posted
I am about to build a sub box for 1 Digital Designs 9015. I am planning on a 4.5 cube box. I am considering making part of the box out of fiberglass. I want to fiberglass my tire well to take advantage of the extra 2 cubes there. That way the box would apear to be fairly small about 2.5 cubes. Also it would clear up some additional room in the trunk for a nicer amp install.
Would this be a good idea for a box doing high 140db's. Will the glass affect the bass response in any negitive way? Any hints, advise, suggestions or opinions would be apreciated. Thanks.
Posts: 11 | From: Mesa, AZ, USA | Registered: May 1999
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posted
I have already made a fiberglass mold of the tire well that has been lying around awile. It is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. How much thicker would it need to be?
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Posts: 11 | From: Mesa, AZ, USA | Registered: May 1999
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posted
The overall thickness of the glassed panel depends on a few things. Rigidity of body panels that the glassed panel will be mounted to must first be considered, or will the floorpan of your tire well flex on it's own? Ideally you would want the floorpan to be used as a substrate for the fiberglass, to take full advantage of the floorpans strength, and cut down on the amount of glass needed. This however makes the unit permanent, and if you're like most of us, this isn't going to be your last install in this car. So don't scrap the mold. Spans of fiberglass that exceed 16" across should be at least six layers thick, smoothing the resin and fiber as each layer is applied should net about 3/8" to 1/2" overall thickness. Just remember to alternate the grain of the cloth, rotate the cloth 45 degrees each layer. Another thing to remember is that the span of fiberglass consists also of all sections including the curves and walls of the recessed tire well, so be sure to apply equal amounts of glass to the recessed floor, corners, walls, shoulder, and trunk floor. Have fun.
------------------ Mabeita@audioexpressusa
Posts: 1706 | From: Phoenix, AZ USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
this is EXCELLENT! everything has been explained easily for me to understand......
however there is just 1 last question i have before i start playing with this stuff;
what type of 'mat' should i use?? i've heard that sweatshirt material can be used. is this just used to get the initial mold? then i use a different fiber for the additional layers?? what about the hood-liner stuff??
is there any material superior to others?? please EXPLAIN why. cost is a factor. and so is the actual number of layers needed (the less the better) while still maintaining a high level of rigidity.
thanks again
------------------ ".....Runnin' Red Lights, And Them Right-of-ways..... We Ridin' Side-a-ways!!"
[This message has been edited by MrFlamboyant (edited 02-12-2001).]
posted
Standard fiberglass cloth, the woven stuff, works the best. You can assure complete coverage by cutting the "cloth" into 3" x 12" strips for the transition form floor to wall and over the shoulder. Stay away from "mat", it's hard to form especially around sharp corners. The cloth will lay flat and smooth easily. Fleece, sweatshirt material, is far too absorbant too depend on, when considering the amount of strength needed, thick materials like fleece and "fiberglass mat" tend to trap air inside the material, thus weakening the overall structure. Here's a rough estimate of cloth needed, 7 square yards. That should yeild about 6 layers of cloth for the tire well and floor area. If you run short you can always go get more.
------------------ Mabeita@audioexpressusa
Posts: 1706 | From: Phoenix, AZ USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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It's a biaxial weave (which is very strong) and has a layer of mat stitched to one side.
This material builds up very fast and you shouldnt need much more than 3 layers of it, or about 1/8" thick.
It runs about $7 per lineal yard.. check out www.shopmaninc.com to find it.
Since it is a heavy cloth it doesnt like corners very much. You can build up the corners with 2oz mat as it conforms to curves very easily once it has been wetted out. Do the corners first, then do the other areas with the knytex weave.
When working with fiberglass, you will get more strength if you use the largest sizes cloth you possibly can. Cutting the cloths into "strips" for ease of installation weakens the finished panel.
When you overlap layers of mat, you should fray the edges of the material before laying it up because a clean cut edge creates a ridge of air bubbles within the panel. Fraying the edges reduces the chances of gettin air in there plus it makes for a smoother transition.
Keep in mind, when I say "cloth" I am referring to the woven materials. When I say "mat", that is referring to the chopped strand or "randomly oriented" material. Cloths are stronger than mats due to the higher fiber count and alignment of the fibers.
Mats are good for building up thickness quick but they produce weak and brittle pieces.
Sweatshirt material and fleece is a waste of time and money. It's both weak and heavy. You will actually spend LESS money on the proper fiberglass reinforcements because it requires less to achieve more strength.
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
R POT Designs - Carbon Fiber Watercraft Performance Products
Posts: 431 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ | Registered: Jun 2000
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what would be the best type of resin to use with this cloth?
sorry for all the questions, but, would there be any advantages of going with the quadaxle cloth?
and lastly, would it be difficult to construct an entire sub box of these materials? (yielding about 6 cu. ft. internal volume) i really like the LESS, is MORE theory. and im trying to attain MAXIMUM results, with as little equipment/weight as possible. my existing subs/box is pushing 300lbs.! UNACCEPTABLE. i'd like to reduce that by half if possible. is it?
thanks SO much for the knowlege kicked thus far! it means a lot.
------------------ ".....Runnin' Red Lights, And Them Right-of-ways..... We Ridin' Side-a-ways!!"
posted
I don't believe that it will effect the bass response unless you don't make the glassed area thick enough. If the glassed area isn't thick enough, it would be like building the enclosure with thinner wood. When you knock on the wooded side, the glassed side should sound the same density.
quote:Originally posted by U Cant Touch This: I am about to build a sub box for 1 Digital Designs 9015. I am planning on a 4.5 cube box. I am considering making part of the box out of fiberglass. I want to fiberglass my tire well to take advantage of the extra 2 cubes there. That way the box would apear to be fairly small about 2.5 cubes. Also it would clear up some additional room in the trunk for a nicer amp install.
Would this be a good idea for a box doing high 140db's. Will the glass affect the bass response in any negitive way? Any hints, advise, suggestions or opinions would be apreciated. Thanks.
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Posts: 1 | From: Gainesville, Fl., Usa | Registered: Feb 2001
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