My boat's previous owner made a custom under dash enclosure for (2) polk 10" subs, which was made out of particle board. The moisture finally won the battle against the particle board and now the bottom of the enclosure is mush.....time to rebuild. <BR> <BR>Question: What material? I was going to use 3/4" exterior ply with some marine varnish. Will there be (and how much) a noticeable performance difference using the ply since it is less dense? Is there a better, cost effective, and easy to work with material? BTW, it is a ported enclosure. <BR> <BR>It is an older boat and I don't want to spend that much time / $$, plus it needs to be done before I head to Shasta next week. <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance for the comments. <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/333713.jpg" alt="Upload">

It seems that a lot of people use 3/4" MDF. I'm not an enclosure expert, but it seems the MDF provides the sidewall strength necessary to inhibit vibration/resonation. <BR> <BR>Also, you may want to use fiberglass resin on the wood to water proof it once you're done. Fiberglass resin is easy to mix and apply, you can pick up a quart for like $10 at Home Depot in the paint section. Bondo company makes the resin.

The previous owner probably did not fiberglass resin the MDF. If you resin the MDF it should not be effected by water. I would use MDF and do 2-3 coats of resin. then recarpet or vinyl or paint it. also predrill all the wholes so that the resin will get into them and help seal up the box. Resin also and to sealing the box. Good Luck.