question was more wrt simply mounting the 'actual' subwoofer. But from the feedback, it seems like regular srews should do the trick! I was just worried about them rattling loose "over time" from all that bass!!

 

Once again........

 

Sorry man, I don't know anything about them.. How do they work? Again, sorry for the "newbie" ques.

 

here's a google pic i found.. now my question, though, is if i mount the sub on top of these, as in the pic, what about that air gap between the sub and mdf mounting surface (take into account thickness of t-nut end)? This would probably be an issue, no?

http://home.triad.rr.com/leggio/imag...bP7060780a.jpg

 

Here, I guess, for those interested and to somewhat answer my own question, but not about the t-nuts issue..

And wrt the "easier," but not necessarily most secure, method of mounting..

From an audio forum:

Securing the woofer to the box:

Position the box so that you can install the sub on the top; that is, don't try to secure the sub while in the firing-sideways position.
Center the sub over the mounting hole. Move it slightly in all directions to ensure that it clears the hole on every side. Look through the sub's mounting holes to see that there is wood at every hole location.
Using a sharp awl or thin nail, tap with a hammer at each of the hole locations to mark the starter holes.

Remove the sub from the box and put it out of harm's way.
Use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the shaft of the wood screws that you will use to secure the sub. Use a drill that has a plumb level (bubble in a window) to guide the drill straight down into the wood.
Install speaker sealing gasket tape around the circumference. Cut an X with a sharp razor blade across every hole.

...Use a good quality screwdriver that fits the mounting screw. It's best to practice one into some scrap wood to make sure it doesn't slip in the threads. Screw the sub into place using coarse-thread high quality wood screws. Select the screws so that they fit nicely onto the subwoofer frame (usually pan head). If your sub came shipped with mounting screws that take an allen head wrench, use those.
Position your hand between the screwdriver tip and the sub cone/surround. You want the gouge (if there is one) in your hand, not the speaker, should the screwdriver slip. Blood washes up nicely if done right away.

 

Good tips from that audio forum, Takhteh.

I use those black Drywall Screws in the orange boxes from Lowes/ Home Depot.

re: T-Nuts- this is my opinion, but I HATE them. I can never get them to stay in the wood while I'm pushing in the screws and/ or I cross thread the last one. They have their place but they are not for me.

 

After predrilling the hole the t nuts get pushed in through the inside of the box. I use a dab of liquid nails around the base of the collar on mine then tap them into the hole, making sure the spikes get a good dig into the wood. let them sit for a couple hours to let the liquid nails set up. Then you can srew down your sub without the t nuts falling out.

+1 on the gasketing tape. You can never be too careful when sealing a sub to a baffle.

 

No worries, wasn't sure if you read my previous post or if you maybe skipped over it. Just trying to help.

Using course thread screws will work, but I wouldn't use them if you have any possible plan of changing out the sub. The more you take wood screws in and out of mdf, the mdf chips and stuff. That's where t nuts come in very handy. you can take screws in and out all day long and never worry about stripping the mdf.

 

Agreed, t nuts can be a pain. As stated above, I use a dab of liquid nails to hold them in place. I never had a cross-thread problem though. Maybe the pilot hole was't perfectly straight, causing the t nut to be a little crooked? Just a thought.

 

Cool, thanks for the help guys.. I really appreciate it. I would probably want to go with the t-nuts setup, but just hesitant bc I don't want to F*** up this $300 box I decided to invest in! But more importantly, I don't want to have to worry about the screws loosing grip in the mdf, etc.. I had an Alpine Type R 10" before and thought it was going to "pop out" everytime the lows hit.. it felt so powerful! Bass sound wasn't that clean, but I think that was my own tuning problems, aside. Anyways, now I'm doubling that power load, so want to make sure I do it right.

So, StreetOC, since you seem to have a lot of experience with this, the following link is what it would look like if I was "inside" of the enclosure looking out? So maybe this guy mounted the t-nuts the wrong way?

http://home.triad.rr.com/leggio/imag...bP7060780a.jpg

Also, what would you recommend the best size t-nut for say 3/4" mdf, which I'm assuming the enclosure is but might need to double-check? Thanks.

 

Well that pic you link to looks like the elevated bass of a vertical tube subwoofer, probably for a home theater system. And the sub will be mounted facing down on the underside of the mdf. You want to mount them from the inside of the box.

Try making 1 hole first. Use the size drill bit recommended by the t nut instructions, just big enough so the shank fits snugly in the hole. Drill the hole as straight as you can. use a framing square/level if you have to. Then put a small bead or dollop of liquid nails or silicone caulk around the base of the shank. Tap the t nut into the mdf with a hammer to set the spikes (some caulk will squeeze out) and let set up for a couple hours. If this one comes out ok, then do the rest. If you are not confident that you did it correctly and don't want to mess anything up, then go with the wood screws. With a little care in your procedure, it should come out great.

Your parts list:
Gasketing tape -
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=260-542
Speaker mounting kit -
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=260-778

 

Thank you SO MUCH man! Am ordering these parts NOW!

Well.. I guess you CAN learn something new everyday!! ..lol.

 

No problem! I see you are in NJ, If you need a hand, PM me.