1/2" MDF?

MacLeod
MacLeod Posts: 14,358
edited September 2004 in Custom Fabrication
Alright, since nobody posts here, Ive got a quandry Ive been mulling over for the last few days and I thought Id get some feedback from you guys.

Im thinking about building my box out of 1/2 wood rather than the standard 3/4.

The reason for this is Im extremely limited in space and its gonna be super tough with my limited carpentry skills to come up with anything more than .35 with 3/4" wood. If I were to go with 1/2 I could get up to .5 which would be awesome and it would be a lot easier to find a sub that would fit my needs.

Im going to go with a 10" and Im gonna be giving it 350-400 watts so I dont think flex would be a problem with that moderate of wattage.

What do y'all think.
polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
Post edited by MacLeod on

Comments

  • LittleCar_w/12s
    LittleCar_w/12s Posts: 568
    edited August 2004
    hmmm.. ok let me try to find you a link, but there is a MDF manufacturer that makes a special kind of MDF, it's almost white, and it is lighter and stronger than std. wood MDF.... of course more expensive... As far as I know though, 1/2" mdf or 5/8" more commonly, is not too shabby.
    -Jerry
    ___________________________
    Total cost of materials: Going up...
    Time spent: Countless Hours...
    Cranking the system, having it quiet outside the car, and sound that takes the rear-view off inside: PRICELESS

    For some things in life, you pay others to do it... For a masterpeice, do it yourself.
  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited August 2004
    Well, the difference between my old sub box for my MTX 8 is drastic.

    If I remember right, with 3/4 its .29 cubes. With 1/2 it was like .38 or something.

    With a little finese I could get it up to the magic .5 a lot easier with half inch.
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2004
    use 1/2" maple birch plywood
    stronger and lighter
    but more expensive
    brace the hell out of it
    if your box flexes even a little...little being the width of your finger nail, it can cause DRASTIC changes in output
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited August 2004
    Id like to get away without bracing because it would eat up to much interior volume and I might as well be using 3/4" MDF.

    I dont know why the HELL Dodge made the underseat area of the new Rams so freaking SUBWOOFER UNFREINDLY!?
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
  • LittleCar_w/12s
    LittleCar_w/12s Posts: 568
    edited August 2004
    Trupan Ultralight weight MDF -- it weights 70% less then regular MDF and is just as strong.. maybe check out ti's rigidity, I haven't worked with it before, as I can't find it anywhere.
    ___________________________
    Total cost of materials: Going up...
    Time spent: Countless Hours...
    Cranking the system, having it quiet outside the car, and sound that takes the rear-view off inside: PRICELESS

    For some things in life, you pay others to do it... For a masterpeice, do it yourself.
  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited August 2004
    Well, I may just give the 1/2 inch wood a try a see how it sounds.
    Maybe if I use a little extra polyfill and use resin on the edges to round out the inside flex may not be a problem.
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2004
    use bracing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    its VERY IMPORTANT
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
  • neomagus00
    neomagus00 Posts: 3,899
    edited August 2004
    yeah, even little triangles along the edges and in the corners - little triangels, like an inch on each side - help tremendously. put one in each corner and maybe 2 along each side. yeah, you lose space, but you gain rigidity, and you can put polyfill in to somewhat make up for it.
    It's not good, very fundamentally simply not good. - geolemon

    "Its not good enough until we have real-time fearmongering. I want my fear mongered as it happens." - Shizelbs
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Polk Woodpecker Posts: 0
    edited August 2004
    Originally posted by exalted512
    use bracing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    its VERY IMPORTANT
    -Cody

    That's what I was going to say.
  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited August 2004
    Ill be fastening all this down with wood screws and wood glue not to mention sealant. With all this I still need bracing even with a mere 350 watts?
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2004
    in short
    YES
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited August 2004
    Originally posted by exalted512
    use 1/2" maple birch plywood
    stronger and lighter
    -Cody

    I thought plywood was a no-no in box building because it tended to rattle. Is this different?

    And which one is it. Maple or Birch? Or is it maple and birch together.

    I can wire things up all day long but am a complete idiot when it comes to building things. :(
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2004
    this plywood is different...the only bad parts about it is that its a little more reflective than MDF and that it doesnt have as clean a cut as MDF
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
  • neomagus00
    neomagus00 Posts: 3,899
    edited August 2004
    the cutting - use a finer-toothed saw and cut a little slower than you would when cutting a stud or MDF, and you should be fine

    reflective - if there's polyfill inside, i wouldn't think that the box material would make a lot of difference... would it?
    It's not good, very fundamentally simply not good. - geolemon

    "Its not good enough until we have real-time fearmongering. I want my fear mongered as it happens." - Shizelbs
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2004
    egg crate foam would work better than poly fill when dealing with reflective surfaces
    but yeah
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
  • neomagus00
    neomagus00 Posts: 3,899
    edited August 2004
    good point
    It's not good, very fundamentally simply not good. - geolemon

    "Its not good enough until we have real-time fearmongering. I want my fear mongered as it happens." - Shizelbs
  • LittleCar_w/12s
    LittleCar_w/12s Posts: 568
    edited September 2004
    (has been a while...)

    The easiest I've used is coarse-sparay rubber undercoating. Relatively cheap, and it's entire purpose is to reduce sound transmission.. It is said to help, though I've never built a box without it and the same one with it.....

    -Jerry
    ___________________________
    Total cost of materials: Going up...
    Time spent: Countless Hours...
    Cranking the system, having it quiet outside the car, and sound that takes the rear-view off inside: PRICELESS

    For some things in life, you pay others to do it... For a masterpeice, do it yourself.