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What kind of tools do u use to make your boxes. I am short on cash and was wondering if a skill saw would do? or a skill saw and a circular saw?
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Tablesaws are the best, but not many of us can afford these. SO I recommend what probably 85% of us use to build our boxes. A decent circular saw. Also you will need a jigsaw to cut the speaker holes. A router is also used, but routers are in general more expensive than jigsaws. These are really all you need. You can go to Sears and get both tools(decent ones) for about $60.00-$80.00 for enough to get the job done. Also I recommend a set of files to smooth out the rough spots, and a belt sander is nice, though not necessary..
posted
if you can't get a table saw a circular saw will work fine, just gotta take your time and a jig saw to cut the holes. and like Buzz siad a belt sander will make it look 100% beter if your joints arn't perfect. Oh yea and you will need a screw gun
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OOPS! Forgot the screw gun.. Just use a cordless(or corded) drill with a screwdriver bit insert.
Actually come to think about it, if you are REALLY strapped for cash(and I don't recommend doing this if possible), you can use a jigsaw for all the cutting.. If you do, cutting the big pieces will be a PAIN...
posted
Has anyone tried using a rotozip to cut out speaker holes yet? I was thinking about getting a router and a perfect circle jig, but the rotozip would be cheaper. I am not sure if it would cut through 3/4 MDF.
If you want a ported box than you need some good hole saws.
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yea i did use a rotozip before i don't know if i had the right bit for it or not because it ate the mdf up pretty bad, but it was quick as hell i cut the circle in like 30 seconds, a hell of a lot faster then a jigsaw.
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the r zip is nice and fast , but if you dont have a circle cut jig or a steady hand you can easy fubar your hole . the thing is fast and a litle slip will make a big on e, alos go slow or you'll brek the bit . broke 5 so far ..
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Posts: 732 | From: Reston, VA | Registered: May 1999
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posted
I built boxes with a circular saw for 8 years. Wore out 2 - that's just sick! Even worse - I built boxes with a jig saw for a couple years before that!
If you cant find or don't want a decent used table saw, go with a circular saw. They make guide fences that clamp onto the wood so even a novice can get a good straight line.
The RZip is a decent tool but kinda pricey IMO for a single purpose. I'd get a jigsaw..
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A circular saw will work ok. Angles are a major pain though.
Make sure you use a clamped down straight edge.
------------------ Jeff President, Sweet Sounds Inc. Authorized Dealer for Cerwin Vega, Image Dynamics, Clarion Pro Audio, Stinger, Hifonics, Digital Designs, Memphis and more.....
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I always had a hard time cutting straight with my jigsaw... so I got to fiddling with it. The blade guide was all worn out so the blade moved side to side during cutting.
My dad let me use his old (probably about 20-30 years old!!) craftsman jigsaw and, man, what a difference. Maybe I'll hold off on getting a percect circle router kit for a while.
Yeah.. just buying something like a craftsman workhorse saw (rotary) is fine, but you will need to pick up some dustmasks and some rough sandpaper, because you'll have some edges to clean up :-D
ShadowStar
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Posts: 2579 | From: Somewhere In the Northeast | Registered: May 1999
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Bought a rotozip yesterday. Not happy so far because u have to buy this and buy that for it. firt I bought the rotozip the one without the handle. And I saw that the cirlce jig was $20 and it looked like it cost about $0.50 to make. So we tried to cut the hole free hand, and like said earlier we broke a bit and it didnt turn out to great. So i bought the jig today and it only goes to 14" and i need it for 15" speakers. So i am going to try to rig something to work. Also the guy at the store said that a rotor bit would fit in it but you have to have a diffrent collate for it to work. Well there goes some more money but I dont know how much. Because I am going to try to use a flush bit to clean up the port edges. The cutting bits are not to much like $7 for 5 of them.
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The Rotozip is awsome, all you need is to get the right bit for it, the model #bit is ZBSC5, it cuts MDF fast, but I have found it is alot better if you drill a hole in the MDF before you start using the rotozip, I know they say you can come down on the wood with that angle technique, but with MDF you usually shorten the life of the bit doing it. On that hole for the 15, cut the 14" hole see what you need, then you can actually if you have a pretty steady hand use the rotozip to go around the hole and do the widening for you or you can use the drum sander bit for a drill and widen it that way.
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Posts: 906 | From: Taylor, AL | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
actually, the cutout for a 15" sub varies with the sub. with my 15w6's it was 13 3/4, and i think it was maybe a 1/16 bigger than that with my shockers.
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Posts: 1930 | From: state college, pa | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
jesus people...you get a 5' piece of crown moulding from your local LOWE'S along with another piece of 9-10' crown moulding. make sure they are wide enough not to deflect. these are both relatively cheap and they are more precise and smooth than your local pressure treated 2x4. pair of collapsible saw horses. those are cheap. LOWE'S there again. a DEWALT or equivalent 18V 5.375" hand circular saw. with extra batteries and billy bad boy charger. OR a small saw of the same style but with power cord.. that just seems to get in the way more often than not. a Bosche real nice guided, fanned, 3 speed cutting jigsaw. they are fast..accurate, not the cheapest things but surely the best. bunch of Piranah blades for fast wood cutting..they do circles well...if you don't get a router for that. and you can cut any diameter hole with that...will look like a router done job in less than or equal to 30 seconds...just takes a little practice. right ON THE LINE. and ofcoarse..the ROTOZIP with the 14" diameter hole jig is enough for most any 15" driver..some frames are a tad larger..but you can take a quick jig to that and still look great and take like 20 seconds longer per hole..nothing takes too long..and with the pieces of the crown moulding..you'll need just a pair of Clamps..spring loaded is fine. Grex air stapler with 3" brad nail clip capability. small air compressor. blower tip to evacuate the boxes of any unwanted dust. usually ALL OF IT IS UNWANTED. caulk Gun and clear, fast setting silicon. big gallon jug of Elmer's Wood Glue, with smaller application pointed tip standard glue bottle. if you build the enclosure nicely..nothing will leak and no subwoofer will blow it apart to create leeks. all without using screws. buy the screw gun though..the subs have to go in!!! Best Regards, Steve
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Posts: 137 | From: Dothan , AL , USA | Registered: Apr 2000
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posted
I used a nail gun for my box. the only bad thing was that on some part of th box where the mdf was 2.25" think the nails wouldn't go all the way in. I made my cut outs fot the 12's a littlt too big also, i just guessed on those. oh, well.
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