I would like a fairly small speaker enclosure, rather than the cans. Not looking for anything too huge or fancy. <BR> <BR>Used is even OK, since I would need to paint it anyway. <BR> <BR>How hard are they to make? Might be a fun winter project.

robert, e-mail me at wakesquid420@yahoo.com I can hook ya up. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by twakess on October 04, 2005)

Squid, do you make a box that will hold 6 - 6 1/2" speakers? <BR> <BR>(Message edited by the_madness on October 06, 2005)

Speaker enclosures are not very hard to make. In fact, it's rather fun to see something that you drew a sketch of materialize. I believe Squid makes his boxes out of 100% fiberglass, no MDF. They look really nice too! This being my first box to make I took the easy route and used a wood frame. <BR> <BR>Basically, I made a frame and stretched fleece fabric over it to create the shape. I then coated the fleece with polyester resin and let it harden. I applied roughly 5-6 coats of resin to the outside of the box. I also applied 2-3 coats of resin on the inside of the box. <BR> <BR>I then applied one coat of fiberglass filler to the entire outside of the box. Fiberglass filler is a lot like bondo, but a little more dense. This step adds some strength to the box and helps to fill in the little valleys in the resin. Currently, I am in the process of sanding the box to get it ready for paint. <BR> <BR>So far I have roughly $70 into this box. It's been a ton of fun so far. I can't wait to get it finished. I'll post some more pics when it's done. <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/258735.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/258736.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/258737.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/258738.jpg" alt=""> <BR> <BR>(Message edited by nauty on October 07, 2005)

I've haven't made one out of fiberglass but when I was thinking about making one, I read that a lot of people buy a roll of speaker grille cloth to use instead of fleece for the first layer. It soaks up less resin. The less resin you use, the lighter the enclosure will be. The first layer is just to create the shape, not for strength. Then after wetting the grille cloth and letting it dry, on top of the grille cloth you lay strips of wetted fiberglass cloth. The cloth gives much more strength than just resin alone. Most shortboard surfboards are made with only two layers of cloth, so 2-3 layers for a speaker box should be plenty. I would glass in wood for mounting the speakers and clamps, unless you want to build up those areas with more fiberglass cloth. The less wood you use, the lighter the enclosure will be. Then apply filler and a lot of sanding before painting. <BR> <BR>Nauty, looks good. Nice shape. How much does yours weigh without the speakers?

I haven't weighed it yet, but if I had to guess I would say between 8-10 lbs give or take a pound or two. <BR> <BR>For the frame I used Asian rubber tree instead of MDF. It's a very dense species of wood that is not prone to warping. However, it's a little lighter than MDF. I am a buyer for a large furniture company, so I had some access to some supplies. <BR> <BR>Yep, I'm sure there are plenty of better methods than the one I used, but this being my first box I just kind of winged it. If I make another one I'll probably use some lessons learned.

Let me know how your boxes turn out and last without much fiberglass. I think i may have overbuilt mine (40 lbs loaded with 4 polk momo 6 X 9's) I used around 6 layers of resin and glass but i can stand on mine and it doesnt flex. I did want it strong as the water around here tore up a friends box and he had to have it repaired. Too much stress from the chop/waves caused the glass on the top to seperate near the mount points.

Although I didn't use any glass cloth I did coat the entire box with Evercoat formula 27 fiberglass filler. After adding this stuff the box is VERY strong and rigid. It feels very solid. <BR> <BR>As far as the area around the mounts, the holes for the mounts will be drilled through the wood portion of the box (see picture). I will also use some heavy duty steel and rubber washers on the inside of the box for reinforcement. On the outside of the box I will chamfer the holes to avoid any cracking and then use some heavy duty rubber washer to absorb any shock. I think this will be sufficient. I'll let you know how it works out. <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/259858.jpg" alt="">