nothix

iTrader: (27)

that sucks having to tear down all that hard work.
I think you're getting quite a few subscribers now ^_^

DelayedZ

iTrader: (7)

I never subscribe but I'm watching this, lol, I look for updates whenever I can.

StreetOC192

iTrader: (7)

OMG, you chopped off the top? Where was it hitting? On the mdf or on the fiberglassed side? If it was on the fiberglass side, you might have been able to mod it a lot easier than chopping off the top and starting fresh with a new mounting ring.

Either way though, I applaud your efforts and ingenuity when faced with these proverbial lemons. This juice will be VERY well worth the squeeze when done!

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

Yep.. Chopped it right off =)
It was hitting the MDF side that sits against the strut bar. I gave a thought to cutting a hole there and fiberglassing over it on the other side... but I wasnt 100% sure that would fix the problem, and I might still need to add another ring... I hate dealing with problems like that where you may end up just continually sticking bandaids on them, and then the final product comes out a little shittier. I would rather undo some work and just do it properly.

On the upside.. I was right. The sub will fit, it just needs a few degrees of adjustment on the mounting angle. Hopefully tonight I can get the frame sitting in foam inside the car.

VO...

iTrader: (25)

Hang in there bud...

cbr900son

iTrader: (4)

Well u inspired me! Got tons of ideas running thru my head and my edead and elemental designs nine.5 amp just got in.So now to get to work myself! good thing i called in sick to work tonight

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

UPDATE 3/20/08 Evening

Just needed to get some foam around the box today.. went ahead and put down a drop cloth and set the box in..


Got out the foam..


foam added..


Just a few minutes later, the foam has expanded quite a bit.


Well... now I have to wait for that to cure... what else can I do?
Might as well cut out a new mounting ring.

Measuring out the radii in cardboard.


punched holes..


Put up the 3/4" MDF..


Nail down the cardboard and start tracing..


Drawn out..


Drill some holes to fit the jigsaw blade..


Cut out the inside..


Test fit the sub.. it was a little too snug, so sanded it out a little bit with some 60grit, and then it fit perfect. Since this sub is going to go back to eD, I am leaving the plastic on so as not to scratch up the basket.


Cut the ring out.


Here it is after some smoothing...


And now I've run out of tasks for this tonight... if I am feeling frisky late tonight I might work on it some more if the foam has cured.

RATEDZ33

keep it up!

Rappo25

Wow man, you are DEFINATELY a perfectionist (and a bit of a pic *****)... haha. You and I would definately get along. BTW, I work at my fam's building supply company...with all the MDF you're using, I could get you a bulk discount, lol.

Any plans on sound deadening? I'm trying to find a supplier of a less-expensive material similar to the dynomat extreme. If I find anything I will let you know.

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

Nah I don't bother with that stuff because its such a pain to remove in case you need to... Check out eDead as an alternative to dynamat

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

UPDATE 3/21/08 Night

This is what the foam looked like after I took it out last night..


Added some foam where needed...


This is what I had today...


Did a little trimming with a utility knife..


Sanded the edged flush..


All shaped up..


There are some imperfections though...


Filled all the big bubbles..


Other side..


Here it is just a few hours later..


All trimmed up..


Looks ready..


Get the ring ready..


Screw down the straps...


Ring attached... I checked the clearance for the sub but it required two hands so no pic..


Added some more support...


hmm..something like that...


You know.. I better test fit this before i start glassing.. This ring is much higher this time.


Yikes.. a little too close for comfort.


At this point I went back and forth between the garage and car about a thousand times, I took pictures, but I'll spare you guys the monotony.

This is what it looks like now after I found a good fit.


Started stretching the fleece.. just a couple of staples here.


About half done..


Good to go..


All resined up..


Another shot..


Almost back to where we were!

clarkemtp

All I can say is man you've got drive! Good on ya.

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

UPDATE 3/22/08 Evening

Look what the FedEX guy brought this morning...


hmm.. Whats this?


You know.. eD makes a good product, but there are a lot of good speakers out there.. but its personal touches like this and the outstanding customer service that have kept me coming back for years now.


Either way.. lets get back to work. This is what I had this morning..


Pulled out all the staples...


Loose fleece..


Trimmed off all the fluff..


A little more precision trimming with the dremel..


A quick once-over with 60grit sandpaper. I also ground down the ridge at the transition between top and side..


I tore up a bunch of glass... didn't want to run out in the middle!


Covered in a couple layers..


Another shot..


Here it is a few hours later after curing.


Trimmed off the un-resined excess with a pair of scissors..


Trimmed off the rest with the dremel..


Did some light sanding and started to open the mounting hole..


Finished opening up the mounting hole..


Removed the ring supports..


The inside without the supports..


Sanded down the rest of the box..


It is at this point I should mention that EVERYTHING ITCHES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MAKE IT STOP ITCHING.

Box seems strong enough..


Now.. what to do with all these holes I made when adjusting the straps for the ring?


And these wood -> foam -> fleece -> fiberglass joint doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in terms of sealing in the air...


Cut up some mat squares to cover the holes..


Fiberglass over the holes.. and poured resin into the joint...


Still waiting on the first joint to cure, hopefully I will get to the rest of them this evening... I did this to seal up my last box and it worked perfectly.

Tomorrow.. BONDO!

SlideFox

Good Work!!

nothix

iTrader: (27)

Great job man, this final result is gonna be sweet.
You are inspiring others to try the DIY method ^_^

iMikie

iTrader: (2)

are you going to paint the box when your done or cover it in fabric? very nice work my friend.

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the kind words guys!

I am going to attempt to cover in vinyl.. never tried before.. anyone got any tips?

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

UPDATE 3/23/08 Night

Well last night instead of sealing up the rest of the joints I decided to drink beer instead =)

So I got a late start today and still needed to take care of that.. so I filled the rest of the joints with resin..
Here's one now..


I wiped down the outside of the box for a test fit, don't want to get glass dust all over the car..


I didn't want the glass to scratch the plastic either, so I put a little masking tape over the sides... here is the test fit..


Couldn't resist putting in the sub...


From behind the passenger seat..


Looking back from the drivers seat..


And from the hatch under the strut bar..


Man.. I am excited! This is actually going to turn out the way it was supposed to. Who knew?

Went out and got some body filler..


Most people will tell you to thin bondo with resin.. I was afraid it would make it more difficult to sand, so instead I used a little acetone... mistake? Maybe..


Thinned it out and was able to brush it on..


Here it is just a little bit later.. all cured up... Acetone is the way to go!


I started to sand.. the paper was slipping.. So I glued two pieces back to back... and then it started to chafe my hand... so I came up with this..


Got the side part smoothed for the most part...


Started to get top going but my hand cramped up.. I think I may need to invest in some kind of tool here. I will look into that tomorrow.. any suggestions on something that can work over these curves evenly?
Here is how I left it tonight..


Looks like I might have bass relatively soon!

Mikey-Z

iTrader: (2)

if you decided to run two subs and wanted to make another box on the driver's side...

having experienced everything w/ this first box and knowing what you know now

How long do you think it would take you to make the 2nd box?

sintaxeror

iTrader: (3)

Hypothetically? I could probably get the shell done in a weekend if I was really devoting a lot of time, and I had use of the garage.... That would be everything besides today's activities.. no bondo or anything.

That being said, I'm just going to stick with a single sub.